Is the Soul Immortal? Exploring What Adventists Believe

Based on the way the Bible describes humanity in comparison to God and angels, Seventh-day Adventists believe souls are not something you have, but something you are.

In other words, the soul isn’t a separate, spiritual “part” of a person—it describes someone’s entire being. It’s the fullness of a person’s existence and identity:

Body + God’s “Breath of Life” = Living Soul (Genesis 2:7).

And originally, in the Garden of Eden, God created the first humans with access to the “tree of life,” which, according to Genesis 3:22, enabled them to live forever.¹

But everything changed after The Fall, when Adam and Eve chose their own ambitions over God’s loving instruction. Death entered the picture (Genesis 3:19). From then on, the only way for humans to live eternally is through knowing and accepting Jesus Christ (John 17:3; 1 John 5:11).

So immortality is still a possibility for humanity. However, it’s not our current state as living souls in a sinful world.

So then, what does it actually mean to believe in “the immortality of the soul?” Where does the belief come from, and what exactly do Adventists believe?

Let’s dig even deeper. We’ll go through the passages of Scripture that talk about everything having to do with our human mortality and existence as God’s children.

We’ll cover:

• Do Adventists believe in “the immortality of the soul”?
• How the Bible talks about souls
• What the Bible says about immortality
• How all these ideas fit together
• The hope we can find in these biblical teachings

First, let’s establish exactly what Adventists believe when it comes to souls and immortality.

Do Adventists believe in the immortality of the soul?

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No, Adventists do not believe in the immortality of the soul, or the teaching that claims human souls live on forever, even after their bodies die.

The Bible tells us that only the Lord God is inherently immortal (1 Timothy 6:16).

To express how Adventists interpret Scripture regarding our existence and mortality, our 26th Fundamental Belief puts it this way:

“The wages of sin is death. But God, who alone is immortal, will grant eternal life to His redeemed.”²

In other words, we believe that the only time a human soul would have immortality would be if that immortality was given to them by God at the resurrection. And this would be based on that human’s decision to follow Jesus, the source of eternal life, and turn away from sin, the source of death.

Next we’ll get into how we formed this belief from the Word of God.

How the Bible talks about souls

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When the Bible talks about the soul, it’s talking about someone’s entire being. Everything that makes them who they are.

The English word soul was translated from the original Hebrew word nephesh, which means, “a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion.”³

The Bible tells us that souls:

• Can cry (Jeremiah 13:17, NKJV)
• Join households (Genesis 12:5, KJV)
• Experience physical birth (Exodus 1:5, KJV)
• Can be baptized (Acts 2:41, NKJV)

These verses wouldn’t make much sense if we were talking about a merely spiritual existence or form, mainly because all of these descriptions tell us the soul is capable of performing tasks that are associated with having a physical body.

Ángel Manuel Rodríguez of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Biblical Research Institute says:

“‘Soul’ refers to the whole person in need of God, who is the only one who can preserve a human being or extinguish the self forever (Matt. 10:28).”

The Bible uses the word soul to talk about the way David and Jonathan were close friends, describing how Jonathan cared for David as he would himself: “Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul”⁴ (1 Samuel 18:1, NKJV).

In many other passages, writers use the word soul to refer to their whole being, even to the deepest part of who they fully are.

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Psalm 139: 14, NKJV).

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?” (Psalm 42:11, NKJV).

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope” (Psalm 130:5, NKJV).

“Soul” is such a profound, all-encompassing word because it expresses that we’re more than just bodies walking around, fueled solely by instinct and involuntary processes. Our existence is both tangible and intangible, a combination of the physical bodies God created for us and the breath of life He put into all of us, just like the equation at the beginning.

What does the Bible say about the breath of life?

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Now let’s look more closely at the “breath of life,” the very breath of God that can turn a form made of dirt into a living, conscious human being (Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4; Revelation 11:11).

This has also been called “the spirit” (Job 32:8).

As a matter of fact, “the spirit,” was translated from the original Hebrew word ruach, meaning “breath, wind, spirit,”⁵ and the original Greek word pneuma, meaning, “wind, spirit.”⁶

In this way, the breath of life, or spirit, is not a consciousness or spiritual state of being. It’s what God bestows upon us to give us sustained life.

That means there’s no consciousness, spirit, or ghost floating around after we die.

Instead, after we die, the breath of life leaves our body and goes back to God (Psalm 146:4; Ecclesiastes 12:7).

(That’s likely why some people colloquially refer to death as “resting in Jesus” or that someone has “fallen asleep in Jesus.”)

In death, everything stops. Solomon emphasized this when said that “the dead know nothing” and have no further participation in anything (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, NKJV). They have no further awareness, which is why death is compared to resting or sleeping (John 11:11-14; 1 Corinthians 15:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:14).

And while this degree of finality in death is indeed sad, we can remember that God has a time for everything.

For those who have died, it’s as if their existence is on pause until Jesus returns. Then there will be the resurrection, when God will restore the breath of life to His people (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).⁷

And that will be the very moment human beings are able to become immortal (1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

What does the Bible say about immortality?

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Let’s keep unpacking what Scripture tells us about immortality.

The words “immortal” or “immortality” show up a few times in the New Testament,⁸ and each of those times either refers to God Himself or the gift of eternal life that we can get through being saved by Jesus Christ.

And it’s important to remember that the perfected, eternal state we are given at the resurrection at the Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:53-54) is conditional—it depends on our choice.

If we accept Jesus and choose to be with God, the source of all existence, we will receive everlasting life (John 3:16).

But if we reject Jesus’ sacrifice, we are subject to sin and the devil’s influence, which leads ultimately to death and destruction (Ezekiel 18:20; John 3:36).

In other words, that choice forfeits the chance of everlasting life.

There is no way any human, in any form, could live eternally without the “corruptible body” being “changed” at the Second Coming, when we’re “clothed with immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:52-53, CSB).

So where does the belief of the immortal soul come from?

There are some passages of Scripture that speak allegorically about the afterlife, such as the parable about “The Rich Man and Lazarus” in Luke 16.

And there are passages that talk about the body being destroyed but not the soul, such as Matthew 10:28.

But in that case, Jesus is making the point that humans might be able to threaten and kill one another, but they cannot affect someone’s eternal fate. A human is powerless against whether you accept Jesus and are saved, or if you don’t. So then, who would you respect more…someone who can affect your eternal fate, or someone who only can hurt you in the present moment? That’s what Jesus was asking.

However, other than those and perhaps a few other passages, much of the idea of a separate, indestructible, immortal soul existence comes from the philosophy of Plato. And Plato did end up greatly influencing several early Christian thinkers, such as St. Augustine of Hippo.⁹ And this idea wasn’t widely talked about until the time of the early church fathers.¹⁰

So as we wrap up, let’s put these ideas together in a solid biblical framework.

How do all these ideas fit together?

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In addressing what our souls are, we’ve talked a lot about life, death, and what happens (and doesn’t happen) afterward. Now let’s tie it all together, starting again from the beginning.

Body and soul are one, and God binds them together

Revisiting the earlier equation,

Body + Breath of Life = Living Soul

That’s how God originally created us, and that’s also the form He wants to restore to us.

Immortality was (and still is) God’s ideal for us

Originally, God did want humanity to live forever. He created Adam and Eve in an idyllic paradise with access to the tree of life.

However, since they were created in the image of God and given freedom of choice, there was also the possibility for them to be tempted to go astray from God. And they did (Genesis 1-3).

But sin changed everything (and introduced death)

Sin entered humanity, damaging their relationship with God and each other. God knew that life like this couldn’t and shouldn’t continue forever, so Adam and Eve were cut off from Eden and the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-24).

Living in sin caused humanity to see what life apart from God is like.

Life with God was joyful, peaceful, and loving.

Life without God led to suffering, fear, shame, hate…it wasn’t life at all, really.

And it ultimately leads to death (Romans 6:23).

The plan of salvation is to save our whole souls

That’s why God had a plan to restore humanity from its fall. He sent His Son, Jesus, who was willing to sacrifice Himself for our sins and show us what love really looks like. And this would restore the relationship between God and humanity (John 14:6; 17:3).

While this plan runs its course, “earthly death” or “temporary death” will still be a reality for us until Jesus returns. But if we accept Him as our Savior, we don’t have to worry about death being permanent.

Just like the apostle Paul says, we can look forward to the “blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13, NKJV), knowing that even if anyone has “fallen asleep,” they will be awakened with the “voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, NKJV).

Death can be thought of as “soul sleep”

When the breath of life is removed from people at death, so is their consciousness—there is no awareness or ability to know, think, or do (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, 10; Job 14:10-12).

We can think of it as though their life force has gone back to God, who is its source. So it isn’t wandering around separately. In that way, the person who died is truly at rest and at peace.

This also means that those who died are incapable of communicating with or appearing to the living. Instead, their bodies have returned to the ground, waiting for the day Jesus will awaken them at the resurrection (Daniel 12:2).

No one goes to heaven until after the resurrection

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What many call the final judgment happens when Jesus returns at the Second Coming. It’s also at the time of the first resurrection, or the “resurrection of life” (Revelation 20:6; John 5:28-29, CSB).

The “dead in Christ” (1 Thessalonians 4:16), or the believers who have died, will be resurrected and instantly given perfected bodies and minds (1 Corinthians 15:52). And they will be lifted up, along with believers who are alive at the time, to meet Jesus in the sky. Then they will be taken to heaven.

But what about people who refused to follow Jesus?

They will be resurrected in the second resurrection, otherwise known as the “resurrection of condemnation” (John 5: 28-29, CSB). This will take place long after the first resurrection, specifically, after God’s followers have been in heaven for 1,000 years, or the Millennium (Revelation 20:5-10).

Then comes the destruction of Satan and all who sided with him (Revelation 19-20). That’s when this sin-corrupted era of our world is over, and the era of our New Earth begins (Revelation 21).

However, there are some beliefs that place the dead followers of God in heaven, waiting until the Second Coming. And at that time their spiritual forms, or souls, would be reunited with their bodies on earth and then taken back to heaven. And on the flip-side, the souls of unbelievers would be waiting in hell for the same occasion.

But from a big-picture view, that’s a perplexing way to look at things in real time. That means that if hell was an actual place of constant torment, some people have been there suffering centuries longer just because they lived at an earlier time than others.

And, though it may seem comforting to think of our loved ones in heaven, that means they’d be aware of what’s been happening on earth all this time. All while being unable to do anything about it.

Would our loved ones really be happy in heaven while they watch all the pain and heartbreak we go through in this world that only grows in its corruption by sin?

This is why Adventists find comfort in the concept of “soul sleep.” We know that our loved ones are indeed at rest. Free from any knowledge of the passage of time, free from the knowledge of the world’s events, and free from any suffering.

And their next moments of awareness will be when they open their eyes to see Jesus beckoning them toward heaven (Psalm 17:15).

There is no eternal torment

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Because of everything we’ve discussed so far, those who chose not to follow Jesus won’t burn in hell forever because they would have also refused Jesus’ gift of eternal life.¹¹

If they got to experience any kind of “forever,” they would have eternal life.

Instead, the Bible tells us their mortal bodies will burn until there’s nothing left (Psalm 37:10; Malachi 4:1, 3; Revelation 21:8).

This helps us understand why Matthew 10:28 says, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (NKJV).

It’s not that the soul and body are separate. The distinction is only made to emphasize the finality of the second death.¹²

Adventist Pastor Tim Crosby, D.Min, explains it like this:

“This text implies the same clear contrast between the first death, which is temporary, and the second, which results in the utter extinction of the soul, that may be seen in Revelation 20 (verses 5 and 14, respectively).”¹³

When the Bible describes their “eternal destruction,” it’s describing how they’ll be eternally destroyed—forever gone. Never to rise again (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

This type of fate makes a lot more sense when you consider God’s character.

We’ve seen and heard throughout Scripture that God is just and merciful (Psalm 89:14; Exodus 34:6-7).

But it wouldn’t be very just or merciful to make someone burn forever due to a choice made with the very free will God bestowed upon humanity.

Why would God be cruel to the children He created with love? We read in the Bible that He doesn’t enjoy seeing anyone suffer, and He doesn’t want anyone to be lost (Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9). That’s why He sent His Son, part of His very self, part of the Godhead, to die for us and provide us a chance to be redeemed and restored (John 3:16).

He’s making sure everyone has a chance to choose this gift (2 Peter 3:9).

But how unimaginably difficult it will have to be to watch someone He lovingly created be destroyed because they refused to accept the gift of salvation and restoration He offered to them.

But He has to let free will take its course by letting people experience the consequences of choosing sin—death. And if they burned forever, whether as detached souls or as physical people, He wouldn’t be handing them over to the “wages of sin” (Romans 6:23). If sinful people burned forever, sin would live on through them.

But God is prophesied to destroy sin, along with anyone or anything that clings to it. This must happen so that those who chose can experience what was prophesied and promised: getting to live in a world free from sin (1 Corinthians 15:20-26; 2 Peter 3:13: Revelation 21:3-5).

The hope we find in the Bible’s teachings

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Death can be a painful and scary subject.

A lot of people worry about what will happen to their loved ones when they pass away. And who doesn’t have those moments when we’re awake in the middle of the night…wondering how long we might have left, and how or where we might end up?

But Adventists find that the Bible offers ultimate reassurance.

We can be filled with peace when we remember that those who have died are not suffering. It’s like they’re asleep. Completely unaware of the mess the world is in.

We can be comforted amid our grief when we remember that Jesus will come through on His promise—that we can live with Him for eternity in a restored Eden-like paradise of the New Earth (1 Corinthians 2:8-10; Revelation 21:1-3).

This whole model of life and the plan of salvation is framed by a God who alone is innately immortal and the only one capable of granting immortality.

We can trust Him to use this ability for our good, withholding immortality from anyone or anything that would endanger or extinguish life.

With that in mind, we can look forward to His bright and glorious Second Coming, and the resurrection of life.

Bible Verses about Souls and Immortality:

• The dead are asleep until the resurrection (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6; Psalm 146:4; John 11:11-14)
• The breath of life, or spirit, gives life (Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Isaiah 42:5; Psalm 146:4; Genesis 7:22; Job 27:3; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Romans 2:6-8; Acts 7:59-60)
• “Souls” refer to people as whole beings (Acts 2:41; Jeremiah 52:28-30; Ezekiel 18:4; Psalm 89:48; James 5:20)
• Eternal life only comes through acceptance of Jesus (1 Timothy 6:16; 1 John 5:11-12; Romans 6:23; John 3:16; John 11:25-26; Titus 3:5-7)
• Sin removed our connection to God, bringing death into the world (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:12; John 10:10)
• The wicked, along with sin and death, are destroyed for good (Psalm 37:10; Revelation 20:9; Revelation 21:4; 2 Peter 3:13; Matthew 10:28; Malachi 4:1, 3; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26)
• The righteous aren’t resurrected and brought to heaven until Jesus’ second coming (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29;1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 2 Peter 3:3-5, 8-9).
• The wicked don’t experience their consequences until the resurrection of condemnation (Daniel 12:2; 2 Peter 3:7)
• The righteous will be given immortal, incorruptible physical bodies at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:52-55; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5)

Related Articles

1. See also Revelation 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19. [↵]
2. “Death, the State of the Dead, and Resurrection,” The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. [↵]
3. “5315. Nephesh,” Strong’s Concordance, Bible Hub. [↵]
4. Rodríguez,Ángel Manuel, “Meaning of the word “soul” in the Bible,” Biblical Research Institute, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. [↵]
5. “7307. Ruach,” Strong’s Concordance, Bible Hub. [↵]
6.  “4151. Pneuma,” Strong’s Concordance, Bible Hub. [↵]
7. See also Matthew 27:52, as it will likely be similar to this occurrence. This was a foreshadowing event. [↵]
8. Romans 2:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:53-54; 1 Timothy 6:16; 2 Timothy 2:10. [↵]
9. “Saint Augustine,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/augustine/. [↵ ]
10. Nnaemeka, Onyeukaziri Justin, “The Platonic Influence on Early Christian Anthropology: Its Implication on the Theology of the Resurrection of the Dead,” Philosophia: International Journal of Philosophy, vol. 23, no. 1, (January 2022), p. 54, https://philarchive.org/archive/ONYTPI. [↵]
11. Ezekiel 18:20; John 3:36; John 17:3. [↵]
12. Crosby, Tim, “Is the hell of the Bible unending?” Ministry Magazine. [↵]
13. Ibid. [↵]

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