Home Of The Soul

In last Sunday’s editorial I touched on the subject of the “soul.”  Today I’d like to follow up on that same subject for some additional thoughts and I’ll do that with the use of one of our favorite and beautiful old hymns.  Of course, the hymn that I’m speaking of is the “Home Of The Soul.”  Not only is the music beautiful, but the lyrics convey such a beautiful picture to us.  Let’s consider the “picture” of that “home” for a few moments.

Yes, our “soul” does have a home to which it will return.  I say “return” because we see in Eccl. 12:7 that our “spirit shall return to God who gave it.”  We also learn from that passage that it’s our “souls” and not our bodies that return.  But, I’d like you to consider with me that there are actually two “homes” prepared for our “soul’s” eternal existence.

And, contrary to some popular and false beliefs we hear disseminated from time to time, this earth WILL NOT be one of those eternal homes.  We have some who teach that the Lord will return and set up His kingdom here on earth and that this will then be the paradise of the righteous.  That belief has no scriptural backing for it, and in fact, directly opposes what the scriptures tell us about the fate of this world.

In 2 Pet. 3:9-14 we read (paraphrasing) that the earth as we know it, is going to be burnt up and will pass away upon the return of Christ.  Be kind of hard to have a paradise where nothing exists anymore, wouldn’t it?  But that false theory also has in it the picture of “second chances” for people to get righteous with God.

That part of this doctrine also flies in the face of scriptural teachings, one of which we see in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31.  We learn from that passage that if we die before the Lord returns, our souls are held in abeyance until the time that He does - the Day of Judgment.  It’s at that time that our souls go to their eternal “home.”

Well, where is that “home of the soul?”  I mentioned earlier that there are really two “homes” prepared for the destination of our soul and, in His Word, God also provided descriptions of the final and eternal resting place of them, although I’m not sure that “resting” fits one of them.  Let’s check out these two places.

In the beautiful words of John 14:2-3 we are told that Jesus has gone to “prepare a place” for our soul and that “place” is where The Father is - His “house.”  Can you imagine how wonderful God’s “house” must be?  And that He will return for us and take us home to live eternally with He and His Father? 

We see that this will happen at His second coming and, in respect to our earlier mentioned “false doctrine,” He won’t even set foot on the earth.  And that’s when all righteous souls, those alive at the moment or those in “abeyance” will go “home” with Him.  (1Thess. 4:16-18)

And, when we read the 21st chapter of Revelation, we are given more descriptors of this “home” where God’s “house” is located.  In short, everything about this “home” is beautiful beyond our imagination.  The term “paradise” just doesn’t seem sufficient here when we consider that, besides it’s beautiful description, that there is no sorrow or death, no more crying or pain.  When we truly consider this “home of the soul” we can understand why the Psalmist said, “Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.” (Psa. 116:7)

However, we need to discuss the other “home” prepared (Matt. 25:41) for souls eternal existence, and as earlier said, it isn’t a place of “rest.”  This place is “prepared” for the unrighteous souls, “the devil and his angels.”  Those souls that are “cursed” by God and sent to the “home” described as “everlasting fire.” 

In Rev. 20:15 we’re told exactly who the “unrighteous souls” are: those “whosoever was not found written in the book of life.”  By natural inference, they were written in the book of death.  But not only just “death.”  In verse 10 of that chapter we read that they will be in a “lake of fire and brimstone” and will be “tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

Remember where we read that in the “first home” there would be no “sorrow” or “crying” there?  Well, I’m afraid that won’t be the case in the “second home.”  There’s going to be continual “weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth” for the “souls” sentenced there.  (Matt. 13:42 & Rev. 18:19)

The one descriptor of this second “home of the soul” that provides me with a most graphic picture of this other “home” is found in Mark 9:48.  It’s there that Christ is talking about a soul being cast into “hell” (that’s the address of the “second home”) and look at how it’s described: “Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Don’t know about you, but that just gives me the “willies.”  (Whatever they are).

In wrapping up, notice in Heb. 4:9 what it says: “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”  Then in verse 11 we’re given some great counsel.  The writer advises that we work toward entering into “that rest” lest we “fall after the same example of unbelief.”  Lest we be found like “unrighteous” and “cursed” souls and condemned to live forever in the “second home.”

     “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea,

      saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works

      do follow them.”   (Rev. 14:13)

Respectfully submitted,

Ron Covey