Some examples:
This question of life after death has perplexed mankind throughout the ages. Thousands of years ago, the patriarch Job asked, “If a man die, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14).
Most professing Christians believe that they possess an immortal soul. They have been taught that the dead go to either heaven or hell. Most ministers, evangelists and religionists freely speak of “when we all get to heaven.” They declare this to be the Bible’s teaching.
Most people do not understand the relationship between physical men and souls.
Genesis 2:7 states, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man BECAME a living soul.” This verse does not say men HAVE souls. It states that they ARE souls. Adam BECAME a soul—he was not GIVEN a soul.
The prophet Ezekiel was inspired to write (twice): “The soul that sins, it shall die” (18:4, 20). Death is the absence of life. It is the discontinuance—the cessation—of life. Death is not life in another place. It is not leaving “this life” for “another life”—the “next life.”
notice Psalm 146:3-4: “Put not your trust…in the son of man…his breath goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” When people die, their thoughts end immediately—“in that very day.”
This verse is also not compatible with the idea that the dead are either alive in heaven or consciously suffering in a place of torment.
Notice Ecclesiastes 9:5: “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything…”
Now consider Psalm 115:17: “The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.” Death means “silence.” This certainly does not agree with the popular concepts of millions of the dead wailing and screaming in agony—or immediately receiving eternal life in heaven or anywhere else with millions of others supposedly conversing, singing, playing harps and praising God.
Psalm 6:5 further explains that the dead do not experience conscious memory: “For in death there is no remembrance of You: in the grave who shall give You thanks?” Could anyone seriously suggest that the dead, suffering in hell, could experience the normal range of human memories, but not be aware of God—not be able to “remember” Him?
[my own 2 cents: Some day after people have died, they will be brough back to life in the "Great White throne Judgement". They will live again on earth then under a totally new Kingodom or Government ruling earth. At that time the vast majority of humanity will live, will be ALIVE and be offered a chance at immortality. That is tied to the "Kingdom of God" on earth, with it's rules and law based government. Today God's true Church obeys those Laws. Those being "called" today have to act now during this life - those that are being called to fill thoes "offices" of rulership in that new world tomorrow on earth.]
Jesus said that NO ONE, no human is living in Heaven today or ever has!
John 3:13 (KJV)
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
David said, “As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I AWAKE, with Your likeness” (Psa. 17:15). He understood that a resurrection was an awakening back to life.
Paul also wrote of the “change” that awaits all true Christians. Carefully examine I Corinthians 15:51-52, 54: “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump…the dead shall be raised…and this mortal shall have put on immortality, THEN [not yet] shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, DEATH is swallowed up in victory.” It is certainly an almost complete mystery to the world that there is coming an awakening and a change at the resurrection.
We must also ask, how can one go from “mortal” to “immortal” if he already has an immortal soul?
[Job referenced above] “O that you would hide me in the grave, that you would keep me secret, until your wrath be past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. (Job 14:13-15).
Now look at Job’s question—“if a man die, shall he live again?” If Job was going to still be alive at death, how could he “live again”? Job knew that he would be “waiting…in the grave” for his resurrection at an “appointed time,” when he would be “changed.”
Remember that “all that are in the grave” will eventually be resurrected. Actually, this refers to a resurrection to take place near the end of God’s Plan of working with mankind. About one thousand years prior to this time, another resurrection will occur. Revelation 20 elaborates on both these resurrections. Verse 4 explains that after the earlier one, the saints shall reign on Earth with Christ for 1,000 years after Satan has been bound (vs. 1-2). Verse 5 then explains that the “rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.”
This period is referred to as the Great White Throne Judgment, during which all human beings will have opportunity to learn the truth. God will “put [His] Spirit in [them].” Most will grow, overcome and qualify to receive salvation and join all those who preceded them in the prior resurrection.