His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains in this lecture the theological error of the Seventh-day Adventist sect regarding the nature of death and the immortality of the soul. The lecture is based on texts from their books and a scriptural analysis of their teachings.

Main idea:
They teach that the soul is not immortal by nature, and that death is the cessation of consciousness and existence until the day of resurrection, and that consciousness and feeling stop when the soul separates from the body and do not return until the resurrection of the dead. They deny the existence of the soul after death as a conscious existence.

The theological points presented:

• They deny that the soul goes to bliss or torment immediately after death.

• They view the punishment of the wicked as total annihilation (destruction) rather than an eternal conscious torment.

• They believe in separate resurrections of the righteous and the wicked at different times, and that the righteous ascend with Christ to reign in heaven during the thousand years, then the wicked are raised at the end of the thousand for a final war.

The Orthodox response in brief:
We believe that the soul continues its existence and consciousness after death, and that the Psalms and Gospel examples (the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the vision of the martyrs) show awareness and dialogue of souls after death. The resurrection and judgment occur in their time, but this does not contradict the life of the soul after death.

The spiritual and educational dimension (from a Coptic Orthodox faith perspective):
These teachings affect the understanding of hope, resurrection, and salvation. The Church calls for contemplation of the resurrection of the dead and reassures the soul that salvation and divine justice are fulfilled in the person of Christ and by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion:
The lecture warns believers against diminishing the value of the soul’s life after death and emphasizes the necessity of adhering to the Church’s traditional teaching on the immortality of the soul, the resurrection, and judgment, and highlights the importance of distinguishing between some denominations’ interpretations and the living biblical texts.

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