Josephus, Confirms the Immortality of the Soul Taught
It is popular among the Adventist and the former Armstrong followers to say that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul was invented or borrowed from paganism around 1000 AD or at the the time of the Dante. However, the facts are quite the opposite. In every case the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is taught by Christ in agreement with the Pharisees at the time of Christ. The famous historian Josephus records the explicit teaching of the Pharisees and Christ agrees with every word of it , as taught in the bible. The writings of the church from the first century forward and all martyrs all repeat the same doctrine contrary to that of the Seventh Day Adventist and the former Armstrong followers so called, "the Churches of God".
Josephus writes of the beliefs of the Essenes, Pharisees and Sadducees in "Wars of the Jews" Book II, Chapter VII Paragraphs 10-14
"10. (150) Now after the time of their preparatory trial is over, they are parted into four classes; and so far are the juniors inferior to the seniors, that if the seniors should be touched by the juniors, they must wash themselves, as if they had intermixed themselves with the company of a foreigner. (151) They are long-lived also; insomuch that many of them live above a hundred years, by means of the simplicity of their diet; nay, as I think, by means of the regular course of life they observe also. They condemn the miseries of life, and are above pain, by the generosity of their mind. And as for death, if it will be for their glory, they esteem it better than living always; (152) and indeed our war with the Romans gave abundant evidence what great souls they had in their trials, wherein, although they were tortured and distorted, burnt and torn to pieces, and went through all kinds of instruments of torment, that they might be forced either to blaspheme their legislator, or to eat what was forbidden them, yet could they not be made to do either of them, no, nor once to flatter their tormentors, or to shed a tear; (153) but they smiled in their very pains, and laughed those to scorn who inflicted the torments upon them, and resigned up their souls with great alacrity, as expecting to receive them again.
11. (154) For their doctrine is this:—That bodies are corruptible, and that the matter they are made of it not permanent; but that the souls are immortal, and continue forever; and that they come out of the most subtle air, and are united to their bodies as in prisons, into which they are drawn by a certain natural enticement; (155) but that when they are set free from the bonds of the flesh, they then, as released from a long bondage, rejoice and mount upward. And this is like the opinion of the Greeks, that good souls have their habitations beyond the ocean, in a region that is neither oppressed with storms of rain, or snow, or with intense heat, but that this place is such as is refreshed by the gentle breathing of a west wind, that is perpetually blowing from the ocean; while they allot to bad souls a dark and tempestuous den, full of never-ceasing punishments. (156) And indeed the Greeks seem to me to have followed the same notion, when they allot the islands of the blessed to their brave men, whom they call heroes and demigods; and to the souls of the wicked, the region of the ungodly, in Hades, where their fables relate that certain persons, such as Sisyphus, and Tantalus, and Ixion, and Tityus, are punished; which is built on this first supposition, that souls are immortal; and thence are those exhortations to virtue, and exhortations from wickedness collected; (157) whereby good men are bettered in the conduct of their life, by the hope they have of reward after their death, and whereby the vehement inclinations of bad men to vice are restrained, by the fear and expectation they are in, that although they should lie concealed in this life, they should suffer immortal punishment after their death. (158) These are the divine doctrines of the Essenes about the soul, which lay an unavoidable bait for such as have once had a taste of their philosophy.
12. (159) There also those among them who undertake to foretell things to come, by reading the holy books, and using several sorts of purifications, and being perpetually conversant in the discourses of the prophets; and it is but seldom that they miss in their predictions.
13. (160) Moreover, there is another order of Essenes, who agree with the rest as to their way of living, and customs, and laws, but differ from them in the point of marriage, as thinking that by not marrying they cut off the principal part of the human life, which is the prospect of succession; nay rather, that if all men should be of the same opinion, the whole race of mankind would fail. (161) However, they try their spouses for three years; and if they find that they have their natural purgations thrice, as trials that they are likely to be fruitful, they then actually marry them. But they do not use to accompany with their wives when they are with child, as a demonstration that they do not marry out of regard to pleasure, but for the sake of posterity. Now the women go into the baths with some of their garments on, as the men do with somewhat girded about them. And these are the customs of this order of Essenes.
(162) But then as to the two other orders at first mentioned: the Pharisees are those who are esteemed most skillful in the exact explication of their laws, and introduce the first sect. These ascribe all to fate [or providence], and to God, (163) and yet allow, that to act what is right, or the contrary, is principally in the power of men, although fate does cooperate in every action. They say that all souls are incorruptible; but that the souls of good men are only removed into other bodies,—but that the souls of bad men are subject to eternal punishment. (164) But the Sadducees are those that compose the second order, and take away fate entirely, and suppose that God is not concerned in our doing or not doing what is evil; (165) and they say, that to act what is good, or what is evil, is at men’s own choice, and that the one or the other belongs so to every one, that they may act as they please. They also take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades."
The Adventist and the Armstrong follwers make the same mistake that the Sadducees did. Christ condemned the Sadducees for their erroneous beliefs, He will condemn the Adventist and the Armstrong followers with them. Instead of preaching the gospel of Christ in truth, the Adventist and the Armstrong followers promise the wicked, the most wicked of all, "soul sleep" , "rest" and peace, while Christ promised the wicked eternal punishment. Soul sleep is music to the ears of the wicked. They love to hear how they won't be punished for their sins in everlasting punishment . The wicked do not repent because of the false gospel taught by the Adventist and the Armstrong followers. The atheist and the murder, the abortionist and the rapist, they all love the music of the promise of soul sleep" . But, how they hate the thought of everlasting punishment , lest they turn from their sins and repent.
"Wars of the Jews" Book II, Chapter VII
Web Link to Wars of Jospehus Book II http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/war-2.htm
Web Link to the Josephus "Discourse to the Greeks Concerning Hades" http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/hades.htm