Question:

If someone is brain-dead, has their soul left their body?

There has been much debate and disagreement in the medical community between physicians concerning the time at which death occurs, resulting in the soul and spirit leaving the body. We know from Psalm 16:10 and Luke 16:23 that each human, whether saved or unsaved, experiences a separation of his/her soul and spirit from his/her physical body at the time of physical death. This separation is known as the condition of “hades” in the Bible. It is easy to realize the truth of this condition when we attend the reviewal or viewing of a person’s body at a funeral home and see a physical body that obviously lacks the soul and spirit that once gave it life.

Concerning the case of the brain-dead person, there are physicians who read this publication who most likely could provide a good answer concerning whether or not the person’s soul has left his/her body before all other bodily functions (heart, lung, liver, etc.) cease. However, even if physicians are not certain about the exact time of a person’s death we can be assured that, our heavenly Father “knows all things” (1 John 3:20).