The Bible shows that souls are mortal by nature. When the fifth seal was opened, John saw under the base of the altar the souls of those who had been slain. These souls, representing Christians who would be martyred, are told to rest a little while longer until the number of their fellow servants and brethren, who would be killed as they were, is completed. Those who have died as martyrs are to continue to rest in their graves until others, like them, are also martyred. The imagery of the souls crying for vengeance is symbolic, akin to Abel's blood crying to God from the ground, and not to be taken literally. Thus, the souls under the altar represent a symbolic picture of the martyrdom of saints.

The question of whether we have an immortal soul is foundational to understanding what happens after death. God's Word provides clear and simple truth on the nature of the soul, defining it through the Hebrew and Greek terms nephesh and psyche, which both relate to breath and the concept of a breathing creature. These terms signify the breath of life, the vital force or principle that animates a living being. The soul, as presented in scripture, is the life-force or immaterial gift of life given by God, distinct from and greater than the body's biochemical reactions, enabling a creature to live and breathe. In the Old Testament, nephesh describes a living being, emphasizing life and existence, whether human or animal, as both are creatures given life by the Creator. It is used for living beings, corpses, and even by God Himself to express His own living essence. The soul is fundamentally tied to the breath God imparted, representing life and being. Beyond this, humans possess a spirit, ruach or pneuma, distinct from the soul, which grants cognitive abilities like understanding, reasoning, and creativity, setting mankind apart from animals. The soul, or life, is not portrayed as inherently immortal. Scripture asserts that the soul that sins shall die, indicating that life can cease. The wages of sin are death, not eternal existence in another form, and eternal life is a gift from God, not an inherent quality of the soul. The spirit in man, while a record of one's character and experiences, also lacks inherent immortality; it requires God's infusion of life to be functional. Only through God's Spirit can eternal life be granted, as immortality is something to be sought and put on, not something humans possess naturally. Jesus Christ alone has inherent life and immortality, which He offers as a gift to be received in the resurrection, confirming that the soul is not immortal by nature but dependent on God's grace for eternal existence.