Do you go directly to heaven after you die?

[Neostarwcc]

I've heard two teachings about this subject. I've heard that a Christians spirit goes directly after death to be with Jesus and awaits the resurrection of the body and I've heard of soul sleep where a Christian sleeps in the ground until the resurrection and the time from death till resurrection is instantaneous. Which is truth? Why or why not?

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[Neostarwcc]

Rev. 5 shows a song in heaven as to the redeemed. The group that would learn this song came from the righteous side of hell. Jesus Christ will bring them back with Him at His return. We shall all be changed...the dead in Christ shall rise first.

There's also the multitude of people that John saw in heaven in Revelation 7:9. If soul sleep is true than just who are those multitude of people? Saints? I suppose that's possible. But John called the amount of people in heaven so great that no man could count them all. So I think its more likely that he saw believers who had gone to be with Jesus after they died.

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[Neostarwcc]

Those came out of great tribulation. Rev. 6 shows martyrs get white robes and wait till all come in killed as they were. In the 6th seal, we find the signs of the end of the great tribulation. sun black. the stars fall -men hide in the rocks = the tribes wail

Isaiah 2:10-12 shows that happens on the day of the LORD. The wicked will be hiding for fear of Him and His glory! They will cast away their idols and go hide in the rocks. In the time of the 6th trumpet, they still were keeping those idols and would not repent.

The church is here till in the day of the Lord. the day of Christ - the day of our gathering together unto Him

Jesus Christ told how the thief that repented would be with Him that day in paradise. He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. Jesus told the wicked Jews that they would not follow Him where He was going. He told His disciples that they will go where He was going.

I always wondered that too. When Jesus said "you know the way to where I am going." they stupidly replied "we don't know where you're going so how can we know the way" Jesus had to try to dumb it down for them and say "I am going to heaven to be with God the Father". I mean were his disciples really that stupid that they couldn't figure that out? I mean he kept saying that after he dies he's going to go be with God. I just never got it. But you're right he did say that they would eventually end up where he is. And he did promise the thief that he would be with him in paradise. So there's that. If soul sleep were true why is there all of this evidence that says the contrary?

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[Halbhh]

I've heard two teachings about this subject. I've heard that a Christians spirit goes directly after death to be with Jesus and awaits the resurrection of the body and I've heard of soul sleep where a Christian sleeps in the ground until the resurrection and the time from death till resurrection is instantaneous. Which is truth? Why or why not?

Well if you consider death a dreamless sleep, then it would be as if you went directly to the coming resurrection of the dead, because for the person that sleep doesn't seem to last any time consciously. So, either way, it would be experienced as going directly from the passing of this body to the next life. Notice though this idea uses an assumption there is no situation of purgatory between this life and the final disposition. Since it's not easy to say much about purgatory from scripture (it fits scripture, but it's not the only possibility), one can rely on simply trusting in God. I trust God, so I certainly don't need to know all of the small details we are not clearly told. And, there are, we are told, real mysteries, which I take to mean things that will not be revealed yet, and which we cannot well understand, but only guess about, and it's good to remember what is someone's guessing, or idea, and not begin to think an idea, no matter how old, is the same as scripture.

 

[Neostarwcc]

Well if you consider death a dreamless sleep, then it would be as if you went directly to the coming resurrection of the dead, because for the person that sleep doesn't seem to last any time consciously. So, either way, it would be experienced as going directly from the passing of this body to the next life. Notice though this idea uses an assumption there is no situation of purgatory between this life and the final disposition. Since it's not easy to say much about purgatory from scripture (it fits scripture, but it's not the only possibility), one can rely on simply trusting in God. I trust God, so I certainly don't need to know all of the small details we are not clearly told. And, there are, we are told, real mysteries, which I take to mean things that will not be revealed yet, and which we cannot well understand, but only guess about, and it's good to remember what is someone's guessing, or idea, and not begin to think an idea, no matter how old, is the same as scripture.

One question is though if soul sleep is true than who were the great multitude that John saw in heaven that no man could count? Why did Christ promise the thief "Today you will be with me in paradise" and why did Jesus say to the apostles that they would one day join him in heaven? Is it just the elite that get to spend time with God before the last day or is it everyone? I mean obviously the apostles are among the elite. And the thief could have been special too. But... Idk... Its just really weird and a mystery like you said.

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[Halbhh]

One question is though if soul sleep is true than who were the great multitude that John saw in heaven that no man could count? Why did Christ promise the thief "Today you will be with me in paradise" and why did Jesus say to the apostles that they would one day join him in heaven? Is it just the elite that get to spend time with God before the last day or is it everyone? I mean obviously the apostles are among the elite. And the thief could have been special too. But... Idk... Its just really weird and a mystery like you said.

Well, 'today' in scripture doesn't always mean 24 hours of course, and it could fit the above...or not. I say 'if' when I speculate on this kind of thing, because it's really only educated guessing. I recall that Christ said 'the first will be last, and the last will be first' and while that could mean only about serving others, it seems to me it also suggests that new converts are initially in a state of (close to) perfection (that is, without any significant after-conversion sins yet), and if they die in that state, they might possibly (speculation) be in a special situation. We know Moses and Elijah were present with Christ at the transfiguration, yet we also know 'the dead in Christ will rise' when He returns (does this mean most are indeed asleep, or that instead they would be reunited to their bodily forms?). I remain very content to simply trust God, and never be concerned that I have to know for sure about such things.

 

[redleghunter]

I've heard two teachings about this subject. I've heard that a Christians spirit goes directly after death to be with Jesus and awaits the resurrection of the body and I've heard of soul sleep where a Christian sleeps in the ground until the resurrection and the time from death till resurrection is instantaneous. Which is truth? Why or why not?

Paul said our presence would be with the Lord:

2 Corinthians 5: NASB
6Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Philippians 1: NASB
21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.

 

[Neostarwcc]

John 13:36

in contrast to John 7:34....Proverbs 14:32....1 Thessalonians 4:13

Right. He could have meant the elite dead though. Because obviously the apostles are among the elite. But this still doesn't explain who the great multitude were.

 

[Halbhh]

A verse that certainly influenced my own guessing:

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise.

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[Neostarwcc]

Paul said our presence would be with the Lord:

2 Corinthians 5: NASB
6Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Philippians 1: NASB
21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.

Right Paul believed in life after death. He says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that he desired to be away from the body and present with the Lord. But Paul also believed a lot of other crazy things. Who's to say he's right? I'm not calling Paul a false prophet or a heretic but who's to say that Paul was right about everything.

 

[Jonaitis]

2 Corinthians 5:6-9 and Philippians 1:23-25 is clear that the soul is actively conscious after death; for the believer: immediately at the presence of Christ, and unbeliever: immediately in hades (often called hell) awaiting judgment for the lake of fire.

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[Halbhh]

Right Paul believed in life after death. He says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that he desired to be away from the body and present with the Lord. But Paul also believed a lot of other crazy things. Who's to say he's right? I'm not calling Paul a false prophet or a heretic but who's to say that Paul was right about everything.

Well, 'right away' is in each scenario still 'right away' in terms of what the person experiences, since the dreamless sleep for instance isn't experienced as any time passing. Unless purgatory happens, one would not experience years or centuries passing, but it would seem quick, even possibly continuous.