Where Do We Go When We Die?

Tsquared said:

This week at work, a couple of employees asked me if we go directly to heaven when we die, if we stay in the ground until the resurrection, or if we go to a waiting place (sort of like a type of purgatory). I have heard several different views on this, so I told them that I would look into the matter and see what there is the most evidence for. Please note, I am simply looking for what views others have concerning this, so I can study it out more for myself and present it to my coworkers this week. Thank you for your responses!

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This is the view i've been taught at my church, at first I didn't agree with it (my pastor is my uncle he has a good heart i'm just one of those heavy gotta know for myself people) and it didn't line up, but after some study i've come to the conclusion that this is what happens maybe a few months ago I became set on this.


When you die you go to be with the lord rather then heaven and part of the basis for this is this scripture here.

John 3:13

“And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”




Here's scriptures that mention the place with the lord and support how no one is in heaven yet until he returns.

Genesis 5:24King James Version (KJV)
24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Comment: He went to be with the Lord


Hebrews 11:13King James Version (KJV)
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.


Thessalonians 4:13-18King James Version (KJV)
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.


Luke 16:22-23King James Version (KJV)
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.


Comment: Abrahams blossom= place of blessedness beyond the grave or a place with the Lord but not heaven.

Believers in Christ go to be with the Lord at their death, so then heaven as Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Before Christ was resurrected, the saints of God went to Abraham's bosom, as distinct from fiery torments where the wicked dead go at their deaths. This was still hell or hades, the place of the dead, but split into 2 parts. They did not have eternal life living with God in heaven, but were conscious in either paradise or fiery torments. Christ opened the way for man to enter heaven having eternal life to live with God and Christ.

John 14:3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

2 Corinthians 5New King James Version (NKJV)

5 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Tsquared said:

This week at work, a couple of employees asked me if we go directly to heaven when we die, if we stay in the ground until the resurrection, or if we go to a waiting place (sort of like a type of purgatory). I have heard several different views on this, so I told them that I would look into the matter and see what there is the most evidence for. Please note, I am simply looking for what views others have concerning this, so I can study it out more for myself and present it to my coworkers this week. Thank you for your responses!

Click to expand...

All three views are scripturally based.
With God, all (three) things are possible.

Tsquared said:

This week at work, a couple of employees asked me if we go directly to heaven when we die, if we stay in the ground until the resurrection, or if we go to a waiting place (sort of like a type of purgatory). I have heard several different views on this, so I told them that I would look into the matter and see what there is the most evidence for. Please note, I am simply looking for what views others have concerning this, so I can study it out more for myself and present it to my coworkers this week. Thank you for your responses!

Click to expand...

OK, let's try to answer your question--and that of your co-workers--without just insisting upon my opinion or the next poster's opinion, etc.

1. Purgatory. This is a place of punishment, not simply a waiting place. But in any case, there is one church only that believes in Purgatory--the Roman Catholic Church.

2. Stay in the ground. This belief has had some followers since early Christian history, but it is very much a minority opinion among Christians. It is even considered to be a mark of a "cult" by mainstream Christian churches for inherently denying the nature of Man (i.e. denying the immortality--continuous consciousness--of the soul which God created Adam and Eve to have).

3. Go to heaven (or hell). This belief is the Christian norm and there is a lot of Scriptural evidence for it.

sdowney717 said:

Believers in Christ go to be with the Lord at their death, so then heaven as Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

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Yes, I understand, Jesus is in Heaven seated at the right hand of God. So, if ones do go to be with Jesus, I think it is quite reasonable that they would go to Heaven. Also, we have how souls of martyrs are seen, in the book of Revelation, under the throne of Heaven > Revelation 6:9. So, I would say we do have scripture which can support that Christians who die go to be with Jesus. But if we do, we are "souls", not with our resurrection bodies . . . perhaps we could understand

But, then, ones might ask, how can we "sleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:14) in Jesus if we are so awake, in Heaven? Possibly, the sleep term has to do with how a person who has died can look like he or she is asleep, and so this could be a figure of speech from the standpoint of us who are still on this earth. And, by the way, if we are "in Jesus" after we die . . . Jesus is not sleeping, and Jesus in us, I consider, is quite awake > Galatians 4:19.

But those souls under the altar, in Revelation, are told to rest. So, this could mean they are not always conscious. Plus, yes, ones do claim that is only imagery.

So, what is most important is I need to submit to God so He fully corrects me to be changed into the image of Jesus . . . so we together are ready for whatsoever He really will do with us

Albion said:

1. Purgatory. This is a place of punishment, not simply a waiting place. But in any case, there is one church only that believes in Purgatory--the Roman Catholic Church.

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I offer Hebrews 12:4-11, which to me means our Father succeeds in correcting His children . . . in this life . . . so we are ready. We actively need to seek God's correction which brings the results which this scripture guarantees to us who are His children. We trust God to succeed; He does not fail in all which He is committed to, to conform us to the image of Jesus > Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:28-29, Ephesians 4:14-16. And this is possible "in this world" (in 1 John 4:17), "in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation" (in Philippians 2:13-16). So, I would not trust any doctrine of procrastination to after we die, because our God is able now. His almighty grace succeeds in us, now.

Albion said:

2. Stay in the ground. This belief has had some followers since early Christian history, but it is very much a minority opinion among Christians. It is even considered to be a mark of a "cult" by mainstream Christian churches for inherently denying the nature of Man (i.e. denying the immortality--continuous consciousness--of the soul which God created Adam and Eve to have).

Click to expand...

But, for consideration, Albion, we can experience being unconscious while we are asleep, can't we? . . . except during dreams. So, I'm not sure that "continuous consciousness" is the correct representation of "immortality". Didn't Jesus sleep, at times? Was He fully conscious during sleep? I admit I don't know.

Albion said:

3. Go to heaven (or hell). This belief is the Christian norm and there is a lot of Scriptural evidence for it.

Click to expand...

One thing, though > we don't see saints dancing around in front of Jesus, in Heaven . . . in Revelation's presentation of Heaven. So, I think there is more to learn, in any case. Plus, I consider how Revelation says there will be the new earth and the New Jerusalem will come down from heaven (Revelation 21:1-5). So, to me this means that even if ones are in Heaven, now, they won't stay there but will be on the new earth.

So, I personally am not fully conclusive about all this. But it is clear how we need to become, and trust our Father to change our nature so we are how His almighty grace cures our character to become in His love. When Jesus gave His Sermon on the Mount, which is considered to be His first sermon, He could have started by saying anything, and He started with how we need to be. So, this needs our attention.

com7fy8 said:

Yes, I understand, Jesus is in Heaven seated at the right hand of God. So, if ones do go to be with Jesus, I think it is quite reasonable that they would go to Heaven. Also, we have how souls of martyrs are seen, in the book of Revelation, under the throne of Heaven > Revelation 6:9. So, I would say we do have scripture which can support that Christians who die go to be with Jesus. But if we do, we are "souls", not with our resurrection bodies . . . perhaps we could understand

But, then, ones might ask, how can we "sleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:14) in Jesus if we are so awake, in Heaven? Possibly, the sleep term has to do with how a person who has died can look like he or she is asleep, and so this could be a figure of speech from the standpoint of us who are still on this earth. And, by the way, if we are "in Jesus" after we die . . . Jesus is not sleeping, and Jesus in us, I consider, is quite awake > Galatians 4:19.

But those souls under the altar, in Revelation, are told to rest. So, this could mean they are not always conscious. Plus, yes, ones do claim that is only imagery.

So, what is most important is I need to submit to God so He fully corrects me to be changed into the image of Jesus . . . so we together are ready for whatsoever He really will do with us

I offer Hebrews 12:4-11, which to me means our Father succeeds in correcting His children . . . in this life . . . so we are ready. We actively need to seek God's correction which brings the results which this scripture guarantees to us who are His children. We trust God to succeed; He does not fail in all which He is committed to, to conform us to the image of Jesus > Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:28-29, Ephesians 4:14-16. And this is possible "in this world" (in 1 John 4:17), "in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation" (in Philippians 2:13-16). So, I would not trust any doctrine of procrastination to after we die, because our God is able now. His almighty grace succeeds in us, now.

But, for consideration, Albion, we can experience being unconscious while we are asleep, can't we? . . . except during dreams. So, I'm not sure that "continuous consciousness" is the correct representation of "immortality". Didn't Jesus sleep, at times? Was He fully conscious during sleep? I admit I don't know.

One thing, though > we don't see saints dancing around in front of Jesus, in Heaven . . . in Revelation's presentation of Heaven. So, I think there is more to learn, in any case. Plus, I consider how Revelation says there will be the new earth and the New Jerusalem will come down from heaven (Revelation 21:1-5). So, to me this means that even if ones are in Heaven, now, they won't stay there but will be on the new earth.

So, I personally am not fully conclusive about all this. But it is clear how we need to become, and trust our Father to change our nature so we are how His almighty grace cures our character to become in His love. When Jesus gave His Sermon on the Mount, which is considered to be His first sermon, He could have started by saying anything, and He started with how we need to be. So, this needs our attention.

Click to expand...

The body sleeps when it dies, refer to Christ's word about the young girl and Lazarus who died, Jesus said they were sleeping. But the spirit is conscious and goes to be either with the Lord in heaven or to hell.
Example from Christ
Matthew 9:24
He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him.
John 11:11
These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
John 11:12
Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.”
John 11:13
However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

Example from Paul
1 Corinthians 11:30
For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
1 Corinthians 15:51
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—

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Now this one should be convincing. Jesus brings with Him the spirits of these who died with Him on His returning, their bodies are said to be asleep, but their bodies had died, but their spirits were with the Lord.
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1 Thessalonians 4:14
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:10
who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.