When Christ decends back on earth...

[newbeliever02072005]

Question

Thessalonians 4:16-18 says, "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: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
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"...and the dead in Christ shall rise first.." Where are the dead before Christ decends back on earth? Is there a special "holding" spot for the already dead?

thanks for your help,
newbeliever

 

[snoochface]

Here's the way it was explained to me - and I haven't been a Christian even a year yet so if it's not accurate I hope someone corrects me.

My pastor said that when a Christian person dies, their body stays here (obviously) and their soul goes to heaven. When Jesus returns, their body is restored - perfectly - and rejoins their soul. So that would be the dead in Christ rising first. The rest of us who are alive will already have our bodies so after the dead are restored with their bodies, we come up to join them.

 

[Sketcher]

That's pretty much it. There's no Biblical holding place for God's saints, only the condemned (now that Jesus rose).

 

[sheep in wolves clothing]

snoochface is absolutely correct, in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 we have another view of this blessed event which is commonly called the rapture of the church.

51 But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I'll probably never fully understand. We're not all going to die--but we are all going to be changed.
52 You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes--it's over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we'll all be changed.
53 In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal.
54 Then the saying will come true: Death swallowed by triumphant Life!

55 Who got the last word, oh, Death?

Oh, Death, who's afraid of you now?

Our earthly bodies will be replaced by glorified bodies, bodies that will never see corruption or disease or death again. These new bodies will be the ones that we will continue to live in for eternity. If you read the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 you will see the description of this change and why it takes place.

That will indeed be a glorious day for all those who are Christ's at His appearing.

Love,

A Sheep in Wolves Clothing


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To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
Ps.30:12

 

[newbeliever02072005]

Here's the way it was explained to me - and I haven't been a Christian even a year yet so if it's not accurate I hope someone corrects me.

Im sure you know alot more than I do. I've only started going to church since January. Saved on Febuary 7th and then baptized on March 27th. I have alot of learning to do.

My pastor said that when a Christian person dies, their body stays here (obviously) and their soul goes to heaven.

Ok, their soul goes to heaven, minus the body. So, does that mean that the soul is without a body form? Are we just a light?


When Jesus returns, their body is restored - perfectly - and rejoins their soul. So that would be the dead in Christ rising first. The rest of us who are alive will already have our bodies so after the dead are restored with their bodies, we come up to join them.

Isn't it going to be great to be taken up to heaven? I can't wait.



Our earthly bodies will be replaced by glorified bodies, bodies that will never see corruption or disease or death again. These new bodies will be the ones that we will continue to live in for eternity. If you read the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 you will see the description of this change and why it takes place.
I read the whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 it doesn't say where the soul is at. I see where its saying that the body will be buried in the ground. When Christ decends he will resurrect those bodies with the soul. Those will be new spirtual bodies. I want to know where the soul is at during this waiting period. Are they in the ground, are they in heaven and will decend also with God and the archangel? Are they roaming the earth? Where is the souls?

That will indeed be a glorious day for all those who are Christ's at His appearing.
Absolutely...what a glorious day

Thank you so much for your replies.

God Bless,
newbeliever

 

[newbeliever02072005]

Sorry, I haven't figure out how to make the quotes appear correctly in my replies. So, I just wanted to say that all the text in bold is my comments and questions. The rest are quotes from snoochface and sheep in wolves clothing. Maybe someone could let me know what I am doing wrong w/ the quotes , I sure would appreciate it.

Thanks,
newbeliever

 

[Radagast]

... I want to know where the soul is at during this waiting period...

In heaven:

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (Rev 6:9-10)

Oh, and that's {QUOTE=newbeliever02072005}... {/QUOTE} but use SQUARE brackets.

-- Radagast

 

[DawnTillery]

Abrahams Bosom

Read Luke 16:20
THe Rich man was in hell and Lazarus was in the bosom of Abraham..

 

[snoochface]

I could be wrong about this, but I thought the bosom of Abraham was for those souls who died before Jesus' crucifixion. After that event, I thought all souls went to heaven right away.