Where will a dead Christian go before Christ's Second coming?

[Jesus_is_Saint]

Where will a dead Christian go before Christ's Second coming?
People like St. Paul etc, where are they now?
Are they in spiritual form?
Being in heaven with Christ?

 

[ChristianMatchmaking]

The Bible apparently indicates they are disembodied spirits with Christ in Heaven, and that He will bring all of them with Him when He returns. If you knew people you are confident were saved, it is also interesting to wonder what they do "now."

 

[ChristianMatchmaking]

Oh, I just noticed your screen name. I'm not sure a name like that is right.

 

[ChristianMatchmaking]

Please note that in my entire life experience and to my knowledge the word "saint" is only used to refer to created human beings who have known sin, not to God the Son, and most importantly regarding any use of the word "saint" I'm aware of in the Bible as translated into English. The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal and uncreated God, the Son of God, and He has never known sin and has never been called as a "saint" as that term is used and understood. In my opinion your screen name is highly problematic and should not be allowed here at all. I don't know what you were thinking or intending, so I will not even speculate on that. Perhaps you were thinking something different.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saint

 

[ChristianMatchmaking]

Okay, I see that your profile indicates you are from Malaysia, so perhaps English is not your primary language and you did not realize at all what you were doing in using a word like that to refer to the Lord. I hope the forum management will enable and allow you to change your screen name.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Where will a dead Christian go before Christ's Second coming?
People like St. Paul etc, where are they now?
Are they in spiritual form?
Being in heaven with Christ?

Scripture indicates, and the Church has always believed, that the dead in Christ are present with Christ between death and resurrection.

"Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 5:8

In the original Greek there are two words, ἐκδημῆσαι (ekdemesai) and ἐνδημῆσαι (endemesai), which can mean "emigrate" and "immigrate" respectively, ekdemeo is a verb meaning "to go abroad", as in to leave one's home country; and endemeo means something like "to come home". Thus to emigrate from our present home here in the body on earth and to immigrate to be present with the Lord apart from the body.

The Apostle speaks of this as something to look forward to, not because he despises bodily existence, but because the present sufferings with which he--and the churches around the world at the time--were facing were great and no doubt it was exhausting; so Paul looks forward to when the race has been run and the battle finally fought, to depart and go and be with the Lord. This, of course, is temporary since we do not look forward to an eternity as "souls" up in a place called heaven, but to the resurrection of the body. But nevertheless, between death and resurrection we can have confidence that we will find our rest with the Lord, even in the death of the body. Even in death we have our comfort and rest in and with Christ.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

Okay, I see that your profile indicates you are from Malaysia, so perhaps English is not your primary language and you did not realize at all what you were doing in using a word like that to refer to the Lord. I hope the forum management will enable and allow you to change your screen name.

"Saint" comes from the Latin sanctus, meaning "holy". I don't see much a problem, especially if English isn't the OP's first language. To say that our Lord is Holy is certainly correct. Our Lord is the Saint of Saints, the Holiest of Holies. It is, at worst, just awkward looking in English.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[sdowney717]

When a believer departs his flesh, his body, physically dies, they are with Christ in heaven which is a far better experience than remaining on this earth. Our lives are always in His hands, so that whether we live or die we are the Lord's possession.

Philippians 1:22-24New King James Version (NKJV)
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

 

[ChristianMatchmaking]

"Saint" comes from the Latin sanctus, meaning "holy". I don't see much a problem, especially if English isn't the OP's first language. To say that our Lord is Holy is certainly correct. Our Lord is the Saint of Saints, the Holiest of Holies. It is, at worst, just awkward looking in English.

-CryptoLutheran

The OP may have meant well, but the name is still a problem based on the plain use of the word "saint" throughout both secular world and church history and Bible translation. No amount of cleverness with English phrasing or isolating original language word roots can change that. While one can understand good intentions if that was the case, the name should still be changed. There is also nothing "cool" or "trendy" about allowing such a name when contemplating the holiness and reality of God, His Son, and the names and terms given to refer to God and His Son vs. referring to others, language roots and all. The priority is not being nice and tolerant about such a thing, the priority is that we are talking about God here, and the Son of God.

 

[Stillicidia]

Those in Heaven have mansions, big houses.
They're with Jesus alright. Jesus helps build furniture for the mansions, and has a trademark.
People in Heaven are around their 20's or so, and no one is allowed to have the age in which Christ died.

Don't worry about the name of the OP. Don't need to stir anything useless against brethren. Christ is brethren, and we are Saints. So, does it matter?

 

[YouAreAwesome]

Those in Heaven have mansions, big houses.
They're with Jesus alright. Jesus helps build furniture for the mansions, and has a trademark.
People in Heaven are around their 20's or so, and no one is allowed to have the age in which Christ died.

Don't worry about the name of the OP. Don't need to stir anything useless against brethren. Christ is brethren, and we are Saints. So, does it matter?

Wow, you have very specific revelation of heaven. Where did you get this information from? It interests me!

 

[Stillicidia]

Wow, you have very specific revelation of heaven. Where did you get this information from? It interests me!

Kat Kerr for specific things about Heaven, there is also Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj, Neville Johnson, John Bevere, Mike Thompson, and knowing those five, you will be able to tell who speaks true.

 

[YouAreAwesome]

Kat Kerr for specific things about Heaven, there is also Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj, Neville Johnson, John Bevere, Mike Thompson, and knowing those five, you will be able to tell who speaks true.

Thanks! Have you heard of the jelly fish guy Ian McCormack who went to heaven after being stung by a jelly fish? Jesus came to him (an athiest/agnostic at the time I think) while he was dying and he repented and gave his life over. He came back from heaven and has been preaching ever since. http://www.aglimpseofeternity.org/

Pretty cool.

Actually you can see the story on youtube if you look him up. There's a movie made.

 

[ViaCrucis]

.

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[YouAreAwesome]

Many years ago...at about 30 years old was sprayed
with a malathion mixture and days later after became very
ill had an NDE.

What happened in your NDE?

 

[CrystalDragon]

I just thought of something, what about in Mass when the priest says "Remember those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection"?

 

[Stillicidia]

I just thought of something, what about in Mass when the priest says "Remember those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection"?

I don't hate what was spoken, exhorting caution, maybe with rapture, maybe with falling short of becoming like Jesus, but it does indeed not make actual sense, which might be fine.

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[RDKirk]

Where will a dead Christian go before Christ's Second coming?
People like St. Paul etc, where are they now?
Are they in spiritual form?
Being in heaven with Christ?

There are different thoughts about whether the spirit "with Christ" would actually be self-aware during the interim between death and resurrection, and scripture to be referenced for both lines of thought.

The significant thing to remember is that this is at any rate an interim period in which nothing in particular is expected that a person perform, so it's not a matter of profitable dispute.