From what i have read so far from the Word when the righteous dies he/she is basically "asleep" until the trumpet sounds. I hear people talking about when you die you go straight to heaven. Read the text below..why do they need to rise if they are in heaven already.. Any thoughts?

Thessalonians 4:16 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:

Hi

There are four main theories that i am aware of assuming that when you say "righteous" you mean born again.

1)they are immediately conscious in the presence of the Lord in the present Heaven (not the new everlasting Heaven that will come with the new earth in a future time). They have no body but are comprised of spirit only.

2) same as #1 only they are given a temporary body to "get them by" until their permanent one is given at a later date.

3) they are "asleep" in Christ which basically means they are not dead (as in not existing) but dead in the sense of not conscious. They will remain asleep until a future date of when they will receive their everlasting heavenly body.

4) Some believe that Abraham's Bosom as described in the parable of Lazarus is the current Heaven for all saints until the new Heavens and Earth are renewed.

I believe that you will find a confused mixture of #1 and #2 among "Evangelical Christians" today. #3 is more popular with JW and some other cults all though there are legitimate branches of Christianity that do believe in soul sleep. I am not sure how popular #4 is among current Christian thought, there is heavy debate about this as in how much of a parable should be taken literally since they seem to be intended to convey a principle or specific idea rather then give us precise details.

I suspect this is one of those questions that we will never answer to a full degree this side of Heaven. It is like trying to describe Heaven or Hell itself. We can come up with many fundamental ideas but in the end the specific details are not known... and perhaps are not important at this time.

What happen to the righteous when they die? Servant referred to the story of Lazarus...from it many Believers understand the deceased saint will be in a conscience state, in a pleasant place.

I have heard testimonies of people who had a vision of 'heaven' and they saw loved ones who were very much alive, who were enjoying the glories of 'heaven'. After seeing this they did not want to return to earth.

I know Jesus says the dead 'sleep', whatever that means. In any case, I am sure it will be perfect because that just is the nature of God as he deals with his children. It will be glorious, wonderful beyond any and all imagination. Since this is s something that is in God's control I am content to allow him to do as He wills.

Did you ever try to imagine heaven? Read the book of Revelation and allow its description of the heavenlies fill your mind and inform your imagination. Meditate on it. I cannot comprehend eternity - my mind, imagination freezes up. Heaven does not do that, but it comes close although I do not mind it. I just know it will be glorious which gets me excited. Since this is the case I wonder why people work so hard, spend so much money to delay their arrival there.

My understanding and opinion.

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Sandra Miller

Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:6-10 "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

Our spirit is in either of two places at death: heaven or hell. At the final resurrection, body and spirit are reunited to either glorification or eternal punishment. For the saved, eternal glory and for the lost, eternal torment.

When the Scripture uses the word "sleep", it is an older English way of saying the body is dead.

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James

The thief on the cross - Luk 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

The souls under the altar in Rev 6 and those who followed after, being "killed as they were" in chpt 6 - Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands ..Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.


Those who were in Abraham's bosom were set free at Jesus' resurrection.


Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Php 1:24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.


Act 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Servant 101, your input is greatly appreciated.

Personally, I think when you die you are asleep (not conscious) and when the trumpet sound you will be called to rise up like Lazarus (Mary and Martha's brother)

Parable of Lazarus to me means exactly what it is called, a parable. Still trying to grasp why people take this literally.

Thief on the cross- Christ told him that he will remember him in paradise that day...does not mean the thief on the cross was going to paradise that day. Christ told him on THAT day that he will remember him.

I know that when we die the breath of God goes back to him and our body remains. I find it hard to believe that righteous people who died are actually up there in heaven in the same physical state they were in on earth.(i.e- at a funeral many pastors say the deceased is in a better place looking down upon us..i don't believe this)

Servant 101, I agree with you about the details not been important but what is important is that we will be there.

blessings!

To be totally accurate, Paul never said that to be absent from the body was to be present with the Lord. He said that he would rather be absent from the body and present with the Lord. That being said, I do think there is evidence that the spirit returns to the father at death. As is noted there are many scriptures in Rev. which show the spirits of dead saints around the throne and Jude says, "Jud 1:14-15
(14) And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
(15) To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

Personally I believe when we die we do return to the Father in the spirit and then return with Him to be reunited with our bodies which will be resurrected and glorified.

But if I am wrong...I will either be changed in a twinkling or rise glorified anyhow.

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Travis

I'd recommend reading a book I currently going through called "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn. It's tackling the subject of heaven and what it will be like based on what the scriptures tell us. Very good so far.

Based on some of the scriptures above posters have already cited, namely the Rich Man and Lazarus as well as the Martyrs under the altar in Revelations, it seems that Scriptures point to a place that you do go to immediately after you die. This is usually referred to as the "Intermediate State" or "Present Heaven". You could see it as a waiting state for the return of Christ, but it appears from Scripture to be a physical place (the rich man had a tongue and could feel thirst, Lazarus had a finger, the martyrs wore white robes and could cry out to God, as well as view events happening on the earth).

Whether you go to a place a torment or paradise (to be with Christ) is based on faith, or in other words, The Judgement of Faith. This is different from the Great White Throne of Judgement. When that happens, all the dead are raised to be judged on where they shall spend eternity. The unrighteous, to the lake of fire.

Then the judgement of the believer, A Judgement of Works. Then we enter into our heavenly reward. There's a New Heaven and a New Earth, an eternal heaven. The Redemption of creation is complete and the earth is returned to it's original Edenic state and Mankind again will be given dominion over it. Heaven comes to Earth. Paradise. And we shall dwell with God, with no ablility in us to sin. Hallelujah.

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Dustin Savage

I have often thought of this as well. Especially when I experienced a death of someone close to me that I know died having their sins under the blood. I find the scriptures in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 to be interesting.

v.13 "them which are asleep"
v.14 "them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him"
v.15 "shall not prevent them which are asleep"
v.16 "dead in Christ shall rise first"
v. 17 "caught up together with them"

I like to think that after death maybe our spirits are asleep in Christ, we have returned to God, we sleep to be awakened- to "rise" from sleep, at the last trump. Those that remain will be gathered together with them that have died. And having been asleep it will seem as if we close our eyes in death and open them in eternal life.

Just my thoughts, I am not too concerned either way as long as I am with Christ throughout eternity. :)

Have a blessed day.

David

1Th 4:13 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.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 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.
1Th 4:16 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:
1Th 4:17 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.

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David L Brown Jr.