When Do We Go to Heaven After We Die?
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All of us have wondered what will happen to us after we die. If you look at the Bible some verses sound like we will go to heaven immediately after death and others sound like we will rest in our graves and not be resurrected until the Rapture.
I finished reading the book "90 Minutes in Heaven" recently where a Christian man died for 90 minutes after a terrible car crash. Neither a pulse or any respiration could be found by anyone, but after a minister prayed for him he opened his eyes and spoke a few words.
This man claims to have immediately found himself in heaven where he was met by his grandfather who had passed, a friend who died at a young age and others. He said that angels were singing and you could see a bright light where God was, but he never got to see God himself. He believed that he had this experience so that he could help others.
The book was encouraging to me and then I heard news I didn't really want to know. My daughter is going to medical school and she mentioned that the brain is often still functioning after the body has already died. It continues for up to 2 hours.
Others that have died and came back say you go through a tunnel after you die, but medically speaking that is the sensation you get when you don't get enough oxygen.
A co-worker almost died of pneumonia and she said she was above the room looking down at her body.
Now what really does happen to us? This is a big question I have. I have accepted Jesus as my Saviour and I have no doubt that I will go to heaven after I die. Will it be immediately after I die or does our spirit and soul rest in the grave with our bodies or do they go to heaven right away and our bodies are resurrected later?
What do you believe. I still believe we immediately go to heaven, but I could be wrong.
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Marliza, You need to tell us your story or if you have written a Hub about this let me know and I'll link to it.
I actually have found nothing in the Bible which states we go to heaven once we die. Everything that I have read and studied shows that we die and go to the grave to await the resurrection at the second coming of Christ. Growing up I was taught when we die we go to heaven, but now after studying the Bible and the subject of Heaven, I do not believe it.
I am mixed on this since I think it also says we wait for the resurrection, but everyone teaches just the opposite. Thanks for leaving your comment.
Barbara: A very nice hub. I do think that the righteous go to heaven as soon as they die. I base that on the site of the crucifixion. One of the other two men that were crucified with Jesus ask Jesus to " remember me " and Jesus said, " Surely this day, you will be with me in paradise.
Good comment. That makes sense and I'd much rather think I went to heaven immediately because it would be a comfort to me. Thanks for the help.
Our body is separated from our spirit at death (Luke 23:46; Mt 27:50) and returns to dust. Our spirit goes immediately to heaven or hell, depending on how we have lived our life. If we have lived for Jesus, we will enter heaven; if we have lived for the flesh, we will enter hell.
Thanks for your great comment. I'll look up these verses.
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 2nd Corinthians 5:6-8
Praise God \o/
ABR
Thanks for commenting.
I too see these Scripture verses to mean "immediate". Have you read Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven". In his study he sees the Scriptures referring also to different "levels" in Heaven.
Ms Dee, I'd like to read this book about the different levels of heaven. Thanks for the info.
The majority of biblical evidence indicates that 'soul sleep' is our resting place until the resurrection, which is not all that bad, as frankly I remember nothing once I sleep until I awaken again, every day.
The dynamics of dying can be described in three ways, there is too much positive info to put on this comment.
But if you want to know the dynamics as my Bro above says "aguasilver" then I could give you an in depth biblical description of what exactly happens when we die also where we go.
Here are my hubs
http://hubpages.com/hub/Death-What-now
http://hubpages.com/hub/Heaven-is-Divine-and-Real
http://hubpages.com/hub/For-the-HELL-of-it
Hope you find some answers
Peace
aguasilver, Thanks for reading my hub. You are right you don't remember anything when you go to sleep. I guess either way would be good since they are both peaceful.
Howantsono, Thanks for the links.
I beleive that we rest in a place called Sheol. The Scripture declares that when Christ comes again first the "dead" In Christ will rise first. (1 Thess 4:16) If we go to heaven immediately this means Heaven would have to be vacated to cause the dead to rise again. The most important thing with all of the uncertainties is to be assured that we are leaving according to the prerequisite for entering in.
Harold, I've heard of Sheol. I've always wondered about that.
In the bible it states,"To be absent from the body is to be present with the lord". So if you are saved in Christ's holy name then you will be present with the lord when your soul has left this fleshy vessel.
William, Good point.
We are in Heaven and we are in Hell right now as we are reading this. Everything is Within us, so said Jesus. I went to, what you think is Heaven but I didn't die. I know that sounds strange but it did happen. We really never die, we just change from one substance to another lke water does when it is a gas and then freezes to a sold and then back to liquid.
Barbara, we all have nothing more than opinions to offer....I personally cling to what Jesus said as He was hanging on the crosss........."Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).
It works for me... :)
CMerritt, Thanks for commenting on the hub and yes you are right. I've always been bothered by the verses that sound like we won't be resurrected from the grave until Jesus returns.
You are right though that none of us will really know until we die. I prefer going straight to heaven at death and I hope we can rely on the verse Luke 23:43 instead of the others.
You do not go straight to heaven as you will have to wait until Jesus returns. You el go only if you have really given your life to Jesus
and do as He did not as the world does. Also there are things that happen ( from the bible) before we who are born again go to be with Him.
chris, Thanks for your comment.
i have heard so many good points while reading this. though the rapture is clear that god will come back and revive the living/dead. ive heard of people seeing dead relatives on earth! it doesnt make sense seeing as the rapture has to take the dead/living to heaven.
Balance, I think God left a lot of mysteries for us on purpose. I started studying to write a hub on what heaven is like and ran into more verses that just bring up more questions. Maybe that will be part of the joy when we go to heaven, finding out the truth.
when we die our spirit goes straight to heaven and we get judged on judgement day when the lord comes back to get the people on the earth. That's when everyone gets judged.
I believe that when believers die, their spirit goes to heaven to be with the Lord, and also, that when the Lord comes again, he will judge all according to what they have done. At this time, the spirit will be returned to a new body to live with Christ for eternity.
As Christians, we must be Christ like and live as Christ lived. And that means to live by every word. If we are to be true to our selves, the Bible nowhere teaches us that we are going to heaven when we die. Christ taught that no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven John 3:13 We are taught the resurrection by Christ and his disciples over and over in the Bible, but people will not except Christ at his own word. As for the theif on the cross, Christ said he would be in the grave 3 days and 3 nights after his crucifixion right? If thats so, and we know it is, how could the theif have been with Christ in Paradise that very day? Luke 23:43 Jesus said the theif would be with him in paradise. If we can prove where Jesus went when he died, the you can know if the thief really went to paradise that day. John gives us proof of where Jesus was. "Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre,wherein was never man yet laid. There"-in the tomb, the grave-'laid they Jesus"(John19:41-42) It was Jesus who was laid in the tomb, not just the body of Jesus. Jesus was dead! To make it plainer, read Acts 2:31 Peter speaks of the prophet David, saying "He[David] seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption." This proves Jesus was not in Paradise, but in hell, or the grave. The greek word used by Peter is hades, meaning "the grave" Since Jesus was not in Paradise that day, the day of the crucifixion, then neither was the thief. Christ has preeeminence in all things Colossians 1:18 and the thief couldnt have preceded Christ to paradise. Whenever the thief enters paradise, Christ will be there too! He said so: "With me shalt thou be in paradise" Remember, the thief asked earlier, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom"(Luke 23:42) the fact is that Jesus has not yet come into his Kingdom (Luke 11:2, 19:11; Icorinth 11:26) Also, proper punctuation helps explain Luke 23:43. Most translations are improperly punctuated to make it appear that Jesus would be in paradise that day. However, as we saw above, the Bible proves Jesus was not in Paradise that day. A comma placed before the word "today" is incorrect. The comma should follow it; "Verily I say unto thee today, shat thou be with me in Paradise." By using the word "today," Jesus was stressing the time of his promise, not the time he would be in Paradise. Punctuation was not used in the inspired Greek that Luke wrote. It was added centuries later by men. The thief is still dead and buried. Jesus alone is the firstborn from the dead (Romans 8:29; Acts 26:23) But the time is coming when the thief will be resurrected and eventually enter the Paradise of God promised to come to this earth.
Scotty I think it might be helpful to look at the Greek and see what "today" means too. You've made some good points here. Thanks for commenting.
I agree with everyone that stated we will wait until Jesus comes back to go to heaven or hell. If you want to know the real truth ask God and He will point you in the right direction. The devil has twisted so much stuff to peoples liking because you feel comfortable going to heaven right after you die the devil is finding people to find you to say that is true. Read your Bible, talk to God and listen to His answer. Anything you need to know is in the Bible. Jesus never changed anything but died to save us. In Revelations does it not say that when Jesus comes back He will bring everyone to Him even from the graves. If you have faith and trust God and Jesus you would trust His word which is the Bible. No human can tell you the way. Just felt I had to say something because God is working on me right now and I have just recently gave my life to God and am learning to listen to that small still voice.
When we die, do we not become outside of time? If so, would it not be reasonable to think that years would be only moments, and they would pass quickly?
It is known, when people die that people, who gave there life to Jesus will go to heaven...Non believers go to as we know "hell."
Caleb, I agree.
I believe we will go to our grave, Rest in Eternal sleep until we are waken up by Jesus to be judged & then either go to Heaven or go to Hell.. Cause you will even hear catholic priest say at funerals that our brother or sister has gone to there rest in hope of rising again.. They don't say anything about going straight to Heaven or to Hell right away but go to there rest.. Also we always say Rest In Peace.. While we wait for Jesus to return to Judge the Living & Raise up the Dead & those who believe in Jesus will be forgiven & all others will go to Hell. As much as I look forward to hopefully going to Heaven, I look forward to falling going to my eternal rest to sleep & while I wait for Jesus return. Until then I plan on living life & making the most outta life as well as keep praying to Jesus everynight like I always have & asking him to watch over me & my close friends & relatives & everyone else who believes in Him like I do..
I love life & making the most out of it. Because of God & Jesus & in general I do not fear Death.. There is nothing to fear about death.. Now there's some form of Deaths I hope not to Die of like burning alive. Much prefer alittle more peaceful death but Death itself I do not fear & look forward too someday because its a part of life & look forward to going to my rest while I wait for the return of Jesus when we will wake up the Dead to be Judged & hopefully then I will be able to join him & my friends & relatives & we will all get to experience Heaven together.. So I will have to agree with those above me that said we will sleep in our grave until Jesus returns.. However if we do get to go strait to Heaven or Hell that will work too.. I'm really believing in that I will be Heaven bound but thats not really totally up to me its up to God its his Home. He calls the shots up there but all the sins I ever committed I really believe will be forgiven..
Bill, Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you leaving such a well thought out view. The only thing I have to say is if you have asked for forgiveness of your sins, they have already been forgiven. You don't have to wait.
Well this is a true believing and no matter what the cercomstances want to come we are not going to listen to what the devil to say so whever read this they are suppose to give their life to the lord befor it is too late the rapture is near we have to stick close to God. There will be a time in our life when we will need the Lord and sometime we do things that the Lord will not accept. So we have to ask for forgiveness of our sins.
Just have to say that I if there is no-one in the grave what is the need of a resurrection? The other people will be alive on the day of His coming, so who's being resurrected if not the people who have died? If people have already gone to heaven or 'hell' what is the need of a judgement day, and why does Jesus have His reward with Him if His reward has already been given out. Scripture says there is a first and second resurrection, the first is to life. Jesus said "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth - those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation" John 5:28-29 Those saved people will reign with Christ a thousand years and among other things including celebration and living in God's golden city in the mansions He's prepared for us, we will be shown from the record books why those people who weren't saved were not saved. After that God comes back, the second resurrection happens, "And fire came down from heaven and devoured them" Rev 20:9 A loving God would not create us to live only up to about a hundred years, only to then burn us for all eternity! Our punishment is death "the wages of sin is death". The punishment is that the people who have made themselves one with their sin and loved it until death will be destroyed along with it. The people in heaven would not be at peace knowing their loved one was writhing in agony forever, what kind of God or heaven would that be? We are all sinful, the difference will be in who is repentant to God for this, accepting that Jesus died in their place, keeping His commandments not to be saved but because they are saved, and accept the need for certain order and standards according to God's will, or those are defiant, siding with Satan saying "I'm sinful and I can do what I like and I don't care who doesn't like it, not even if it's You, God, we don't need your 10 rules" who will be devoured in the fire along with Satan and his angels, when God puts an END to sin and evil. He's already won the battle, he's just waiting for every ear to hear, so that as many could be saved will be, we've just got to BE ready, "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect" Mat 24:44 "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandements of God and the faith of Jesus" Rev 14:12
It is very clear in scriptures: 2 corinthians 5:6,8....."So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord."........As you can see once a christian dies he will be in the presence of Jesus.
Having experienced death myself, I can vouch for the Deliverance of our Soul to "Heaven" in an instant. There was no floating around over my body or wandering the earth to see what people were doing. I popped out of the top of my head, just the opposite of a baby popping into this world(for you mothers out there!) I arrived at an Illuminescent Doorway surrounded by a massive number of other people. I Believe that Yeshua's Judgement of the mankind christian church has already occurred a couple of years ago. You can read the Scriptures all day long, but if you don't have a personal relationship with Yeshua, you don't know anything but the words on the page.
Yeshua cites Paradise as the stopping point after death. He also says He is going to Prepare a place for us, which is the New Jerusalem spoken of in Revelation. It would appear that the True Christian arrives immediately at Paradise after death to await the 2nd Coming of Christ.
It is also my Belief that the Raising of the Dead in Christ, the first portion of the so-called Rapture, has already occurred... over a decade ago. As stated in the Scriptures, we all "met in the clouds" to be ushered into Paradise.
Spiritual experiences are very vivid and Real.
sarmack, Thanks for you input.
I believe that our life source goes back to God upon our death. Our soul remains asleep until we are resurrected for judgement. I believe that heaven is a paradise on earth. God had created the earth for his creation to enjoy and believe that he would want us to inhabit the earth the way it was meant to be, in a beautiful paradise. I also do not believe that we become angels after death because they are a different species and God had created angels before he created humans.
Josie, I agree that we will not become angels after we die. God did create them as separate beings. The Bible says though after his 1000 year reign on earth, he would create a new heaven and new earth. Thanks for commenting.
I was trying to understand the "rapture" and the "second coming of Christ" - when he reigns on earth for a thousand years. I am starting to think that maybe the rapture is when we die and go to heaven otherwise if the "rapture" occured before the 2nd coming of Christ at once, there would be nobody left on earth when Jesus reigns for a thousand years. Confusing to say the least.
The rapture occurs either before the Tribulation period. All Christians alive at that time will be rise up into heaven. Some believe that the rapture occurs after the tribulation, but my belief and most people's is right before.
Jesus said to the thief on the cross who believed that He was the Son of God, "TODAY, you will be with me in Paradise."
Jesus did say to the thief 'I tell you the truth, today. You shall be with me in paradise' BUT that could mean than he had given him special dispensation for reasons only known to him OR that there should be a full stop or comma after today.
The bible says the the dead know nothing and mentions that we will all be ressurrected at Jesuses second coming.
So it gives no clear meaning on the dead no nothing, perhaps it means that the dead are dead and loose conciousness - so people don't go around expecting them to wake up. :) There is nothing mentioned about anything in between heaven and death so it seems to leave it either open to wondering if there is anything in between or that there is nothing until Jesus returns. I guess God can not or is wise enough to not tell us everything all at once for some reason.
I must admit I feel quite despondent about the idea of being dead and knowing nothing at all..it seems a cold bland end, maybe God and Jesus and their angels are so busy preparing and working against the evil that that is the best way..?
the bible is clear to what happens when people die.a good example is when we sleep.you can only know you were sleeping after waking up.in Ecclesiastes the bible says this 'For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten'
so the rest in the grave with no memory of any thing.
Read the book "Heaven is for Real" It answers so many unanswered questions. God is real, Heaven is real and I believe we go to heaven immediately. John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for us.
cav, Thanks for commenting. The book sounds interesting.
2 corinthians 5:6-8
To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord.
I think absent from the body (when we die) our spirit goes to heaven (present with the Lord).
Kathy, That is a good one. Thanks.
I am very concerned about Death, there is no scientific proof of a spirit being inside our body, and it's supposed to be the spirit that goes up into heaven or hell.. Please help me believe.
John, There is a scientist that talked about this in the forums. When I find the link, I will post it here. He went through and scientifically proved it.
I would be very grateful for the link, it would answers so many questions. I want to believe in a afterlife but it is so hard for me.
John, The first thing you need to do is read the gospels in the New Testament and accept that Jesus is your Saviour. I have been looking for the link for you. It was a couple of months ago and I haven't found it yet, but I will keep searching.
I found the forum, but it is about life after death, not heaven. His scientific evidence is that the body is made up of energy. When we die the energy is released from our body and the energy can't just disappear, so it is in a different form. The scientific law is that energy can't just disappear, but it can transform from one form to another.
I am a Christian and I believe what Jesus says in the Bible. He says he is making many mansions for us in heaven. Paul says to be out of the body is to be with the Lord, so I believe in heaven.
Here is the link to the forum thread, but I'm afraid you'll have to find your own faith.
http://hubpages.com/question/139011/is-there-life-
I noticed that there were several discussions about this in the forums. You can go to the forums and search life after death and find others.
Barbara i would like to thank you a lot for taking time to help me out, you're a good person and i hope that i can my find my way soon and let Jesus into my life.
Thank you John.
Hi Barbara Kay! I've been reading all your comments. Is Luke 16: 19 - 31, Lazarus and the rich man, an indication that Christians go straight to heaven when they die? Wasn't this parable from Jesus Himself? Please give me your feedback. Thanks and GOD bless!!
i also have wondered about whether we go to heaven right away or if we go into a "spiritual sleep" until judgement day. i dont know for sure and i wont until i die, but something always takes me back to believing that we dont go until judgement day. when it says in the bible " he will come to judge the living AND the dead", thats where i get confused. is god waiting until judgement day to take ANYONE to heaven? or have all deceased people already went to either heaven or hell, but god will give them a second chance on judgement day if they went to hell?i just want to know for which reason is he judging the dead also?
Thank you for this topic. It's been weighing heavily on my mind for quite sometime and grows stronger everyday.
There are so many viewpoints and conflictions we can gather from the bible.
Today, after considering all of the comments here, I am thinking the ones to be saved will go immediately with our Father and the ones who don't are the ones asleep and know of nothing. Maybe they will be ressurected at the second coming and given a chance to repent?? Maybe? That's my thought for today,lol.
All I know is I feel the spirit of the one I love very strongly.I feel his love. I always thank God for this in prayer.
Marliza Gunter 23 months ago
I also believe we go to heaven immediately...since I've been there and also have seen two people arriving at heaven just moments after death...I asked God that same question, but to this day have no final conviction of which is right...