What happens when you die? Do you go straight to heaven if your a christian?

Question

I'm a Christian & have always heard that when you die (being saved) that you go to heaven. But in the bible it says that when Christ returns & the trumpet sounds, he will raise the "dead in Christ" first and then the living believers will be raised. Does this mean that when we die, we're dead until Christ returns & takes us to heaven? My father-in-law passed last night & it just makes me wonder, is he really in heaven right now seeing his parents & walking with the Lord? I would like to think so.

Answer 1

Paul wrote "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord". First of all, I'm sorry about your father in law. However, if he were a believer in Jesus Christ, that is who he is with right now.

My Dad died about a year and a half ago...four days before he died, he said yes to Jesus as his savior. I know for sure that is who he is with. More than once I've been given that assurance from God.

I understand the verse you quoted, and by the way, Seventh Day Adventists will tell you that you don't go to heaven right away...but that isn't true. Our bodies may go to the grave, our souls go to Jesus Christ, immediately.

Remember the story in the bible about the rich man in torment and the poor man being comforted in Abraham's bosom. That wasn't in there for no reason!

Answer 2

As a Christian the spirit goes straight heaven, Paul said to be absent from the body is to be present with God. When the trumpet sounds and the dead in Christ rise, its the body that rises to join the spirit or soul. The body will of course be perfected.

Answer 3

The death you are speaking of is spiritual death. God give us a gift when we were born. The breath of life or better known as our spirit. We also have a soul, this is our feeling, our conscience. When we die the gift God gave us goes back to him. ( the spirit. Nothing more than a breath.) The bible says the dead know nothing. They are asleep. Just like Jesus told the family of the girl he raised from the dead. "She is just sleeping". Our loved ones are not literally in heaven looking down on our lives. This is something said to comfort the family. Fact being, every life is a gift of God so every one's spirit returns to Him. Then comes the second coming. It says that the dead in Christ will rise from their graves first and the living will be caught up with them. To the dead this will seem like they just woke up from sleeping. This is when we receive our spiritual bodys and judged.

Answer 4

Actually when people die; they're asleep in the grave. Death is called a sleep (Matt.9:24; John 11:11; 1Cor.15:51; 1Thess.5:10).
The spirit goes back to God that gave it!(Eccles.12:7; Psalm 146:4)


The Bible describes three hells.

SHEOL OR HADES, THE FIRST HELL
The first term in Greek and Hebrew means the grave. It's the grave where the dead await the resurrection.
GENESIS 37:35---I SHALL GO DOWN INTO THE GRAVE.
PROVERBS 15:11--HELL & DESTRUCTION ARE BEFORE THE LORD.
ECCLES.9:10---NO WORK...OR KNOWLEDGE...IN THE GRAVE,
MATT.11:23---WILL BE BROUGHT DOWN TO HADES
1COR.15:55---O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY

GEHENNA, THE SECOND HELL
The second term in New Testament means the place of fiery destruction of the wicked.
MATT.5:22--...BE IN DANGER OF HELL FIRE
MATT.10:28--TO DESTROY BOTH BODY AND SOUL IN HELL

TARTAROO, THE THIRD HELL
This third term is only used once and refers to the place of restraint where the demon spirits were placed following the rebellion against God.
2PETER 2:4---BUT CAST THEM DOWN TO HELL.

THE THREE HEAVENS
There's 3 heavens.

First Heaven = This is also called the firmament or expanse of heaven. It is the heaven where the birds fly and where the clouds give rain. (Gen.1:26; 2:20; 8:2 & 1Kings 18:45)

Second Heaven = This refers to outerspace where the sun, moon and stars can be found. (Gen.22:17 & Exodus 32:13 & Joshua 10:13)

Third Heaven = The Apostle Paul tells us that the heaven of God's abode is the "third heaven." In the Old Testament this is often designated by the phrase "the heaven of heavens." (Joshua 2:11 & Psalms 11:4 & 2Corinthians 12:2 equated with v.4 = paradise)

THERE ARE TWO KINGDOMS: ONE ON EARTH AND THE OTHER ONE COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN.

The 1st Kingdom of Heaven =
DAN.7:27 = "AND THE KINGDOM AND DOMINION, AND THE GREATNESS OF THE KINGDOM UNDER THE WHOLE HEAVEN, SHALL BE GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE OF THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH, WHOSE KINGDOM IS AN EVERLASTING KINGDOM, AND ALL DOMINION SHALL SERVE AND OBEY HIM."
REV.5:10 = "AND HAST MADE US UNTO OUR GOD KINGS AND PRIESTS: AND WE SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH."

The 2nd kingdom of Heaven =
AFTER 1,000 YEARS = A NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH-HOLY CITY COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN = REV.21:1-4; ISAIAH 65:17-25; 66:1,22 AND ETC.

SO HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO---
ISAIAH 66:21; ZECH.14:9-11 = "BUILD HOUSES, PLANT VINEYARDS, EAT VINEYARDS"
ISAIAH 66:23; ZECH.14:16-19 = "WORSHIP FROM ONE NEW MOON TO ANOTHER AS ONE SABBATH TO ANOTHER"
JESUS WILL BE GIVING CITIES TO THE SAINTS INWHICH THEY WILL BE TEACHING OTHERS THE TRUE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE = MATT.25:14-23; EZEKIEL 36:10,33; LUKE 13:26; ISAIAH 61:4
WE WON'T MARRY OR BE GIVEN UNTO MARRIAGE = MATT.22:30
BOYS AND GIRLS WILL BE PLAYING IN THE STREETS = ZECHARIAH 8:4-5,8
MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH = PSALM 37:9-11; MATT.5:5; REV.5:10

Answer 5

Trust in what you are reading. The living are conscious that they will die, but the DEAD know nothing. If everyone went to heaven , what would be the reason for a resurrection. Your Father-in-law is just in a dreamless sleep, and will stay that way until Jesus comes.

Answer 6

The dead in Christ refers to Old Testament saints. Your father-in-law is in heaven.

Answer 7

I hope this will suffice. We start in the pre-existence, go through the vail to birth, that is why we don't remember our pre spiritual existence. We live our life till death. after death we go to paradise and await for for the second coming. while in paradise more than likely we teach those who do not have the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then at the second coming we go through judgement and God will decide our glory or onto heaven or wherever we deserve.

Answer 8

No, when you die. You wake up in a so-called `soul' body and will travel soully to places to see your last earthly life's friends, parents or relatives. It might takes about 7 earthly days. Then , two spiritual guides will appear and led you a purgatory place.

Regardless whether you are a religion or non religion person, you will be judged according to your good or bad deeds done so far. Good deeds lead you to heavens and bad deeds lead you to Hells. You will reincarnate and takes the form of whatever you should be.

Do only Good, Avoid Evils And Purify your minds (meditate)

Answer 9

On the cross, Jesus said to the other man who believed in Him that he would see Him THIS day in paradise, as in the day he died. Im not sure about the dead in Christ shall rise, but maybe it means our bodies?

Answer 10

Christians believe that when you die you go to purgatory which is the place between heaven and hell to wait for the judgement day.