When a christian dies, does their soul go directly up to God or does it get taken up when the rapture occurs?

Question

Please give me bible verses. I'm trying to find out if ghosts (that I know are there) are human spirits or demons. I'm not afraid, because demons are afraid of God. I just would like to know scripturally.

I am educated. Why is it so hard for you people to accept that other people have beliefs different than yours? YOU are the ones keeping society in the dark ages. By saying that the world would be a much nicer place without my God is actually admitting that there is a God. It's a start. Even demons know and fear God. Rightfully so.

I know they're there because I've seen them. Dark shadows peeking around corners and such. I've also have had my arm grabbed by something like it was trying to pull me off the bed. No joke. And I'm a born again christian. I have since prayed and God has brought His protection around me, but I still would like to know what the other CHRISTIANS think....

Answer 1

Dead people have no way to communicate with the living.

"For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten." (Ecclesiastes 9:5 NKJV)

Because the dead do not know anything, the dead do not think; because the dead cannot think, they cannot communicate with us.

Peter said of David,
"Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day..." "For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:29 - 36 NKJV)

Jesus refers to death being a sleep several times.

I think you are experiencing deceiving spirits and demons

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1 NKJV)

As for a secret rapture, the Bible says no such thing will occur.

I have heard of this view many times before, but there are a couple questions I have about it. The most troubling problem with this theory is that it seems to negate the vary words of Jesus.

“Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, ‘Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares?’ He said unto them, ‘An enemy hath done this.’ The servants said unto him, ‘Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.’’” (Matthew 13:24 – 29 KJV)

Now that is an interesting story, and it can be a little confusing; fortunately, because the disciples found this story a little confusing they also and asked Jesus to explain if further. Because our God is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), Jesus explained what this parable meant.

“Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, ‘Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.’ He answered and said unto them, ‘He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’” (Matthew 13:36 – 42 KJV)

A closer study of this parable would seem to completely disprove the theory of a secret rapture of the church. Let’s take a look at what Jesus had to say about the time of the end through this parable. There are two groups on the earth represented by the wheat (the good or the church) and the tares (the evil). The workers of the field (probably representing angels) are troubled by the tares that the evil one (the devil) has planted. They ask the farmer (Jesus) if they should gather the weeds now and purify the field (the world). The farmer (Jesus) said that it should not happen that way because some of the wheat may come up with the tares. He then declares, “Let both grow together until the harvest (the end of the world): and in the time of harvest (the end of the world) I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” I find it hard to be a proponent of a secret rapture for the church when Jesus said that both the good and the evil will grow together until the harvest (the end of the world). How can the church be raptured, leaving the evil on the earth, when Jesus said they will be together until the very end?

There is another issue raised by this parable. Many well intentioned Christians use the story in Matthew 24:40 & 41 and Luke 17:34 – 36 as key proof of a secret rapture for the church, but if we examine this story about the end times with the earlier story Jesus told about the end times in Matthew 13, we get a completely different picture from what most Christians interpret this story to mean. Let’s look at what Jesus said in these verses.

“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:40 – 42 KJV)

“I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” (Luke 17:34 – 36 KJV)

Now I do not think that I am wrong in thinking that most Christians interpret these stories to mean that the man taken from the field, the woman that is taken while grinding, and the man taken in his sleep are the ones that belong to the group that is the church and are ruptured. This does not seem to be a plausible explanation however. Jesus gives an order for things to happen back in Matthew 13. “Gather ye together first the tares (the evil), and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat (the good or the church) into my barn.” Jesus clearly says that the evil will be gathered first. If we take this understanding and apply it to Matthew 24 and Luke 17, we get a very different understanding. The ones that are taken are not in the group we want to be in. The ones who are taken are the tares (the evil) that are being gathered to be burned, but the ones that are left are the wheat (the good) that are saved.

There is another metaphor that many well intentioned Christians use to support a secret rapture for the church; I feel that this too is an invalid interpretation of a story.

“But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:43 & 44 KJV)

“And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” (Luke 12:39 & 40 KJV)

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2 KJV)

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10 KJV)

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” (Revelation 16:15 KJV)

Here again, most Christians would attempt to say that this metaphor of a thief in the night is depicting a secret rapture for the church. I believe that most Christians have misinterpreted this too. First, Jesus explains what this metaphor means. He says that the meaning is not that the second coming is a secret but we do not know when it will occur. If we knew what day the Lord was to come, we would get ready the day before it, but since we do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36), we must be ever ready! Just examine what Peter had to say of this metaphor in 2 Peter 3:10; he says that when the Lord comes as a thief,” the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therine shall be burned up.” Now I am not sure how all that could be kept a secret from anyone or how people would be able to live on the earth when it has passed away, burned up, and all the elements in it have melted.

Answer 2

When a saved person dies, their souls automatically go to heaven: 2 Corinthian 5:8. Rapture isn't mentioned in the Bible at all, but in the end time, when Christ returns, those who are here will go to heaven or hell. There is a spirit, the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, and there are demonic spirits; demons: Luke 4:33-35, 8:27-31; Matthew 9:32-34; Acts 19:13-17; 1 Samuel 16:15-17, 23. Ghosts are not human spirits but demon spirits. Once you die, your soul goes to heaven or hell.

Answer 3

Ok right off hand don't have the scriptures...but it depends on what religion u ask as to what the answer is. I have read in the bible many times where it talks about we sleep until judgment. A very good example of that is in Daniel 11 at the end of the chapter. Now as for what I have heard my whole life goes somthing like this..(to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord) but heres the catch on that one for me: I can't find that in the bible. Ghosts...well they are more then likely demonic. How do u know they are there anyways?

Answer 4

The Bible says the soul is the blood and that the soul dies. There is no reference in any Bible that says the soul is eternal, immortal, or separate from the body, except when you cut yourself. When the Levi High Priest performed sacrifices at the temple, they were to slit the throat of the lamb and allow its soul to be poured out on the ground. The remaining flesh was to be destroyed by fire. As for the Spirit of life, every Bible says that we share that with the animals, neither being greater than the other.

When Jesus died, he slept in the grave, or Hades as the Apostle John wrote it in the ancient Greek (there was no word that translates to mean Hell or Hell fire). He could do nothing until he was resurrected, but when he was resurrected, he demonstrated the second form of resurrection, the resurrection to a spirit form for existence in Heaven. When he raised Lazarus, he demonstrated the first form, bringing the remains of a human body back to life.

God didn't create humans to live in heaven. That was the realm of the first intelligent beings he created, the angels. Humans were meant to live on a Paradise Earth, and later on the billions fo planets in the universe, but Adam and Eve chose having the knowledge of sin over life in Paradise. On day that will be again, and all those who have died will be raised up in the "Second" resurrection as talked about in Revelations. The Bible doesn't talk about the first resurrection, but it is presumed that is when those chosen to go to heaven will be carried up. But, it says they will only exist there for 1000 years. It does not say what will happen to them after that 1000 years. It also doesn't say what is to be done with all the ones resurrected, as the Bible says they will not marry or be given in marriage.

Don't worry about going to heaven. Look out your front door and consider what the world will look like when it is a paradise again, and what you will be able to do to make it so again.

Answer 5

I can see there are some extremely rude people on here. Some just want a good conversation but others just crush it to get attention.

Anyways, I want to know that answer too. My dad died some years back and my friends and all would say "he's in a better place now." But then the Bible says that the graves will be burst open and the believers will rise to Him.

Answer 6

There is no rapture. Seriously

I have been asking...genuinely....for anyone to give me Biblical support for the famous Pre-Tribulation Rapture everyone has bought into...such as the Left Behind movies and books.

As it is popularly talked about and believed....I can find no Biblical evidence of it. Give me the verses someone.

I know about the "meet him in the air" one....but that is just one and it only comments on a very small part of the whole belief. Where is the rest of it?

Answer 7

screw the bible verses, here is logic, reason, and theology wrapped into one big christmas present.

The human soul has plagued the minds of humankind since the dawn of time. here is the breakdown. The human soul is made up of energy, this energy also happens to be living. It is contained inside a vessel, all living things, when this vessel is broken or unable to carry the energy anymore the energy leaves, death. however, energy can neither be created nor destroyed, therefore, the vessel dies while the soul remains. The soul can linger, creating a ghost, go somewhere else, or find a new vessel.

Answer 8

Your spirit and soul will go to Heaven when you die, then at the rapture/catching away of the church, your spirit and soul will reunite with your glorified body and go back to Heaven. I can support this by citing Luke 23:43 "Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise'." This verse is from when Jesus was talking to the theif crucified next to him. For the full context, read verses 26-43 of Luke 23.

Answer 9

Great question. No rapture. Ghost are lost human spirits.
Matthew 8:22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
Read Matthew 22:31.
Matthew 22:32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
Enjoy every moment and God bless.

Answer 10

when a christian dies, their spirit go directly to God, if he/she dies before rapture. (Luke 16:23)

There is no human spirit on earth as it is claim and believe by many, such as spirit of your family members come back to find you or what so ever, there is only evil spirit of demons are on earth, they will be judge soon.

You can also refer to a true testimony of a pastor who died and taken to heaven directly but brought back to life by God, as God has His will for him yet on earth. He was prayed by a passer by pastor and brought back to life after died in an accident. He experience heaven. The book tittle is "90 minutes in Heaven"

A True Story of Death & Life: Books: Don Piper,Cecil Murphey by Don Piper,Cecil Murphey.

Answer 11

In 2 Corinthians 5:8 Paul states, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." Then, in Philippians 1:23-24 he states, "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you."

Paul stated that he would be with Christ immediately if he died and that it is far better. Hope this helps!