Do you go straight to heaven after you die?

Question

Because in the Bible it says that when Christ was on the cross and the robber next to Jesus asked him to remember him , Jesus said that today he will be with him in paradise.

Answer 1

NO!
The question of death is closely tied to creation. How were we created? GEN.2:7
"AND THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN OF THE DUST OF THE GROUND, AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE, AND MAN BECAME A LIVING BEING."

The Bible does not teach that God placed a soul in us at creation. It specifically states that God formed man(body) out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul(person or being).

Equation Form, body+breath= living soul.

Is the soul mortal or immortal? EZEK.18:4
"BEHOLD, ARE SOULS ARE MINE; THE SOUL OF THE FATHER AS WELL AS THE SOUL OF THE SON IS MINE; THE SOUL WHO SINS SHALL DIE."

"Mortal" means subject to death.
"Immortal" means not subject to death, imperishable.

Who only has immortality? 1TIM.6:15
",,,HE WHO IS THE BLESSED AND ONLY PONTENTATE, THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, WHO ALONE HAS IMMORTALITY, DWELLING IN UNAPPROACHABLE LIGHT, WHOM NO MAN HAS SEEN OR CAN SEE, TO WHOM BE HONOR AND EVERLASTING POWER. AMEN."
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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).
No man is in heaven except for Jesus--JOHN 3:13; ACTS 2:34.
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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
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Now to the thief at the cross.

Q. Jesus promised one of the thieves crucified with him: "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). What and where is "Paradise," and did the thief go there with Jesus that day?
A. The Bible says that the dead are in the grave, awaiting the resurrection; they are not in heaven.
Acts 2:34 = "For David did not ascend into the heavens."
Jn.3:13 = "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven."
Does this mean that the thief is in a special; place called "Paradise" that is not "heaven"? No! The Bible shows us where Paradise is located; see 2Cor.12:1-4. Paradise is located in the presence of God's throne--in heaven. Paradise means a "garden, pleasure ground: grove, park"---a grand enclosure or preserve...shady and well watered...enclosed by walls" (Thayer's Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament).
What is Paradise like? See Revelation 2:7; 22:1-2.
These verses relate to Rev.21:2 "the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven from God".
When does this happen? See 2Peter 3:10-13 and Rev.21:1.

Now back to your question: did the thief go there with Jesus that day of his death?
Note: Jesus didn't go to Paradise, or heaven that day he died; see 1Cor.15:3-4. Christ was sealed in the tomb for three full days and three full nights according to Matt.12:40. Notice what he says to Mary after he was risen: "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father...and your Father, and to My God and your God" according to John 20:17.

What did Christ say to the thief?
Many readers are misled by improper punctuation of the English-language translation of the inspired Greek text by wrongly placing a comma between the words "you" and "today." The Greek manuscripts didn't have punctuation of any kind til the 9th Century. So if you punctuate the verse in Luke 23:43 correctly; it should read: Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise. Jesus was saying that when Paradise comes; the thief will be there with Him!
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Answer 2

No. You don't go straight to heaven after you die. You sleep in the dust or in the ground. You wait until the resurrection which will happen at the coming of Jesus.

2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.
(Daniel 12:1-3)
13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.” (Daniel 12:13)

Even Daniel, on the of the most beloved prophets of God, will be resting in the ground until the end of time, when together with all the other saved people, or saints, will be raised into glory to live forever in heaven.

When Jesus comes back from heaven He is going to call the dead in the graves, not from heaven, to come down to earth, enter their graves and be resurrected! That is not the teaching of the Bible!

Answer 3

The heavenly hope is not the only hope.

Obviously the church you attend does not use the scriptures that talk about the earth being restored to a paradise and millions surviving these "last days" and working to fulfill the commandment that Adam and Eve failed to fulfill, namely Genesis 1:28.

The scripture you are refering to is this one:

"In reply the other rebuked him and said: “Do you not fear God at all, now that you are in the same judgment? And we, indeed, justly so, for we are receiving in full what we deserve for things we did; but this [man] did nothing out of the way.” And he went on to say: “Jesus, remember me when you get into your kingdom.” And he said to him: “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.” -Luke 213:40-43

Now, here is a scholarly explanation of verse 43:

“Today.” Although WH puts a comma in the Gr. text before the word for “today,” commas were not used in Gr. uncial mss [manuscripts]. In keeping with the context, we omit the comma before “today.”

Syc (fifth cent. C.E.) renders this text: “Amen, I say to thee to-day that with me thou shalt be in the Garden of Eden.”—F. C. Burkitt, The Curetonian Version of the Four Gospels, Vol. I, Cambridge, 1904.

So, a translation from 1904 speaks of the orignial paradise, not heaven. Christ himself told his disciples regarding the heavenly hope, “However, YOU are the ones that have stuck with me in my trials; and I make a covenant with YOU, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom" -Luke 22:28-29

Jesus would be with the man he spoke to in that he would be resurrecting him to the earthly realm of God's Kingdom, of which Christ is the reigning King even now.
The man did not 'stick with Jesus in his trails, however, he did show faith and Jesus could see that he regreted his rebuking him previously.

If you are not aware of the Bible teaching of an earthly hope for the vast majority of human kind please look into it.
The next time Jehovah's Witnesses stop by you might want them to show you in your copy of God's Word.

Answer 4

Jesus Christ spoke about the condition of the dead. He did so with regard to Lazarus, a man whom he knew well and who had died. Jesus told his disciples: “Lazarus our friend has gone to rest.” The disciples thought that Jesus meant that Lazarus was resting in sleep, recovering from an illness. They were wrong. Jesus explained: “Lazarus has died.” (John 11:11-14) Notice that Jesus compared death to rest and sleep. Lazarus was neither in heaven nor in a burning hell. He was not meeting angels or ancestors. Lazarus was not being reborn as another human. He was at rest in death, as though in a deep sleep without dreams. Other scriptures also compare death to sleep. For example, when the disciple Stephen was stoned to death, the Bible says that he “fell asleep.” (Acts 7:60) Similarly, the apostle Paul wrote about some in his day who had “fallen asleep” in death.


The Bible teaches that the dead “are conscious of nothing at all.” They are not alive and have no conscious existence anywhere. The account of Lazarus confirms this. Upon returning to life, did Lazarus thrill people with descriptions of heaven? Or did he terrify them with horrible tales about a burning hell? No. The Bible contains no such words from Lazarus. During the four days that he was dead, he had been “conscious of nothing at all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5) Lazarus had simply been sleeping in death. John 11:11.
The account of Lazarus also teaches us that the resurrection is a reality, not a mere myth. Jesus raised Lazarus in front of a crowd of eyewitnesses. Even the religious leaders, who hated Jesus, did not deny this miracle.

Think about this too: If Lazarus had been in heaven for those four days, would he not have said something about it? And if he had been in heaven, would Jesus have made him come back to earth from that wonderful place? Of course not!

Yet, many people say that we have a soul, and they say that the soul lives on after the body dies. They say that Lazarus’ soul was alive somewhere. But the Bible does not say that. It says that God made the first man Adam “a living soul.” Gen. 2:7, Adam was a soul. The Bible also says that when Adam sinned, he died. He became a “dead soul,” and he returned to the dust from which he had been made. The Bible also says that all Adam’s offspring inherited sin and death too.

The Scriptural teaching of the resurrection, however, is not compatible with the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. If an immortal soul survived death, no one would need to be resurrected, or brought back to life. Indeed, Martha expressed no thought about an immortal soul that was living on elsewhere after death. She did not believe that Lazarus had already gone to some spirit realm to continue his existence. On the contrary, she showed her faith in God’s purpose to reverse the effects of death. She said: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” (John 11:23, 24) Likewise, Lazarus himself related no experiences of some afterlife. There was nothing to report.

Clearly, according to the Bible, the soul dies and the remedy for death is the resurrection. You enjoy the best sleep ever, until Jesus resurrects you, sometime in the future.

The person you mention, could not have gone to Heaven, He was not a follower of Jesus, he was not baptized, he was being put to death because of something he had did that called for the death penalty, the word "paradise" means "a park, a park like garden, or the Garden of Eden."

Jesus was simply telling him that he would remember him when he was performing the resurrection, then the evildoer would have the same hope as King David had at "Psalms 37:29  The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever." King James Bible

Answer 5

There is no doubting that you will never know the answer to this question until you actually die. Of course people will tell you what they believe, but it's just that: belief. Belief is different from reality!

Nobody can tell you the answer except yourself that minute you are dead. Even if they are utterly convinced that they know what will happen, it's ultimately a direct experience that you will need.

Sadam Hussein could come to you as a ghost and tell you what happens, but you still won't know until it happens.

Answer 6

Depending on what kind of life you lived, you either go to heaven or hell. How soon you get to either place is anyone's guess, since no one has ever died, gone to heaven or hell, and come back to tell about it. I guess you'll just have to rely on what you've read in the Bible, and your own experience after you leave this earth.

Answer 7

If you believe in God and lived a good life, yes.

Heaven, however, is a state of being near to God. Hell is remoteness from God. You can attain both states in this life or the world to come.

Answer 8

no u go to the gates then you c if ur in the book of life and the next day u go to judgement to c if u deserve to be in heaven

Answer 9

No.

The Christians go hang at Billy Graham's condo.

The rest of us go to the corner bar where we pick up hookers and smoke weed.

What is the Resurection for, anyway?

Is that just another "metaphor" not to be taken literally?

Answer 10

For me, Im not sure if we sleep till judgement or if we are judged immediately and then go to Heaven... however, if we sleep until judgement it will seem immediate anyway.

Answer 11

I think we are all "asleep in God" until the last day. Our souls rise. After that, the "others" suffer the fires & mudslides on their way to hell.