Fellow Christians...what are your thoughts on the state of the dead?

Question

Are we waiting in purgatory?
Are we in heaven or hell?
Are we dead (asleep in Christ) until resurrection day?
Are we...?

So far, I see at least three answers that are Biblical...some others are close to the mark. I see still more which are based on mythology.

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

Well, I was brought up to believe that the "dead in Christ" are asleep until the rapture of the church. However, several Biblical scholars site many verses that may dispute that theory and that when we die we immediately go to Heaven to be with Christ. I think that only Catholics believe in purgatory, which was a concept made by a man before in middle ages, from what I have learned. There is no mention of purgatory in the Bible. Before Christ was crucified, the prophets and saints were said to be resting in the "bosom of Abraham" until His resurrection. But you have to have faith in God and believe what you have learned from the Bible and you will find out the truth when you die.

Answer 3

I know that to die is gain, according to Philippians 1. So that they are better off than now. That excludes purgatory, and most likely excludes bein "asleep". I believe we are with Christ in spirit. That we continue to reign with Christ from Heaven until the return and the bodily resurrection. And I have no idea what all this really means in practice.

Answer 4

A Peaceful Sleep, No Sense Of The Passage Of Time

"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:20-23

Thy dead shall live, their bodies shall rise. O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy!" Isaiah 26:19

"But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet The Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with The Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

"for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs 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 judgment." John 5:28-29

Answer 5

Follow Christ and live...let the dead bury the dead, but as for us we are to include Christ in every breath...He has a place for us, If it were not so He would tell us, but he has assured us that He has a home for us...pergatory(hades) is a place for good people who do not know Christ...Hell is the place for God's wrath, Heaven is the place for people who know their God...Sealed with the Spirit of redemption...If you have received Christ, then your salvation is justified...nothing you do can change it...even if you don't feel saved...trust and believe, it is a gift, and receive. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you...do not look to the left or the right, fix your gaze upon Him and He will lead you...be blessed in the knowledge of Him...Be blessed!

Answer 6

People either go to various waiting places like the grave, hades, paradise, etc. Some stay here and linger on the earth as spirits and ghosts. They and we are all waiting until judgment day when people will be sorted into Heaven or hell.

Answer 7

I would say, they are not in heaven, and definitely in a fictional place called purgatory, and not in hell.

They do not know what is going on here on this side of time. One place for some is Paradise and for others a place of torment; not hell itself.

Answer 8

Is it certainly derogatory to benefit God to a sky fairy if God is as tangible as a fairy? i'd say that's calling a spade a spade. If God IS genuine i'd have theory he can take it -he's God! And if it make deists greater desperate of their ideals (which i'm specific it does) are not we certainly doing them a choose incredibly? our comments are no longer for the fundamentalists - they're misplaced souls! Our comments are for everyone who can think of! no person is above ridicule: theist or atheist. as long as our criticisms are apt we would desire to continually no longer mince our words besides the undeniable fact that i'd agree that there ARE. besides the undeniable fact that I not often see posts right here in the place atheists have used expletives. That i'd say is not sensible -yet poking relaxing at stupid ideals? it fairly is effective -needed in certainty. i'm no longer of the opinion that ANY ideals are above ridicule. Even mine. that would desire to be risky.

Answer 9

Heaven is a waiting room, until His return. Actually the state of believers then that are alive will never Go to heaven. They will rule and reign with Him on the Earth. When a believer Dies he goes to be with the Lord in Heaven. Remember the thief on the cross? He said Today you will be with me in paridise. :)

Answer 10

The bible says we are dead, in the grave. And that we will be resurrected. There is no mention of purgatory - that is a myth.