BIBLE answers only please, why do some christians believe that when u die u go to heaven immediately?

Question

see the following: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18,Ecclesiastes 9:5, Mark 5:39, John 11:11, 14, and John 20:17... Revelation 21:8, Revelation 20:6 for starters.

for those who quoted the thief on the cross, read it this way, Most asurdedly I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise.. to support this read the Matthew 20 17 , don't touch ME for I have not yet ascended to MY FATHER... THIS supports the sleep death and what JESUS MEANT to the thief.

Answer 1

You are correct when you die you do not go directly to Heaven. The belief that when ou die your spirit goes directly to Heaven is not Biblical it comes from Greek philosophy, it is pagan.

The Bible teaches that when you die you sleep in the ground until Jesus returns.

Talking about death we should look at how life was created

"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 soul." - Genesis 2:7

From this we see that the soul is the combination of both the breath of God and the physical body.

So what happens when you die?
1) "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return."- Genesis 3:19
2) "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." - Luke 23:46
3) "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." - Ecclesiastes 12:5

From these scriptures we see that when you die the two components of the soul either decay (the physical body) or goes back to God (the spirit)

Many people believe that the spirit is some intangible ghostlike substance but if you look at what the bible says
"All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils" - Job 27:3

From this we see that the spirit is the Breath of Life not a … ghost (for lack of a better word)


Do the dead go directly to heaven or hell?

Psalms 115:17 The dead praise not the Lord.
Psalms 6:5 In death there is no remembrance of thee.
Isaiah 38:18 Death can not celebrate thee.
Psalms 146:4 His thoughts perish.
Job 21:32 Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.
Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they shall die; but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.

From these verses we see that there is no thought in death, so how can you be in Heave praising God.

Some may argue that these are all Old Testament examples of the teaching of death so lets look at the New Testament

Jesus speaking about the death of Lazarus
These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus SLEEPETH; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. John 11:11-14

Matthew 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which SLEPT arose

1 Thessalonians 4:15 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are ASLEEP, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 Them also which SLEEP in Jesus will God bring with him.

There are some people who are in Heaven now and the Bible tells us how they got there
1)Enoch was taken directly to Heaven Genesis 5:24

2)Moses was resurrected early Jude 9. notice what it says
even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the BODY of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
If your spirit flies off to Heaven why is Michael fighting for his body

3)Elijah went in a fiery chariot 2Kings 2:11


If we look at what Jesus said on the cross in Luke 23:43
And Jesus said to him, Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.

Many use this to prove the point that we go directly to our reward. BUT there is a problem read on and Jesus tells Mary he did not ascend to heaven yet. So either Jesus is a liar or this verse is not saying we go to Heaven when we die.


In the Greek there was not a comma; the comma was placed centuries later by people who believed that we go directly to our reward. If you move the comma it conforms to the rest of scripture

And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.


But doesn’t the Bible say to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord?

As I mentioned above the Bible says we do not go directly to heaven or hell. I think we should look at 2 Corinthians 5, but rather than only looking at verse 8 lets look at the whole chapter in order to gain better perspective. If you read the whole text we see Paul talking about three states of being. In chapter 1 Paul writes 1) our earthly house {our earthly bodies} 2) a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens {glorified bodies}. In verse 3 he says 3) naked.

The question to ask is when do we get our glorified bodies?

1 Corinthians 15:51 says we get them at the last trumps when Christ returns proving we do not go directly to heaven upon death.


Let’s look at what Peter said in Acts chapter 2

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
Acts 2:29

For David is not ascended into the heavens
Acts 2:34

So when do we go to heaven?

He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the LAST day. John 6:55

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. I Thessalonians 4:16

We go to heaven when Jesus comes


Check out this video for the truth about death
http://prophecycode.org/Resources/Video/PCVideo/ProphecyCode_13.asx

Answer 2

If the soul sleeps, how would you explain the things that happened in transfiguration where they saw Jesus and the other two prophets talking to each other.
I believe when Jesus died, He went into Hades together with the soul of the thief who also died on the cross. This is the last time He went to Paradise to take all the captives there (O.T. Saints) who had been waiting for the Messiah to be saved and be brought to Heaven. In short the Paradise had been depopulated and all the residents there were taken to Heaven. And so, the saying of Paul that the absence in the body is the presence in the Lord.

As far as the physical or ressurected body is concerned, He said that He has not yet ascended to the Father, but His soul was. Same thing will happen when all Christians who died will be given spiritual bodies in heaven; same body as His disciples saw in the transfiguration.

Answer 3

When the Bible says a person is “sleeping” in relation to death (Luke 8:52; 1 Corinthians 15:6), it does not mean literal “sleep.” Sleeping is just a way to describe death because a dead body appears to be sleeping. The Bible tells us that the instant you die, you are taken to heaven or Hell based on whether you had received Christ as your Savior or not. For believers, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). For unbelievers, death means everlasting punishment in Hell (Luke 16:22-23). The concept of “soul sleep” is not a Biblical doctrine. The moment we die, we face the judgment of God (Hebrews 9:27). Until the resurrection, though, there is currently a temporary heaven “Paradise” (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4) and Hell “Hades” (Revelation 1:18; 20:13-14).



In a sense, a person’s body is “sleeping” while their soul is in Paradise or Hades. This body is then “awoken” and transformed into the eternal body a person will possess for eternity. These eternal bodies is what we possess for all of eternity, whether we are in heaven or Hell. Those who were in Paradise will be sent to the New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21:1). Those who were in Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15). These are the final, eternal destinations of all people - based entirely on whether a person had trusted Jesus Christ alone for the salvation of their sins.

Recommended Resource: What the Bible Says about Heaven & Eternity by Ice & Demy.

Answer 4

According to the Bible that nobody is in Heaven but. We all move to Hades both in Abraham's bosom” Paradise”, or around the different aspect of the exceptional gulf that is a location for the sinner. Both facets are ready to be judged. I can’t fully grasp how those persons positioned persons in Heaven while we've now not been judged but.

Answer 5

Don't get the body mixed up with the spirit.
Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 5: 6-9," ...even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,for we walk by faith,not by sight.Yes,we do have confidence,and we would rather be absent from the body and at home with the Lord.So ,whether we are at home or away,we make it our aim to please Him".
The body "looks" like it is asleep when we are dead(unless we're like mangled up or something) and you can't use Ecclessiastes because those are the thoughts of an agnostic,until the end where he says in chapter 11 vs. 6..."before the silver cord is snapped(that holds the spirit in the body and allows you O.B.E's and near death experiences).....until that silver cord is snapped and and the soul returns to God who gave it." meaning at death.
When Paul talks about the dead in Christ rising ,he's talking about the bodies,no matter if they are in the grave or eaten by a lion and pooped out ,God will ,"in an instant,in the twinkling of an eye",change that DNA from mortal to immortal.He has a file on us ,believe me.The soul will be reunited with the new body in resurrection.The "Raptured" will be changed as they go up.After the millenium,the unsaved are resurrected(there souls are in Hades [different from Hell itself] until then)They stand before the Great White Throne ,and no one is innocent there for they don't have the shed blood of Christ to cover them.They go to Hell in these resurrected bodies that can't die,that's why it is eternal punishment.Hey,it isn't my universe to complain that might be a bit harsh.
The point is NO SOUL SLEEP!Only heavenly rest ...as we rest in the finished work of Christ.

Answer 6

Mar 5:39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
Joh 11:11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Joh 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
Joh 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

On the verses which you have stated and which I quote, there is no word or sentence that when you die you go to heaven immediately. Are you fooling? Do you know what you are asking?Do you have poor understanding? do you know how to translate and understand English?
jtm

Answer 7

This is what we believe:

11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.
12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.
13 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.
14 Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.

(Book of Mormon | Alma 40:11 - 14)

Here is another verse:

12 And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.
13 O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect.
14 Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness.
15 And it shall come to pass that when all men shall have passed from this first death unto life, insomuch as they have become immortal, they must appear before the judgment–seat of the Holy One of Israel; and then cometh the judgment, and then must they be judged according to the holy judgment of God.

(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:12 - 15)

Answer 8

I don't believe we go straight to heaven . The dead rest until the resurrection . Christians are being deceived and they don't even realize it . Alot of preachers are teaching false doctrines . Just like that rapture teaching it's not Biblical at all but people believe it because their pastor teaches it.

Answer 9

Those are good examples, nut to argue the other side, Jesus did tell the one thief on the cross that "you will be with me today in heaven" (paraphrase). I don't know which it will be, but I don't think that it will be revealed in life.

Answer 10

Because the Bible says, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord".. As soon as you take your last breath on this ol earth, you will be standing in the presence of God.