Calling all students of the Holy Bible: Are there any people in heaven now?

Question

I have read about the theif on the cross with Jesus. Jesus said, " This day, you will be with me in paradise". But then, in Revelation, the graves open and those who are saved are resurrected.

Answer 1

Was lazarus (Jesus friend) taken from heaven only to die again and go back to heaven? That is not what the bible says.

When brought back to life, Lazarus did not relate any experiences of an afterlife. He had been dead. “As for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all,” states the Bible.

Did anyone prior to Jesus went to heaven? Again the bible says No.

John 3:13 - "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man."

Jesus Christ is called “the firstborn from the dead.” (Col 1:18) He was the first ever to be resurrected to everlasting life. And his resurrection was “in the spirit,” to life in heaven. (1Pe 3:18) Moreover, he was raised to a higher form of life and a higher position than that which he had held in the heavens prior to coming to earth. He was granted immortality and incorruption, which no creature in the flesh can have, and was made “higher than the heavens,” second only to Jehovah God in the universe. (Heb 7:26; 1Ti 6:14-16; Php 2:9-11; Ac 2:34; 1Co 15:27) His resurrection was performed by Jehovah God himself.—Ac 3:15; 5:30; Ro 4:24; 10:9.

The heavenly resurrection of Christ’s joint heirs begins after Jesus Christ returns in heavenly glory, to give first attention to his spiritual brothers. Christ himself is called “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep in death.” Paul then says that each one will be resurrected in his own rank, “Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence.” (1Co 15:20, 23) These, as “the house of God,” have been under judgment during their Christian life course, beginning with the first of their number at Pentecost. (1Pe 4:17)

Answer 2

At death, the human spirit leaves the body (Ec. 12:7) and goes either to heaven or hell (Luke 16:22ff). As demonstrated by the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:22ff.)—and affirmed by Christ when he tells the thief he will be with him in paradise "today" (Luke 23:43)—there is immediate conscious existence after death, both in heaven and hell (2 Cor. 5:8; Rev. 6:9-11; Phil. 1:23).

There is no "soul sleep" or period of unawareness preceding heaven. Some Old Testament passages do not reflect the fullness of New Testament revelation concerning immediate consciousness upon death. "Fallen asleep" in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 and similar passages is a euphemism for death, describing the outward appearance as seen from this side, not the other. The spirit's departure from the body ends our existence on earth. This "sleep" refers to the outward inanimate appearance of the body that is buried in the earth. The physical part of us "sleeps" until the resurrection, while the spiritual part of us relocates to a conscious existence in heaven (Dan. 12:2-3; 2 Cor. 5:8; Rev. 6:9-11). Every reference in Revelation to human beings talking and worshipping in heaven prior to the resurrection (Rev. 20) refutes the notion of soul sleep.

Answer 3

There are no people in heaven only their souls to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. We will all recieve new bodies when Christ returns. Read all of Revelation you can't take one verse and reach an answer to it all. Read the whole Bible then try to analize it. If you get direction to some place you don't read the final stopping place you got to read the directions on how to get there.

Answer 4

The question of what happens after death can be confusing. The Bible is not explicitly clear on when a person will reach their final eternal destiny. The Bible tells us that after the moment of death, a person is taken to Heaven or Hell based on whether he or she had received Christ as his or her Savior. For believers, after death is to be "away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). For unbelievers, after death means everlasting punishment in Hell (Luke 16:22-23).

This is where it can get confusing as to what happens after death. Revelation 20:11-15 describes all those in Hell being cast into the lake of fire. Revelation chapters 21-22 describe a New Heaven and New Earth. Therefore, it seems that until the final resurrection, after death a person resides in a “temporary” Heaven and Hell. A person's eternal destiny will not change, but the precise "location" of a person's eternal destiny will change. At some point after death, believers will be sent to the New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21:1). At some point after death, unbelievers 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 5

Yes. The saints and angels reside in heaven in the presence of God.

That is because before Christ's sacrifice on the cross, the gates of heaven were shut. No one got in. The resurrection in Revelation is the reunification of the body and soul where humanity is restored to its original intent. The blessed will reside in the presence of God while the wicked will be turned away forever..

Answer 6

That bible is a bunch of man made crock. People have been adding to it since it was and including when it was first printed. I don't think any one of those morons knew what Jesus meant when he said "ye must be born again before ye can enter the gates of heaven" doesn't make more sense that we will be reborn (like re-incarnated) before we can go to heaven.

Too bad we had so many rulers in the world that kept trying to control the people, because I don't believe none of them anymore. They have a higher pedophile rate than the average Joes in the world. Maybe Jesus was trying to explain a spirit body in the afterlife? Thus we have a ghost ! Holy Ghost. ???. Other (than Christian) religions believe in re- incarnation. How do you prove its not true ??

Just want to ad about the Mexicans allowing men to rape any child they feel like, and in Mexico, they have no laws against it. So why are we letting them come up here to rape and sodomize our children? Bush wants them up here. Why???
Check out worldnetdaily.com. Faux News don't get the truth about nothing. They sweep it under the rug. Why is this world getting so ugly with men who abuse and rape children? Has it always been there and we just didn't see it before?

Answer 7

If you are talking about "human beings" there is one that comes to mind right away.

The human part of Jesus the Christ is now in Heaven, His human body was changed as He ascended into Heaven. Remember-Christ was spiritual and human, you can not discard the human part of Christ since it is that part that died on the cross and was risen from the dead. It is Jesus the human that is at the right hand of God and acts as our Mediator and High Priest.

Other than Jesus being changed and in Heaven, we are told about the prophet that was also taken into Heaven.

Other then that, the Bible does not say anything about anyone else (Human being) being in Heaven.

As a matter of fact we are told that when you die in Christ you are asleep and know nothing of this world or of Heaven.

Paradise is the place of the dead and the dead will be raised when Jesus Comes again.

Jesus was able to rise from the place of the dead because He was also Spirit (Son of God), the thief from the cross is still asleep in that place.

Answer 8

Jesus Preached the Word about getting Born-Again to the Old Testament Saints (Moses, King David and the People who died in the Wilderness etc.) who were Kept in Paradise untill Jesus Died on the Cross and went down there to Hell and Paradise. And they ALL GOT their Messed Up Spirits RECREATED (in Paradise only)
Then, when Jesus left out for PLANET Heaven, HE took Paradise with HIM to Planet Heaven.

So, YES, there are PEOPLE in HEAVEN--NOW!!!
Ditto..............

Answer 9

There are people in heaven now, among them are Jesus, the thief on the cross, and my grandmother among countless other souls.

And the graves will still open up when Christ returns in Revelation, and more people will go to heaven.

Both statements are true.

Answer 10

That's a pretty good question. I think that perhaps certain people are in heaven, such as Elijah. The thief may have been a special exception. OR, perhaps when you die, it will seem as though only a second has gone by until you are resurrected. These are just guesses.