the dead in Christi shall rise. I have always believed that when a person dies they go to Heaven right then. I like to think my grandfather is in Heaven and many others as well. Could someone please explain this to me?
2007-07-05 07:41:08 · 31 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
so sorry for the type, guess I deserved the crude joke!
2007-07-05 08:01:49 · update #1
typo error should have been dead in Christ
2007-07-05 08:02:27 · update #2
From what i understand, it is the 'body' that rises... that the soul/Spirit is already in Paradise with Jesus
he said to the thief on the cross next to him "today you will be with me in paradise'... not 'when the dead in christ shall rise'
another explaination is that it is those who came before Christ (Abraham, Isaac, etc) who were God chosen people... those who served God and knew of the messiah's coming but were gone before Jesus came
2007-07-05 07:46:23 · answer #1 · answered by livinintheword † 6 · 8⤊ 2⤋
Indeed the dead in Christ shall rise first. when the Bible talks to about this it is talking about the rapture of the church when Jesus Christ will come in the clouds and will lift up his Church (people who excepted Christ in their hearts and followed His word the way they should).
Let me explain it to you.
When a person dies In Christ they don't go to Heaven (not yet) they go to a resting place where God puts them so they can sleep and rest until the rapture.
When a person that does not have Christ in their heart dies he goes straight to Hell.
Then the rapture will come and Jesus Christ will lift up the dead (the ones that have died and are now resting) and then the living (the once that are alive when he comes) and we will meet Him in the sky and be with Him happily in Heaven for seven years.
Back on Earth: In those seven years the Anti-Christ will rule th e world promising peace and prosperity. All nations will come together and join hands to be one nation with one leader (the Anti-Christ). and the Anti-Christ shall make a peace treaty for seven years.
The first 3.5 years of that peace treaty will be great years of prosperity, love, care, wealth and everything will seem to be perfect.
After those 3.5 years the Anti-Christ will unmask himself and there will be suffering and pain for all that don't except the mark of the beast. Basically you wont be able to buy or sell food without the mark and they will persecute anyone that doesn't want to except the mark. so if you except the mark of the beast you will basically have sold your soul to the devil and you will go straight to Hell with him, but if you don't you will then have had paid the Price and will enter Heaven for eternity.
After everything has settle down - when everyone has excepted the mark and all of those that didn't have been decapitated then will come the final battle of Armageddon where the devil will get all his army and fight against God and all his army for the final battle in which of curs God will win.
and then after that comes judgment day. Here everyone shall be judged by what they lived on earth and who ever excepted Jesus Christ in their hearts and followed his word until the end will enter Heaven and who ever didn't shall pass from Hell to lake of fire for eternity.
you can fine all of this in the books of Daniel and in Revelations (Apocalypse)
This is why is very important to make sure you optain your salvation. If you need more help you can just e-mail me.
God Bless
P.S. If you need Biblical verses just let me know
2007-07-05 15:13:22 · answer #2 · answered by Ed76 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
easy...luke 16:19-31...lazarus and the rich dude...rich dude dies...he goes to heaven and can see lazarus and abraham near God's throne and the waters of life...but he could not cross the GULF that divided them. he was "tormented" and wanted to go back to warn his family. he wasn't bad, but not saved either.
all souls go back to God where they came from.
Enoch goes further and describes 4 holding places:
1) Murder victims back to Abel who cry out for trial.
2) murdering raping scum who are also waiting for trial.
3) unsaved but not evil people like rich dude.
4) saved.
so the "dead" in christ are those in door number 4 who at the 7th Trump are called to the Marriage supper....at that point they "rise" if you will to enter that event.
If your grandpa died with Jesus on his heart? He's fine. no worries.
p.s. nothing to do with a flesh body in terms of the "dead in christ"...it goes back to the dirt...no flesh will ever enter heaven for "corruption/flesh/mortal shall take on incorruption/transfigured body/supernatural"
just as jesus' flesh was consumed by the holy spirit and burned into the shroud. flesh is useless in the next age. Thank God for that.
2007-07-05 14:52:25 · answer #3 · answered by pissdownsatansback 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I believe the "physical" body is dead in the grave, and when we are resurrected, our "physical" bodies will again be joined with our spirit (God-like part of us which never dies). It is the spirit that returns to God immediately after death if you are one of His.
I believe that your grandfather and others are in heaven. We can be in heaven where God is, but not necessarily be in His direct presence.
I disagree with the others. But you will have to study and decide for yourself as there are many denominations on Yahoo that believe differently based on what their Church teaches.
2007-07-05 14:52:31 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
To be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD...God is taking care of them..so no worries! I would suggest doing a Biblical study for yourself on Death/Heaven...try Thompson Chain Reference Bible! It's really good for things like this.
2007-07-05 14:47:50 · answer #5 · answered by TRV 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
We base our assumption that those that have went on before us are in Heaven on Christ's words to the thief on the cross.
And yet this verse seems to give credence to the fact that we stay in the grave until the catching away.
I really wish I could answer your question but this seems to be one of those questions to which there is no definitive answer.
May God Bless
2007-07-05 14:48:26 · answer #6 · answered by drg5609 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
We physically die when we die. We still have a corruptible body that will turn to dirt. But our soul/spirit goes to heaven to be with the Lord.
It is written that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Remember, that Paul had an out of body experience, so knows this is a reality.
But obviously our bodies are still corruptible. But we will be clothed with a new body on resurrection day. Uncorruptible body. So? In the Rapture we will raise up a new body, the dead in Christ means that those who physically died on earth and their soul spirit is in heaven, they will raise up a new body, soul & spirit too. The new body is everlasting & whole: a body, soul & spirit.
Thanks for the question, because I was just thinking about the way the verse is worded & questioned it also.
Examples of another out of body experience http://www.90minutesinheaven.com .
Christi, My Grandpa didn't believe in Jesus. Before he died, I prayed for angels to preach him the gospel. That death couldn't have my Grandpa until he was right with God. And, I loved my Grandpa. When he died, I asked the Lord if Grandpa is in heaven? And I prayed in Spirit for confirmation of this. And love rejoices in the Truth. God is love. And I could rejoice in the spirit that Grandpa is in heaven. I believe many times people believe in Jesus at the last moments of their life. I am sharing this with you, because just praise God in joy founded in faith that your Grandpa is in heaven with the Lord. I am sure that you can. 'Love rejoices in the truth' and 'God is Love'. Get a word from the Lord who knows. Now if you Grandpa denied Christ to the end, then he isn't in heaven, & it would be impossible for you to rejoice in spirit that he is truly in heaven with the Lord. Because love rejoices in the truth.
2007-07-05 14:50:41 · answer #7 · answered by t_a_m_i_l 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
i think that no one Really knows how to interpret this 100%.
i'd like to say, just keep searching and seeking what makes sense to you, and makes you feel Good, Positive and Happy. if u think it means he is with God right now, then go right ahead. no one can really dispute u, even if they have quotes and stuff. i mean, even the people who TRANSLATED the bible are going to put in little bias here and there as well. so in the translation, things are lost.
do not worry so much about what happens after death :). i think we have so much more to care about here on Earth... let's live a wonderful life here, as best we can, as positive and great as we can..and we will know what happens when we ourselves are gone. :)
2007-07-05 14:48:11 · answer #8 · answered by tarmee2006 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Their soul may be in heaven, but their body is still in the ground.
Jesus will resurrect us just as He resurrected His OWN body.
We will have "glorified" bodies just as Jesus had/has.
The "Dead in Christ" of course, refers not to the spiritually dead, but to those who were Christians that physically died. Those in the grave will rise first, and then those of us still on the earth shall join them and be with our Lord forever, just as the Scriptures promise.
2007-07-05 14:45:59 · answer #9 · answered by no1home2day 7 · 5⤊ 2⤋
That scripture is referencing when the followers of Christ receive their resurrected bodies.
2007-07-05 14:50:03 · answer #10 · answered by Luv&Rockets 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋