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According to Scripture, what really happens immediately after physical death?

What do you make of Christian pastors and priests at funerals telling things to assembled relatives and friends like the deceased is now in Heaven; or that the deceased is now with Jesus? Is it true?

Didn't Jesus tell us that nobody has gone to Heaven, except He Himself? Doesn't that mean that even Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the Christian followers of Jesus are still not yet in Heaven?

Doesn't Scripture teach us about a "future resurrection" from the grave, which takes place when Jesus returns to the earth? If Near Death Experiences (NDE's) are to be believed, were these people allowed just a "short visit"? Were the rules changed after Jesus ascended to Heaven?

"Human beings will actually have their bodies' composition of flesh and blood changed into spirit and be born into the very Family of God, existing on the same spirit plane as Jesus, and even be given a certain amount of rulership in the kingdom of God once Jesus returns,"

What do we make of the Catholic teaching on Purgatory? If to be believed, do some just "sleep" blissfully awaiting resurrection. Are some "good" others in another place where their sins are being purged to be ready for resurrection? What Scriptural evidence exists for a "Purgatory"?

John 3:13 - And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

The Apostle Peter clarified what Jesus told us in Acts 2:29, 34:

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.

For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

Yes, it is true, that we who follow Jesus and trust in His promises, have His promise of ever lasting life. But where are the Christian "Saints", and those Christians who believed and trusted in the Lord. And where are those old testament saints, including Abraham, Moses and the prophets who yearned for the Lord's coming? Where are our dead Christian parents, relatives and friends now? Where are they at this moment?

Do good people go immediately to heaven when they die. Or, can it be that all this time, that they have been in the deepest, most peaceful and blissful sleep, not knowing or caring about anything?

In such a state, when Jesus returns to earth, wouldn't it be true that for the dead, it was as if no time whatsoever had passed, and they would in fact be changed "in a twinkling of an eye" (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)?

Doesn't Paul tell us in Timothy 6:16 that only God is immortal?
Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen , nor can see : to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

What do we make of these:

Ecclesiastes 9:5
For the living know that they shall die : but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten

Psalm 115:17
The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.

Psalm 146:4
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Psalm 13:3 isn't King David speaking to us about death as a "sleep"?
Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Jesus telling us that death is "sleep". Remember the story of His good friend Lazarus?

John 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.

The prophet Daniel tells us the same thing:
Daniel 12:2 -
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake , some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Doesn't the New Testament refer to deceased believers as those who "sleep in Jesus"?

1 Thessalonians 4:14
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again , even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

Exciting Times we are in as we await the Lord's return:

So when and where do we dwell with Jesus? God will exist here on earth in plain sight after the "third heaven", or the "New Jerusalem" which the apostle John spoke of, appears with God here on earth. The dwelling place of God will appear here on earth, along with God. Believers in Jesus will then rise and be granted eternal life.

Revelation 21:2-4
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

What do we then make of the story of the good thief, crucified alongside Jesus who was promised paradise by Jesus? Was he really promised paradise "this day", or some time in the future? Is there a problem with punctuation here?

Let's look at Luke 23:42-43

The good thief said; "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

KJV renders the below statement with commas:
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

But there were no commas in the original Greek. Thus the statement could mean two very different things depending on where you place commas.

"I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" could actually have meant "I say unto thee To day, shalt thou be with me in paradise"


Reference for above: the excellent book "Shocked by the Bible, the most astonishing facts you've never been told" by Joe Kovacs. Currently $14.95 at Amazon.com

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On the other hand. Can it be that the rules all changed with the ascension of Jesus? After that do we go to Heaven and/or Hell? Didn't Jesus tell us He goes to prepare a place for us???? We know that at least one believing (in Jesus) group of people rose from the dead with Jesus. According to Scripture they were seen by many in Jerusalem.

2 Cor. 5:8.

to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Jesus has the keys to hell, everyone who was in abraham's bosom walked right into Heaven the moment Jesus defeated death.

one day with the Lord is as a thousand days with man so physically we won't be resurrected until the beginning of the 3000's year since the resurrection. (2000 years 2 days are up the third is when the physical realm begins to literally be transformed.)


"The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have PASSED THROUGH THE GATE, and are gone out by it: and THEIR KING WILL PASS BEFORE THEM, WITH THE LORD AT THEIR HEAD"

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the GATES OF HELL shall not prevail against it"

"And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you"

from a physical perspective people are sleeping when they die, from a spiritual perspective they aren't. God knows that everyone will be resurrected eventually to judgement or eternally with Him. to God everyone who has ever died has been sleeping IN the physical realm since dead people have finished 'running the race' and are sidelined. remember it's only 2 or more ON EARTH who pray together.

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http://www.youtube.com/user/canguy22

Regarding Luke 23:43, there may have been no comma in Greek, but if you go to bible.cc (thanks Bunkster... I love that site!) and type "Truly I say to you" into the search option, you will come up with 128 verses. I looked through many (but not all) of them and they are at least mostly all Christ speaking. If you type in "Truly I say to you today", you get only one result... Luke 23:43. Christ's common phrase was (depending on translation) "Truly I say to you". It would have been out of character for Him to in only one instance say, "Truly I say to you today, ...".

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Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
~~Matthew 22:37

"Human beings will actually have their bodies' composition of flesh and blood changed into spirit and be born into the very Family of God, existing on the same spirit plane as Jesus, and even be given a certain amount of rulership in the kingdom of God once Jesus returns,"

Do Christians even realize their ultimate destiny?
Learn fantastic, glorious future for the human race you probably haven't been told

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Posted: October 11, 2009
4:36 pm Eastern

© 2009 WorldNetDaily


What is the real reason you were born?

What do you think the Bible says is your ultimate destiny?

And what will you be doing for all eternity?

Is it merely floating around on clouds, playing songs on harps forevermore?

The true answers may absolutely floor you.

"When people actually crack open the pages of their own Bible and see the words on its pages, the ultimate destiny for believers is far more glorious than what most people have been told for centuries," says Joe Kovacs, author of the No. 1 best-seller, "Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts You've Never Been Told."

Many Christians already understand that part of their reward is eternal life, and yes, Scripture indeed confirms that numerous times.

But the Bible goes far beyond just saying believers will be alive forever.


"Human beings will actually have their bodies' composition of flesh and blood changed into spirit and be born into the very Family of God, existing on the same spirit plane as Jesus, and even be given a certain amount of rulership in the kingdom of God once Jesus returns," Kovacs indicates.

"Shocked by the Bible" explores in-depth the very plain meaning of a host of biblical verses, including:

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:16-17)

"For we are also his offspring." (Acts 17:28)

"Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers." (Hebrews 2:11, NIV)
As far as what people will be made of, it won't be flesh and blood anymore:

"Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 15:50)
"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:5-6)

"We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us." (Romans 8:23, NLT)

"The Bible means what it says," explains Kovacs. "People who make it to the kingdom of God will no longer be made of flesh and blood, but their new bodies will actually be composed of spirit, becoming the actual children of God in every sense. There's a reason why the Bible calls us the children of God, because God is reproducing, having many children to enlarge the Family of God!"

Finish reading this at: World Net Daily

I have some verses in my notes that I find quite powerful and I believe go along quite well with this last post of yours! I will take all verses from the KJV (sorry if I repeat any from other posts!)! Most of these give me goosebumps!

Philippians 2:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Matthew 17:3 (I believe these verses are VERY powerful!) 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

Romans 8:10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (I think this one fits in?)

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Psalms 42:2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

1 Corinthians 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

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Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
~~Matthew 22:37

Regarding Luke 23:43 again =)... I am confused! Because Christ commonly used, "Truly I say to you", I do still believe that the NWT is incorrect in their translation as "I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise". But Christ did not go to heaven that day, He descended to preach to the souls in prison. I was wondering what you guys think about "Today" in The Bible? I was sure there was a strange verse in Revelation where "Today" was capitalized in the middle of the sentence and read as though it meant a specific day... not how we know "today". I will have to post that later when I come across it again. Here are two others that imply the same... that "Today" is the day of Christ's return.

Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

Hebrews 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

I'm sorry that I can't find the others right now, but I know there is at least one other (I am actually thinking that I have seen two others). I am not at all leaning toward a "Paradise Earth", I think that what the Jehovah's Witnesses consider to be this paradise earth is actually the 1,000 year reign of Christ. I can not say that I am certain that the heavenly reward is immediate. What does Luke 23:43 mean?!? Do we just lie in wait once we die? I never realized how confusing the verses regarding the afterlife could be, it is getting to my nerves!

UPDATE :
I have been reading that many people believe that "Paradise" was the more pleasant part of Hades... "Abraham's bosom". Considering Christ went to preach to the souls in prison between His death and Resurrection... and He told the thief "Today I will be with you in Paradise", that would definitely make sense! I am just hoping that somebody can help me find solid Biblical proof that Paradise was Abraham's bosom... or is that proof? 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 seems to describe "Paradise" as a level of heaven (the third heaven)... I don't know whether it became the third heaven? I'm still very confused!

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Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
~~Matthew 22:37

I read this post before, but it didn't mean the same that it does now... I don't think that I understand well the first time around. You really have something to think about there!

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Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
~~Matthew 22:37