“Waiting For Heaven”

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

     I recently started reading the Bible, and I’ve always believed that when you die, you either go to heaven or to hell.  Well, as I was reading, I came across some words that kind of confused me.  It mentioned that when the rapture happens, those who have already died will be called up to heaven first.  So my question is: what happens to the christians that die before the rapture?  I know it says they are at peace; I’m just looking for other ways to receive this message.

Sincerely,
What Happens Next?

Dear What Happens Next,

There is no such thing as a “rapture” event, and all the faithful that die wait for the Judgment Day in a place called ‘Paradise’.  The Rapture is a supposed event that will precede a great tribulation on this planet right before the millennial reign of Christ.  This teaching has become quite popular in some religious circles, but it has nothing to do with the Bible’s teachings on the end times – read our post “In The Air” for an in-depth look at why there is no Rapture.

Having said that, God did tell us that when Jesus returns, we will all be caught up together into heaven – the dead and the living together (1 Thess 4:15-17).  But until that Day… what happens to people when they die?

When a christian dies, they go immediately to Paradise and await the day of Judgment, the day when our eternal heaven is created.  Jesus said that angels immediately carry faithful souls off to Paradise (Lk 16:22, Lk 23:43), and the wicked are immediately sent to torments (Lk 16:23).  Both Paradise and torments are part of Hades (‘Hades’ means ‘the unseen place’).  When you die, your spirit is separated from your body and goes to Hades (Jas 2:26).  On the Day of Judgment, all the souls will be emptied out of Hades (1 Thess 4:14), and all the bodies will be removed from the graves (1 Thess 4:16).  On that great Day of Judgment, every soul shall be judged (Heb 9:27).  After that judgment happens, this earth will be destroyed, and a new, heavenly, spiritual world will be created for the saints to live in eternally (2 Pet 3:12-13).

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