Do Christians Immediately Go To Heaven When They Die?

This is taught in most churches, from Sunday school to funerals. It is driven even deeper into our psyche by the multitude of near death experiences, where people give vivid descriptions of a tunnel of light, warmth, love, fields of flowers, and seeing departed loved ones.

People who have near death experiences cannot be refuted, because it is their own testimony. I know people have out of body experiences. However, the reason, the reality, and the cause is unknown. Based on what it says in the bible, I do not believe anyone can communicate with dead loved ones. 

In a near death experience, a person could be in a dreamlike state, and think they have seen departed loved ones, but the bible does make it clear it is not possible to communicate with them. If a person is in a dreamlike or unconscious state, they have no control over what they see or experience. But in our conscious state, we are not supposed to make any attempt to communicate with the dead. It is sorcery. 

The bible describes dead people as being in their graves, or asleep, without awareness. So how could they be roaming around to meet people who have near death experiences? 

In one of the near death accounts I watched, the woman said she saw Snoop Dogg, and she had great fear of him for some reason. She also thought her fiancee and brother had abandoned her. 

Unlike many others who believe they astro travelled somewhere, this woman believed she was dreaming, in an unconscious state, which was related to the trauma she had experienced. She seemed to have very good insight, even though she went through a period of reality versus unreality, in the aftermath of the accident she was in. 

Yesterday, in relation to the Los Angeles fires, a street preacher was asking people if they believe in God, and if they think they will go to heaven when they die.

Although he had good intentions, I think it would have been more helpful if he talked to them about Christ, and cited John 3:16 instead of asking them if they think they will go to heaven the minute they die.

Because, even if they are believers they won’t immediately go to heaven, but rather they are assured of salvation, and eternal life. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

How does all of this common church teaching correlate with what it actually says in the bible? Ecclesiastes 9:5 tells us “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.”

The bible also tells us the dead in Christ will be resurrected, or will rise first when Christ returns. How is it possible for Christians who are dead to rise when Christ returns, if they are already in heaven?

1 Thessalonians 4:16 tells us this: “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:”

Many other verses refer to death as sleep, telling us 2 Samuel 7:12 “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.”

And 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.”

What about King David? Surely one would think that if all Christians go to heaven, he would be there. Acts 2:34 says: “For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,”

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

Many preachers will claim Enoch went to heaven before he died. But the bible does not really say God took Enoch to heaven, just that he took him away from the earth. Genesis 5:24 “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him”.

The most convincing verses to demonstrate that some men have seen or experienced aspects of heaven, are about Elijah, and most of all John in the Book of Revelation. 2 Kings 2:11 “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” 

John did see what heaven is like, as he expressed throughout the Book of Revelation. It appears he was not physically resurrected to enter heaven, but rather was there in spirit, and saw visions. John wrote this book near the end of his natural life. He went on to live a few more years after he wrote Revelation. His tomb is believed to be in Ephesus. In Revelation 4:1-3 he describes heaven:

1. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

All of the verses assuring Christians of eternal life, are telling us we will be resurrected to meet Jesus in the air when He returns. On the last day, and the final trumpet call, the dead will rise first, and the saints who are still alive will rise to meet Christ in the air.

Following the resurrection of the saints, we will return to the earth and reign with Christ. The Kingdom of God will be brought to this earth from heaven. We will not spend eternity in heaven.

For Christians who have died, they will be resting or sleeping until the return of Christ. It is a comfort to know that after we take our final breath, the next thing we will be aware of, is the trumpet call, and being resurrected with a new body, to experience the most joyous, and long awaited event in the history of the world.

Like so many others, from the time I was a child, I wondered about heaven, and what it would be like in heaven. Somehow I could not envision floating around on a cloud for all eternity. I thought, “but what will we do?”

Now that my view of heaven and earth has changed, it makes so much more sense. The bible tells us over and over again that we will reign on this earth with Christ. It tells us what it will be like, and the whole earth will be full of the knowledge of God.

It tells us the meek shall inherit the earth. When Satan is bound, he will no longer be able to deceive the nations. After the thousand year millennial reign of Christ, when Satan is let loose for awhile, leading to the final battle before eternity, the new Jerusalem will come down from heaven, and God will be right here on earth. The bible describes it in detail. There will be no sea, no night, and no darkness. There will be no more pain, no sorrow, no crying. For God will wipe away all tears, and provide light to all the world. The full description of the eternal new Jerusalem is in the Book of Revelation. 

We do not spend eternity in heaven. I do not see anywhere in the bible where it tells us we will go to heaven as soon as we die. We can be assured of eternal life, so we have nothing to fear. 

During these troubled times, when the people of Los Angeles are saying it seems apocalyptic, and like Armageddon, and many are examining their faith. The Middle East is in turmoil, and it seems every government is fallen into corruption in some form or another. 

What about the unbelievers, the atheists, the deceived, the false Christians, and those who reject Christ while they are alive? What happens to them when they die? They do not go to an eternal hellfire of torture like so many preachers claim. They go to their graves, and await resurrection, but in a different timeline.

After the return of Christ, Satan is bound, and the millennial reign spans a thousand years. After the millennial reign, the unbelievers are resurrected back to life to face the great white throne of judgment. 

Based on what it says in the bible, we do not know how many of them will be pardoned, or if some of them will be in the Lamb’s book of life. The bible does say that some people are destined for the lake of fire, or the second death. But it does not say all of the unbelievers will meet the same fate. 

There is disagreement and controversy over this topic. Some claim there is eternal hellfire for all of them, which is false. Some claim there is absolutely no way an unbeliever can be saved after they die, which is not what the bible says either.

It certainly does seem possible, based on what it says about the judgement. You will notice it says the resurrected unbelievers are judged according to their works, and that whoever is not written in the book of life, is cast into the fire. This certainly suggests that some of them are written in the book of life. Revelation 20:11-15 tells us what happens to them:

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

To be more precise, it goes on to describe who will be cast into the lake of fire in Revelation 21:8

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.

For those who fear such a fate, the bible says to repent, and turn away from such things. Christ is merciful, and his purpose is to save us from sin. He can and will forgive all those who sincerely repent, and seek Him with all their heart. 

As I have learned more about the bible, all of it increases my hope, and understanding of a future eternity. I know we cannot spend eternity floating on a cloud. We have to have things to do, gardens to tend, food to prepare, things to learn, to teach and be taught, and more than anything to love, serve, and worship God. 

I know we all contemplate these things as individuals, and what we believe, is often based on what we have learned in churches. However, not all churches teach sound doctrine. When people die, understandably, there is an inclination to want to comfort people by telling them they are in heaven. 

When people who believe in Christ die, they are destined for heaven, or paradise on earth. They are resting without knowledge of time, or any fear of what is happening on earth. They die knowing their very next awareness will be a glorious awakening. We can take comfort in knowing God’s plan is unfolding, and amazingly, we are all a part of it. 

Think about one of the most famous prayers of all time in Mathew 6:9-13. Surely this tells us God’s Kingdom will be here on this earth:

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.