Recently a dear lady approached me in tears. "My father recently passed away and my mom is really struggling. She knows the verses that say when we die we are with God, but she can't get over thinking of dad being in that casket in the ground. Could you maybe share something with me that would help me, help her?" In response to her request, I wrote the following. It's simple. But I pray it's also helpful.
Per our conversation last week, here are my thoughts about the sequence of events concerning all Christians, death, the resurrection and our physical bodies.
Each Christian has a physical body (often referred to in Scripture as “the flesh”) and a spirit. The physical body is temporary; not surviving into eternity. The spirit is the eternal part of us; the essence of our conscience, memories, thoughts, etc., that does survive physical death and exists throughout eternity in the presence of Christ.
At the moment a Christian physically dies their physical body, the flesh, ceases to function. This is what we commonly refer to as death. But as their physical body dies, the eternal part of that Christian (their spirit) immediately transfers into the presence of the Lord Jesus. We know this because of three key passages in the Bible.
(1) Luke 23
In Luke’s Gospel, chapter 23, we read of Jesus’ crucifixion. Beginning in verse 32, we are told that he was crucified between two criminals. Here is the relevant part of the event for our current conversation:
Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at Him: “Aren’t You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but his man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And [Jesus] said to him, “I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43; emphasis added)
Notice the bolded and underlined word: Today. Both criminals were going to physically die that day, just as Jesus was. But the one who expressed faith was promised that he (his spirit, or eternal part) would be in paradise with Jesus that same day. Remember, for the Jews the day ended at sundown. So when Jesus said “Today you will be with Me…” He meant before the day ended…or literally, before sundown!
Clearly, this passage demonstrates that for those who have true, saving faith in Christ, when they die physically their spirit goes that moment to be with Christ.
(2) 2 Corinthians 5
In this passage Paul writes: "Yet we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8)
Some translations, in place of the word “satisfied” use the phrase: “…we would prefer…” Re-read the verse inserting this phrase and you see Paul had a preference to be absent from the body and present with the Lord.
He understood that to physically die ushered one’s eternal spirit into God’s presence. And this was something he desired and preferred! Paul states his desire and preference even more clearly in the next passage.
(3) Philippians 1
For me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ – which is far better...” (Philippians 1:21-24; emphasis added)
It is obvious that Paul believed physical death was a good thing. He said it was “gain” and “far better.” He did not say this because he just wanted to die; but rather, because he knew that physical death was simply a door leading a Christian into the joyful blessedness of Jesus’ presence.
All three passages reveal that physical death leads a Christian into Jesus’ presence immediately. One of my study bibles has this note on 2 Corinthians 5:8:
“…out of the body and at home with the Lord…” This describes the situation of a Christian after death, when he is no longer living in his “earthly house, a tent” (vs. 1). This is an intermediate state between death and resurrection and, apparently, a disembodied state; but it is not a limbo of oblivion, for the believer who has died is at home with his Lord, and that is preferable to our present life in the body.
So what of our physical body (our flesh)? What happens to it when we die? And what about the resurrected bodies we receive? Let me discuss this for a moment.
This physical body begins deteriorating long before death. We age; we lose strength, stamina and abilities we had when younger. The flesh wrinkles outwardly and parts begin “breaking” inwardly! Not a good situation.
At death, our spirit discards its broken-down shell. Our spirit flies free from pain, disease, and other ailments of the flesh. It flies into the presence of Christ. Per our customs and traditions, the flesh is either cremated or buried. It really makes no difference what happens to it, for we are not there! That flesh is not me any longer. Me – my essence, my thoughts, my memories, etc. – I am gone! You will find that eternal part of me in paradise!
Others present in paradise will be in spirit form and I will see them as such. Likewise, they will see me in my spiritual state. And we – all believers – will stay this way until the next major moment in God’s timeline of events; which is, the Rapture.
The Rapture is that moment when Christ returns in the air and raptures the church. We read of this in several places throughout the Scriptures. One of the most well-known passages is this:
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep [meaning: physically dead], so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, encourage each other with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Notice a couple of things from these verses.
a. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus (emphasis added). Those Christians who die before the rapture – those referred to as “fallen asleep” – are the ones God will bring with Him when He comes back. He can only bring them with Him because they already are in His presence! They are not with their physical bodies, waiting in some dark casket for His return. This confirms that for Christians, when physically they die, their spirit goes to be in God’s presence.
b. We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep (emphasis added). If the dead were in their graves awaiting Christ’s return, then I would say we who are still living have an advantage! But this is not the case. They are not waiting in the grave, they already are with Him. They have the advantage over us! They are with Christ in paradise! This is why Paul so desired to pass through death’s door
c. …and the dead in Christ will rise first. At the rapture, those spirits already with Christ who come back with Him will need physical bodies. They will need bodies because after the rapture and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (the celebration in heaven while the Tribulation is occurring on earth), all believers will return to earth and reign with Christ during His 1000 year, Millennial Reign. To do so, we will need bodies. So this phrase means that the physical bodies that the dead in Christ left behind when they died, will be reunited with their spirit. And then, those of us “who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
Two things happen as part of this Rapture moment. The dead, whose spirits are returning with Christ, have their physical bodies reunited with their spirits. And those Christians still alive on earth – flesh and spirit still together – are caught up with them to be with Jesus. We then all return to Heaven for a wonderful feast and celebration: the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!
Someone might ask: “But what about those whose bodies were cremated? Or those with weakened or malfunctioning earthly bodies? Will they be reunited with these bodies?”
The answer is: Yes, and no! Yes, we will be reunited with our earthly flesh, the physical bodies that we inhabited while living. But also, no, they will not be exactly the same bodies.
Remember we are to reign with Christ as victors for 1000 years (whether this is literal or figurative, it is still a long time!). We need bodies up to the task. During this time of reigning, our flesh is still “earthly.” By that I mean: it is the physical body that we had on earth.
But that old, earthly, physical body will not be exactly as it was when we inhabited it. Now it will have good health and strength, so that we can reign with Him. In other words, we will have our flesh reunited with our spirit, but it will be a healthy, vibrant, stronger version of our former flesh! Therefore, even those who were cremated will have their earthly body, only healthier. For surely, God who created it all can reassemble the dust! Even so, this body is not our eternal body. That we receive later.
Once the 1000 year Millennial Reign is over, there is one, last great battle followed by the final judgment. At this judgment many things occur. One is that the earth, sky and stars we see and experience today will be judge by fire – literally burned up.
Then the new heavens and new earth are formed. At this time, the new Jerusalem descends and we enter this new creation and City of God for eternity.
And we do not enter with our “earthly” flesh. But it is at this time – as all of creation is being made new – that we will receive our new bodies as well. And with our spirits finally at home in their new, eternal bodies, we will walk streets of gold and dwell in the presence of the Almighty!
Truly Paul was right when he ended the 1 Thessalonians passage with this command: "Therefore encourage one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
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