Do Christians Go Immediately to Heaven When They Die?
Various scriptures in the Bible seem to indicate that Christians and people who lived before Jesus Christ was crucified, but trusted in God, did not go immediately to heaven when they died. We will consider several such scriptures. [Note: When we quote Scripture in this article, we use the wording in the New King James Version of the Bible, unless noted otherwise.]
First Kings 2:10; 11:43; and 14:20 indicate, respectively, that after they died, David, Solomon, and Jeroboam “rested with his fathers.” [Note: The traditional King James Version of the Bible uses the word “slept,” rather than “rested,” in all three of these passages.]
And, in John 11:11, following the death of Lazarus, Jesus declares, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps. . . .”
Likewise, in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, the Apostle Paul states with regard to certain people who have died, “I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.”
These scriptures suggest that, after believers die, they “rest” or “sleep” in their grave. On the other hand, other scriptures indicate that after Christians die, they will not spend time in their grave, in a sleeplike state or otherwise, but instead will immediately go to be with Jesus Christ.
One of the passages which seem to indicate that, after Christians die, they will immediately go to be with Jesus Christ is 2 Corinthians 5:8, in which Paul asserts, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” However, the NIV translation of this verse provides the following less definite statement: “[W]e are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.” Thus, the NIV translation does not provide any perspective as to how soon after their mortal body dies that Christians will be with Christ.
Another relevant passage is Philippians 1:23, in which Paul declares that he has “a desire to depart [i.e., die] and be with Christ.”
So, do Christians rest (or sleep) in their grave or do they go to be with Jesus Christ immediately after the death of their physical body?
On page 195 of their book entitled When Critics Ask, Norman Geisler, Ph.D., and Thomas Howe, M.A., express the belief that, “’Sleep’ is an appropriate figure of speech for the death of the body since death is only temporary, awaiting the resurrection when the body will be awakened from its sleep.” In other words, when a person who has genuinely trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior dies, his (or her) body will, figuratively speaking, “rest” or “sleep” where it is buried, until the day of its resurrection. However, that person’s spirit will instantly go to be with Christ.
It is important to note that although it is the mortal body of Christians that initially will be resurrected, that body will be instantaneously changed into an immortal body. This is made clear in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, which indicates that the mortal body of every Christian will be miraculously changed into an immortal body at the time of the Resurrection. This scripture states,
But, if when a Christian dies, his (or her) spirit goes immediately to be with Jesus Christ, where exactly does it go (i.e., where will Jesus Christ be)? Mark 16:19 tells us that when Jesus left His disciples for the final time, “He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.” Similarly, Luke 24:51 says, “He [i.e., Jesus] was parted from them and carried up into heaven.” Therefore, Jesus Christ is now with God the Father in heaven. And, apparently heaven is where the spirits of Christians will go immediately after their mortal body dies.
Conversely, several biblical passages indicate that people who have trusted in Jesus Christ do not go to heaven when they die – at least, not immediately. For example, Luke 16:19-31 records the anecdotal story that Jesus Christ told about a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. In verses 22-23, Jesus says, “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”
Clearly, Lazarus went to a different place than the rich man. “Abraham’s bosom” is a somewhat nebulous term that Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible says, “is used of a place of blessedness with another.” (“Abraham’s bosom” is apparently not another term for “heaven,” as we will explain below.) Hades, on the other hand, is “the region of departed spirits of the lost,” according to Strong’s. The lost are those who have not been justified by faith in God.
A second scripture passage to consider in this regard is Luke 23:42-43, which states that one of the two criminals who were crucified with Jesus Christ asked Him to “remember me when You come into Your kingdom,” and that Jesus replied, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Because there is no apparent reason to believe that this criminal went to a different place than the beggar named Lazarus after they died, it is likely that Paradise is synonymous with Abraham’s bosom. Therefore, if either of these terms is synonymous with heaven, the other must be also. However, there is good reason to believe that heaven is different than Paradise and Abraham’s bosom.
Consider John 20:17, in which Jesus Christ tells Mary Magdalene after His resurrection, “I have not yet ascended to My Father.” Since God is in heaven, Jesus had not been to heaven. And, because Jesus did go to Paradise after He died, Paradise cannot be another term for heaven.
Another scripture that indicates Paradise (or Abraham’s bosom) is not the same as heaven is John 3:13, in which Jesus Christ, before His death and resurrection, said, “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man. . . .” The Son of Man is a name by which Jesus frequently referred to Himself. [For a discussion of the significance of the term “the Son of Man,” click on “Is Jesus Christ the Only Son of God?”]
Thus, everyone who died before the death and resurrection of Christ must have gone to Paradise (or Abraham’s bosom), not to heaven. So, how can Christians be in the presence of Jesus Christ when they die, if He is in heaven with God the Father, but they are in a place the Bible calls Paradise?
Gleason L. Archer, on page 367 of his book entitled Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, conceptualizes that Paradise was “exalted” to heaven, after Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, following His resurrection from death. If this is correct, it is no longer necessary for those who have been justified by faith to spend time in Paradise, waiting to enter heaven, because the resurrection of Christ essentially made it possible for all the people who have been justified by faith to go directly to heaven when their time on the earth has ended.
Conclusion
There is ample biblical evidence that, prior to the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, people who were justified by faith in God went to paradise (or Abraham’s bosom). And, there is also ample biblical evidence that the spirits of Christians go immediately to heaven when Christians experience physical death.
However, heaven is not the place where Christians and others who have been justified by faith will ultimately spend eternity. Instead, they will spend eternity on a new earth.
Revelation 21 provides glimpses of the new earth – a world that is perfect in every respect – where everyone who has been justified by faith will subsequently live forever, after all the events that are mentioned in the Book of Revelation have transpired, including the passing away of the current heaven and the current earth.
First and very VERY important is PRAISE YHWH for removing the FALSE TEACHER and PAGAN CULT roman calendar keeping CULTISTrsvp from this forum and maybe tinydavid also? Maybe we can have ACTUAL Bible discussions like this part of the forum is designed for BUT NOOOOOOO we have to still put up with mooncakes copy and paste from WICKED
websites because she CANNOT do a Bible study herself!?
Lets look at the obvious BLUNDERS of the FALSE doctrine of this latest copy and paste article of moondim, for she just LOVES propaganda!
Quote - 'Various scriptures in the Bible seem to indicate that Christians and people who lived before Jesus Christ was crucified, but trusted in God, >>>did not go immediately to heaven when they died.<< AMEN!!! TRUE!!!
DUHHHHH, of course not because they ARE DEAD! The Bible is real clear those that have been resurrected from the grave/hell during the mini resurrection at the time of the Messiah's death and even Moses from the grave/hell resurrected! NO PLACE in Scripture does it state ANYONE else goes to heaven until they are resurrected in BODILY (NEW) FORM because ONLY humans can exist WITH A BODY as we were created to be! WE ARE NOT SPIRITS (like the angels) nor do we have one floating around in us, waiting to be released at death, the Bible is REAL CLEAR we are mortal and will certainly DIE of old age, accident, disease etc on earth.......
So the articles starts off CORRECT and then teaches it has contradictions??? ONLY IN THE MINDS of false teachers! NOTE it says 1st Kings 2:10; 11:43; and 14:20; John 11:11; plus 1 Thessalonians 4:13 all agree the saints SLEEP in hell the grave awaiting resurrection day! Of course and sooooo simple to understand when you leave your CULT \church' and READ the BIBLE for yourself! Please NOTE the articles leaves out the story of Lazarus being raised from hell the grave by the Messiah! Lazarus was NOT called down from heaven, nor did he have a 'spirit' or existed as one in heaven BUT that Lazarus was called FORTH FROM HELL THE GRAVE to come forth from the TOMB/HELL! Right? GEESH, its just too easy to refute these articles!
NOTE then the WICKED article tries to say the Bible has contradictions but makes excuses for them when in the article it states - quote - 'One of the passages which seem to indicate that, after Christians die, they will immediately go to be with' the Messiah 'is 2 Corinthians 5:8, in which Paul asserts, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” However, the NIV translation of this verse provides the following less definite statement: “[W]e are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the (this mortal!) body we are away from the Lord.” Thus, the NIV translation does not provide any perspective as to how soon after their mortal body dies that Christians will be with Christ.'
Is not 1 Corinthians chapter 15 REAL CLEAR (the articles only slightly mentions it but not its CONTEXT???) that the mortal body (we have now!) of every Christian will be miraculously be changed into an immortal body at the time of the Resurrection.' OF COURSE, BECAUSE HUMANS and ANIMALS can ONLY exist with a BODY! PAUL is REAL CLEAR he is contrasting the mortal body (we have now) with the RESURRECTED NEW immortal body that comes RESURRECTION day in 2 Corinthians 5:8, in which Paul asserts, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from (THIS MORTAL) body and to be present with the Lord.” in the NEW IMMORTAL body!
Paul goes on to AFFIRM that in another relevant passage is Philippians 1:23, in which Paul declares that he has “a desire to depart [i.e., die in the OLD BODY] and be with Christ.” IN THE NEW IMMORTAL BODY! GEESH' its sooo simple to understand when you study the Bible for yourself, leaving ALL the CULT teaching 'churches' of the lost!
So then the article DESPARETLY tries to excuse it all away by saying there are TWO places (like cathoholics do also!) that Christians go to like 'Paradise/Abraham’s bosom' and or 'heaven' because it states - quote - 'However, there is good reason to believe that heaven is different than Paradise and Abraham’s bosom.' and attempts to prove its FALSE doctrine by stating - quote - 'Consider John 20:17, in which' the Messiah 'tells Mary Magdalene after His resurrection, “I have not yet ascended to My Father.” Since God is in heaven, Jesus had not been to heaven. And, because Jesus did go to Paradise after He died, Paradise cannot be another term for heaven.'
Where does it say anywhere in the Bible that 'Paradise' is NOT just another name for heaven? They are one and the same! Even 'Abraham’s bosom' is just a symbol for comfort place or another name for heaven!
NOTE the attempted confusion of the article once again - quote - 'Another scripture that indicates Paradise (or Abraham’s bosom) is not the same as heaven is John 3:13, in which the Messiah, before His death and resurrection, said, “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man. . . .'
So what's the point to be made here? NOTHING! Nothing in that verse even hints that 'Paradise (or Abraham’s bosom) is not the same as heaven' because there is no Scripture to say differently nor imply what the author of the article DREAMS into the text! GEESH, what a false teacher!
Note the dreamer of false doctrine states - quote - 'Thus, everyone who died before the death and resurrection of Christ must have gone to Paradise (or Abraham’s bosom), not to heaven. So, how can Christians be in the presence of the Messiah when they die, if He is in heaven with the Father, but they are in a place the Bible calls Paradise?'
Where does the Bible even say after people die they go to Paradise (or Abraham’s bosom) as a 'spirit'??? This all takes place RESURRECTION DAY and Paradise/Abraham’s bosom/Heaven is all the same place!!!
Conclusion
There is CONTEXTUAL Biblical evidence then that, prior to the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, nobody went to Paradise/Abraham’s bosom/Heaven at death. And, there is also CLEAR biblical evidence that there is NO 'spirits' of MORTAL humans/Christians that go immediately to heaven when Christians experience physical death because they CANNOT exist without a body! Its just not there in Scripture to say people have 'gods' ('spirits'!) within them that never die! Show me! :
So there you have it readers! According to moondim, your a 'believer' when you BELIEVE you are a self little 'god' because you have a 'god spirit' in you that NEVER dies but ONLY the body does! And when you show the CONTEXT of what the Bible actually teaches on the subject of 'Heaven' and >>>WHEN<<< you actually go there (RESURRECTION DAY ONLY! ) then somehow your 'bad mouthing' and 'criticizing' false doctrine so called 'believers' that are ACTUALLY FALSE DOCTRINE BELIEVERS attending CULT teaching so called 'churches' for the lost!
Also then somehow mooncakes thinks its linked with being 'prideful' with Father Messiah in the flesh when she states - 'Seek Jesus for your prideful deliverance! You don't have it yet!' as she thinks her pagan named 'jesus' is in 'prideful deliverance' and I should seek that same 'pride' when the Bible is real clear that Father Messiah in the flesh was very HUMBLE in dying for our >>>PAST<<< sins and to show us how to turn away from >>>FUTURE<<< sin by the same POWER He had been given to Him when He walked the stationary none moving earth, that we did not have when we were yet in out sins before coming to KNOW HIM and saved from the penalty of DEATH for our >>>PAST<<< sins! Then mooncakes claiming I 'don't have it yet' as far as this pagan named 'jesus pride' imaginary thing she is QUACKING her GUMS about that I should have and want ???????????
Finally she closes with I should be worshipping her online 'gods' like she does and IGNORE CONTEXT of SCRIPTURE that clearly teaches we DON'T go to heaven without a BODY as Paul clearly teaches at our DEATH we die in the old mortal body and seek a immortal body come RESURRECTION DAY ONLY!!! CASE CLOSED , as she cannot REFUTE what the Bible says in its CONTEXT on the subject of Heaven and >>>WHEN<<< people go there which of course is RESURRECTION DAY but instead still follows her CULT websites and false doctrine that makes no sense in logic of which I exposed above the truth!
and maybe tinydavid also? 
Maybe we can have ACTUAL Bible discussions like this part of the forum is designed for BUT NOOOOOOO we have to still put up with mooncakes copy and paste from WICKED 
The Bible is real clear those that have been resurrected from the grave/hell during the mini resurrection at the time of the Messiah's death and even Moses from the grave/hell resurrected! 
ONLY IN THE MINDS of false teachers! 
Please NOTE the articles leaves out the story of Lazarus being raised from hell the grave by the Messiah! 
Lazarus was NOT called down from heaven, nor did he have a 'spirit' or existed as one in heaven BUT that Lazarus was called FORTH FROM HELL THE GRAVE to come forth from the TOMB/HELL! 
PAUL is REAL CLEAR he is contrasting the mortal body (we have now) with the RESURRECTED NEW immortal body that comes RESURRECTION day in 2 Corinthians 5:8, in which Paul asserts, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from (THIS MORTAL) body and to be present with the Lord.” in the NEW IMMORTAL body! 
Its just not there in Scripture to say people have 'gods' ('spirits'!) within them that never die! Show me! 
and false doctrine 