In cell group at youth group last night, we somehow meandered from young earth/old earth to talking about heaven. Someone asked what happens to people when they die: do they go straight to heaven, or do they sort of wait and we all arrive together?
I always thought the former. Aren't Hallmark cards always talking about loved ones who've passed on as being "in the arms of Jesus" or "watching from above"? But I stumbled onto the idea that maybe that wasn't so in the book A Severe Mercy. I've loaned my beloved copy to someone and I can't remember who or I would quote the book for you - but when Sheldon's wife dies, he says he has the feeling - a conviction, almost - that he and his wife will enter heaven together, and that it won't seem like any time has passed for her.
That lead me onto the idea and after that verses jumped out at me - this one in particular:
1 Thessalonians 4:16
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words."
The evidence seems to support those who die having "fallen asleep" until the end of the world. It may be less comforting to think of my loved ones as not being in heaven yet, but on the other hand, they aren't sensing the time pass. It will be but a moment for them. To think: if Peter were beside us and we got to see his face as he entered heaven (not that I'll probably be looking at anything so ordinary as his face) but REALLY. I mean, it would be neat if we were all together. But maybe we're not exactly together: the dead in Christ shall rise first. The verse before it says,
"According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep."
And that is all I have to say on the matter. It's basically not important at all: just something I wondered about and found in Scripture. I don't bring out my theory at funerals (or really anywhere except here, when the issue was aroused by a question in cell group). As Tony would say, it's a second-tier issue. I don't think it really matters what you believe on this. And even if our loved ones in Christ are asleep, remember that they are still, always, definitely, in the arms of Jesus.
I always thought the former. Aren't Hallmark cards always talking about loved ones who've passed on as being "in the arms of Jesus" or "watching from above"? But I stumbled onto the idea that maybe that wasn't so in the book A Severe Mercy. I've loaned my beloved copy to someone and I can't remember who or I would quote the book for you - but when Sheldon's wife dies, he says he has the feeling - a conviction, almost - that he and his wife will enter heaven together, and that it won't seem like any time has passed for her.
That lead me onto the idea and after that verses jumped out at me - this one in particular:
1 Thessalonians 4:16
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words."
The evidence seems to support those who die having "fallen asleep" until the end of the world. It may be less comforting to think of my loved ones as not being in heaven yet, but on the other hand, they aren't sensing the time pass. It will be but a moment for them. To think: if Peter were beside us and we got to see his face as he entered heaven (not that I'll probably be looking at anything so ordinary as his face) but REALLY. I mean, it would be neat if we were all together. But maybe we're not exactly together: the dead in Christ shall rise first. The verse before it says,
"According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep."
And that is all I have to say on the matter. It's basically not important at all: just something I wondered about and found in Scripture. I don't bring out my theory at funerals (or really anywhere except here, when the issue was aroused by a question in cell group). As Tony would say, it's a second-tier issue. I don't think it really matters what you believe on this. And even if our loved ones in Christ are asleep, remember that they are still, always, definitely, in the arms of Jesus.