Do you have to die before you go to heaven?

[Bobinfaith]

Do you have to die before you go to heaven except for when Jesus comes to fetch us?

my only question...where in the bible does it say when you die you go to heaven? throughout the entire bible..just a thought....


Moderator's reporting of this thread - 5 STARS across the top!

I was very pleased with this thread and the conduct which spiritual maturity was visible, praise our Father!

I feel Alicia Charne had a fundamental question of our Father's Almighty plan and directed this to the forum board. The response of the member's post were biblical, Truth, and healthy, including the overall sense of peace and calm. Praise His wonderful name!

Remnant's post reply: my only question...where in the bible does it say when you die you go to heaven? throughout the entire bible..

I believe Remnant grasps the teachings of the bible but was giving us all something extra to ponder. He does say at the end of his post that it was just a thought....

Brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter the level of questions and thoughts regarding our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we all are encouraged to bring our questions to each other, this is how we grow, learn, and bond with each other for His Glory, Honor, Purpose and Plan, thank you, Jesus!

But don't let it stop at Talk Jesus. I encourage you all to lay these same questions directly to God, in your personal devotion time to the bible, and your Pastor. When our Father answers your questions, it may not be a direct audible but He will create circumstances that will cross your path revealing His answers.

I once asked a question to my bible study teacher while in my senior year in high school, if I reject Jesus Christ and am sinful all my life and do not repent, I go to hell and burn, right? But while I am burning, in time won't I get used to it? lol!

My teacher did not appreciate me making the class laugh but told me directly in front of everyone, I am glad you asked that but why would you want to go to hell in the first place and burn for even 30 seconds? For some reason I always had this on my mind growing up and I truly believe God used this wonderful woman to answer me. I did not seek attention for myself in her class after that and later on passed.

Sister Alicia Charne, we pray for God's leading you into the pastoral ministry and that His burning in your heart will sustain you to go forward, in His name.


Your servant in Christ Jesus.

 

[alicia_charne]

This thread was started only to inform people as a question about the Bible and God I knew the answer when starting it. I said it to let people learn more about the bible not in doubt or to question my Father and Christ my one and only saviour. This is not about us its about a trivia and teaching on the word of God. Sorry if anyone misintepretated this message. I just found it an interesting bible study
Your sister in Christ

 

[Cognitive]

I felt like I been in heaven since I met Jesus.

 

[alicia_charne]

Amen to that!!

 

[Thunderbird]

I am sorry if this is a very difficult thing for me to understand. Never dying, for i am sure that I have seen Christian men and women in a coffin ready for burial, yet they never die, and live forever? For who is there to see them? Do they reside in a place I know not of? That people of earth that I see day to day do not ever see? Do they have to go to work and have bosses calling them and needin them at work? Do they have goals? are they involved with each other? do they need to eat and build homes to live in? Do they have childeren to raise and take care of? These are all questions that I have about those who are raised from the dead and never die. Thank You,

Very Respectfully,
Thunderbird

 

[Word of Life]

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Joh 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Joh 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

The spirit goes back to God, who gave it.

Joh 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jesus, the Son of God spent three days and three nights in the earth. Jesus himself said he has not yet ascended to Our Father yet.

Joh 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

So the man who was crucified with Jesus, when did he go?

 

[SpiritLedEd]

I am sorry if this is a very difficult thing for me to understand. Never dying, for i am sure that I have seen Christian men and women in a coffin ready for burial, yet they never die, and live forever? For who is there to see them? Do they reside in a place I know not of? That people of earth that I see day to day do not ever see? Do they have to go to work and have bosses calling them and needin them at work? Do they have goals? are they involved with each other? do they need to eat and build homes to live in? Do they have childeren to raise and take care of? These are all questions that I have about those who are raised from the dead and never die. Thank You,

Very Respectfully,
Thunderbird

We humans are spirit beings living in human bodies. Our bodies will die the earthly death, but our spirits live on for alll eternity. We Christians believe that the spirits of we who have asked Jesus to come into our hearts as Lord and Savior will spend eternity with Him in heaven. That is the "Eternal Life" the Bible speaks of.

SpiritLedEd (SLE)

 

[Word of Life]

I see many are still unclear and confused on what happens after death or are uncertain, what this scripture below means.

Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

What you put up there is false and does not line up with what God is revealing and telling us in the Bible. You've been blinded by man and his lies. You cannot take just one scripture and discard the rest. The whole Bible fits together perfectly. If I believe what you've just put up there, it would mean I would have been resurrected already and have been given an incorruptible spiritual body today. God's word reaveals, I do not get my new incorruptible spiritual body until the appointed resurrection day.

Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Act 17:32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

God has given me gift of holy spirit, but one needs to understand what that means and everything will be made clear and will fit with the rest of the Bible. By quoting "it is written" by the word of God (scriptures), and the whole picture will emerge and will be revealed to us.

I want to show you something in the Old Testament. Which might help folks. Meditate on these scriptures below. And continue doing some more studies on these subject, as your understanding of spirit is not yet clear.

Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

Lucifer/the devil/satan was thrown down here and has weakened us, through his lies. Deceived us. Deceived the whole world.

Now look at these next scriptures. It's a very important and a vital key to opening up some truths. It's a warning to us from God himself

Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Meditate on those scriptures above. It's very important.

(Isa 65:17) For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

(Isa 66:22) For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

(2Pe 3:13) Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Righteousness will now dwell on (New) earth, as it is in Heaven. Righteousness is already in Heaven, and God wants it down here too. (New Earth)

(Rev 21:1) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Also, doing a study on the first fruits and the first resurrection will help you in understanding all this. Some saints are going to be resurrected first to reign with Jesus during that tribulation time of thousand years, to help Jesus in leading more people to the truth. (satan is bound during this time). Others, will be raised from the dead later, when everything has been completed and satan has been finally destroyed, and gone forever. No more to exist.

Here's some scriptures, which speak about the souls in the first resurrection

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Edit: Doing studies in the Greek and Hebrew words, will help us immensly in understanding .

Nephesh = Soul
Ruach = Spirit

Psuche = Soul
Pneuma = Spirit

 

[Margaux]

You must be born again

Do you have to die before you go to heaven except for when Jesus comes to fetch us?

John 3; 3 Jesus teaching Nicodemus.Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3 ;5-6Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

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.

We have repented and now we have a personal relationship with Christ.
Now we live by faith and not by sight when we do the following below:
research the scriptures ;Galations 2;20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Hope this helps , for if we live in Christ the following will be granted unto us; Mathew 6 ; 9
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Stay grounded in Jesus and everything will be given to you. As it says in John 15; 7
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Amen.

Love you ,

Margaux.

 

[macca]

Do you have to die to go to heaven

I think an explanation of the meaning of death will help here
Death, means separation; so to go to heaven we cannot go in our natrual bodies as they cannot inherit eternal things.
there are 3 forms of death described in the bible.
1) Physical death (separation of spirit and body); 2) spiritual death (separated from God by sin); 3) eternal death (separated from God eternally).
we are all separated from God by sin Rom 3: 23; and are spiritually dead; when we are born again we are made alive spiritually and brought into a relationship with God.
anyone coming to physical death while spiritually dead go to etrenal death.

This says to me that to go to heaven we must be separated from our physical bodies and receive a glorified body; so in this sense, yes we must die before we go to heaven

 

[Brighthouse]

I agree with Brother Macca! I also would ask? are there exceptions to the rule?? Like brother Macca said,both Enoch, and Elijah who did not see death,will have glorified bodies,when Elijah comes back to signal an end time prophesy. But What about those who have died, for a time, and then have come back to life, in there natural bodies? I guess there are two forms of death,one the lasts,till we get a new glorified body,and then one,which has purpose for the person,who had died and come back to life. We know in Scripture,it is appointed for a man to die once,then judgment,which is true,but the form in which death can take for a period of time,like Lazaeras,then have life return to him, from Jesus himself,to me is still a mystery. I guess that only the person it may happen to,knows only the real story, of coming back,from the dead.

 

[palms25]

I believe that we can go to heaven before our physical death. Indeed many have. Many reading this post will have expereinced the heavenly unity for which our souls crave. This life is not supposed to be a test with a reward at the end for those that pass. GOd is not a cruel headmaster with chocolates in one hand and a big stick in the other!
Heaven is there for all of us to experience. we dont have to wait for our physical death, for this death is but an illusion. Life goes on for all of eternity as does God for God is life and GOd is love and this is the heaven that is here for us right here right now.

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Life goes on for all of eternity as does God for God is life and GOd is love and this is the heaven that is here for us right here right now.

Are you referring to life as we know it here on earth; that we can/will be "beamed up" in our current earthly form? I don't think I want that kind of heaven. I'm looking forward to having a healed, glorified body and eternity with Jesus. And I'm going there when my work here is finished.

SLE

 

[TeknoMiramixxer]

God Knows These Answers

I know the Lord is in heaven. I know Angels are in Heaven. People die and then….

Well this is what I am trying to figure out some say immediately after we die, then shall come the judgment. But when you read other verses you wonder where they went.

Enoch first was taken. Where? Elijah was taken up in a chariot. I guess we assume Heaven but now look at this. Lazarus was dead for 4 days. Jesus raised him from the dead. If he was a man of God would he not already be in Heaven?
Why would God suck Lazarus out of heaven to come back down here in an immortal body? Then Jesus died. He said just as Jonah was in the Belly of the whale for 3 days so shall the son of man in the Belly of the Earth.

This doesn’t sound like Heaven. And then we got the rapture deal. It says both who are dead and alive in him shall be caught up with him. If these people died and already in Heaven how can they be raptured? Where are they? Where is the Dead? Who is saved? Where is the dead non saved at this time? I don’t know. I only know one day a person will go Heaven or to Hell one day.

I can’t answer this one but to say one must die first before going to Heaven. In my belief of the rapture not even then will anyone enter the literal Heaven God abides for 7 years. I’m a post trib believer. I was a pre tribber for 13 years but no longer today. Post trib sounds more Biblical. It defies our logic but it stays correctly but what the Lord actually says from what we actually believe.

 

[Mrs. Davis]

Do you have to die to go to Heaven?

It's more common now to die , but alot of people have out of body experiences where they went to Heaven. And from my understanding if we are Raptured out we are just translated when we go. Also Enoch and Elijah went to Heaven alive. So I guess the answer to your question is no. It is all in God's hands who has to die and who doesn't.

 

[amadeus2]

Is it a trick question? Death and Heaven? On the one hand, Jesus says:

"...And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." John 11:26

And then...

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

But then Paul writes:

"I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven." II Cor 12:2

If there is more than one death as at least one post indicated and there is more than one heaven as Paul's words suggest, perhaps before answering the question of the thread title, we need to be sure we are all using the same meanings for words.


I have some ideas; some, which are believed; some, which are probably known; and some, which are likely wrong.

For starters didn't Jesus mean to say here that unbelievers are dead?

"Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead." Matt 8:22

 

[SpiritLedEd]

didn't Jesus mean to say here that unbelievers are dead?

"Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead." Matt 8:22

Tn my opinion, this account is of a young man who is afraid of being disowned by his father if the father learns that he's become a follower of Jesus; "...for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue" (Jn 9:23). The young man was torn between his belief in Christ and Jewish tradition. No one knows whether or not he eventually became a fully committed believer. Those who refuse to believe are spiritually dead.

SLE

 

[starsoutfielder]

Hi, This is a very good question about getting to heaven. Yes, I do believe in Heaven and God. I understand it in a way that we do have heaven here on earth. Our heaven here is a symbol of happiness , so for me , I think , dying is our second route to heaven and we can merely experience all the goodness that the real heaven has as long as we have faith and trust in the Lord.