The Heaven Answer Book

Are we immediately with the Lord in Heaven when we die, or do we have a time of “soul sleep” before we go into God’s presence?

T he Bible teaches “to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8 nkjv ). The apostle Paul, writing in the midst of his struggles in prison, yearned for the glories that awaited him when his body would be killed and he would be in the Lord’s presence: “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (Philippians 1:23). The apostle John had a different experience in prison. When he was given a vision of Heaven, he described the glimpse he had of “the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God” (Revelation 6:9). These were Christian martyrs, and John heard them crying out and asking when the Lord would avenge their blood.

75

What Happens When We Die?