In Heaven?

People think that we immediately go to heaven when we die. Is that true? Well, what does the Bible say?

"For David did not ascend to heaven." - Acts 2:24

And this from Jesus . . .

"No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man." - John 3:13

So, why do so many people say that their loved one, who just died, "is in heaven right now." Two reasons - their compassion, and, quite possibly, their ignorence.

Let's take a look at the teaching of Jesus - the story of The Rich Man and Lazarus, found in the Book of Luke.

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried." - Luke 16:22

Abraham's bosom? Where's that? Hmm.

Have you ever heard of the word Sheol? It is "the place of the dead." Sheol is mentioned 63 times in the ESV Bible. Along with words like 'descended into' and 'went down.'

The Hebrew Bible describes it this way - "a place where both the righteous and the unrighteous dead go."

But the "Hebrews" don't know Jesus' or his teaching.

You remember the profit Samuel, right? When Saul used a medium to call Samuel from the dead, Samuel came up, not down from heaven.

"Then Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" - 1 Samuel 28:15

There IS such a thing as Christian Deconstruction  - "Christians" eliminating things from the Bible that they don't like. But what is this "he's in heaven right now" thing? Aren't we making up new things to believe in?  Haven't we, in both cases, made for ourselves a new god? One that is more to our own liking and personal preference?

Why do we like to think that everything is all warm and fuzzy in our faith? To assume that someone's death can somehow have a happy ending by our placing them in heaven totally removes Jesus from the equation. HE alone separates the sheep and the goats. Paul's letter to the church in Corinth says as much.

"For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed (Jesus). He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead." - Acts 17:31

Our souls DO enter the presence of The Lord when we die. The exact location of that meeting is "up in the air" so to speak. But it will be "paradise," according to Jesus.

"Today you will be with me in paradise." - Luke 23:43

"Paradeisos" in the Greek, is derived from an ancient Persian word "pairidaeza," meaning "enclosure, garden, or park." Like 'The Garden of Eden.' We ASSUME it means "heaven."

Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) were taken up into heaven, but WHICH heaven. There are seven heavens mentioned in the Bible. So, which one did they go up into? The first? The third?

Also, aren't we assuming that our dead friends and relatives KNEW Jesus when we say they are in heaven. Many people think they go to heaven when thet die. Many will also hear the words, "Depart from me. I never knew you." - Matthew 7:23

Perhaps we should just say "he or she is with the Lord now" and leave it at that. That much we KNOW is true.

No One Has Ascended To Heaven - GotQuestions.org

The Rich Man and Lazarus - Luke 16