Soul Sleep v Immediately Going To Heaven

 I know it's been quite a while since I last made a post. The blame isn't all mine, however, because I work two jobs and, to be honest, 1) I currently don't have any followers, and 2) I asked any followers I had to keep me accountable (I think I did. I hope I did. I totally wanted to... Keep me accountable going forward.)

One question I get as a pastor in Bible studies is this: "Pastor Joe, do you think that when we die we go immediately to Heaven or does our soul sleep until we all go at once during the Rapture?"

Like any honest theologian, I give an well-researched, truly informed answer. "I dunno." But hear me out...

People who say that we go right to Heaven usually point to 1 or both of 2 particular verses:

1. 2 Corinthians 5:8 which reads "Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." (ESV) But that's not how people say it. People will tell you, "The Bible says to be absent from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord." Um, yeah, it could mean that. But it could also mean that we are courageous. And it could continue to say that we would rather be away from this life and in the Lord's presence, which I can totally get behind.
2. Luke 23:42 which records what Jesus told the thief on the cross when said thief asked Jesus to remember him. Jesus said, "And he said to him, 'Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.'" That seems to be an open and shut case, right? But here's the thing. They didn't have commas back then. Far be it from me to question the translators of the Bible, but we already know they translate the same word for the Old Testament Jacob to New Testament James. Plus we know commas save lives: Let's eat, Grandpa. and Let's eat Grandpa. and two very different sentences. One statement invites your beloved family patriarch to a meal while the other... let's just say has a darker meaning. In the same fashion, did Jesus say, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." or did He say "Truly, I tell you this today, you will be with me in paradise."?

Then there are the people who believe in soul sleep, which, for those of you not familiar with the concept, is essentially the idea that our souls slumber after we die and will all return to Heaven at once during the Rapture. The people sleeping in this camp like to point to two different verses:

1. 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52 "Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed." (Notice this verse is written by the same author in a previous letter to the same people as the guy who wrote the second letter in the first example. Did that make sense? I haven't finished my coffee yet.)
2. 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

When people come to a pastor and ask a question like "Pastor Joe, do you think that when we die we go immediately to Heaven or does our soul sleep until we all go at once during the Rapture?" you can't leave them with "I dunno." Therefore, I summon all my righteous answering powers and I tell them 2 things regarding these verses:

1. I refuse to insist that I know for sure how the future will unfold. Much smarter people than me have made that mistake and gotten egg on their faces. (Mmmm.... eggs. That sounds good for this morning.) But I will say this: Whether I sleep or go immediately before the Lord, after closing my eyes for the last time on Earth, the first time I open them I will be looking at the Lord.
2. If we do go straight to Heaven when we die, I'd be pissed off if I was Lazarus.

Why did I put you through all of this? (Technically, I wrote it. I didn't force you to read it. That's on you. Honestly, take some accountability! LOL) I came across this video from Christian comedian John Crist today and he reminded me on my stance.

Let me know in the comments which camp you fall into? When we die, do we immediately go straight to Heaven or do we sleep for a while. Honestly, my biggest concern is that if I'm raptured I don't want to be sitting on the toilet or doing anything else embarrassing. Because you know for the first few thousand years that'll be the question: "Hey Joe. Nice to meet you. Oh, you were raptured? What were you doing when you were raptured?"

Me: "Um, I was saving a bunch of orphans from a bus that was on fire after a terrible accident, or something like that..." 

Enjoy and God bless! (And if you're ever watching, thanks John! Shoot me a message some time!)

The Story of Lazarus (Lazarus' POV)

Bragging Boys

Three boys in the schoolyard were bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls them a poem, and they give him $50.00.”

The second boy says, “That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a song, and they give him $1,000.00.”

The third boy says, “I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a sermon, and it takes eight guys to collect all the money.”

Bible Study: James 1:5-8

 Bible Study: James 1:5-8 “When You Don’t Know What To Do”

Right after he gets done telling us to “count it all joy” when we “meet trials of various kinds,” James moves forward into something practical, something that makes sense, something we can get behind.

 

Understand that trials are often trying because they confuse us more than they hurt. They expose to us, if not others, what we don’t know. They force us to make decisions we don’t feel confident making. Could you imagine picking your college major with “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers, let him go. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. My mother told me to pick the very best major and that is pre-med!”

 

Oh no! God wanted you to. become a pastry chef! (Leave a comment as to how you chose your field of study.)

 

James has a better idea:

 

The text reads:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.

 

This is one of those verses that sound nice by themselves and is often misquoted that way, therefore it is quoted out of context. (Verses are often quoted out of context. It’s important you know to whom the Scripture was written and under what circumstances. Also, read the verses before and after it.)

 

James seems to assume he’s writing to believers who are going through a time of limited clarity. (Believers in the dispersion.) Not a lack of intelligence necessarily, or faith, but of wisdom.

 

In this regard, wisdom is the ability to see what is happening from God’s perspective and respond to the circumstances appropriately. It’s knowing what faithfulness looks like when the path isn’t obvious.

 

James says if you lack it, ask for it. We aren’t called to beg in desperation, though we often wait until that point before we do ask. We aren’t to put on a performance, and certainly we shouldn’t pretend that we already know the answer.

 

Ask God. Remarkably, James says God will give generously and without reproach. He doesn’t shame us for asking, scold us for not already knowing, and He certainly isn’t irritated by our need. That matters, particularly to people who learned to fear approaching their own parents.

 

Sometimes we might assume a hardship is punishment and therefore we hesitate to approach God. We also might believe we should already have the knowledge and maturity to handle it, but James says differently.

 

He tells us to ask and then he adds a warning: “But let him ask in faith, without doubting…For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James1:6-8 ESV)

 

He isn’t condemning honest questions. He’s addressing divided loyalty.

 

Double mindedness isn’t intellectual curiosity. It’s wanting God’s help while still reserving the right to reject His direction if we don’t like it. It’s asking for wisdom while quietly hoping the answer aligns with what we already decided to do.

 

Have you ever had somebody come to you for advice time and time again but every time you give them an answer, they do something different, or the complete opposite? Time after time they come to you, after you give them sound advice they choose to do their own thing. How long before you tell them, “Don’t keep coming to me because you never listen?”

 

Faith in God’s wisdom ties directly back to trials. Hardships expose where our trust actually rests. When pressure hits we either lean fully into God’s authority, or we try standing with one foot in faith and one foot in self-rule.

 

That’s not how this works. Remember that “doulos” lesson from before? The bondservant, the person who choses to put themselves under the authority of another? That’s what we do when we chose to follow Christ. It’s an all-or-nothing situation, not a when-it-makes-us-feel-good situation.

 

James calls us to consistency. Ask boldly. Trust fully. Stand steadily. Follow that progression.

 

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1.     When you’re facing a difficult situation, do you more readily ask God for relief or wisdom?

2.     Have you ever asked God for wisdom when deep in your heart you already knew you were going to do it your way?

3.     What would it take for you to ask God for wisdom with a fully surrendered heart?

 

These situations show up in work decisions, family conversations, financial pressure, and in family struggles. I would enjoy the opportunity to discuss the answers to these questions further with you in the comments.

 

All the best!