Do we go straight to heaven when we die? (ritual, paradise)

[athanasius]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

And then, when Christ returns and the Last Judgment takes place, who is going to be left to be judged, since the judgment will have apparently already have taken place? By the way, what does this "cleaning up" entail?

I forgot to answer your second part of the question. The cleaning up(Purgatory or Purging) entails the fire of the Holy Spirit purifying/sanctifying you completely so you can enter the kindgdom of heaven. This process will involve suffering on our part through this refining fire, but in the end after we have been cleaned up we will be saved as Paul shows us in 1 cor 3:10-15. The way I teach it to kids is this: Heaven is like the public pool. Purgatory is the shower that you may need to take before entering the public pool. Jesus and the Fire of the Holy Spirit are the cleansing soap. I hope that helps.

[Scuba Pete]

If you are not in heaven before you die, you never will be. Heaven is a spiritual destination that comes from a relationship with God. The earth is merely a temporal place to figure our future out.

[Reverend Rick]

Revelation 6:10

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Revelation 6:11
And white robes were given unto everyone of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

This is after Jesus appears in the clouds and the living in Christ are in Heaven,(The glorious appearing) The unsaved are still enduring the 7 year tribulation period back on earth.

Revelation 20:12
An I saw the dead, small and great stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Revelation 20:14
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Revelation 20:15
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

This judgement day was over 1000 years after the glorious appearing.

1000 years for Satan to be bound plus a little reign and the 7 year tribulation period.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by athanasius

Everyone. Including those who are still alive when it happens. 2 judgements.

Well, it would stand to reason that those who were still alive would be judged at the Last Judgment. Of those who had already been judged once, and sent to either Heaven or Hell, could you explain the point of a Second Judgment? Surely you're not going to suggest that God might want to reconsider and reverse His earlier decision.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by athanasius

I forgot to answer your second part of the question. The cleaning up(Purgatory or Purging) entails the fire of the Holy Spirit purifying/sanctifying you completely so you can enter the kindgdom of heaven. This process will involve suffering on our part through this refining fire, but in the end after we have been cleaned up we will be saved as Paul shows us in 1 cor 3:10-15. The way I teach it to kids is this: Heaven is like the public pool. Purgatory is the shower that you may need to take before entering the public pool. Jesus and the Fire of the Holy Spirit are the cleansing soap. I hope that helps.

Yes, thank you. That does help.

[Reverend Rick]

The dead are dead when they die and the living go to heaven ahead of the dead.

[Super Universe]

Originally Posted by Bethel Toler

How do we know if we go straight to heaven when we die or we sleep until Christ comes back. Thanks..Bethel Toler

You go straight to heaven if you know where it is and how to get there.

[joeboonda]

2 Corinthians 5
6Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

7(For we walk by faith, not by sight 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord (the Lord is in Heaven)
Luke 23:43
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Acts 7:

54When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
I Thessalonians 4:

14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (from Heaven)
15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

When/if we die we immediately go to Heaven to be present with the Lord, IF we have trusted Him to have paid for all our sing and given us His righteousness in place of our own, which is worthless, as a free gift apart from any work we may do:


4 When a man works, his pay is not considered a gift. It is owed to him. 5 But things are different with God. He makes evil people right with himself. If people trust in him, their faith is accepted even though they do not work. Their faith makes them right with God. 6 King David says the same thing. He tells us how blessed some people are. God makes those people right with himself. But they don't have to do anything in return... ..

[roli]

Originally Posted by athanasius

Some of us may end up in Purgatory for a period of time to be cleaned up before we can enter the glories of heaven.

I understand that purgatory is your belief and in it almost gives a sense of hope, in that, if I mess up here, I or someone who prays for me can get me out.
But it also gives people the freedom to live this life as they see fit ,indulging in the pleasures of sin for a season, knowing I will still go to heaven on my own merit or that of a loved one who can pray me out.
In God's kingdom though,it just does'nt work like that.
But the cross of Jesus Christ is the only thing, that if one accepts in this life will position them for heaven,if it where any other formula,than Christ,Christ would have come to die in vain ,because you are saying you can get yourself into heaven your way.
It seems like a win win situation for those who believe that way,but that is not what God says proceeds death,he says, "it is appointed man to die once,then judgement", no stopping and collecting 200$ ,no chances at cleaning oneself up.
When we close our lives in this life ,what we did here ,our choices to believe and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior will be all that matters.
According to the word of God there is no place to get cleaned up accept at the cross.
The moment one believes and receives Christ and the Holy Spirit,their position in heaven is secured,not that gives them a license to sin and carrying in the carnal pleasures, but they are declared righteous and the process of sactification begins which will take the rest of one's natural life.
To some they might develope and mature faster,because they are submissive and humble in their surrendering to Christ and denying the flesh.
It is while we are here that we have that opportunity to choose heaven.
Ou choices are removed when we die

This belief is shared among Christians who are born again believer's and is recorded in scripture.