Absent From the Body … Part I

I am aware that the subject of death isn't something we enjoy to contemplate. But if we sit down and think about death itself; what death is and what death has done; of the many millions that have died; of the earth covered with the graves of the dead; of even our own death and the certainty that we must die; our parents, and brothers and sisters; our children and grandchildren; that all … all must die … we can become discouraged.

But the truth is … that there is coming a day when death shall end and will be no more.

Some time ago a dear sister in the Lord asked me to find, according to Scripture exactly what happens to us when we die. Of course I think we all know that would depend upon whether or not at death we have been born again by accepting the completed work of Jesus … "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" … through His death on the cross.

In other words … believing that in the name of Jesus you have salvation through that name … which is the only name by which you can be saved. In Acts 4:12, Peter said it this way; "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

So, starting with this Doctrinal Belief … salvation only through Jesus … the death of a believer in Christ is handled quite differently by God than are the unsaved at their death.

Those who have never accepted Jesus as Lord … the unsaved … at death their bodies will normally be placed in a grave just like the bodies of believers. Their spirit and soul, (considered as one for the purpose of this discourse) having left the body goes to Hades, (Hell) where they are held until they are later reunited with their resurrected physical bodies at the Day of Judgment where, I'm sorry to say, but must say, they will be judged and condemned to be separated from God in the eternal damnation of the Lake of Fire. This is called "the second death" and has been preordained and predetermined according to the counsel of God's immutable and righteous will.

But for believers in Christ … all is well.

In 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18, the Apostle Paul gives us words of comfort concerning those who have died before us. The K.J.V. speaks of those in the grave as being asleep. This is where the false teaching of soul sleep started. Only the bodies are in the grave as if asleep, dead to the world … not our spirit and soul.

Paul states that he doesn't want us to be ignorant, (lacking information or knowledge) concerning them which are asleep, (meaning those who have died and are buried) so that we don't sorrow as others do, (the non-believers) which have no hope.

He continues speaking of the return of the Lord … "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him."

What is Paul telling us here? Simply this … the believers who have already died can not be asleep in the grave with their bodies if Jesus brings them with Him to resurrect their bodies. So, doesn't this mean they must already be in Heaven … with Him?

In 2nd Corinthians 5:1-8 Paul reveals a little more of this when he says we know and are confident … well, here are his words.

"For we know that if our earthly house (our body) of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be … (here's the key) … absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

In 2nd Corinthians 12:2-3, Paul states something most remarkable. He says … "I knew a man in Christ above (in Heaven) fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth; such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth …"

I believe Paul was talking about himself when he was at Lystra, where he was stoned and dragged out of the city and left for dead 14 years earlier. When Paul's spirit left his body at the moment of death, he found himself in Heaven … it was so real and life-like, he didn't know the difference. He wasn't there very long; his disciples prayed over him and he came back to life. God wasn't done with him yet.

Perhaps from his experience of dying at Lystra, Paul became so convinced of the reality that to die, to be absent from the body means to be present with the Lord that he said in …

Philippians 1:21-23 … "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh … I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better …"

Paul for the third time, using similar words is saying … "I have a desire to depart this life and be with Christ." He knows what happens at death. Paul has experienced both realms; the natural life in the flesh as well as life after death, if only for a short time and … desires the better one … the one with Christ.

There is another illustration showing the reality of our spiritual life in Heaven while being absent from the body. In his book "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" … John wrote about what personally happened to him.

In Chapter 1, verses 10 & 11, John writes … "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book …"

John continues in Chapter 4, verses 1 & 2 … "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne."

I contend that John was at first seeing things in the Spirit through a spiritual vision while still in his physical body. But when God said … Come up hither … I believe he was taken out of his body, as if he died and was immediately in the spirit realm in Heaven. Why would he say it twice unless the second time he was absent from the body.

One of the first things John sees in Heaven is a book sealed with seven seals that only Jesus, the Lamb of God can open one at a time. When Jesus had opened the fifth seal, John said … "I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held."

These were believers who were going to be killed during the Tribulation; which I also accept as another proof that at death your spirit (soul) goes to be with the Lord in Heaven.

While there, he was accompanied by a being he thought was an angel who showed him all the judgments coming upon the earth. This angel or being turns out to be another redeemed man just like the Apostle John.

Revelation 19:10 … "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God …"

Revelation 22:8-9 … "And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God."

The reality of the experience John writes about sounds exactly like the one the Apostle Paul had earlier when he was in Heaven.

To be absent from the body … that is, to die; meaning to depart out of this world leaving all your stuff, all your worldly goods; including leaving your body behind for others to deal with just as Christ did when He died on the cross.

Just before my mother died, she said she didn't care what happened to her sick, tired, worn out 94 year old body … she wasn't going to need it anymore. She knew there was going to be a new one waiting for her someday at the resurrection; and until that day she would be just fine in her "Robe of Righteousness" that Jesus was going to clothe her with in Heaven.

While preparing for this study, I noticed the meaning of the word clothe is not only to provide with clothes, but also to … "Furnish with the power and authority of kings." Wow. And that king is Jesus, the King of Kings. The reality of Heaven is waiting for us.

To be Continued.


Comments welcome.