HEAVEN OPENED - Until Christ came to die and rise again, heaven was closed, for nothing unclean could enter there, and death had “passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Since that wonderful day when Christ ascended back to heaven, “to be absent from the body” is “to be present with the Lord.” Heaven someday will even receive our resurrected bodies. Heaven thenceforth will be open eternally to all the redeemed. “The gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.” - “And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” - In Jacob’s dream, angels were ascending and descending on a great ladder between Earth and heaven. Christ promised a future reality in which He Himself would be the ladder to the opened heaven. Until Christ came to die and rise again, heaven was closed, for nothing unclean could enter there, and death had “passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Even those who died in faith could only be “comforted” in “Abraham’s bosom” deep “in the heart of the earth,” because “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” Then Christ died and rose again “to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” In His spirit, “he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth,” and “when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive,” leading all pre-Calvary saints with Him into heaven.

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Heaven Opened

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Until Christ came to die and rise again, heaven was closed, for nothing unclean could enter there, and death had “passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”  Since that wonderful day when Christ ascended back to heaven, “to be absent from the body” is “to be present with the Lord.” 

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Heaven someday will even receive our resurrected bodies. Heaven thenceforth will be open eternally to all the redeemed. “The gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.”

BY HENRY M. MORRIS, PH.D.

“And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” - (John 1:51)

 

In Jacob’s dream (Genesis 28:12), angels were ascending and descending on a great ladder between Earth and heaven.

Christ promised a future reality in which He Himself would be the ladder to the opened heaven.

But that was to be “hereafter.”

Until Christ came to die and rise again, heaven was closed, for nothing unclean could enter there, and death had “passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Even those who died in faith could only be “comforted” in “Abraham’s bosom” deep “in the heart of the earth” (Luke 16:22, 25; Matthew 12:40), because “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).

Then Christ died and rose again “to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26).

In His spirit, “he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth,” and “when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive” (Ephesians 4:8-9), leading all pre-Calvary saints with Him into heaven.

Then was fulfilled the wonderful scene predicted in Psalm 24:7: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.”

Since that wonderful day when Christ ascended back to heaven, “to be absent from the body” is “to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Heaven someday will even receive our resurrected bodies. John prophesied it this way: “I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice…said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” (Revelation 4:1).

Heaven thenceforth will be open eternally to all the redeemed. “The gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there” (Revelation 21:25).

The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) wants people to know that God’s Word can be trusted in everything it speaks about—from how and why we were made, to how the universe was formed, to how we can know God and receive all He has planned for us.

After 50 years of ministry, ICR remains a leader in scientific research within the context of biblical creation. Founded by Dr. Henry Morris in 1970, ICR exists to conduct scientific research within the realms of origins and Earth history, and then to educate the public both formally and informally through professional training programs, through conferences and seminars around the country, and through books, magazines, and media presentations. Click here for more information about ICR founder Henry M. Morris.

https://www.icr.org/article/11789/

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THE TIME BETWEEN THE DEATH AND THE RESURRECTION - What Do You Believe About the Intermediate State? - If we are with Christ once we have died, then we continue existing. Paul speaks of this state as "very much better" than the present state. If we were suddenly unconscious at death until the resurrection, wouldn't it be better to remain in this life because at least then we would have conscious fellowship with Christ? We indeed do have souls which continue existing after the body dies. We not only continue existing between death and the resurrection, but that we are aware of our existence. Revelation 6:9 speaks of John seeing underneath the altar "the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God." These individuals are surely not in a state of soul sleep because in the next verse they cry out "How long, O Lord."

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The Time Between The Death And The Resurrection

What Do You Believe About the Intermediate State?

Article by 

Matt Perman

Guest Contributor

The "intermediate state" is the time between the death and the resurrection.

Some have held that during this time we are unconscious or possibly even go out of existence. We do not think that this is biblical.

The biblical evidence is that our soul continues on after death and that we remain conscious in the intermediate state while awaiting our final destiny of resurrected existence in the new heavens and new earth.

First, Paul spoke of having the desire "to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better" (Philippians 1:23).

Notice first of all that Paul speaks of death as a departure (from the body) not into temporary nothingness or unconsciousness but to be with Christ.

If we are with Christ once we have died, then we continue existing.

Second, notice that Paul speaks of this state as "very much better" than the present state.

It would be hard to say such a thing of a state of complete unconsciousness.

Particularly when we consider that Paul's passion was to know Christ, it would seem that the reason the state beyond death is better than this present life is because we are with Christ and know it.

If we were suddenly unconscious at death until the resurrection, wouldn't it be better to remain in this life because at least then we would have conscious fellowship with Christ?

Second, Paul also said that "while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord" and that therefore he would "prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).

First, it is significant that he speaks of the possibility of being absent from the body.

This implies that we indeed do have souls which continue existing after the body dies.

Second, notice again that he speaks of this state as his preference, which indicates (as in Philippians 1:23) that we not only continue existing between death and the resurrection, but that we are aware of our existence.

Third, even though the thief on the cross has been used to prove about every point in Christian theology, his case is still relevant here: "And He said to him, 'Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise'" (Luke 23:43).

The Jehovah's Witness's New World Translation punctuates Jesus words as "Truly I say to you today, you shall be with Me in Paradise," giving the impression that "today" refers simply to the time of Jesus' statement.

But the context demands that the "today" refer to when the thief on the cross would be with Jesus in paradise, because Jesus is responding to his request in the previous verse: "Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom!"

The response, "Today you shall be with Me in paradise" can in this context only be taken to mean, "Not only will I remember you when I come in my kingdom, but already today you shall be with me in heaven."

Fourth, Revelation 6:9 speaks of John seeing underneath the altar "the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God."

These individuals are surely not in a state of soul sleep because in the next verse they cry out "How long, O Lord."

Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The King’s College NYC, a blogger, and an author.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-do-you-believe-about-the-intermediate-state

HEAVEN INTERMEDIATE STATE - Our loved ones, though no longer in the old bodies which had perhaps been filled with pain, are now with the Lord. They have been given spiritual bodies in which to function in heaven until the coming Resurrection day.

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“with Christ; which is far better”

Present with the Lord

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“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8) 

This verse has proved of great comfort to many a sorrowing believer who has just lost a loved one.

Especially if they know that the parent or child or friend was also a believer in the saving work and person of Christ, then - although they sorrow - they “sorrow not, even as others which have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). 

For that loved one, though no longer in that old body which had perhaps been filled with pain, is now with the Lord. 

That is, he or she has been given a somewhat indescribable spiritual body in which to function in heaven until the coming Resurrection day.

Although that may not yet be the wonderful life that awaits them in their glorified, resurrection bodies in the ages to come, they will be “with Christ; which is far better” than this present life (Philippians 1:23). 

There are a number of sincere believers who argue that dead Christians will simply “sleep” until Jesus comes again to raise the dead.

While a certain case can be developed for this “soul sleep” concept, it is hard to see how that could be “far better” than this present life.

Paul said that he had a “desire to depart, and to be with Christ” and also that “to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:23, 21).

But what “gain” could there be for him in simply “sleeping” instead of continuing to live in Christ? 

The Scriptures do not reveal much about that “intermediate state,” as it has been called.

But there is that intriguing verse about being “compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses” who perhaps are somehow watching us as we “run with patience the race that is set before us” here on Earth (Hebrews 12:1).

That possibility can be a real incentive to do just that. 

icr.org