REMEMBER: When you die today, Judgement comes right away and not during Judgement day. Hebrews 9:27-Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,----Paul said : speaking to believers, even indicated that to be away from the body would be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). He also said that he would rather depart and be with Christ (Philippians 1:23). When does judgment happen, and how can anyone enter heaven without being judged first? Email Received: I have always believed that when Jesus returns to earth, there will be a judgment day. The dead will rise up and be judged with the living. If those who have already passed on are in heaven (at least some of them), then havent they already been judged? Also, isnt there a scripture in the Bible about Jesus, after having been crucified but before being resurrected having visited souls in the spirit realm? Who were they? Could the Lazarus and Abraham (Luke 16:19-31) have been in a spiritual realm somewhat like purgatory or a place of prejudgment? Teds Response: I will need to give you a step-by-step answer to this. First of all, we know that Jesus presently is in heaven, where He went when He ascended there, forty days after His Resurrection (Acts 3:3,9-11; Luke 24:50,51). Stephen even saw Jesus in heaven (Acts 7:55,56), and Peter said that He is there (1 Peter 3:21,22). Now, certainly at the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17a), those who are alive and caught up at that time will be with the Lord forever (4:17b), from that point forward. Jesus will return to heaven, along with caught-up believers, until the time for His second advent (bodily descent) back to earth with His believers. Paul, speaking to believers, even indicated that to be away from the body would be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). He also said that he would rather depart and be with Christ (Philippians 1:23). Since we know that Jesus is in heaven, then the spirits/souls of those believers who have died, ever since Jesus went up into heaven, have gone there to be with Him.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 10:10:45 +0000