Do the dead saints go instantly to be with Christ?

Where do the Dead Saints Go?

“For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.”

Philippians 1:23

Paul’s is not saying here that he will go to be with Christ as soon as he dies. His words here have to be understood in relation with his other statements where he clearly refers to death as a sleep and that the dead are unconscious in their graves till they are awakened at Resurrection Day.

Paul explains, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51). And he adds, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus” (Thessalonians 4:13–15).

Jesus teaches that death is an unconscious state of sleep. The Bible says, “When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping” (Mark 5:39). And concerning His dead friend Lazarus, Jesus confirms, “These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up” (John 11:11).

God says that the dead know absolutely nothing! “The living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun. … There is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10). “The dead do not praise the Lord” (Psalm 115:17).

The scriptures say that in death, humans are totally unconscious with no activity or knowledge of any kind. After death a person: returns to dust (Psalms 104:29), knows nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5), possesses no mental powers (Psalms 146:4), has nothing to do with anything on earth (Ecclesiastes 9:6), does not live (2 Kings 20:1), waits in the grave (Job 17:13), and continues not (Job 14:1, 2) til the resurrection.

The righteous dead will be rewarded at the second coming of Christ and the resurrection. They will be raised, given immortal bodies, and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. There would be no purpose in a resurrection if people were taken to heaven at death. The Bible teaches:

“The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout. … And the dead in Christ will rise. … And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). “We shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye … and the dead will be raised incorruptible. … For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51–53).

People do not go to heaven or to hell at death. They don’t go anywhere—but they wait in their graves for the resurrection. “David did not ascend into the heavens” (Acts 2:29, 34) even though he was a prophet. The rightouss dead will rise at the Resurrection of the dead. “All who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth” (John 5:28, 29).

For more on the state of the Dead, see The Intermediate State.

So, in Philippians 1:23, Paul is not giving a doctrinal explanation of what happens at death, he is simply showing his deep “desire,” to leave his present troubled life and to be with Christ without reference to a lapse of time that may occur between these two events.

Sincere Christians of all ages have had this same desire, without necessarily expecting to be immediately into the Savior’s presence when their eyes have closed in death. Since there is no consciousness in death, and no awareness of time, the resurrection morning will seem to the departed one as occurring the moment after his death.

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In His service,
BibleAsk Team