Blessings of the Eternal State
Will we experience the direct presence of God immediately upon the moment of death?
Yes—assuming you are a Christian. Upon death, our spirits depart the physical body and are ushered into heaven, where our direct and unhindered fellowship with God begins.
There are many scriptural evidences for this wondrous reality. The thief on the cross who expressed faith in Christ is a good example. Christ—also on the cross—indicated to him that he should not fear death: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). It is not just that the thief would be in paradise (heaven) after he died. Rather, it is that the thief would be in paradise with Christ. And it was to happen that very day. In the Greek, the word “today” is in the emphatic position, indicating there would be no delay before the repentant thief would enter heaven following death. As soon as his head dropped in death, his spirit entered the glories of paradise with the Lord Jesus! The same will be true of each of us.
Christ’s faithful servant Stephen knew he would enjoy intimate fellowship with Christ upon his death. When he was being stoned for his faithful testimony of Jesus Christ, he looked up to heaven and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59). He knew that once his spirit was in heaven, his direct fellowship with Christ would be perpetual and unhindered.
How intimate will our fellowship be with Christ in the afterlife?
In 2 Corinthians 5:8, Paul indicates that following the moment of death we are “at home with the Lord.” The Greek word for “with” in this verse suggests very close (face-to-face) fellowship. It is a word typically used of intimate relationships.
This means that the moment you die and go to heaven, the Lord will not merely wave at you from a distance or perhaps say, “Hi, welcome to heaven,” and then walk off. Rather, you will enjoy the direct, unhindered, continued, intimate presence of the Lord. It is for this reason that Christians can see death as something not to be feared (see 1 Corinthians 15:54-55).
When a Christian dies today, we can truly rejoice that he or she is now in intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ. Glorious!
Did Paul have this in mind when he said, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ”?
Yes. The apostle Paul looked forward to heaven. He said: “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Philippians 1:23). This verse is incredibly rich in the original Greek. The Greek word for “depart” was used in biblical times to describe a ship being loosed from its moorings to sail away from the dock. The “mooring” that kept Paul from departing to heaven was his commitment to work among believers on earth until his assignment was complete. His ultimate desire, however, was to sail directly into God’s presence. And that would happen at the moment of death.
The Greek word for “depart” was also used in biblical times for freeing someone from chains. Here on earth, you and I are chained or anchored to the hardships and heartaches of this life. In death, however, these chains are broken. We are set free for entry into heaven. At the moment of death, the spirit departs the physical body and goes directly into the presence of the Lord.
Scripture further indicates that the fellowship we have with Christ following the moment of death is nearly instant. I say this because “to depart” and “to be with Christ” are, in the original language, two sides of one coin, indicating that the very moment after Paul departs the body at death, he will be with Christ in heaven. It’s a quick, two-count event.
Paul communicated this same truth in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8: “We are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord…Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” These verses, too, are incredibly rich in the Greek. Without getting too technical, we might paraphrase the present tenses in the first part of this passage to say, “While we are continuing to be at home in the body while living on earth, we are continuing to be absent from the Lord.” In other words, as long as we’re on earth in our mortal bodies, we continue to be absent from the direct presence of the Lord in heaven.
In the latter part of the passage, however, we find two aorist infinitives instead of present tenses. We might paraphrase it this way: “We are of good courage, and prefer rather to be once-for-all absent from our flimsy, aging, and dying mortal bodies and to be once-for-all at home with the Lord in heaven.” Death involves an immediate transition from being “at home in an aging mortal body” to being “at home with the Lord.”
Will we have a reunion with our Christian loved ones in heaven?
Most certainly. The reuniting with other believers in the afterlife is not just a New Testament hope. It is an Old Testament hope as well. When Ishmael was 137 years old, “he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people” (Genesis 25:17). When the text says he was gathered to his people, it means he joined other loved ones in the afterlife who were believers.
The same thing happened with Jacob. Genesis 49:33 tells us that “when Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.”
There are many similar verses in the Old Testament.
• “Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people” (Genesis 35:29).
• “The LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, ‘Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah’” (Numbers 20:23-24).
• “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel. When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was’” (Numbers 27:12-13).
• “All that generation also were gathered to their fathers” (Judges 2:10).
At death, the spirit of the believer departs the body and is reunited with other believing family members and friends in heaven. They are “gathered to” other believers in the afterlife.
This becomes all the more clear in New Testament revelation. Based on the New Testament, we may rest assured that when Christian loved ones die, our communion with them is broken for only a short time. Our fellowship will be eternally resumed soon enough. We will again see their faces, hear their voices, and hug their (resurrected) bodies. We part with them in grief, but will be reunited in never-ending joy.
Consider the Thessalonian Christians. They were very concerned about their Christian loved ones and friends who had died, and they expressed their concern to the apostle Paul. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, Paul assured these believers that there will indeed be a reunion in heaven. He said that at the time of the rapture, both the dead in Christ and those Christians who are alive “will always be with the Lord” in heaven (verse 17). Therefore, Paul said, they ought to comfort each other with this truth.
Will we recognize each other in heaven?
Yes, I’m convinced of it. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, Paul taught the Thessalonian Christians that they would be reunited with their Christian loved ones, and therefore they ought to comfort one another with this reality. What good would a reunion be if nobody recognized anybody else? I can’t imagine Paul intending to teach something like this: “Rejoice, for we will be reunited with all our Christian loved ones in heaven—parents, spouses, and children—even though none of us will recognize each other at all.” Paul’s emphasis on comfort and joy is rooted in the reality that we’ll be together again and recognize each other.
Second Samuel 12:23 also comes to mind. When David’s son died, he expressed confidence that he would be reunited with him in heaven. “Now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” The fact that David would “go to him” in the afterlife clearly implies they will recognize each other and rejoice in their reunion in heaven.
Yet another passage that has relevance on this issue is Luke 16:19-31. Here Jesus speaks about the rich man and Lazarus, who died and were in the afterlife. Abraham was also there. The rich man, Lazarus, and Abraham all recognized each other and even knew something of their histories on earth.
Yet another evidence is found in Luke 20:38, where Jesus calls God the God “of the living.” In context, Jesus is talking about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus says these patriarchs are alive and well in the afterlife. In effect, Jesus is saying: “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, though they died many years ago, are actually living today. For God, who calls Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is not the God of the dead but of the living.” This clearly implies that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are still recognized as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the afterlife.
So—rejoice in the knowledge that you’ll recognize all your Christian loved ones in the afterlife.
Will husbands and wives still be married in the afterlife?
Believers will no longer be in a married state in the afterlife. Jesus said, “In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30).
Of course, it will always be true that my wife, Kerri, and I were married on this earth. Nothing will ever change that. And in the eternal state, in the new heavens and the new earth, we will apparently retain our memory that we were married on the old earth. It will be an eternal memory. And what a precious memory it will be.
We should not think of this as a deprivation. It may be very difficult for us to conceive how we could be happy and fulfilled if we are not still married to our present spouse. But God Himself has promised that not only will there be no sense of deprivation, but there also will be only bliss, and there will be no more sorrow or pain.
My wife and I are part of the glorious church, which the Scriptures reveal will one day be married to Christ. Referred to as the marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9), this is an event to look forward to with great anticipation.
Will our children still be our children in the afterlife?
Yes. It will always be true that your daughter is your daughter and your son is your son. Receiving a glorified body does not obliterate the fact that in earth-time history, a husband and wife conceived and gave birth to a son or daughter.
But in the eternal state, there is a broader relationship in which we are all equally sons and daughters in God’s eternal family. We have each become adopted into His forever family (Ephesians 1:5). We are all children of God!
Will there be any relational conflicts in heaven?
Family reunions often go just great. But let’s be honest. If you’re from a large family, as I am, at least a few relatives are bound to be a bit grumpy from time to time. I’m happy to report that such will never be the case in heaven. Our eternal reunion with Christian loved ones and friends will be ceaselessly glorious.
Keep in mind that we will no longer have sin natures. There will be no fights among loved ones. There won’t be any resentment. There won’t be any envy or jealousy or rivalries. There won’t be any one-upmanship. There won’t be any cross words. There won’t be any misunderstandings. There won’t be any selfishness. Our relationships in heaven will truly be wonderful and utterly satisfying.
Will we be able to meet and fellowship with believers we’ve never met on earth?
Yes. And this includes all the believers throughout church history, including Augustine, John Calvin, and Martin Luther. This also includes believers mentioned in the Bible, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, the apostle John, Peter, Paul, and all the others.
Try to imagine it. We can ask Noah what building the ark was like. We can ask Moses to recount parting the Red Sea. We can ask David to describe his battle with Goliath. We can ask Peter what walking on water felt like. We can ask Martin Luther his thoughts as he nailed the 95 Theses to the door at Wittenberg. We can ask C.S. Lewis how he came up with the idea for his Chronicles of Narnia series. This will be a truly fascinating aspect of life in heaven.
What will worship of God be like in heaven?
Certainly one of the highlights of heaven will be the praise and worship of God and Jesus Christ. The Hebrew word for worship, shaha, means “to bow down” or “to prostrate oneself” (see Genesis 22:5; 42:6). Likewise, the New Testament Greek word proskuneo means “to prostrate oneself” (see Matthew 2:2,8,11). In Old English, “worship” was rendered “worthship,” pointing to the worthiness of the God we worship. Such worship is the proper response of a creature to the divine Creator (Psalm 95:6).
We already know that the angels ceaselessly worship the Lord (see Revelation 4:8). The apostle John speaks of a hundred million angels singing praises in unison to the God they adore (Revelation 5:11-12). But one day, countless redeemed humans will join the company of angels in singing praise and rendering worship to God (Revelation 7:9-10; see also 4:8; 5:8-13; 14:2-3; 15:1-4). Revelation 19:1-6 portrays a great multitude of believers worshipfully shouting out “Hallelujah!” before God’s throne.
The worship of God in heaven will not be a tedious or contrived experience, as it sometimes is in church services on earth. I’m sure we’ve all experienced worship on Sunday mornings that has seemed superficial and even (dare I say) boring. Worship in heaven, however, will be utterly genuine, spontaneous, and exhilarating. It will be wondrous. Our lips will be full of adoration to His name. The reality that we will be in our awesome God’s direct presence will make all the difference.
Will we continue to learn about God in the afterlife?
I believe so. Redeemed human beings in the afterlife will not be omniscient as God is. Our knowledge and capacity to understand will apparently be greatly increased (see 1 Corinthians 13:12), but we will not be all-knowing. This means that you and I will still be able to grow in knowledge. One area where we are sure to grow is in our knowledge of our awesome God and His countless perfections. Even now, the angels continue to learn about God and His ways (see 1 Peter 1:12). The same will be true of redeemed human beings once we are in heaven.
Ultimately, this means you and I will never be bored in heaven. God has so many matchless perfections that we will always be learning new and wonderful things about Him. We will never come to the end of exploring Him and His marvelous riches. This will be a constant cause of amazement to us.
Will we serve God in heaven?
Yes. Scripture reveals that in addition to enjoying face-to-face fellowship with God throughout eternity, we will be engaged in meaningful service to Him (Revelation 1:5-6). This service will not be toilsome or draining but invigorating and fulfilling. We will find immeasurable satisfaction in our service to God. There will be no drudgery in heaven.
In our service to God, we won’t have to rush to fulfill any deadlines. We won’t be concerned about any time clocks. There won’t be any office politics. There won’t be any fear of being fired. We will engage in our service to God without any kind of frustration and without the slightest sense of exhaustion.
This is quite a contrast to our present lives in which we have to be exhorted by Scripture not to grow weary in doing good things (Galatians 6:9). In heaven, such exhortations will be unnecessary. We will be perpetually motivated to do good things. We will find our service to God a truly joyful experience because we will love without measure the One we are serving. Our love for God will be our prime motivation to serve Him.
How do our present lives impact our status in the afterlife?
In Luke 19:11-26, Jesus told a parable to communicate that our service assignment in the afterlife will relate to how faithfully we serve God during our life on earth. In the parable, the master says to his servant, “Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities” (verse 17). The more faithful we are in serving God in the present life, the more we will have entrusted to us in the next life in our service to God. This has profound implications for the way we live our lives today. Faithfulness in the now is preparation for great blessing then.
What is the significance of Satan being forever banished from believers in heaven?
In Revelation 20:10, the apostle John describes Satan’s banishment. Satan will never be released from the lake of fire. He will be consigned to hell without possibility of redemption or release. After we’ve been in heaven with Christ for 100 billion years, Satan will still be confined in the lake of fire, and there he will forever remain.
This is one of the factors that adds significance to Revelation 21:25, which tells us that the gates of the New Jerusalem—the eternal city of the redeemed that will rest on the new earth—will never be shut. Those who dwell in the eternal city will never have any external threat. Satan, demons, and unbelievers will be in eternal quarantine in hell with no possibility of escape.
This also adds significance to the peace, serene rest, and joy that the redeemed will enjoy in heaven (Revelation 14:13). After all, how could the redeemed enjoy peace, rest, and joy in the midst of constant temptations and afflictions from Satan and demons? It wouldn’t be possible. But with Satan and demons out of the picture forever, and with sin completely absent, peace, rest, and joy become realities.
Gone forever will be Satan’s temptations toward evil. Gone forever will be his attempts to afflict us with bodily ailments. Gone forever will be the seeds of doubt he seeks to sow in our minds.
Awesome and glorious!