youtube link = https://youtu.be/RIRbAz3vPPo
Questions about Heaven and the Return of Jesus
from a viewer,
Who wrote:
I believe Jesus will come after the tribulation.
I'm trying to understand something.
When the dead are raised and we are caught up,
when do we go to heaven?
*** The short answer would be -
We don't go to heaven
when Jesus returns for us.
Just because God is "in heaven",
does not require that we "go to heaven"
in order to be with Him.
We are promised eternal life when we put our faith
and trust in Jesus Christ to be our Savior.
It is possible that if / when we die,
that we will be asleep
( and unconscious of the passage of time )
until He returns to resurrect the dead believers
in the First Resurrection,
Transforming those believers alive at the time
so that we all have the promised
new incorruptible bodies.
( See 1 Corinthians 15:50-52 for more ).
Possibly to be absent from our natural body one moment,
and the next moment to be with the Lord
in our new body.
This would be an instantaneous passage of time
for those who have died.
One minute you are in this reality,
and the next moment you are at the future resurrection,
in your new body, and with the Lord
( most likely here on Earth ).
If you've been taught differently all your life,
I expect this might be hard to believe.
Let me just say it is one possible explanation
for the many passages in the bible
that talk about life after death.
* From online Search =
The belief in "soul sleep,"
where individuals are unconscious or cease to exist after death
until the resurrection,
is not considered a heresy within mainstream Christianity,
but rather a doctrinal deviation.
While some groups like Jehovah's Witnesses
and Seventh-day Adventists hold this belief,
it's not universally accepted and differs from the traditional view of the soul's immediate existence in the presence of God.
If we look at John chapter 14 verses 1-3,
We see Jesus mentions
preparing a place for us in His Father's House.
He continues by stating that He "will come again"
( and we know this is to be on Earth ),
He further states that
it is at that point in time that He will
"receive us to Himself".
Nothing about going to heaven when you die
or upon His return in this passage,
even though you will hear it taught
and quoted as though it was saying that.
And some might quote Philippians 3:20
about our citizenship as being in heaven.
They miss the main point of Paul's statement,
which is
"from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the Rapture is referenced in Verse 21,
"who will transform our lowly body
that it may be conformed to His glorious body,
according to the working by which
He is able even to subdue all things to Himself."
The same principle of our being transformed
and united with Jesus when He returns to Earth,
as you will find in 1 Corinthians 15
and 1 Thessalonians 4.
Not anything about us going to heaven.
In the book of Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 14
we read
For here we have no lasting city,
but we seek the city that is to come.
Jesus is to return from heaven
to set up His kingdom on Earth
- centered in Jerusalem.
Jesus descends on the Mount of Olivet
which is on the eastern side of Jerusalem,
from whence He ascended
( see Acts chapter 1 verse 11 ).
There is also a SHORT Video =
Jesus Returns to Mount of Olives
Next viewer question:
God must plague the ungodly.
So are we in the air,
but not in heaven?
*** The plagues that occur after the opening of the 7th Seal
( which one could say includes
the 7 trumpets and the 7 bowls of wrath )
all seem to occur
before the return of Christ.
Referencing Revelation chapter 16 verses 12-16
which is after the 6th bowl of wrath,
when the river Euphrates dries up
and the demons who perform signs
gather the Kings of the whole world.
And just before the 7th and final bowl
( which is poured upon the air -
being significant because
we are told that Satan is
the "prince of the power of the air"
in Ephesians 2:2 ),
Please note in verse 15 of Revelation chapter 16,
it says
"Behold, I am coming like a thief.
Blessed is the one who stays awake",
This is similar to what we are told in Luke chapter 21
about watching and being ready,
And in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 1-11
Referencing verse 4
which says,
you are not in darkness
that this day should overtake you like a thief.
Reading in Revelation 19:11-21 we see that
the KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS returns
to destroy those armies
that have gathered to fight against Jesus.
This is at the very end of the Tribulation period.
Please note the Wrath of God
is directed to the unbelievers
( who receive the mark of the beast
and worship his image ).
Those with the seal of God on their forehead
( Revelation 9:4 ) are spared.
The subject of who is Sealed
is highly debated.
The two main theories are:
One being that the 144,000
in Revelation chapters 7 and 14
"could be" referencing all believers ( symbolically ),
OR Second theory is
That it is speaking Literally,
which would mean they are only Virgin, Males, from the literal 12 tribes of Israel
as stated in chapter 14.
God has shown us in the Bible
that He can and will
protect those that are believing in Him
from the His plagues when they fall upon the rest of the people.
I have discussed this in previous Blog posts
And videos such as
Will God Protect You in the time of the Great Tribulation? Maybe.
Also, another Blog post =
and Video =
Is a Pre-Trib Rapture of the Church required to save believers from Wrath?
Since we meet the Lord in the air
upon His return to Earth,
and we are to be with Him,
We will be on Earth and not in Heaven.
There is no scripture that says you "Go To Heaven" when you die,
or when the First Resurrection occurs
( See Revelation 20:1-4 )
Further discussion can be found in this Blog
and Video =
Post Tribulation Rapture - First Resurrection Timing
Some would point out that we see Thrones in Revelation 20:4,
but there is nothing in this passage of scripture
that implies these are in Heaven.
On the contrary,
since Jesus Christ is to reign on earth for 1,000 years,
it would make perfect sense
that the thrones and those sitting on them,
would be on earth in the "Holy City"
( ie Jerusalem ).
And this "holy city" is the one to be surrounded
by the multitudes that Satan deceives
at the end of the 1,000 years millennial kingdom.
see all about it in Revelation chapter 20 verses 7-10
Additional viewer comments and question:
I used to believe in the pre tribulation
so I always believed we would go to heaven
avoiding the tribulation and then return.
Now, I know we will ever be with the Lord,
but I don't know what happens after the tribulation
and we are in the air.
Does God plague them
and then we are on earth with Jesus for a thousand years?
If so, they must be tormented
but cannot die
because death will flee from them.
In Revelation chapter 9 verses 1 - 11,
which is the 5th Trumpet of the 7th Seal
we see 5 months of torment by something
symbolically referred to as Locust / like Scorpions,
with verse 6 specifically stating,
In those days men will seek death
and will not find it;
they will desire to die,
and death will flee from them.
This could mean that it's impossible for them to die
or kill themselves,
but it could just be
they are longing for
( desire ) to die,
since they are in so much pain.
Final Viewer comment:
* Can you do a video on this, please. Thank you.
I hope my responses help answer some of your questions.
Many of the specific details of the Future
will not become clear until they occur,
if God chooses to reveal them,
or might have to wait until Jesus returns.
Thank you for making it to the end of this video.
I hope you will check out some
of the other videos on the channel
that explore the Rapture
and End Times teachings.
Until next time,
Maranatha.
Saved by Grace,
Andrew Cross
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some,
but exhorting one another,
and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25
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