Death of New Testament Saints

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 “So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.  (7)  For we walk by faith, not by sight.  (8) We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

 In the previous section, we saw that when the Old Testament saints died, their spirits could not enter heaven because they had not yet been born again. After Jesus was raised from the dead, however, the Old Testament saints were born again and were therefore finally able to ascend into heaven.

For the New Testament saints, things are different. Unlike the Old Testament believers, New Testament saints are born again during their earthly lives. As a result, when they die, their spirits are able to ascend directly into heaven.

The apostle Paul affirms this truth in the passage cited above, declaring that the moment believers leave their earthly bodies, they are present with the Lord. In other words, when New Testament saints die, their spirits immediately depart to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven.

Philippians 1:21-23 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  (22)  But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labour; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.  (23) For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.”

The context of the above passage is that the apostle Paul was imprisoned and faced the possibility of execution for preaching the gospel. In this passage, Paul reflects on whether he should continue living to further the work of the gospel or allow himself to be executed.

Paul’s letter reveals that he ultimately chose to remain in this life to continue his ministry. Nevertheless, the key point to note from this passage is Paul’s absolute assurance that, if he were to die, his spirit would depart to be with Christ in heaven.

Also observe Paul’s declaration that being with Christ is far better than remaining in this world. It is therefore self-evident that, no matter how good a life believers may experience on earth, being with the Lord Jesus is far better.

The saints are in Paradise

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

(Luke 23:39-43)

The Bible provides us with a considerable amount of information about the New Jerusalem and God’s new earth, but almost nothing about what heaven itself is like. The reason for this is simple: Scripture declares, “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; but the earth He has given to the children of men” (Psalm 115:16). In other words, because heaven is not our realm, God has deemed it unnecessary for us to know what it is like.

Nevertheless, until God creates the new earth and places the New Jerusalem upon it, the saints who die in the Lord are temporarily located in heaven. Therefore, we will briefly consider what Scripture reveals about this subject.

In the passage quoted above, Jesus told the repentant criminal beside Him that he would be with Him in Paradise. It is therefore evident that the Lord’s saints are located in that section of heaven known as Paradise. The word Paradise refers to a perfect environment, not unlike Eden, the Garden of God.

As an aside, it is worth noting that the criminal who was saved on the cross did not immediately go to Paradise when he died, but rather to Abraham’s bosom, since he had not yet been born again. Yet the Lord still said that he would be with Him in Paradise that day.

We know that when the Lord died, He did not go to Abraham’s bosom, but rather descended into the lower depths of Hell to pay for our sins (Psalm 88:6). So why did He say the criminal would be with Him in Paradise? The Lord said this because, only three days later—a mere blink of an eye in eternity—Jesus entered Abraham’s bosom to take the Old Testament saints with Him into Paradise.

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

(2 Corinthians 12:2-4)

 In an earlier passage, the apostle Paul declared that to be with Christ is far better than this life. When Paul made that statement, he spoke from experience, for in the passage referenced above, he mentioned that he had been taken up into heaven on two separate occasions.

On the first occasion, Paul was caught up to the third heaven. Although he clearly saw what the third heaven was like, he reveals nothing about it in Scripture. Paul’s silence reinforces the truth that, because heaven is not our realm, God deems it unnecessary for us to know what it is like.

However, the fact that Paul refers to a third heaven implies that there must necessarily be a first and second heaven. In other words, just as there are different levels in Hell, so too there are different levels in heaven. Indeed, Scripture tells us that God “builds His layers in the sky” (Amos 9:6).

On the second occasion, Paul was taken into Paradise, which is evidently distinct from the third heaven. In other words, Paradise appears to be a separate layer within heaven. Once again, Paul revealed nothing of what he saw; however, on this occasion, he did mention hearing “inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”

It is quite possible that the words Paul heard were spoken by angelic beings engaged in worship before the throne of God. If that is the case, it would suggest that Paradise is the place where God’s throne is located.

Therefore He says: "When he ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

(Ephesians 4:8-10)

The above passage declares that Jesus has ascended far above all the heavens, including the third heaven mentioned by Paul.

Jesus has already told us that He is currently in Paradise, and we know from Scripture that He is seated at the right hand of God (Ephesians 1:20). This passage therefore confirms that God’s throne is located in the section of heaven known as Paradise.

It follows, then, that the saints who have departed from this life are also located in that same section of heaven—the Paradise of God, where His throne is. The question that naturally arises is this: what are the saints doing in Paradise?

Michael E.B. Maher

Resurrection of the Dead

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