Heaven: On Your Way?
by F. Paul Haney, © 1/2007
When people die, where do they go? Heaven or Hell, I’ve been told. I understand from a number of Christian people that Heaven is the reward of the saved. By saved, I mean those who have accepted
Jesus Christ as their personal savior. At any rate, that is the common Christian definition of being saved. So, for the
sake of argument, let’s assume that definition to be true. Now, when a Christian dies, a lot of folks assume that the “soul”
of that person has floated up to heaven and is sitting there, on a cloud I suppose, looking down at us. Of course, Jesus is
right next to the person. But is this true? Is it true that when a Christian dies, he (or his soul) goes immediately to
a state of heavenly bliss? I have attended a number of funerals and that is just what many preachers tell the folks… “Well,
ole John was a rascal and a fun-loving guy, but he beat us into heaven. He’s probably sitting there laughing at us now.” —Or words to that effect. Or they might say that “Jesus has called her home.” That is just pure baloney and wrong. Any preacher who tells you this is so badly mistaken, he ought to be defrocked on the spot!
The idea of instant heaven is not found
within the pages of the Holy Bible. Nope. It just is not there. I challenge you to find it there. But I will
tell what IS found in the Bible about death and the afterlife; at least as much as this brief study will allow.
The English word “soul”
in our Bibles called means nothing more than life or breath. It does not mean a disembodied spirit wafting around that floats
to heaven or sinks into a hellfire pit. Here comes a surprise: “The soul that sins shall die” (Ez.18:20). Souls die! Humans
die. A human is a soul.
The Bible talks about death as a “sleep.” People who die have “gone to sleep.” David “fell
asleep” and was laid with his ancestors. You would think that a man after God’s own heart, David, if anyone, would be lifted
to heaven immediately. But no, he is dead and in his grave.
“Then David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of
Daniel talked about people sleeping in
the dust that “shall awake.” Some will receive eternal life and others eternal death, NOT eternal life in a tormenting hellfire
stoked up hot by a loving God. Anyone who tells you that hell is a place of torment for sinners is a liar and the truth is not
in him!
The Preacher wrote: “But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward; but the memory of them is lost. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and they have no more for ever any share in all that is done under
the sun” (Eccl.9:4-6). He also mentioned the grave:
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no
work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Eccl.9:10, N
