What happens when people die ?

[Angela888]

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE DIE?

The subject of the afterlife has shaped every civilization in human history. Could this be evidence that every culture on earth has a God-given, innate sense of the eternal – that this world is not all there is?

The facts are as follows:

The death rate for all humans is 100%. No – one avoids it.
On average there are about 1.73 deaths per second. This translates to about 103 deaths per minute, 6,180 deaths per hour and about 148,000 deaths per day.

Based on this reality many would ask or think questions like:

· Where do all these people go?
· Is there life after death?
· Is there a judgment for the choices a person makes when they are alive?

What happens when a person dies?

Note: the following information is derived from the Truth of God’s Word as taught by Jesus Christ Himself.

All people who have died are now in a temporal state between their past life on earth and their future resurrection to life on earth or condemnation in the lake of fire (see Rev 20:15).

When a person dies, they face a judgment called the judgment of faith . This does not depend on a person’s works but on whether they accepted Jesus Christ’s forgiveness through His atoning death for them. The reason is because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, so when God judges them, God sees His son’s sacrifice for them, and not their sin.

The outcome of this judgment determines if a person goes to the intermediate Heaven or the intermediate Hell.

If they go to the intermediate heaven:

Their souls are conscious but merely resting in Christ. Here they await:

· Christ’s return to the earth
· A final judgment based on their works whilst living on earth (this judgment will determine their eternal rewards)
· The creation of the new heaven and the new earth

The intermediate heaven is:

· in the angelic realm
· distinctly separate from earth and likely having more physical qualities than we might assume.
· could be part of our universe or it may be in a different universe.
· normally it is invisible to those living on earth, but sometimes God allows humans to see into heaven. For e.g Apostle Paul:

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.” (2 Corinthians 12:2)


Bible passages such as Luke 16:22-31, Luke 23:43, make it clear that there is no such thing as a long period of unconsciousness between life on Earth and the afterlife.

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.[SIZE=11pt] (Daniel 12:2)[/SIZE]
Those who do not accept Jesus Christ and do not repent of their sins go to the intermediate Hell. Hades traditionally and scripturally was separated into two sections, one for the unsaved and one for the righteous.

These unrepentant souls descend into Hades and Jesus spoke of these being separated from the saved by a great chasm (see Luke 16:19-26).

Note about Luke 16 - After the resurrection of Christ, this Chasm and the order of things pertaining to salvation was changed by the new covenant, all those souls in the righteous section of Hades (known as Paradise) were removed from there.

In their condition in Hades, these sinners suffer indescribable torment. They also await:

· resurrection from Hades, but this resurrection will only bring them judgment and condemnation.

· a final judgment of works – God will judge them according to the works they did. Because those works include sin. People on their own, without Christ cannot enter the presence of a Holy and just God and they will be consigned to a place of everlasting destruction (Revelation 20:15).

· after this judgment, hell will be relocated and cast into the eternal lake of fire.

A few notes about hell:

Hell is inhabited by people who didn’t receive God’s gift of redemption in Christ when they were alive. Jesus described hell as a literal place and in graphic terms – including raging fires and the worm that doesn’t die. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Mt. 8:12). He taught that in hell the wicked suffer terribly, are fully conscious, they retain their desires, memories and reasoning. They long for relief, cannot be comforted, cannot leave their torment, and are bereft of hope (Luke 16:19-31). And all this will last forever.

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46)

People who never heard about Jesus will be judged by what they knew because their conscience bears witness to God’s Law.

So after Jesus returns, there will be a resurrection of believers for eternal life in heaven and a resurrection of unbelievers for eternal existence in the lake of fire. God will create a new heaven and a new earth and believers will permanently relocate to this new earth with the New Jerusalem, and filled with God’s glory.

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.”
(John 5:28-29)

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away”.
(Revelation 21:1)


Who is going to heaven and hell?

Heaven is not our default destination because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. God is so holy that he cannot allow sin into His presence, so nobody goes there automatically. Unless a person’s sin problem is resolved, the only place a person goes to is to their true default destination …. Hell !

Judging by what people hear at funerals, you would think that just about everyone is going to heaven, but Jesus made it clear that most people are not going to heaven.”Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:12-113)

To some people all this may sound farfetched, but think about it logically.
If you were God with the power to do anything, wouldn’t you bring back to life that which you loved?

Every year at Easter, people celebrate Christ’s Resurrection, but often times they overlook how and why it applies to them personally. Resurrection is bringing back to life that which is dead and Jesus proved His power to conquer death, meaning that you do not have to die.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)

This is the good news - that a person doesn’t have to go to hell and they can ensure that they get to Heaven by doing the following things.

​

[SIZE=9.5pt]HOW TO BE BORN AGAIN?[/SIZE][SIZE=9.5pt] (How to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior)[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=9pt]1) Realize that in God's eyes you are a sinner. You may not consider yourself a bad person because you know you have lived a fairly decent life. On the other hand you may be carrying a burden of guilt over some sins committed in the past. Whatever your background, know that the Bible tells us that there is no-one righteous, no, not one. We have all broken God's Law and all deserve nothing but God's judgment and wrath (Romans 3:10-18). [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]2) Realize that God loves you which is why He sent His Son to die for you. You deserve to die for your sins, but Christ in His Love died in your place. "For Christ also died for sins once and for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]3) Repent of your sins. This means that you admit that you are a sinner and that you genuinely feel sorry for your sins. It means to change your mind and turn back on your sins, and determine by God's grace to live as He wants you to live. Jesus' message was a message of repentance. Jesus said "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish." Repentance means a willingness to leave sin behind and turn your life over to Jesus, and make Him Lord of your life.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]4) Simply say:[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9.5pt]“Lord I acknowledge that I am a sinner, I believe you died on the cross and rose again to pay for my sins, so that I can be forgiven, and have eternity in heaven. I repent of my sins, and ask you now to become Lord and Savior of my life, please come into my heart and cleanse me of my sins, and make me born-again through the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]5) Realize that it is impossible to live the life that God wants of you in your own strength which is why God sent us The Holy Spirit. Therefore it is important to ask God to fill you with The Holy Spirit. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Jesus said "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:13)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The following verses show that it is God's will that we receive the Holy Spirit:[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“I baptize you with water for repentance (John the baptist). But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He (Jesus Christ) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Peter replied "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord will call." (Acts 2:38-39)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]6) Pray:[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9.5pt]"Heavenly Father I realize that I need The Holy Spirit. Please fill me with Your Presence and baptize me with The Holy Spirit in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Now that you have given the Holy Spirit control over your life in order to lead you, guide you, strengthen you, walk by faith realizing yourself dead to sin and alive to Christ, your Lord and Savior. Accept by faith that you are now a new creation in Christ. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]· [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Study Gods Holy Word[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - Everything you need to know about God, His promises and His purpose for your life are in the Bible. Your faith in God and all God's great promises available to you are dependent upon you knowing about them. If you don’t know the Word of Truth, then you won't be able to accurately handle the Word of Truth. Begin by reading the Gospels so that you can know Jesus more. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]· [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Pray every day[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - It is important to spend time in prayer everyday because when you pray you communicate with God. Communication is the key to all relationships. Without communication, there is no hope for any kind of meaningful relationship. By praying to God you communicate to Him your desires, emotions, fears etc and thus you allow God to speak to you to show you what to do. Prayer is important so that you can seek God's will for your life everyday. Therefore talk to God in prayer everyday.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]· [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Confess Christ by word of mouth[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]It is important to tell people about Jesus Christ and what He has done for you. It is your responsibility to help spread the Gospel of Christ because the people of the world are dying and going to Hell. Love will release you to want to save people. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. (Proverbs 11:30)[/SIZE]

· [SIZE=9pt]Do not forsake the fellowship with believers[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - It is important to find and regularly attend a good church where Christ is preached and the Bible is the final authority. By assembling with other Christians, you gain strength. Also great blessing comes as God’s people come together in worship, praising and singing to the Lord. The Lord inhabits the praises of His people. Fellowship with those who are truly obedient to the Lord (Born-again believers), and believe in the full power of God (miracles, prophecy etc). [/SIZE]

Note: If you live in a country or area with few alive churches, you need to fellowship with the Lord often, and seek God for more strength, wisdom and power.

[SIZE=11pt]SOME PEOPLE[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] hate to hear the word [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]REPENT[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt], THOSE IN HELL wish they could hear it just once more![/SIZE]

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[KingJ]

[SIZE=11pt]SOME PEOPLE[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] hate to hear the word [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]REPENT[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt], THOSE IN HELL wish they could hear it just once more![/SIZE]

No they don't. God would not send them to hell if there was a morsel of hope left.

Good post otherwise!

 

[rockytopva]

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. - Luke 23:46

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. - 1 Corinthians 2:9

All we can do is commit our souls unto the Father in the name of Jesus and then go along for the ride.

 

[MrKruback]

Before christianity, people were already selling the afterlife. If you think about it as a cave man, before jesus, there would be a cheif or a King or a ruler of anykind. If a poor man, wanted to sell something but had nothing to sell... he could sell the afterlife. Everyone is scared of the afterlife. Asking themselves what it holds, they are scared and what an answer, so it was sold to them. I do believe in heaven, because it wasnt sold to me. That was always my problem with the catholic church. They sold seats in heaven to the highest bigger, was never a religion i could consider or believe in.

 

[Raeneske]

The outcome of this judgment determines if a person goes to the intermediate Heaven or the intermediate Hell.

[SIZE=9pt]“Another place proving that the dead have no ... feeling. There is, saith he, no duty, no science, no knowledge, no wisdom there. Solomon judgeth that the dead are asleep, and feel nothing at all. For the dead lie there, accounting neither days nor years, but when they are awaked, they shall seem to have slept scarce one minute.”—Martin Luther, Exposition of Solomon’s Booke Called Ecclesiastes, page 152.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]And ye, in putting them [the departed souls] in heaven, hell, and purgatory, destroy the arguments wherewith Christ and Paul prove the resurrection.... And again, if the souls be in heaven, tell me why they be not in as good case as the angels be? And then what cause is there of the resurrection?—William Tyndale, An Answer to Sir Thomas More's Dialogue (Parker's 1850 reprint), bk. 4, ch. 4, pp. 180, 181.[/SIZE]

Isaiah 38:19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

Isaiah 38:18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

Psalms 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

 

[This Vale Of Tears]

Moment of Death:
1} The heart stops
2} The skin gets tight and grey in color
3} All the muscles relax
4} The bladder and bowels empty
. . . .4a - Men will get an erection. No, I don't know when, exactly. I really didn't feel like calling up the local mortuary and asking this. And there's people on my mailing list I could have asked, I bet, but it's kind of weird popping up and asking that. No pun intended. I'm not sure my parents know what erections are, so I can't ask them. I did read that this was one of the reasons hangings were so well attended by women, back in the old.days. Big Laffs, seeing the Hung, hung.
5} The body's temperature will typically drop 1.5 degrees F. per hour unless outside environment is a factor. The liver is the organ that stays warmest the longest, and this temperature is used to establish time of death if the body is found within that time frame.

• After 30 minutes:
  6} The skin gets purple and waxy
  7} The lips, finger- and toe nails fade to a pale color or turn white as the blood leaves.
  8} Blood pools at the lowest parts of the body leaving a dark purple-black stain called lividity
  9} The hands and feet turn blue
  10} The eyes start to sink into the skull

• After 4 hours:
  11} Rigor mortis starts to set in
  12} The purpling of the skin and pooling of blood continue
  13} Rigor Mortis begins to tighten the muscles for about another 24 hours, then will reverse and the body will return to a limp state.

• After 12 hours:
  14} The body is in full rigor mortis.

• After 24 hours:
  15} The body is now the temperature of the surrounding environment
  16} In males, the semen dies
  17} The head and neck are now a greenish-blue color
  18} The greenish-blue color continues to spread to the rest of the body
  19} There is the strong smell of rotting meat
  20} The face of the person is essentially no longer recognizable

• After 3 days:
  21} The gases in the body tissues form large blisters on the skin
  22} The whole body begins to bloat and swell grotesquely. This process is speeded up if victim is in a hot environment, or in water
  23} Fluids leak from the mouth, nose, eyes, ears and rectum and urinary opening

• After 3 weeks:
  24} The skin, hair, and nails are so loose they can be easily pulled off the corpse
  25} The skin cracks and bursts open in many places because of the pressure of Internal gases and the breakdown of the skin itself
  26} Decomposition will continue until body is nothing but skeletal remains, which can take as little as a month in hot climates and two months in cold climates. The teeth are often the only thing left, years and centuries later, because tooth enamel is the strongest substance in the body. The jawbone is the densest, so that usually will also remain. So don't forget - brush regularly and floss only if you're really bored.

http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/Death/Stages.html

 

[Webers_Home]

-
†. Ecc 9:5-10 . .The living at least know they will die, but the dead know
nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. Whatever
they did in their lifetime-- loving, hating, envying --is all long gone. They no
longer have a part in anything here on earth. So go ahead. Eat your food
and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! Wear fine
clothes, with a dash of cologne!

. . . Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days
of life that God has given you in this world. The wife God gives you is your
reward for all your earthly toil. Whatever you do, do well. For when you go
to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

When I first began reading Ecclesiastes after my conversion in 1968, I was
puzzled by many of its un-Christian perspectives; until I encountered a
competent Bible teacher who clued me in that it's the Bible's primo book of
humanistic philosophy rather than divine revelation; which not only easily
explains why it is so pessimistic; but also explains why it is so popular with
Atheists and Agnostics.

The writer's comments, conclusions, and remarks are the result of his own
observations of life on earth as a man "under the sun" rather than an
inspired man whose knowledge of the afterlife comes from the temple of God
rather than from the temple of empirical evidence.

It's generally agreed that Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes. He was a very wise
man. But according to Matt 12:41-42 Christ is wiser. So people have a
choice to make: whose statements pertaining to the afterlife are they going
to listen to? Christ's or Solomon's? Well; it is God's wishes that people listen
to His son.

†. Matt 17:5 . . Behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is My beloved
son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to him.

That said; I should probably point out that the word "grave" is translated
from the Hebrew word sheol. Jonah sited the location sheol at the roots of
the mountains. Well; I think it's pretty safe to say that mountains aren't
rooted in the tummies of fish; but instead way down deep in earth's
lithosphere; and according to God's son, people are conscious down there
rather than knowing nothing.


Buen Camino
/

 

[Enquirer]

@ Angela888 ... A well thought out post.

My question to you is this,

Paul says that to be " ... absent from the body is to be present with the Lord", and the Lord is in heaven with the Father because that is where
He said He was going, John 20:17,

Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my
Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Stephen confirmed that this was where Jesus was currently as well by saying in Acts 17:55,

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

In light of this, all believers go to be with the Lord who is with the Father in heaven where God dwells.

Also Hebrews states that 12:1 that,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Also Revelation speaks about the elders that surround God's throne and note that they are there before Christ returns a Second time.

So, how do you figure this in your "intermediate heaven" from which I gather is not where the Father is or is it ?

 

[MrKruback]

Moment of Death:
1} The heart stops
2} The skin gets tight and grey in color
3} All the muscles relax
4} The bladder and bowels empty
. . . .4a - Men will get an erection. No, I don't know when, exactly. I really didn't feel like calling up the local mortuary and asking this. And there's people on my mailing list I could have asked, I bet, but it's kind of weird popping up and asking that. No pun intended. I'm not sure my parents know what erections are, so I can't ask them. I did read that this was one of the reasons hangings were so well attended by women, back in the old.days. Big Laffs, seeing the Hung, hung.
5} The body's temperature will typically drop 1.5 degrees F. per hour unless outside environment is a factor. The liver is the organ that stays warmest the longest, and this temperature is used to establish time of death if the body is found within that time frame.

• After 30 minutes:
  6} The skin gets purple and waxy
  7} The lips, finger- and toe nails fade to a pale color or turn white as the blood leaves.
  8} Blood pools at the lowest parts of the body leaving a dark purple-black stain called lividity
  9} The hands and feet turn blue
  10} The eyes start to sink into the skull

• After 4 hours:
  11} Rigor mortis starts to set in
  12} The purpling of the skin and pooling of blood continue
  13} Rigor Mortis begins to tighten the muscles for about another 24 hours, then will reverse and the body will return to a limp state.

• After 12 hours:
  14} The body is in full rigor mortis.

• After 24 hours:
  15} The body is now the temperature of the surrounding environment
  16} In males, the semen dies
  17} The head and neck are now a greenish-blue color
  18} The greenish-blue color continues to spread to the rest of the body
  19} There is the strong smell of rotting meat
  20} The face of the person is essentially no longer recognizable

• After 3 days:
  21} The gases in the body tissues form large blisters on the skin
  22} The whole body begins to bloat and swell grotesquely. This process is speeded up if victim is in a hot environment, or in water
  23} Fluids leak from the mouth, nose, eyes, ears and rectum and urinary opening

• After 3 weeks:
  24} The skin, hair, and nails are so loose they can be easily pulled off the corpse
  25} The skin cracks and bursts open in many places because of the pressure of Internal gases and the breakdown of the skin itself
  26} Decomposition will continue until body is nothing but skeletal remains, which can take as little as a month in hot climates and two months in cold climates. The teeth are often the only thing left, years and centuries later, because tooth enamel is the strongest substance in the body. The jawbone is the densest, so that usually will also remain. So don't forget - brush regularly and floss only if you're really bored.

http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/Death/Stages.html

Haha how literal of you. I believe she was refeering to the soul but I think you knew that and wanted to tease lol. Was very informative!

 

[Raeneske]

When I first began reading Ecclesiastes after my conversion in 1968, I was
puzzled by many of its un-Christian perspectives; until I encountered a
competent Bible teacher who clued me in that it's the Bible's primo book of
humanistic philosophy rather than divine revelation; which not only easily
explains why it is so pessimistic; but also explains why it is so popular with
Atheists and Agnostics.

The writer's comments, conclusions, and remarks are the result of his own
observations of life on earth as a man "under the sun" rather than an
inspired man whose knowledge of the afterlife comes from the temple of God
rather than from the temple of empirical evidence.

It's generally agreed that Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes. He was a very wise
man. But according to Matt 12:41-42 Christ is wiser. So people have a
choice to make: whose statements pertaining to the afterlife are they going
to listen to? Christ's or Solomon's? Well; it is God's wishes that people listen
to His son.

Christ's teachings do not contradict Solomon, or any other book of the Bible. Please read what is shared in the Scriptures:

Isaiah 38:19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

Psalms 146:2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

Isaiah 38:18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

Job 14:10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

We are made up of two things -- the spirit and the dust.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Job 27:3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

You cannot take away the spirit and still have life.

Job 34:14-15 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; 15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

How can one still have life, still have a conscience in death, if the spirit of life itself is taken form them at death? Man is not a spirit. Man is dust. God is a spirit. When the spirit of life is gone, all that is left is the dust -- and dust on it's own cannot have consciousness.

Psalms 146:3-4 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

Death = sleep.

Psalms 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Job 14:14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

Wait where?

Job 17:13 If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.

And what is the change?

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Solomon judges that when one dies, they don't know anything. All their emotions are perished. Job shows that when he dies, he waits in the grave until the time of the resurrection. Christ shows that when He comes, His dead saints will be in the grave -- not in heaven.

John 5:28-29 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Death is called sleep, even to Jesus. Death is as a dreamless sleep. It's a dirt nap the saint takes until the resurrection of the just. The just are not found in heaven at the moment of death, and the saints are not conscious in death.

@ Angela888 ... A well thought out post.

My question to you is this,

Paul says that to be " ... absent from the body is to be present with the Lord", and the Lord is in heaven with the Father because that is where
He said He was going, John 20:17,

Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my
Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Stephen confirmed that this was where Jesus was currently as well by saying in Acts 17:55,

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

In light of this, all believers go to be with the Lord who is with the Father in heaven where God dwells.

Also Hebrews states that 12:1 that,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Also Revelation speaks about the elders that surround God's throne and note that they are there before Christ returns a Second time.

So, how do you figure this in your "intermediate heaven" from which I gather is not where the Father is or is it ?

Context is everything, dear Enquirer.

2 Corinthians 5:1-4 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

The body is what is being talked about here. If the body is to be clothed upon, what then happens? Mortality is swallowed up of life? When does that happen? When does that take place?

1 Corinthians 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

1 Corinthians 15:53-57 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is at the resurrection -- that is when mortality is swallowed up of life. So, what is the context of 2 Corinthians 5:6? Paul is talking about the resurrection.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst 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, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Want to know something amazing?

Isaiah 28:9-10 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
When Bible exactly when we shall be absent from the body, and ever present with the LORD, you will get the answer directly from Paul? It is written:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

When shall we be "ever with the Lord"? At the moment of death, or the resurrection? The resurrection!