Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
If the resting place of the dead believers was in heaven, then clearly there would be no need to be resurrected.
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Quote:
Ecclesiastes 12:7
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
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What is being resurrected is the physical body and not the soul/spirit which returns to God.
Quote:
Philippians 3:20-21
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.
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Here Paul notes that it is our body that is being transformed and not our soul/spirit.
Quote:
2 Corinthians 5:8
"We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."
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When we die our body stays on the earth but our spirit + soul goes to the Lord (if we are saved) or to Hades/hell if we are not saved awaiting final judgment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
I’m still looking for that verse that says we “go to heaven” when we die. I thought it was John 3.16 but it doesn’t say that.
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While these exacts words are not used, the same meaning is conveyed in other verses. Muslims also use an argument like this to deny the deity of Christ by insisting that Jesus never said "I am God, worship me", however there are many verses that convey the same meaning but not in those exact words.
Quote:
Philippians 1:23-24
"I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account."
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Christ is in heaven sitting at the right hand of the Father. Paul desires to be with Christ where he is in heaven.
Quote:
Revelation 6:9-11
"When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been."
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The altar likely refers to the one in the heavenly temple and the setting based on the prior chapter in Revelation 5 is in the throne of God in heaven. Hence the souls of the martyrs who have died are seen in the presence of God in heaven.