Do we all just meet up in a better place?
If you have lived long enough, you have heard somebody at one time or another say of someone who died, they in a better place now. Usually, it helps to think of that someone in a better place as we deal with the grief and sorrow at the thought of never seeing them again in this life, and never being able to talk to them again. Those are the types of thought’s that comes to mind. It is part of the grief process that many of us go through, but is that what God Himself actually said? Do we all just go to a better place? Let’s look at it.
In the Old Testament book of (2 Samuel 12: 21-23), that’s chapter 12 and verse 21-23, it tells of King David’s grief after God took the child that was born to him because of King David’s sins. This is a man who God Himself said,. was a man after God’s heart. Although he sinned greatly against the Lord, and the Lord forgave him when he confessed his sin to God, God still took the child. The child born to him died. Then king David’s servants had a question for him after his child died,
1 Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” 22 And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23 But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him,.. but he shall not return to me.” ( 2 Samuel 12:21-23 )
There is much more that God did to His servant King David because of his sin but what I want to point out here is that king David had a on going relationship with God before this great sin. He and God talked to each other through prayer, through private time alone in God’s word, and worship in the Lord’s house, and when God saw his brokenness and sorrow over what he had done, God forgave him. It was on the basis of this relationship with God that the king expected to see his child again,. in that better place… which we call heaven. As you read through many of the Scripture passages in the various blog post in this website, the one common thing you will see is that the people who end up in heaven, do so because they have some sort of relationship with God.
Let’s look at another example of this in the New Testament book of Matthew chapter 17 and verse #1-5 it says this;
1 Now after six days,.. Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother,.. led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased… Hear Him!” 6 And when the disciples heard it,.. they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they had lifted up their eyes,.. they saw no one but Jesus only….( Matthew 17:1-8 )
Moses lived somewhere around 1400 to 1500 BC. He had been dead nearly 1400 years but there he was appearing with Jesus Christ on the mountain. Elijah lived somewhere around 900 to 800 BC and had died nearly 800 years ago. So they died some 500 plus years apart from Each other,. but here they both are,.. appearing with Jesus Christ on the mountain,.. because when they both died,… they went to that better place. They see each other and no doubt,. know each other,.. but more importantly,.. they both had a close relationship with God during their lifetimes. Elijah was one of God’s major prophets in the Old Testament days and Moses, God gave the Ten Commandments through Moses. God spoke highly of Moses to His people,
6 Then He,. ( God ) said,..“Hear now My words: ..If there is a prophet among you,.I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision;..I speak to him in a dream…7 Not so with My servant Moses;..He is faithful in all My house…8 I speak with him face to face,..( Numbers 12:6-8)
Beloveth,.. what we can clearly see in the case of Moses and Elijah the prophet and a whole multitude of others when we read through the entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews in the New Testament letters,.. is that the people who go to that better place when they die,.. are people who had a relationship with God while they lived their lives here on earth.
The Scriptures tell us of a person who we know for sure, did not go to that better place. We can be 100% sure of that because it is Jesus Christ Himself,. that tells us that this man didn’t go there,.. although there may have been many at his funeral that got up and said he did. Luke 16:19-31, tells the story of a beggar name Lazarus and the rich man. It is that rich man that Jesus refers to here. Both men eventually die and Lazarus the beggar ends up in that better place with Abraham. The Scriptures tell us,.. “that those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham”,( Galatians 3:9 ). So, this beggar, although he was poor, he had become a man of faith in the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ at some point in his life.
Not so with the rich man,.. who although he was a very successful man financially doing his lifetime,.. nothing is said of him having any type of relationship with God during his life. We are told Lazarus dies first then the rich man dies. Look at it in…(Luke 16:22-24)
So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom..The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame…( Luke 16:22-24)
Until Jesus Christ returns to take those who have believed in him to that better place He has prepared for them, there are going to be people, who like this rich man are going to live their whole life apart from God, with no relationship with God whatsoever other than acknowledging that He does exist. Although we know where the Scriptures said they will end up when they die, and we believe that, none of us can be 100% sure about where each individual person is who departs from this life who as far as we know did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I say that because we just don’t know what went on in their heart as they exited this life. We know what the bible says about a person who dies apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ, but what we don’t know because we are not God is what went on in their heart as they exited this life. One of the two thieves that was crucified with Jesus Christ became a believer as he exited this life and went into eternity to be with the Lord, and think about this a minute. He went into heaven to be with Jesus Christ in spite of what believers and unbelievers alike thought about him or knew about how he had lived his whole life.
Now in the case of this rich man however, in this Luke 16:22:24 passage, we know for sure where this man ended up because Jesus plainly tells us where this rich man went when he died.
So,..we can see that to key to getting to that better place is having a relationship with God.
It has always been that way. Jesus Christ tells a man that there is only one way to God the
Father in heaven, and that is through Him. Look at it in…(John 14:6)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…. ‘No one comes to the Father except through Me”……( John 14:6)
Now everybody doesn’t have to be a great leader like Moses, or a major prophet like Elijah, but everybody has to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Think for a moment about what Jesus said here in (John 10:27-28)
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. John 10:27-28
When we develop a relationship with anyone, we know we eventually know their voice when we hear it. That’s what happens when we believe in Jesus Christ.
I talk more about that in the Blog Post titled, “what does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ”.
Beloveth, I want to leave you with this thought. If someone came to you expecting to live permanently in your house with you, simply because they know some facts about you, who you don’t know,..would you allow him in? Common sense says no. I don’t know you. That would be our thought, along with some other thoughts. This is the response Jesus said He also would have to those wanting to enter heaven who,.. He does not know.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’….( Matthew 7:21-23)