Five Minutes After You Die: It Was Worth It

by David Chadwick

What happens five minutes after you die? You will have an immediate awareness of your surroundings. You will see Jesus face to face. You will experience eternal, perfect peace. It will be like awakening from a deep, restful sleep.

What else? You realize it was worth it.

What was worth it, you might ask? All that you walked through in this life!

How? You will see the providence of God working in your life. You will find out why he let certain things happen to you. You will see the full picture. You will no longer see in part and know in part. You will fully understand and fully know the fullness of God and the glorious presence of fellowship with Jesus!

This is so hard to comprehend on this side of eternity while we are still living in the midst of so much pain, uncertainty, hurt, and brokenness. When we are experiencing so much chaos, it’s hard to even comprehend that it has a purpose. But the Bible says that God is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).

I have often joked that I think the most often spoken word in heaven is “Oh!” as God reveals to each of us how he was working out his purposes in our lives for his glory.

That is what Romans 8:18-24 means when Paul says that everything here that is groaning in pain will have it all alleviated in heaven. That our current sufferings pale in comparison to the glory that is coming.

It’s what Paul meant in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 when he said our present difficulties are “light and momentary” in comparison to the eternal glory of heaven. Think about it: our pain has tremendous purpose in light of God’s eternal plan.

God always has purpose in the pain. In the victories. In the trials. In the successes. In the tragedies. All things are working for our good and his glory in this world. In the first five minutes in heaven, we will say, “Oh! It was worth it! It was ALL worth it!”

Five Minutes After You Die: There Will Be Perfect Peace

by David Chadwick

Peace is such a powerful word. It’s not just the absence of chaos. It’s wholeness in the midst of a storm. It’s rest. Quietness. Tranquility. In fact, one of the biblical definitions for one of the Greek words for “peace” implies being exempt from the rage and havoc of war.

What is something else that happens five minutes after you die? You will be in perfect peace!

The Bible is very clear that in this world, we will have trouble (John 16:33). But in the same verse, he promises us peace. He promises undisturbed wholeness in the midst of the burdens, afflictions, tribulations, and anguish of this world.

Our world throws us empty promises on a regular basis. Promises of temporary “peace” and comfort through carnal solutions. Take this medication. Eat this food. Buy this drink. Watch this tv show. Date this person. Land this business deal. Fill your immediate desires. But the peace that Jesus gives us is a very different peace than the world offers (John 14:27).

The peace of Jesus exists outside of our earthly circumstances. It is untethered to this carnal world. It shines in the face of destruction. Jesus’s peace is untouchable to the enemy’s schemes. Someone once described it as, “joy in chaos. Peace that makes no sense.”

The peace that Jesus offers in this broken world is leading us to the ultimate, eternal peace we will find in heaven. That’s what Revelation 21:4 clearly states when it says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.” In an instant, all fear, heartbreak, and grief will melt away. They simply won’t exist anymore.

From the reality of perfect peace, I think we will move toward worship. Profound, unabashed, relentless worship. Did you know that right now, thousands upon thousands of angels are presently worshipping God? They cry out, “Holy, holy, holy” and “Worthy is the Lamb seated on the throne.” As are the saints who have gone before us.

We will join in on that chorus!

Our worship will create extraordinary, eternal joy in our hearts. There will be no religion in heaven, just an eternal relationship with the King of kings and the Lord of lords, which will motivate more and more worship for all eternity.

Heaven will resound with perfect peace.

Five Minutes After You Die: See Jesus Face to Face

by David Chadwick

What happens five minutes after you die? You will have immediate awareness of your surroundings. Eternity is real. Both heaven and hell are real. The Gospel of Jesus is real! And because of that, do you know what else will happen? You will see Jesus face to face!

When Stephen was being stoned in Acts 7:55-56, he looked into heaven and saw Jesus standing before the throne. It says that Stephen, “full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” Pause for a moment and imagine how powerful this vision must have been.

I find Stephen’s vision to be fascinating. It is almost as if Jesus were giving this faithful steward of the gospel a standing ovation for his courage and boldness during his final breaths.

Let’s look at some other Bible verses that also stir up a great anticipation of seeing Jesus face to face one day.

1 John 3:2 says, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

Or how about 1 Corinthians 13:12? It says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

Now try to imagine, as best you can, Jesus’s face. Full of love. Tenderness. Mercy. Kindness. Compassion. His eyes locked in with yours. A gaze of tremendous intentionality. His smiling face. Arms reached out. You finally realize you are surrounded by perfect grace.

The face of Jesus that greets us in eternity will be a face that shouts, “Welcome home!” And maybe a standing ovation like Stephen received?

Dear friends, this world is not our home. Heaven is. 2 Corinthians 5:1 clearly states, “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

May we all eagerly await the day when we see Jesus face-to-face and that becomes fully realized.