Five Minutes After You Die: Immediate Awareness

by David Chadwick

Death is often people’s greatest fear. But as followers of Jesus, who carry the hope of heaven, we need not fear death. 1 Corinthians 15:55 says, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Over the next couple of weeks, we are going to take some time to look at what happens five minutes after you die. People all over seem to be fascinated with near-death experiences and life after death, so let’s take a look at this topic together. Each day, we will study one specific reality of what will happen after we die. Join me on this journey.

Five minutes after you die, you will have immediate awareness of your surroundings.

Please note here that this is assuming you are a believer in Jesus. In John 11:25-26, Jesus said that he is the resurrection and the life and that those who believe in him, though they die in the physical, they will never die. Never means never! This must mean that believers in Jesus will have some sort of immediate awareness of heaven and its surroundings.

In Luke 16:19-30, Jesus talks about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. The rich man cared about nothing other than himself, even though the poor man resided outside his gates every day. Both men died. The poor man was taken to Abraham’s bosom, also known as paradise, but the rich man went to Hades. “Being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side” (Luke 16:23). Verse 26 describes a great chasm fixed between the two men. This passage clearly shows that both men, upon death, were immediately aware of their surroundings.

With the thief on the cross, Jesus said that “today” he would be with him in paradise. This, once again, shows an immediate presence with Jesus forever in the glory of heaven.

When our eyes close for the final moment here on earth and we breathe our last breath, it will be more like falling into a deep sleep and then awakening in heaven’s glory. You will be beautifully aware of all that’s going on around you. This is why, as followers of Jesus, death should not be feared! It’s more like going to sleep and then awakening soon thereafter, with an immediate awareness of our Creator God!

Please make sure you will awaken in Abraham’s bosom, heaven, and not in Hades like the Rich Man!

The Hope of Heaven: Purposeful and Meaningful Work

by David Chadwick

Today, we conclude our two-week study on heaven. The hope and majesty of this eternal reality is made known to anyone who puts his or her faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

Work is important to the Lord. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10b says, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” From the beginning of time, and even after the Fall, God has designed his children to work hard.

Work here on earth can certainly be wonderful. It feels good to accomplish a task. Whereas Satan has taken God’s intention for labor and made it arduous, exhausting, and destructive, God’s original design was for work to be a good gift.

Did you know that there will also be purposeful and meaningful work in heaven for us all? Isaiah 65 talks about how in the new heavens and the new earth, joy and gladness will be everywhere. Verse 21 says, “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” Clearly work will continue in heaven.

The difference between work in heaven and work on earth will be the absence of thorns and thistles that make work toilsome and hard. What came as a curse to make work hard here simply won’t exist in heaven.

As Jesus walked this earth, he implied that those who do a good job overseeing his possessions here will be given an even larger responsibility in heaven. He even suggested in Luke 19 that we will help oversee cities in heaven! Isn’t that interesting to think that there will be cities in heaven, stretched throughout his universe?

There will be continued creativity, hard work, and a sense of lasting accomplishment as we joyfully serve and worship the Lord and sit under his eternal oversight. All that we enjoy here will be eternally enjoyed in heaven.

Cling to the hope of heaven! Jesus is coming back soon!

The Hope of Heaven: Eternal Relationships and Friendships

by David Chadwick

Eternal relationships and friendships will be a special part of the new heaven and new earth. Jesus implies in Luke 16:9 that we will have friends in heaven. Jesus basically tells his followers to use earthly riches to build relationships, knowing that it will form eternal bonds.

All of our family and friends who love Jesus will be in heaven. We will also make new friends like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and all of the kings and prophets in the Old Testament. We will befriend the saints and disciples like Peter, Paul, John, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and others who have loved our Lord through the ages.

The martyrs will become our friends. As will the millions upon millions of angels. They will never die. They will always be there, standing with us and for us.

Never again will there be betrayal, treachery, slander, gossip, and hurtful actions. There will only be eternal love and acceptance among us. It’s hard to even comprehend how perfect perfection will be.

This world is so broken, and it is easy to become complacent and to forget what will happen on the other side of the squalor of this world.

Might we be able to travel around the solar system together? Explore the vastness of God’s newly created order? Share eternal memories with those we love the most? Who knows? But perfect joy and peace will be ever-present. The joy of the Lord will finally be our permanent strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

One final thought: in heaven, we will worship forever before Jesus and relish in his gift of eternal life to us. The people surrounding us in this regular worship will be the people we love the most! It will be so wonderful.