While giving further thought to the concept of spiritual awareness after death, and before the rapture, I continue to hit some hurdles. Bear in mind also that I am still a young 2 year-old Christian.
In the famous 1Thessalonian verse, it tells that the dead in Christ will be raised first. And again reflecting on the biblical story of Lazarus and the rich man, we see that the rich man existed in Hades, a fiery place deep within the earth, or in some extra-dimensional realm beyond our understanding. But I see it more likely as being deep within the physical earth, where assuredly there is great heat.
At the same time, we see Lazarus residing across a fixed gulf, in Abraham's Bosom, apparently in view of the hellish Hades realm. And Abraham's Bosom is/was a realm of great peace and comfort.
In order for someone to be raised, they must first reside in a low position, relative to the intended destination! of ascension. If we go to heaven if we die saved in Christ prior to the rapture, how can we be raised up in the rapture, if we already reside in the Highest realm? Note also that in Revelation 20 it states that Death and Hades are raised later at this time after the Millenial reign.
As Jesus hung on the cross, He promised the thief he would be with Him that day in paradise. But from what I understand of scripture, Jesus went into Abraham's Bosom immediately after He died, and remained there for three days prior to His resurrection.Therefore, the thief died in Christ, and he was indeed with Jesus on that day....In Abraham's Bosom.
Also in the 1 Thessalonians 4:14 verse it says if we believe that Jesus died and rose, God will bring these with Him, at this rapture event. In verse 15, it goes on to say that those who are alive and remain at this time shall not prevent those sleeping from rising. So! if we are asleep after death, how can we be aware and conscious in a heavenly realm? I know we will instantly receive our new bodies at the time of the rapture, and our old shells will remian. Many have also been cremated, and thier shells no longer exist in any way but ash. Therefore, it seems obvious that it is our spirits which are raised, and not our bodies. We get our new bodies upon arrival in the air.
But if we are aware the whole time in Abraham's Bosom, it is not hard to imagine that we can still be with Jesus, before we are raised to physically be with Jesus. He is omnipresent after-all, and nothing is impossible with the Lord. I have heard it said that Jesus emptied Abraham's Bosom at Ascension, when He unlocked the gates of heaven. But this still does not explain why the description of being raised is depicted in this rapture passage.
Often, I have pondered upon several verses in John where Jesus says He ! will raise us up at the last day. Prior to becoming firmly rooted in the blessed pre-trib rapture hope, I feared this spoke of the very last day of the tribulation period, upon His Physical return to earth. But now I can surmise this means the very last day of the Age of Grace, prior to the tribulation.....
Even so, we are still raised.
Jim M.
I do not have time to research and give you all the Scriptures, but for 2,000 years Bible-believing Christian scholars almost unanimously agree that at physical death the spirit (and our conscientiousness) goes to be with the Lord and the body decays, to be later resurrected.
Jim