This topic came to mind when I was making my personal editorial calendar last July. I had no idea what to write for this topic back then, but I just thought the title was suitable for the occasion. So methinks I’ll allow the Spirit’s leading. Little did I know God had already prepared the contents of this article beforehand. 😀

I got the idea for this content from last Sunday’s preaching. There was a part of the message where Pastor Rev (as in Rev from “revelation?” I’d better ask him next time :-D) explained the events in Revelation 21. I thought I’d dig deeper into this topic. Thus, this article.

Do Souls Really Linger in this World?

I searched the web about where souls stay or go. I ended up reading the entire chapter of Revelation 21 yet again, as well as all other sources I could find on the internet. Indeed, it was all a “revelation” to me.

Ah yes, 5 years of being a Christian, and yet there are still a lot of things in the Bible that aren’t clear to me or have to be revealed to me yet. I guess this is part of every Christian’s walk and spiritual journey – wisdom is given not in one single bulk, but through a series of learnings.

So here are 3 ideas I have discovered today while doing my research on this topic though there are different perspectives about where souls go after death depending on the Christian denomination:

1. Souls of believers go to heaven right away to be with God.

Most Christian denominations agree that when believers die, their souls go straight to heaven and are now with God. Our mortal bodies will be left here on earth when we pass on.

But these mortal bodies will one day be resurrected from the graves to be made new and will be joined to their respective souls who are with God in heaven.

During the Rapture, these resurrected bodies / souls of the dead, along with Jesus, will meet midway with the believers who are still alive and who will also be given immortal and glorified physical bodies once they ascend.

According to Scripture,

“The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” – Ecclesiastes 12:7

The Return of the Lord

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.

First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.”

– 1 Thessalonians 4:13‭-‬18

2. Our souls as believers will be judged based on how we lived, and we will be rewarded accordingly.

There will be two judgments: The Judgment of Believers and the Judgment of Unbelievers. For the former, we will be granted rewards or inheritances in heaven depending on what we did as Christians and as believers when we were still alive.

For the latter, this judgment is for the unbelievers only, and it will take place much later. While doing my research, I have found this timeline of events during the last days:

The Complete Order of Events:

1. The Rapture (Believers are taken to heaven)
2. The Bema Seat Judgment / Judgment of Believers (Happens in heaven while earth experiences the Tribulation)
3. The 7-Year Tribulation (Takes place on earth)
4. The Second Coming (Jesus returns to earth to end the Tribulation and the Battle of Armageddon ensues where Satan is defeated and sent to the bottomless pit)
5. The 1,000-Year Kingdom (Jesus reigns on earth and at the end of this period, Satan is released for a short while, but Jesus defeated him once and for all and cast him to the lake of fire) 
6. The Great White Throne Judgment / Judgment of Unbelievers (Final judgment for unbelievers at the end of time)
7. The New Heaven and the New Earth

The New Jerusalem

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End.

To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

– Revelation 21:1‭-8

3. The souls of unbelievers only have one chance to get to heaven. And that is to repent and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior before their first earthly death.

“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Rev 20:15

Indeed, heaven is God’s home, and we need to settle our “accountabilities” first here on earth before we can enter in His Kingdom.

For now, let’s remember those who have already joined our Creator in His glorious home during this 3-day observance of Allhallowtide. <3