When people speak of heaven, many will conjure up images of their favorite places (the beach, the desert, the mountains), or they describe some sort of disembodied existence where their immortal soul will finally be set free from the limitations imposed upon it by the human body. I’ve heard many people who should know better speak of heaven in terms of pearly gates (manned by St. Peter himself), with streets of gold (as merely a symbol of material wealth), and where daily existence centers around the pleasurable activities which the departed enjoyed while still on earth—usually their favorite hobby or activity. Sadly, none of these images accurately reflect the biblical teaching regarding heaven.

To remedy this sad state of affairs, whenever we speak of heaven we need to carefully distinguish between the intermediate state (which deals with the question of where the soul goes after we die) and the eternal state (which speaks to the nature of human existence after the resurrection of the body at the end of the age).

As for the intermediate state, the question “where do we go when we die?” was answered indirectly by Paul in his second Corinthian letter when he wrote “we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Paul told the church in Philippi that “my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Philippians 1:23). Jesus told the repentant thief on the cross, “truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). And then, the author of Hebrews describes the church as, “the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23). Where do believers go when we die? We immediately enter into the presence of the Lord at the moment of death.

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