Question: When a believing loved one dies, would he go straight to heaven or stay on earth for a few days first?

Answer: Yes. He goes immediately to be with Jesus. Remember, the criminal on the cross who believed in Jesus? The Lord said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk. 23:43). The criminal-turned-believer’s spirit and soul will immediately go to heaven to be with Jesus because his faith in Jesus earned him full forgiveness of sins. This is the grace of God exemplified. It is false to say that his spirit and soul will linger on Earth for 40-days. This is a traditional religious mindset coming from a wrong interpretation of the Scripture. As Paul put it, being absent from the body means being present with the Lord (see Ecc. 12:7; 2 Cor. 5:8)

Question: Will we recognize each other in heaven?

Answer: Yes, indeed! As we can see from the Scripture, this is a true. Despite the fact that the rich guy went to hell, he was able to recognize Abraham on the other side. Even the apostles who had never met Moses or Elijah were able to recognize them (see Lk. 16:23-25; Matt. 17:3-4).

Question: Will my parents, spouse, and children on earth be the same people closely related to me by blood in heaven?

Answer: Not any longer. Given that they are believers, when you reach heaven, your parents, spouse, and children will no longer be your parents, spouse, and children. In paradise, everyone will be a part of one big spiritual family. Consider this: if we preserve our worldly relationships in heaven, there will undoubtedly be tribal separation among us due to local families and clans (Mt. 22:30). As Paul states, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named” (Eph 3:14-15). It’s worth noting that the words “all family” are both singular in Greek, representing a single spiritual family.

Question: If an unbeliever dies without a relationship with Christ, will he be tormented immediately?

Answer: Yes, this is correct. You’ll learn about it in the account of the rich man who died and was immediately tormented in hell. Some claim that the narrative of Lazarus and the wealthy man is a parable, however this is incorrect because parables rarely include people’s names. And in that account, Jesus cited the common name Lazarus to inform people, not of a principle, but of the reality of a place of torment. (Luke 16:19-31)

Question: Is there a chance for a person to go to heaven when they die?

Answer: Unfortunately, there isn’t any. It is here on earth that we make our final decision to accept Christ. Unbelievers who do not receive and believe in Jesus are regarded damned until they receive Christ. If he dies while under condemnation, however, he is immediately doomed to the same place of agony as the rich man. They will be cast into an everlasting hell prepared for Satan and his demons at some point in the future. (Jn. 3:18; Lk 16:19-31; Mt 25:43) This is why it is critical to spread the gospel to every person on the planet.

Question: Where will babies go when they die?

Answer: Some say that you need to water baptized your baby to secure salvation. But how can a baby publicly declare his faith since water baptism is to proclaim one’s faith in Christ? Others say that infants are saved because their parents are believers. But didn’t the Bible say each of one will be accountable when he dies? If this is the case, then how can we be accountable for our baby’s eternal destiny? 

So where will a baby go when he dies? Since babies and little children before the age of reason has no way to make a decision then it is only because of God’s grace that they are allowed to enter the kingdom of God. Some theologians call this “special grace” because it’s a kind of grace that one received even without acknowledging the Lord Jesus Christ in their life. One evidence can be found in the experience of David when his son died. He said, “But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Sam. 12:23). As you see, David said that he can go to that place where his son is located. And where is that place located? I’m sure it’s heaven. Even the Lord Jesus Christ assured that the kingdom of God belongs to such children. (Mk. 10:14; Lk. 18:16)

Question: Is it right to say, “May he/she rest in peace?”

Answer: I don’t think it’s appropriate to speak these words in general since we don’t know if the individual has actually entered rest in Christ and has God’s peace in his life. At the same time, the words “may” suggest the possibility that the person who died actually rested in peace, implying that there is no guarantee of salvation or being in the presence of the Lord.   

Question: Will my pet dog be in heaven when he dies?

Answer: Animals are not mentioned in the Bible as being resurrected, but they may be recreated by God in the New Heavens and New Earth. (Isa. 11:6-7) 

Question: Is it true that the souls of my deceased family members continue to linger on Earth after their deaths?

Answer: No. This isn’t what the Bible says. Many people with Roman Catholic religious backgrounds misunderstood Jesus’ forty-day stay on earth. This ignores the fact that He stayed in His glorified body, not His spiritual body, for forty days. In reality, Jesus ate with the apostles to demonstrate that He had a body. If people see and feel spirits, they are referred to as demonic spirits, who are so familiar with the lifestyles of the dead that they mimic them in order to deceive the people on Earth. (Acts 1:3; Lk. 24:36-43).      

Question: What is this place called Abraham’s Bosom?

Answer: Many people believed that Abraham’s bosom was a “stop-over” location for the Old Testament saints prior to Christ’s resurrection. However, I do not believe this is the correct interpretation of the phrase. Abraham’s bosom only suggests that Lazarus is very close to Abraham. A location associated with the Jewish patriarch. The terms “heaven,” “paradise,” and “Abraham’s bosom” are nearly synonymous. There is no such thing as a “stop-over” location for the patriarchs of the Old Testament before they enter heaven. Remember when the apostles witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration? Moses and Elijah were among those who accompanied him. Do we truly want to believe that Jesus was in Abraham’s bosom at the time? What about when Jesus said to the repentant criminal on the cross just before His resurrection, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise?” And where exactly is this paradise? It is the same location where Jesus returns to be with His Father in heaven. The word “heaven” appears frequently in the Old Testament as a place where God dwells. And it was here that the Old Testament saints went before Jesus’ resurrection. (Lk. 23:43; Psa. 11:4)

Question: Does a person “sleep” when he dies?

Answer: No. Due to cultural practices, the word “sleep” in the ancient Near East is only a euphemism for saying “dead” or “death.” He is not simply unconscious, nor is he in a soul sleep. A dead person appears to be sleeping, but his spirit and soul are already conscious with the Lord. Remember what happened to Lazarus and the rich man after they died? They were both acutely aware that the richman is in pain. (Ecc. 12:7; Heb. 9:27; Luke 16:19-31) 

Question: Is cremation an acceptable practice by Israelites and Christians in the Bible?

Answer: No. Because of how the pagans mutilate the dead bodies of their enemies, the Israelites only practiced cremation in a few cases. They do not, however, usually practice cremation. They fully understand and know that God is capable of creating a glorified body for the believers who died, but their respect for the body remains such that they do not burn it because they know it was created by God. One will notice how they care for Jesus’ body, which was wrapped in linen strips and laced with spices to keep it from decaying. It’s also worth noting that a buried dead body, rather than burned bodies, has become a symbol for water baptism.

Cremation has been a practiced by Hindus and Buddhists for thousands of years because it aligns with their beliefs and allows their dead loved ones to be released from their bodies in order to be reborn (reincarnation). The fire is chosen because it purifies them and scares away the evil spirits, demons, and ghosts. Despite the fact that the Bible does not forbid cremation, this does not mean that believers are free to practice it. They should always act on their convictions, which are fully grounded in the pages of the Bible, rather than because cremation is more cost effective. Cremations should only be performed if the reasons for doing so are valid, such as the prevention of infectious disease among others. This is another exception to the rule, similar to what the people of Jabesh-Gilead did with Saul and his sons’ dead bodies to prevent the enemies from desecrating it. (Rom. 6:4; 1 Sam. 31:11-13; 1 Cor. 15:35-49; Jn. 19:40)