Where do Man Go When They Die?

By John Sun
Lets find out from God’s own words in the following:

1. ‘today you will be with me in paradise’

When Jesus was being crucified on the cross:

“One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, ‘So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself – and us, too, while you’re at it!’

But the other criminal protested, ‘Don’t you fear God even when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’

And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:39-43)

2. ‘the spirits in prison’

“Christ also suffered when he died for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners that he might bring us safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. So he went and preached to the spirits in prison – those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. And this is a picture of baptism, which now saves you by the power of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Baptism is not a removal of dirt from your body; it is an appeal to God from a clean conscience.” (1 Peter 3:18-22 NLT, also see 1 Corinthians 15:29, Isaiah 53:1-12 and 9:6-7)

3. ‘The Dead Know Nothing’

“For the wise person and the fool both die, and in the days to come, both will be forgotten.” (Ecclesiastes 2:16 NLT)

“The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. Whatever they did in their lifetime – loving, hating, envying – is all long gone. They no longer have a part in anything here on earth.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 NLT)

“Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NLT)

4. ‘The First Resurrection’

“Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus for proclaiming the word of God. And I saw the souls of those who had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.”(Revelation 20:4-6 NLT, also see 1 Thessalonians 4:16)

Since God made the first man (Adam) and until His Second Coming, all the man (except Jesus) who died are located in a “Waiting Room” – waiting for the First Resurrection or The Second Resurrection. This Waiting Room has also been called as the Paradise, the Prison, the Grave or the Hade in the Holy Bible.

“No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.” (John 3:13NKJV)

Except for Jesus who resurrected from the death to Heaven, no man (including Mary) has ever been resurrected to Heaven yet. Then, Can Mary pray for us?