Absent from the Body, Naked and Unclothed

Hades/Sheol

So many Christians, including many preachers and teachers have taught “2 Corinthians 5:8 says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”, to support that when we die in Christ, we go straight to heaven. But is that what 2 Corinthians 5:8 really says?

Let’s see what the verse says:

“we are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord”

This does not say that when you are away from the body, that means you are at home with the Lord. Paul is saying that we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

When I say something like, “I would rather be away from my home and at the cabin with my family”, does that mean that those are the only two possible locations to be? Absolutely not. Just the only two mentioned.

This verse is not only taken out of context but also misquoted to make the point that directly after death, you enter into your eternal location, at least those who die in Christ.

The Tent, The Building, and Being Naked

At the beginning of 2 Corinthians 5, we read about a “tent” that is our earthly dwelling or earthly bodies, and a building from God that is eternal in the heavens that we long to put on.

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, - 2 Corinthians 5:1-2

But we also read in verse 3, about being naked, unclothed by either the tent or building, that we don’t long for but seems to be between having our tent and the building from God.

 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. - 2 Corinthians 5:3

Mortal and Immortal Bodies

1 Corinthians 15:35-54 speaks about a perishable or mortal body and an imperishable or immortal body. And those who die in a Christ were sown/created perishable, dishonorable, weak, and natural mortal bodies but are raised imperishable, glorious, powerful, immortal spiritual bodies.

Verse 50 says that flesh and blood(which is our natural bodies) can not inherit the Kingdom of God, verse 52 says that at the trumpet sound(which is the second coming of Jesus, which we will get to), the dead will be raised imperishable and will be changed.

Verse 53 says that the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality. This sounds a lot like the tent and the heavenly building, doesn’t it?

Going to Prepare a Place

In John 14, Jesus himself says that he is going to prepare a place for us in his Father’s house… and wait for it… and that he will come again and take us himself.

In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. - John 14:2-3

This is Jesus saying that he will return and then at that time, take us to the Father’s house. Some people could try to argue that the time Jesus was referring to in John 14, is when He was crucified, resurrected, and ascended. But Jesus did not go to heaven when he died; therefore, he couldn’t have gone to prepare anything during the 3 days he was dead, because he was in the “heart of the earth”, in “Hades” or “Sheol”. It wasn’t until his ascension that he went to Heaven to prepare a place for us.

For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. - Matthew 12:40

(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) -Ephesians 4:9-10

For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
    or let your Holy One see corruption. - Acts 2:27

The Second Coming

The return that Jesus talks about in John 14 is the coming of the Lord or the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Jesus talks about this in Matthew 24 and 25, Luke 21, Matthew 16:17, John 6:40, Mark 8:38, Luke 9:26 and more.

Now some get confused about all of this when they read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and Ephesians 4:8. In 1 Thessalonians 4, Verse 14 says “we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” which alone, sounds as if the righteous dead are coming from heaven with God and Jesus. But remember, Jesus said that it isn’t until his return that he will take with him his people to his Father’s house.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

Verses 15-17 explain verse 14.

First, in verse 15, it says that those of us who are still alive when Christ returns will not go ahead of those who died in Christ. Then in verse 16, Paul, Silas, and Timothy say that the dead in Christ will rise first. And finally in verse 17, it says that those of us in Christ, that are still alive and left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Air.

Ephesians 4:8 can be confusing too.

Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
    and he gave gifts to men.”

Often this is understood to be that when Jesus ascended into heaven, he took the righteous “captives” from Hades and led them to heaven with him, which alone does seam to say something of the sort. But we have to remember, scripture can not and will not contradict itself. There are too many pieces of scripture that does not support this idea for it to be the case.

So, who are the captives?

John 8 is somewhat of a long chapter, and it is packed full of amazing words from Jesus. In this chapter, Jesus is in the Temple teaching and the Pharisees are questioning Jesus. In Verse 21 Jesus says to the Pharisees “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come”.

Verse 31 and 32 says “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” Free? Free from what? From captivity maybe?

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. - John 8:34-36

Jesus goes on and says that they are the sons of their father, the devil.

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:8-10

Now, much can be said about these verses, but that is for another time. Verse 8 says the reason Jesus came was to destroy the works of the devil, he did that by defeating death, returning from Hades, and then ascending into the Heavens. Part of destroying the works of the devil is setting the slaves to sin free. I believe that the “captives” in Ephesians 4:8, are the slaves of sin that Jesus came to save. We know that Jesus came as our savior, to be a sacrifice for the sins of those who put their faith in him. Setting us, captives of sin, free.

In John 8:51, Jesus says “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”, but we know that everybody dies an earthly death, both righteous and unrighteous. This death must be the second death, destruction in the Lake of Fire at Judgement day.

So where are the dead in Christ?

Well they are in the same place as the dead that are not in Christ, the same place Jesus went when he died before he rose, they are in Hades, or the Hebrew word Sheol.

Hades sounds like a bad place, but it isn’t. It is just a “holding place” for the dead. Likely a sleeping place. I believe it is an unconscious intermediate place, between earthly death and the coming of the Lord and Judgement day.

It is not uncommon for Biblical authors to refer to the dead as “sleeping”. I don’t believe this to be a misinterpretation or a metaphor. I believe when we die, we are unclothed or naked, in a sleep-like state, awaiting judgement. After all, how could anyone be placed in the Kingdom of God or cast into the Lake of Fire without judgement?

In Matthew 24-25, Jesus tells his disciples about his second coming and the “end of the age”.

In Chapter 25, starting in verse 31, Jesus teaches them about Judgement day which happens to be upon his arrival at the second coming. Jesus sits on his throne, the nations gathered and he separates the sheep from the goats. Sheep’s on the right, goats on the left.

In Verse 34 Jesus says to the Sheep “come you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.”

In verse 41 Jesus says to the goats “depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Then in verse 46, talking about the unrighteous”then they will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. John 5:28-29

Jesus is speaking about a one time Judgement event.

John also talks about judgement day in Revelation 20:11-15. Jesus’s great white throne is seen just like in Matthew 25, Jesus sits on his throne. John saw the dead “great and small” standing before the throne, likely a parallel to the sheep and goats, or righteous and unrighteous. John said that the dead were given up out of Hades(which is what we are discussing),the sea, and death.

John says that the dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Paul says in Romans 14:12 that “each of us will give an account of himself to God”, talking about those in Christ. Peter says in 1 Peter 4:5 “they will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead”, talking about the pagans.

And finally in Revelation 20:15, John says that “anyone who’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire”, which in Rev 21:8 God clarifies that this is the “second death.”

Who is in Heaven?

For further biblical proof, let’s see who has gone to or is in heaven.

Jesus says in John 3:13 “no one has ascended into heaven except he who has descended from heaven, the Son of Man”

Hebrews 11:39-40, talking about the saints of the Old Testament, says “and all of these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” US, the author, being alive when he wrote this, writing to others who are alive, says that the Old Testament saints along with the living readers, and presumptively, every one who dies and lives in Christ up until judgement day, will be made perfect together at once.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Philippians 3:20-21

The reason we eagerly await Jesus’s return is because it is not until then that we enter the Kingdom of God, eternal life, Heaven.

Conclusion

Ask yourself: If Judgement day for both the righteous and the unrighteous is not until Jesus’s Second comings how could anyone be in Heaven or the Lake of Fire?

And if you hold to some sort of conscious intermediate state belief, where the righteous and unrighteous are separated, the same question should be asked: if Judgement day hasn’t happened yet, how or when were they judged and separated?

I believe that the teaching of either a conscious intermediate state or direct to eternity after death, takes away the importance of Judgement day, which Jesus taught many times.

The point that Paul is trying to make in 2 Corinthians 5:8 is that he longs to be separated from his flesh and be present with God in His Kingdom. Because in our sinful flesh, we ca not be physically present with the Lord, only once we are transformed and made perfect in our spiritual bodies.