Gathered To Your People
By Dr. Ken Matto
There seems to be some confusion on the part of many
Christians concerning what happens when a Christian physically dies. Now I am
not speaking about the rapture on the last day, which Christ mentions five times
in the book of John. (John 6:39; 6:40; 6:44; 6:54; 11:24) Some Christians feel
that when a Christian dies there is a waiting time or they go to a place called
Abraham’s Bosom which is sort of a holding place for true believers until the
last day. However, the Bible is very clear on what happens to the believer when
they physically die. We do not have to concoct any scenarios because the Bible
is plain. Before we get into the promotion of the believer to glory, we must
know why the believer is able to go directly into the presence of the Lord upon
physical death.
Every person on earth has sinned and there is no
question about that. However, when a person becomes a Christian by the electing
grace of God, something happens to them internally. The flesh or our physical
body has not been redeemed but will continue to decay until it finally dies and
then it is buried where the body will continue to decompose until it is finally
gone. There will come a time on the last day when our body will be raised in the
resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:42 (KJV) So also is the resurrection of the
dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: The physical
body corrupts but the soul is eternal and cannot corrupt.
The change that the believer experiences is in the
soul. Our physical body is laden with sin and one can see the struggle the
Apostle Paul had as he details it in Romans 7:14-25. Before a person is saved,
the soul of that person is dead and will go along with whatever the flesh wants
to do. Ephesians 2:5 (KJV) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us
together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) This is why as unbelievers,
we did not have a problem committing sin because our dead soul and flesh were in
agreement. Now I want to take Ephesians 2:5 a little deeper because the real
person is the soul of a person and not the flesh. Romans 7:17 (KJV) Now then
it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. The apostle Paul
had a deep understanding of this situation. He states that when he sins that it
is no longer him that does it but sin that dwells in him. When a person becomes
saved, as I stated before, their physical body has not been redeemed and that is
where the sin lies. When Paul states that it is no longer him that does it, he
is referring to the real him which is the resurrected soul that he received at
the moment he was saved. We must be very careful that we never equate the dying
physical body with the resurrected soul. 2 Corinthians 4:16 (KJV) For which
cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is
renewed day by day. The resurrected soul of the believer is being renewed
and strengthened every day.
Let us briefly discuss the resurrected soul and what
it is. We see a good understanding of the resurrected soul in Revelation 20:5-6.
Now many erroneously attach these verses to some mythical thousand year reign of
Christ but the context of these verses cannot and do not support such a
teaching. If you notice that in these two verses, they speak about the first
resurrection. The key to understanding this is found in verse 6 where it states,
“on such the second death hath no power,” and we must understand what the second
death is. Revelation 20:14 (KJV) And death and hell were cast into the lake
of fire. This is the second death. The second death is when both death and
hell will be cast into the lake of fire. No longer will there be any sin, so the
consequences of sin which is hell and death will also be cast into the lake of
fire. This is called the second death or eternal damnation. (1 Cor 15:26
KJV) The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. The Apostle Paul had
given us prior knowledge that death would be the last enemy and in 20:14 we see
that death will be destroyed. No longer will anyone die in the New Heaven and
New Earth because only the redeemed of God will be there and they have been
granted eternal life through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. So we see
that the second death does not affect those who have become born again in
Christ. So we understand that those who have become born again in Christ are not
affected by the second death as recorded in Rev. 20:6.
Revelation 20:5-6 (KJV) But the rest of the dead
lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first
resurrection. {6} Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests
of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Romans 6:4 (KJV) Therefore we are buried with
him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans
6:4 spells it out for us that as Christ was raised we are also raised to live in
newness of life, that is we live the Christian walk.
Ephesians 2:6 (KJV) And hath raised us up
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 2:6 takes the raising of the believer further. Not only do we walk in
newness of life on this earth, God has already raised us up and from His vantage
point, we are already in Heaven with Christ. Now that is a great disclosure of
biblical truth concerning the believer. Now before we can get to this point in
our Christian walk, something had to take place within us so we can be qualified
to gain Heaven. Now we get to the reason that the true believer goes right into
the presence of the Lord upon their physical demise.
Psalm 103:12 (KJV) As far as the east is from the
west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Colossians 2:13-14 (KJV) And you, being dead
in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together
with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the handwriting
of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to his cross;
Isaiah 43:25 (KJV) I, even I, am he that
blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy
sins.
Hebrews 8:12 (KJV) For I will be merciful to
their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no
more.
Hebrews 10:17 (KJV) And their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more.
We see from these six verses that God not only removes
all sin from the soul of the believer, He blots out all ordinances against us,
He blots out all our transgressions, and three times He states that He will not
remember our sins. The reason that the believer, whether on the Old Testament
side or the New Testament side, can go right into the presence of the Lord is
because the believer has been fully cleansed by the blood of Christ and there is
now nothing hindering their entrance into Heaven. 1 Peter 1:4 (KJV) To an
inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in
heaven for you, The inheritance is already reserved for the believer so
there is no waiting period. Now let us attend to the examples in Scripture that
teach us of the instant translation of the believer.
Abraham
Genesis 25:8 (KJV) Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and
died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his
people.
If you notice the case of Abraham, that as soon as he
gave up the ghost, that is, as soon as he physically died he was gathered to his
people, and where is his people? They are in Heaven because Abraham was a
redeemed child of God.
Isaac
Genesis 35:29 (KJV) And Isaac gave up the ghost, and
died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons
Esau and Jacob buried him.
We see the same scenario with Isaac that as soon as he
gave up the ghost, he was instantly gathered to his people.
Jacob
Genesis 49:29 (KJV) And he charged them, and said unto
them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave
that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
Genesis 49:33 (KJV) And when Jacob had made an end of
commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the
ghost, and was gathered unto his people.
Here we read about Jacob that as soon as he laid in
bed and gave up the ghost that he was instantly translated into Heaven.
Aaron
Numbers 20:24 (KJV) Aaron shall be gathered unto his
people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the
children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
Numbers 20:26 (KJV) And strip Aaron of his garments,
and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people,
and shall die there.
Deuteronomy 32:50 (KJV) And die in the mount whither
thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in
mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:
Here we read that Aaron had died in Mount Hor and upon
his death, he was gathered unto his people, that is, instantly translated into
Heaven.
Moses
Deuteronomy 32:50 (KJV) And die in the mount whither
thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in
mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:
Numbers 27:13 (KJV) And when thou hast seen it, thou
also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.
Numbers 31:2 (KJV) Avenge the children of Israel of
the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
Here we read about Moses that he was to avenge the
children of the Midianites and then he would be permitted to see the promised
land and after he saw it, he would be gathered unto his people.
Thief on the Cross
Luke 23:43 (KJV) And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say
unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
The thief on the cross went to Heaven with the Lord
Jesus Christ. The teaching that Jesus went to the spirits in hell and preached
to them is a ridiculous teaching. Luke 23:46 (KJV) And when Jesus had cried
with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and
having said thus, he gave up the ghost. As soon as Jesus died, He commended
His spirit to the Father and his body was buried in Joseph’s tomb. Jesus didn’t
go to hell but went right to Heaven. As soon as the saved thief had died on his
cross, he went right into the presence of the Lord as the Lord promised him.
There was no wait or going to some place called Abraham’s bosom. Abraham’s bosom
is not a separate place, it is a synonym for Heaven because we already saw that
Abraham was gathered to his people and the redeemed of the Lord are in Heaven.
Revelation 6:9-11 (KJV) And when he had opened the
fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word
of God, and for the testimony which they held: {10} And they cried with a loud
voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge
our blood on them that dwell on the earth? {11} And white robes were given unto
every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a
little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should
be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Revelation 7:9 (KJV) After this I beheld, and, lo, a
great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and
people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with
white robes, and palms in their hands;
Revelation 6:9-11 and 7:9 reveal to us that there is a
great multitude in Heaven before the throne of the Lamb and notice they have
white robes which is representative of the fact that they are pure because of
the blood of Christ. So true believers do not go anywhere in this universe
except into the presence of the Lord upon their physical demise. If believers
did not go to Heaven, then where did that great multitude which no man can
number come from?
US
2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV) We are confident, I say, and
willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Paul speaks about being confident in the salvation of
the Lord that when we are absent from the body, that is, when we physically die,
our soul and spirit are separated from our body. The body goes into the ground
and the soul goes back to God. Ecclesiastes 12:7 (KJV) Then shall the dust
return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Summary
We have looked at quite a number of verses and have
plainly seen that God has removed our sins making our souls clean because of the
blood of Christ. This means that the real us, our soul and spirit, are readied
for Heaven and as soon as we physically die on this earth, the real us go
directly into Heaven, immediately into the presence of the Lord. There is no
waiting time or judgment because Christ already paid for our sins on the cross
and now there is nothing hindering our translation into Heaven. As we saw the
Old Testament Saints who were gathered to their people immediately upon their
physical demise, the same will be for us. As soon as our eyes close here for the
last time, and there will be a last time unless the Lord returns first, we will
go directly into the presence of the Lord. It will be an instant translation.
John 11:25 (KJV) Jesus said unto her, I am the
resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet
shall he live: