We should not base our whole theology on just one verse; in light of the weight of evidence that is presented by the many verses which oppose our position.

There is a theory out there, about going to heaven before the actual time of the two resurrections.  They teach that as soon as you die you goto to either heaven or hell.  But is this really biblical?

Acts 24  (v. 15) I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

Here the Apostle Paul states that he believes there will be a resurrection of people who have died.  How can there be a resurrection of dead people if they are already in heaven or hell?   Another bible verse from the Apostle John about the two resurrections:

John 5  (v. 28) Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice. (v. 29) and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

But doesn’t that conflict with what Jesus said in Luke 23?

Luke 23  (v. 42) Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” (v. 43) And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

This verse sounds like Jesus took the thief on the cross to heaven that same day.   [ “Today” ]   Did Jesus and the thief die on the same day?

John 19  (v. 33) But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

This account in John states that Jesus died before the two thieves on the cross; so He couldn’t have brought the thief to heaven that same day.  [ “Today” ]

Also another point worth explaining about this issue, we know that Jesus died on the Preparation Day, which is Friday, the day before the Sabbath.

Mark 15  (v. 37) And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. (v. 39) Now when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said: “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” (v. 42) Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is the day before the Sabbath, (v. 43) Joseph of Arimathea....went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Now in comparing Mark’s story with John’s we read about the encounter that Jesus had with Mary, just two days later.  The first day of the week is on Sunday.

John 20  (v. 1) On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early....and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. (v. 11) ....Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down.... (v. 15) Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?  Whom are you seeking?  (v. 17) Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father;” but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”   

So, it has been two days later and Jesus still has not gone to heaven!!  Mark also agrees with John, that Jesus did not goto heaven on the same day that He died.  Nor was He able to bring the thief to heaven on that same day either.

Mark 16  (v. 1) Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene.... (v. 2) very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb.... (v. 9) Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene.... (v. 14) Afterward He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table.... (v. 19) So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven....

So, this verse states that Jesus went to heaven on Sunday and not when He died on Friday.  The apparent contradiction, clears up when we consider that the punctuation was added by uninspired men, during the translation to English.

Let’s go back to ( Luke 23:43 ) and re-read the verse with the comma placed after the word “today” instead of before, makes a very big difference in the meaning!

Luke 23  (v. 43) And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Now, it sounds like Jesus is re-assuring this thief that day [ “today” ], even though it doesn’t look like I can save anybody on this cross, but I am making this statement “today,” that you will be in Paradise with Me.  He doesn’t say when the thief will be in heaven, but only re-assures him that he will be there with Him.

There is another verse, where the translators made a punctuation error, with a comma in the Authorized King James Version.  It says that handkerchiefs and aprons get sick, because the comma should be placed after the word “sick” and not after the word aprons.

Acts 19  (v. 11) And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: (v. 12) So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

Another verse that believers try to use, to prove that everybody goes to heaven or hell at death.  That phrase from the Apostle Paul, “to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”

II Cor 5  (v. 1) For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (v. 6) Therefore we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. (v. 8) We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Let us read this passage again, but from another version called the New Living Translation (NLT).

2 Cor 5  1.For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2.We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3.For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 6.So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 8.Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

It certainly does appear that the Apostle Paul is saying, that we goto heaven as soon as we die.  But is that what this verse really means?  Being that the Apostle Paul wrote the books of Thessalonians, and Philippians, and Corinthians; one would have to agree that his message must not conflict with each other.  Let’s take a look at a few verses from these books and compare.

I  Thes 4  (v. 14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. (v. 16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout....and the dead in Christ will rise first. (v. 17) ....And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Phil 3  (v. 20) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (v. 21) who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body....

I  Cor 15  (v. 52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye....For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (v. 53) For this....mortal must put on immortality.

So, while we are living on this earth in these mortal bodies, we can be with the Lord in the spirit but not physically, because sinful flesh cannot be in the presence of the Lord.  He is a consuming fire.  We must have our glorified bodies, that are made like His.

I  Cor 15  (v. 50) Now this I say...that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God....

All through the bible we read that, the dead know nothing, they stay in the grave until the resurrection.  And everybody would agree that, it is better to be away from this fleshly body of sin and to be with the Lord, but we will be there with a glorified body, not a spirit or a soul floating around.