Do We Sleep After Death or Go to Heaven?

According to these passages, a person who belongs to Jesus does not simply sleep in an unconscious state after death. The body dies, but the reborn spirit goes to heaven, into the Lord’s presence, and later the body will be raised and changed when Christ returns.

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The teaching on this page is Marilyn Hickey's, in her own words. The few lines we add only connect them.

Do believers go to heaven when they die?

Yes. Notice the answer is direct. The teaching here does not present death for a believer as a blank nothingness. It points to immediate welcome into God’s presence.

Jesus told us in the story of Lazarus and the rich man that angels will usher us into the presence of the Lord upon our deaths (see Luke 16:22). I’m pretty sure that Jesus will be first in the reception line of your friends and family who have gone on before you and who are waiting to greet you.

Do not miss this. The language is not about delay without awareness. It speaks about being ushered into the presence of the Lord upon death. That is why heaven is a real hope, not wishful thinking. Keep moving forward!

Do we sleep after death, or does part of us go to heaven?

Look at the distinction carefully. The body is not the whole story. These passages separate the death of the body from the destination of the spirit.

Your flesh and blood can’t make it into heaven. If you are born-again when you die, your reborn spirit will go to heaven, and you will be like Jesus: “We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). When Christ returns to Earth, your body will be raised from the dead and changed to be like His (see 1 Corinthians 15:50–54). You will love that body! Your glorified body will be infinitely better—no more sickness, pain, wrinkles, fat, or gray hair.

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8

Remember, the future resurrection of the body does not cancel the present hope of heaven. It explains what happens next. The believer’s spirit goes to heaven, and later the body is raised and changed.

What is heaven like after death?

Heaven is not presented here as a dream state or a vague feeling. It is described as a real place, full of God’s presence, freedom from pain, and unbroken fellowship.

Heaven is paradise! It isn’t a state of mind or a theme park of streets paved with gold, pearly gates, and chubby cherubs riding on the clouds. It’s a beautiful place where you are free from every pain, care, and limitation. Jesus has been preparing a place there for those who have a personal relationship with Him, and once you go, you never have to return to the cares of life!

We also know that there will be no more sickness, disease, hunger, or thirst, no more crying, and no more death. Rather, “The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10).

That means your question has a real answer. Heaven is not less real than this world. It is more secure, more whole, and free from the pain that marks life here. What a promise!

What happens after death for those who trust Jesus?

The central issue is not merely curiosity about the afterlife. It is your relationship with God. Notice how plainly the passages turn the question back to personal trust in Jesus.

There are things that happen on a daily basis in our own lives or on the news that remind us that life is fragile and temporary. Fear of the unknown plagues us. But how long you live isn’t as important as where you go when you die. Will you go up to an actual heaven or down to a horrific hell?

No one goes to heaven by accident or default. Only people who have chosen Jesus as their Savior and Lord will have a home in heaven. So, if you were to die this moment, which direction would you go—up or down? I pray I can meet you up there.

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
Hebrews 9:27

Here is the plain answer: those who have chosen Jesus as Savior and Lord have a home in heaven. So do not live afraid of the unknown. Settle the question of where you stand with Him. Keep moving forward!

A prayer for you

Father, thank You that You have not left us in darkness about death and eternity. Give me peace in my heart, strengthen my faith, and help me trust Jesus fully. Let Your truth drive out fear and fill me with hope about heaven and the life to come. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Miracle Word Ministries prays with people every day, and the prayer line is open. His Word. His Power. Your Miracle.

Common questions

What happens right after death for a Christian? These passages say believers are ushered into the presence of the Lord. The body dies, but the reborn spirit goes to heaven, and later the body will be raised and glorified.

Is heaven a real place or just a state of mind? The answer given here is that heaven is a real place. It is described as paradise, the Father’s house, and the place of God’s presence, worship, joy, and freedom from pain.

Will believers have bodies in heaven? Yes. Two stages are described. The spirit goes to heaven at death, and when Christ returns the body will be raised and changed into a glorified body.

Who goes to heaven? The passages answer plainly: no one goes to heaven by accident or default. Those who have chosen Jesus as Savior and Lord have a home in heaven.

Where this teaching comes from

The teaching on this page is quoted word for word from Marilyn Hickey's books, and every quoted passage is checked against the printed pages before publishing.

Beautiful Inheritance: A 101-Day Devotional, The Start Of Something Wonderful
Available from Miracle Word Ministries.

Keep reading

Source: Marilyn Hickey, Beautiful Inheritance: A 101-Day Devotional, Miracle Word Ministries. The teaching on this page appears in Marilyn Hickey’s own words. © Miracle Word Ministries. Used with permission.