No 40: So that We would be with Him Immediately after Death

It's interesting that the matter of what happens the moment after we die, which people everywhere long to be sure about, remains quite elusive in the Bible - even allowing for the way more becomes revealed as we read from the earlier to the later books.  Piper quotes exclusively from St Paul; always a pity, in my view: it's better to add up a variety of biblical testimonies, for each will only see a part of the truth.

I used to find the 'soul sleep' interpretation made most sense to me; .  It was so odd to conceive of 'disembodied souls'; our resurrection is our great hope; this earth, one day renewed, was made to be our home, not heaven.  But I have long since felt that this was taking too rational an approach and, in particular, it didn't fit everything in the Bible.  It also didn't fit the 'near-death' visions many have experienced - although I regard those very much as 'secondary evidence': the mind can play strange tricks.

My son Anthony, now a Roman Catholic, takes very seriously this 'in-between time' as Piper aptly describes it.  He does not believe all spiritual influence for our salvation ceases on death, so when he comes to see us he usually walks across the field to the graves of my sister, mother and father, and offers up prayers for their salvation.  I find that incredibly moving.

So I let apparently divergent pointers in Scripture co-exist in my heart and mind.  I feel no urgent need to know; the Spirit doesn't encourage me to ask.  Perhaps, like the great scientific conundrum of how relativity fits with quantum mechanics, a uniting truth exists which we simply need different mental 'software' to process. 

What I am confident about, is this promise from Jesus: "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2).  Actually, I like not knowing exactly what will happen next.  I like adventures.