The Saints That Have Gone, Are They in Heaven Now?
1) Direct Answer
Yes. The saints who have died are with the Lord now—in Paradise, at rest and conscious—but they are not yet in their final, resurrected bodies. They are waiting for the resurrection.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- The Bible says, “To be absent from the body… is to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6–8). And it says we have “a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1–4). That shows a heavenly dwelling while we wait.
- Paul desired “to depart, and to be with Christ” (Philippians 1:23). Not unconscious—“with Christ.”
- Jesus told the thief, “Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). That is immediate presence, a place of rest.
- We come “to the spirits of just men made perfect” in the heavenly Zion (Hebrews 12:22–23). They are there, perfected in spirit.
- Revelation shows souls conscious and at rest, speaking and waiting (Revelation 6:9–11).
- And the Bible says that when the Lord comes, “them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him… and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:14–17). They are with Him now, and they will receive their glorified bodies at the resurrection.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- When a believer dies, the body sleeps in the grave, but the person is not lost. The inner man goes to be with the Lord. You see, Scripture calls death “sleep” for the body, but shows the saints awake with Christ.
- They are clothed with that “house from heaven” now, at rest in Paradise, and at His coming they will return with Him and pick up a glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:51–54; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).
- Final Heaven and the New Earth come after the resurrection and judgment, but the saints are already in His presence.
4) Reinforcing Statement
So yes—God’s people are with the Lord now, rejoicing and resting in Paradise, waiting for that great day when they will rise in glorified bodies. It’s not soul-sleep; it’s blessed rest in His presence.
See also The related topic:
https://truebibleteachingsai.org/answers/is-there-a-scripture-that-shows-that-the-dead-saints-are-in-a-dimensio-e5cbbdb There a Scripture That Shows That the Dead Saints Are in a Dimension and Jesus Is in a Higher Dimension?
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 5:E-161
Now with this thought in mind, look at the verse again. "I will give him the hidden manna." We all know that the manna was angel food; it was what God sent down upon the grass for Israel at the time of their wanderings. It was perfect food. It was amazing how those little pellets of food kept them in perfect health. No one got sick. It was all they needed. When the ark was made they put some of that manna into it. Then the ark was put behind the veil and only the high priest would dare approach unto it and then he...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 6:E-70
Now let us read Revelation 13:1-4, and compare this with Revelation 12:1-5. Revelation 13:1-4, "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wo...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 7:E-72
Note particularly that the punishment for idolatry was that the name of that tribe was to be blotted out 'from under heaven.' Deuteronomy 29:20. It does not say that it would be blotted out 'in heaven,' but from under heaven. And that is exactly as it is, for now Israel is back in Palestine, and soon the Lord will seal 144,000 of them. But from that number Dan and Ephraim are missing.
Church Ages, part 10: The Laodicean Church Age
60-1211E §147
Don't it make you happy? Good. Shake hands with somebody, say, "Praise the Lord. This is like heaven to me." Take the name of Jesus with you, Child of sorrow and of woe; It will joy and comfort give you, Take it everywhere you go. Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heaven; Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heaven. At the name of Jesus bowing, Falling prostrate at His feet, King of kings in heaven we'll crown Him, When our journey is complete. Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 8:E-29
"These things saith He That is true." Now this word, 'true', is a very wonderful word. It does not mean true in just the sense that it is opposite to false. It expresses the Perfect Realization of an idea as contrasted with its Partial Realization. For example we recall that Jesus said in John 6:32, "Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven." John 15:1, "I am the true vine." Hebrews 9:24, "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are...