After Christ Yeshua's death on the cross, all who have died in Christ throughout the ages, and to this day, have gone to, and are at this moment, in heaven, waiting to be resurrected into earthly bodies, when they come with Christ Yeshua for conquering earth and start His Millennial Kingdom, at His second coming, to be resurrected on earth to, together with those in Christ who are still alive, meet Christ Yeshua in the clouds immediately after the great tribulation:
Luke 23 (New King James Version)
39Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying,
[j]“If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
40But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
42Then he said
[k]to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you,
today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
2 Corinthians 12 (New King James Version)
2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was
caught up to the third heaven.
3And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—
4how he was
caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Revelation 2 (New King James Version)
7“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is
in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’
1 Thessalonians 4 (New King James Version)
The Comfort of Christ’s Coming
13But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so God will bring with Him those who [c]sleep in Jesus.
15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive
and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are
[d]asleep.
16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And
the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Revelation 20 (New King James Version)
The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years
4And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then
I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received
his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And
they lived and reigned with Christ for
[a]a thousand years.
5But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished
. This is the first resurrection.
Matthew 24 (New King James Version)
14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The Great Tribulation
20And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the
[c]elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here
is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe
it. 24For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25See, I have told you beforehand.
The Coming of the Son of Man
29“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will
gather together His [d]elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.