When a person dies, only the flesh dies, right?
Ah! We have two bodies. When a person dies, only his flesh body dies. Their spiritual body returns to God.
This belief is inconsistent with what the rest of scripture teaches--it is in the isolation and misunderstanding of scripture that false doctrine originates--there is no point in the judgment if believers can ascend directly to heaven at their death--it is impossible for them to be in heaven in their 'spirit'--as the 'spirit' would mean they were naked and not clothed with their incorruptible bodies. Even angels had celestial bodies! Scripture says NO ONE has ascended, except Christ.
Please read my posts #5209--we do not receive our incorruptible bodies until Christ's second coming--please test scripture against scripture. It is impossible to stand before God without our incorruptible bodies which we only receive at Christ's second coming.
Jesus did not ascend when He died--he said Himself "I have not yet ascended to the Father"--and didn't do so until 40 days later!Neither did Lazarus (described as being asleep) nor anyone else who has died. The angels told the apostles it would be the same with us--why do you think it says 'those who are asleep?' All of the people Jesus resurrected were said to be 'asleep'.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ...
1 Thessalonians 4:14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
1 Thessalonians 4:13
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
1 Corinthians 15:6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
Revelation 14:13
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
John 11:11-14
After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,
Matthew 27:52
The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,
Daniel 12:2
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Ecclesiastes 9:5
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.
John 5:28-29
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
1 Corinthians 15:20
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
2 Corinthians 5:8
Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
John 5:28
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice
Acts 7:60
And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned
1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
1 Thessalonians 4:15
For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:51
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1 Corinthians 15:18
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
Acts 13:36
For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption,
John 11:11
After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”
Psalm 13:3
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
https://www.openbible.info/topics/fall_asleep_in_death