We believe that the soul and human spirit of those who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do, at death, immediately pass into His presence, and there remain in a state of conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming, when each believers soul, human spirit and body are reunited and then remain with Him forever in glory.
Luke 16:19-26 (NKJV)
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. “But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, “desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
Luke 23:43 (NKJV)
And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
2 Cor 5:8 (NKJV)
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
Phil 1:23 (NKJV)
For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
In contrast, the souls and human spirit of unbelievers remain after death in a state of conscious memory until just prior to the final judgement of the Great White Throne at the close of the millennium, when soul and body are reunited. After judgement unbelievers shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting separation and punishment from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.
2 Thess 1:7-9 (NKJV)
and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
Jude 1:6-7 (NKJV)
And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Rev 20:11-15 (NKJV)
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
New King James Version®, NKJV® Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.