Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” Exodus 13:19
The body of Joseph was taken to Canaan a long time after he died. God’s people were in Egypt 400 years, and the body of Joseph remained there with them until the Exodus. The body of Joseph was not taken to the Promised Land until all of God’s people arrived there.
The story of Joseph reminds us that believers will enter into the full joy of all that God has promised together.
What happens to a believer after death is like a two-stage journey. At the moment of death, Christ will bring your soul immediately, consciously, and joyfully into His presence in heaven. To be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord, and that will be better by far than any joy you can know in this life.
But that is not the end of the story. Even then, the best is yet to come! When Christ returns, those who are with Him will be clothed with resurrected bodies, adapted for everlasting life in the new heaven and earth where we will enjoy the presence of God forever.
Let’s say you are going on a trip to Paris, but you have a layover in Atlanta. You won’t spend all your time talking about the things you’re going to do at the Atlanta airport! Your hearts and minds are filled with all that awaits you in your ultimate destination—Paris!
Believers who have died are on a layover. They are with Christ. But like us, they are waiting and looking forward to the day when Christ will return in glory. Then we will enter into the full joy of all that God has promised together.
Have you ever thought of the immediate period after the believer’s death as a “layover”? How does this stimulate your imagination about the afterlife?