Paul's "absent from the body" Comment

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be

absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:8

"Very simply, when a Christian dies, their next conscious thought is the resurrection of the dead - the dead in Christ rising which we

find mentioned several times in Scripture. That hasn't happened yet. It is so exceedingly clear from the words of Jesus. He said they will be raised up the last day and again Paul says that at the Lord's coming, the dead in Christ will rise. And again Paul says in 1st Corinthians 15, the dead in Christ will rise at His coming. And so, obviously, they haven't risen yet but for those who are sleeping in the Lord, their next conscious thought is the Presence of the Lord.

The dead sleep a dreamless sleep - so that it's a twinkling of an eye so as far as our loved ones are concerned, when they die their next conscious thought is the Presence of the Lord." DougBatchelor