Heaven - are there people there now?

Mark 13
 26“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

We heard John Piper speak this past weekend! What a phenomenal theologian! He emphasized reading the scriptures and really taking in every point, every single word that you read in the scriptures. Not just reading for the overall message, but reading the details also. God is the God of details. He has great plans for us with d,etail we will not understand until we are in heaven. 

So, when reading scripture, don't skim over them. Note the details and think upon them. Research them. Pray about them. Before reading pray the Holy Spirit will open your mind and heart. Then you will really start seeing the details.

Today I read Mark 13. Tons of details! As I read the verse above stood out. I hadn't seen it before, but today, I noticed it. "He will gather his people...from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens."  We have been studying heaven in our small group and that has helped me watch for what the Bible says about what will be in heaven. This verse gives us a glimpse.

There are a lot of different points of views about death and heaven: if people sleep when they die until the second coming (soul sleep) or if they go straight to heaven, etc. However, the scripture above seems to indicate that "soul sleep" is not the case.  "...to the end of the heavens" people will be gathered up by the angels in the end times. So, applying what John Piper brought to light, read for the details, there has to be somebody in heaven to gather right? They can't all be angels or why would the Bible say they were gathered by angels and not say gathered by each other?  So, reading for the details, I am now convinced that there is no soul sleep, but that we will be in heaven when we die, not in a slumber until Jesus comes again! 

Amazing truth! Amazing Word of God! Amazing details! How amazing is heaven! Thank you, Father!