For the believer, to die is to be with Christ: Scripture speaks of departing to be with Him as far better, and of being at home with the Lord. Then at His return comes the resurrection of the body. For those who reject Christ, death is separation, and judgment awaits.
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
1
To be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord
We are always confident, and are willing rather to be absent from the body and at home with the Lord. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose. But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live even if he dies. Jesus told the dying thief, today you will be with me in paradise, and He told His disciples, I go to prepare a place for you.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.
Death is not the end of the body; the resurrection is coming
We will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, and the dead will be raised imperishable. God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. The body is not abandoned forever.
Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
For those apart from Christ, death is a solemn reality
It is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment. Whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. This is why the gospel is urgent.
Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,
He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.