Same Soul; New Body

Your memory is contained in your soul,
As is your ability to reason;
It can be rolled up like a parchment scroll,
Or stretched upright and stood for a season!
Other souls see you as you were on earth,
As do angels and saints living on high;
You can mix and mingle on heaven's turf,
Awaiting the Lord's return from the sky!
The new composite of body and soul
Occurs when Jesus returns as King;
At its prime, undying, a saint made whole,
To reign and live with Christ everlasting!
What a glorious sight the nations will see,
Christ and His Church all together be!

When a Christian dies, it is not a time to grieve, because it only means the soul leaves the body which is buried, or "planted" as Paul says. Made from dust, it was not intended to last; it will soon return to dust. Ah, but the soul? It is escorted to heaven to be with Christ Jesus forever. For a time, the soul will wait in heaven near the throne, until the day arrives that Christ returns to earth. He will bring with Him all the souls of Christians who have died; before landing on the Mount of Olives, He will command angels to bring to Him all the bodies, from whatever places on earth they are; they will be resurrected new, imperishable, and at the peak of perfection. Christians still living will rise, their bodies changing in the twinkling of an eye and retaining their souls. The great reunion of new bodies with their same souls will take place in the air; then all join Christ and the angels, a mighty host, for the landing in Jerusalem!

"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ... For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive, who are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:12-14, 16-18)