SO long as we dwell in the body, we are absent from home from our Master.

"What does it mean to be absent from the body?"

“2Co 5:6-8  “Therefore we know and are convinced that so long as we dwell in the body, we are absent from home from our Master.  For we walk by faith, not by sight, this is why we are fully confident, and think it good rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with our Master.”

The phrase “absent from the body” is found in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8. Paul states that he is confident in his eternal destiny and longs for the day when he can be “absent from the body” and be present with the Master he loves and serves. To be “absent” from one’s body simply means to die because, at death, the spirit is separated from the body and moves into its eternal abode—either heaven with the Master or hell, separated from Elohim (God) for eternity.

In the same way, Followers of Messiah are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the presence of Elohim. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Master. When a born-again believer dies, his soul goes immediately into the presence of the Redeemer Master. There, the soul consciously awaits the resurrection of the body. To the congregation at Philippi Paul wrote from a Roman prison:

“For to me, to live is Messiah, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Messiah, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you” (Philippians 1:21-24).

Paul’s desire in life was to glorify the Master Yahshua Messiah (Christ). If he lived, he could continue to labor for the Master. If he faced execution, he would depart this life and be with Messiah. He desired to be with his Savior, but if he remained on earth, he could continue to minister to others.

There are some who believe in soul sleep, meaning that when a person dies, his body and soul sleep in the grave, awaiting the resurrection. But if this were true, why would Paul not want to live to minister as long as possible, rather than sleep in a grave? And if it were true that the body and soul are never separated, it would be impossible to ever be absent from the body and present with the Master.

We conclude, then, that believers who die are indeed absent from their physical bodies and present with the Redeemer Master/Lord in conscious bliss waiting that grand resurrection day!