The first truth for me about my death is that I firmly believe that God, not death, does have and will have the final word. If you are in some form of the final phase of life, whether possibly imminent because of illness, or simply because your age suggests that it is not that many years away, I think you have to come to terms with that basic truth. For Paul that was one of the core truths of the resurrection. “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 1 Cor 15:54b-55.
Having said that, however, I am comfortable with confessing that I don’t know what the implications of that truth are for me personally. That is, while I believe that God, not death, has the final word, I do not know what that final word, in my personal situation, will be. I’m not really talking about heaven or hell. I’m simply talking about the future beyond death. If you examine the Scripture, there is very little actually said about what happens beyond death. Yet that doesn’t scare me because I trust that God is good and therefore what is good is what will happen since God has the final word.
Do I want to experience glad heavenly reunions? Sure! But I’m not sure that projecting a continuation of our finite life encompasses what is true. While I’ve had a wonderful life, part of that wonder and appreciation was nurtured by the very finiteness of life. How would life look if it were no longer finite or subject to the limitations that provided the savor of life. I once was talking to a confirmation class and one of the youth suggested that if eternal life meant that you would just sit around heaven all day, then it sounded rather boring to him.
I return to my conclusion, that I am willing to trust God for that answer. What do you believe?
I’ll share this quote I have on my Facebook page: “What has been lost will be restored and what of good was never gained will be bestowed.”
– John Polkinghorne, The God of Hope and the End of the World
I would add that some in our tradition are taking the doctrine of the resurrection of the body with renewed seriousness, such as Jurgen Moltmann (how are you supposed to do an umlaut on this?), no theological slouch. But I think your reticence about claiming too much knowledge is appropriate.