John 14:3

will come again, and receive you unto myself.

The reference is not to Christ's return from the grave, but to. return from heaven, the second coming of the Lord, which is. part of the Christian faith. There is. presence of the Lord with his people, there is. call of the Lord to those who die in him to "depart and be with Christ," but there is also. personal coming of the Lord to summon all men to his presence and then, at the final judgment, every saint shall be "received to himself," when the Lord shall say, "Come ye blessed of my Father." Then shall they be "forever with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Death is simply. going home to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23).