Will we feel the years of separation from loved ones when we meet them in heaven?
When believers meet loved ones at the Resurrection or Rapture, there will be no sense of years of separation. It will not feel like twenty, thirty, or forty years apart; it will seem as though they had just seen them five minutes ago. The reunion is immediate, not marked by elapsed time.
Les explains that even though loved ones may have left years earlier, when the Resurrection day comes or the Rapture occurs and we meet them, it will not be like saying, “I haven’t seen you in 20, 30, or 40 years.” Instead, it will be like we just saw them five minutes ago. He also notes that Paul has been dealing with the departure of the soul and spirit from the body, which puts the believer present with the Lord. Whether present or absent, the point is to be approved, because these verses deal with believers’ reward for living, not salvation. Believers are saved not just to escape hell fire but to serve, and that is why He leaves us here.