You all raise some excellent points; however, the fact remains that (leaving aside any debates about Purgatory) it has NEVER been taught by the Catholics, Protestants or Orthodox that saved Christians would be denied entrance to Heaven prior to the Second Coming or Last Judgment.
“The fact remains that (leaving aside any debates about Purgatory) it has NEVER been taught by the Catholics, Protestants or Orthodox that saved Christians would be denied entrance to Heaven prior to the Second Coming or Last Judgment.”
I go by The Bible. The death/resurrection of Jesus is 100% payment for my sins. To say I won’t go to heaven would be calling God a liar. To say that I will spend time in a “Purgatory” would be saying that His death/resurrection is not 100% payment. His death and resurrection is 100% PAYMENT. This is hard to believe for many people.
If you read the Bishop's complete comments, you'll see that he says that those who are saved will be in the Presence of God from the time of their deaths. He's simply saying that this is not the "Heaven" commonly visualized in popular culture.
He then emphasizes the ultimate End of Time, the return of Jesus in glory, the resurrection of the living and the dead (the reunion of souls with bodies) and the New Heavens and New Earth restored through Christ.