A Whole New Vague Creation
Johns visions leave most of our questions about the new creation unansweredand thats not a bad thing. Johns goal wasnt to satisfy our curiosity about the new world, but to instill confidence that the creation would be reborn just as Jesus was resurrected from the dead.
This is the hope of the story of the Bible: Gods domain and our domain will one day completely unite. All things will be made new. Death will be replaced with life. The whole earth will be a recreation of the garden, and the glory of the temple will cover it. Every nation will be blessed through the power of the resurrected Jesus, and Gods own personal presence will permeate every square inch of the new creation.
Ok! So, I can buy all the visions of the future in which I can place my hope, but you still havent told me where I go when I die?
What Are Paradise And The Third Heaven
Paradise
ParadiseParable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
Jesus also told the thief on the cross, Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise. ” rel=”nofollow”> Luke 23:43). That suggests that Paradise is the same as the intermediate state where souls are taken immediately after death. Paradise is also mentioned in .
Third Heaven
“third heaven,”
What Does Jesus Look Like
For many scholars, Revelation 1:14-15 offers a clue that Jesuss skin was a darker hue and that his hair was woolly in texture. The hairs of his head, it says, were white as white wool, white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace.
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How Can Learning About Heaven Affect Our Lives Today What Does Heaven Tell Us About God
Heaven is a reality. And because God values freedom of choice, He leaves it ultimately up to us if we want to be part of that reality or not.
Jesus gives us hope for the future. This hope in heaven that comes through a relationship with Him not only provides eternal life but makes a huge difference for life right now.
Jesus is calling all of us into a life of joy and peace as His friends. He is offering eternal life as well a life of meaning and peace in the here and now.
Psalm 16:11 says, You reveal the path of life to me in Your presence is abundant joy in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Suffering is a hard reality of life here on earth. None of us are exempt. We all go through extremely tough times in one way or another.
Heres the good news: The hope Jesus gives us in heaven helps frame suffering in a different way. We can know with 100% certainty that by choosing Jesus, we are going to a place where God will wipe every tear from our eyes. God is calling us to Heaven where there will be no sin and no suffering. .
So even though we have a lot to deal with in this life, God gives us hope for the future that helps us deal with the present in a positive, faith-filled way. The perfection of heaven speaks to the perfect nature of God and the beauty of life with Him that is available to us all.
We can have hope that although life here on earth can be very difficult, a better future waits for us in heaven as we accept the sacrifice of Jesus .
What Is Heaven Like
1) All things are new“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” .
2) No tears or pain“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” .
3) Perfect peace“‘The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust the serpents food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,’ says the LORD” .
4) Houses and vineyards“They shall build houses and inhabit them they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit” .
5) Fruitful gardens“The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose” .
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What Does Heaven Look Like
The Bible says heaven is a stunningly beautiful place with sparkling stones, streets of gold, and gates made of a single pearl .
Heaven completely stretches our understanding of reality. The apostle Paul says that Jesus currently dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen nor can see .
In our current bodies and states as humans, we cant even take in the kind of splendor heaven represents.
Paul also says that, no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him .
Jesus promises his followers, many mansions in John 14:2.
And Revelation 21:21 describes the incredible beauty of the New Jerusalem with twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
Theres breathtaking power as well.
Revelation 4:5 says Gods throne, saying that from it came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder and in front was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
You Get To Heaven By Trusting In Jesus
God did something about our situation and our destination of the lake of fire. God wouldnt be a just Judge if He didnt uphold justice. But in His love, He did something so that He can save as many people as possible from going there. He wants everyone to be saved .
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:16-17
The most important point in the Bible about getting to heaven or being saved is that you have to trust in Jesus. John 3:16 is possibly the most well-known verse in the entire Bible.
John 3:16 means that God shows His love to the world in this way: He sent His only Son, Jesus. If you believe in Jesus, God will rescue you and you will have eternal life. You will not perish as a result of the penalty of sin. Youll be saved from your final destination, the lake of fire.
Jesus came to seek and to save the lost . Jesus saves you by dying in your place. He became your substitute by dying on a cross. He became the sacrifice for your sin to pay the penalty. Jesus died so you can have eternal life.
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel.
The Bible says that you need to repent and believe in the gospel, the Good News of Jesus.
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Who Will Be In Heaven
Will Hitler be in heaven? How about Elvis? Why dont we extend the list? How about Shakespeare? Or Billy Graham? Mother Theresa should be a pretty sure bet.
While this sort of speculating might make for an interesting discussion, its pointless. We just dont know. But the biggest point to make is we dont decide who goes to heaven, or who should. Only God does .
Those who truly want to be there will be there. Those who dont want to be with God for eternity will not. Those who choose to be in a loving relationship with God will enjoy this friendship with Him forever because He freely offers it.
Ephesians 2:8 says:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithand this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God
This gift is available to all. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us how God wants every single human He created to choose eternal life with Him. That definitely includes you and your loved ones.
The Old Testament Realm: Sheol
The Hebrew people had only one word to refer to the place of the departed dead. Sheol, the grave, was that place. Unlike the underworld of the Egyptians of the time , Sheol was a place of mystery, not a reflection of this world. The name really means the unseen and is, therefore similar to the meaning of the Greek word Hades. The Hebrew concept of death did not allow for the cessation of being after death, but neither did it provide a detailed picture of where the dead existed. From the limited passages that mention Sheol and the existence of the dead, a few concepts can be determined. It was considered to contain two compartments within the Earth, each based upon the faith-condition of the person while they were upon the earth.
1. The Righteous Dead
This was considered to be a place of peace and blessing. It was the region where the godly and believing waited for the consummation of the agesthe establishing of the Kingdom of the Messiah. At that future time, the ones who died believing in the hope of the Messiah would be raised to reign with Him. Before the time of the giving of the Law, this was based upon a simple hope in the Redeemer, the Promised Seed. After the Law, it was also a matter of accepting the demands of the Lawsubmitting to the offering of a sacrificial substitute.
2. The Unrighteous Dead – also referred to as the Wilderness
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Where Is Heaven Located According To The Bible
Jesus said, ‘…in my father’s house are many mansions…’ this is a reference to the houses of the zodiac. The throne of god is actually depicted in ancient Egyptian wall art. Isis – wife of the slain Osiris and mother of Horus – wears it as a crown upon her head: it represents the empty throne belonging to her murdered husband.
You can also see this throne in the night sky – we know it as the constellation Ursa Minor – which includes the pole star: the axis of the Earth and sky. Many religions – most older than christianity and judaism – have stories of their deities being raised up to become constellations after death: to be reborn after ascending to heaven. St John the Divine describes the infant Jesus being, ‘…snatched up to the throne of god…’ before he is devoured by a great red dragon in heaven.
The dragon is actually the constellation of Hydra and Jesus becomes the constellation of Hercules . Of course, Virgo the Virgin who has another title, ‘the house of bread’ that renders into Hebrew as Bethlehem. This stuff really is quite easy to understand once you begin to look at it objectively and dispense with all the fairy tale imagery.
Heaven is a way of thinking not a place to go in terms of location.
There are three heavens according to the Bible, and each has a different name, but usually all are described as heaven, First, heaven the atmosphere around the earth Second heaven, the universe Third heaven, where God dwells (Heb.”
You Dont Get To Heaven By Being A Good Person
A common misconception is that you get to heaven by being a good person. You dont go to heaven if your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds. The Bible is very clear that this is not the case. No one would be good enough to earn heaven.
God doesnt grade on a curve when it comes to getting to heaven.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Eph. 2:8-9
Eph. 2:8-9 explains that you are saved by grace, through faith.
- Grace means that we get to heaven by Gods gracious, free gift, not because we earned it.
Faith means that you get to heaven by believing in God and His way. Its based on something that He did, not something that you did.
- Faith is trusting in God and what He did and not in yourself or something you did.
Its not a result of works. This means that you dont get to heaven based on your good or bad deeds in this life. That no one may boast means that you cant take credit for it. You cant get to the pearly gates and say: Peter, let me in because Ive been a good person!
Note: This is not in the Bible. Peter is not at a pearly gate waiting for you. Even if he happens to be, the point is, you wont be able to take credit for getting into heaven by your good deeds.
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Do Animals Go To Heaven
St. Thomas Aquinas wrote about animals having a soul, but it wasnt similar to that of humans, and St. Francis of Assisi saw animals as Gods creatures to be honored and respected, said Schmeidler, a Capuchin Franciscan. The Catholic Church traditionally teaches that animals do not go to heaven, he said.
Heaven On The Sides Of The North
Let us consider a passage in the Bible which clearly declares where heaven is. Isaiah 14:12-14 says:
How you have fallen from heaven, O Daystar, son of the dawn!How you have been hewn down to earth, You who made nations fall prostrate!But you, you said in your heart: I will ascend to heaven Above the stars of God I will exalt my throne.And I will sit upon the mount of assembly On the sides of the north.I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the Most High.
Vol. 02: The Word of the Cross, Chapter 6, by Watchman Nee)
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No One Goes To Heaven Until The Second Comingwith Only A Few Exceptions
The Bible specifically mentions some people that God brought to heaven. Enoch, Moses, and Elijah were each taken to be in heaven according to the Bible. There is also evidence that some people were taken to heaven after Christs crucifixion. Genesis 5:21-24, Mark 9:1, Jude 1:9
However, the overwhelming majority of peopledo not go straight up to heaven after death.
This is a very important point. In the Bible, death is compared to sleep. This comparison occurs in many places in the Old Testament .
Over and over again, the phrase slept with his fathers is used to talk about the passing of Israels and Judahs kings.
Its also found in the New Testament:
Jesus compares death to sleep when he resurrects the daughter of Jairus after she succumbed to her illness . He does it again when he brings his friend Lazarus back to life .
As Christ was resurrected, Matthew tells us that many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised .
The book of Acts said that the first Christian martyr, Stephen, was stoned by his persecutors and then fell asleep .
To be clear, this sleep implies a total lack of consciousness. Ecclesiastes is especially clear on the matter:
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun .
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Will We Know Each Other In Heaven
This is one of the most frequently asked questions about heaven. I would like to share an answer given by a Bible teacher of another generation – a man named William Pettingill. He said, “We may be sure that we shall not know less in heaven than we know here.”
In proof he quotes 1 Corinthians 13:12, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” How does God know us? Answer: He knows us completely, intimately, thoroughly, inside and out, with nothing hidden but everything seen as it really is . When we get to heaven we’ll know each other as God knows us because all the imperfections of this life will be removed. In this life sin causes us to cover ourselves-not just physically but emotionally and spiritually. But when sin is finally lifted from us, then we can be ourselves with no shame, no pain, no embarrassment, and no covering up.
Dr. Pettingill concludes that in heaven we will know every person in heaven and all of them will be friends and loved ones to us.
In his very helpful book on heaven, W.A. Criswell makes the additional point that individual personality survives into eternity. I’ll be the same person then that I am now-only with all the imperfections and limitations of sin finally removed. This is a wonderful thought-that the essence of who we are will remain throughout eternity-yet vastly improved by God’s grace.
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The Bible Is Clear On The Following:
After Jesus was raised from the dead, He went to heaven. The Bible says: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” . Prior to this Jesus told His disciples: “In My Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself that where I am, there you may be also” .