Do you believe in heaven? The Bible, God’s Word, attests to the reality of it, over 600 times; and it gives us some details about its location and who is there, and of course, which persons go there (and who doesn’t, and goes to hell—that’s also a real place.) Grace Bible Church and Ministries do an excellent job of laying out Scriptural proof about heaven. It doesn’t answer questions the Bible doesn’t answer, such as “will my dog go to heaven?” We leave that for those who speculate, hoping they can sell more books. The Bible doesn’t give much detail on things that we really want to know. If it did, I suspect more people would go to fortune-tellers or attend seances, which are expressly forbidden by God in His Word. We should focus on what are the requirements for US to get there, since Scripture indicates clearly about that—and that a minority of people get there (Matthew 7:13-14), This lecture by one of their senior pastors does a great job of explaining, first of all, what’s between us and God’s heaven. Let’s get into the details.
II Corinthians 12:2-4 says:
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I donot know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
This passage indicates that there are three heavens in total, one immediately above the other. The highest, the third heaven, is the place of the personal dwelling of God—the most sacred place in the universe. The words uttered there are so sacred that they cannot be repeated outside that sphere. We get a view of it from Nehemiah 9:6:
You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You.
There are strange creatures there, worshiping God; see Revelation 4:6-8:
Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
By the way, God did not create these creatures to dispense flattery. Flattery is, after all, telling lies to make someone feel better about themselves. These creatures are speaking the truth, in an attitude of pure worship.
And let’s not forget the seraphim and cherubim. These angels are definitely different, and are also noted for worship, and are mentioned in Isaiah 6:1-3 and Ezekiel 10:3:
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”
Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. 4 Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory. 5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.
Just a word of note, cherubim are also a decoration on the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:17ff). Cherubim, holding flaming swords, prevented Adam and Eve from re-entering Eden after they sinned (Genesis 3:24).
Revelation also introduces us to an area called “mid-heaven” called the “midst of heaven.” This describes some sort of area in which different types of beings come and go, The following verses describe various powerful beings who proclaim themselves from the mid-heaven. Such as Revelation 8:13, 14:6, and 19:17:
And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven (literally mid-heaven), saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven (literally mid-heaven), having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven (literally mid-heaven), “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,
The Greek word used for mid-heaven is “mesauranema.” It is not vague in location; it really means “mid-heaven.” It seems reasonable to conclude that this is the second heaven. We might assume finally that the visible heaven, including what we can see of space, all that is visible to our natural eyesight, is the first heaven.
Looking again at our three verses above, one thing they have in common, they are all sent by God for His purposes. This makes sense, since hat word is derived from the Greek “angelos,” which is the standard word for messenger. Therefore angels are considered messengers sent from heaven. A good example is the angel Gabriel, who in Daniel 8 and 9 explains future events to Daniel. But that’s not the only purpose of angels.
Scripture lets us know that there are also evil angels sent forth by Satan for his purposes. Sometimes there are conflicts among these two groups of angels. These are described in the book of Daniel. The angel bringing Daniel a message in the 10th chapter is unnamed, (could be Gabriel again), but when the evil angels against him are stronger, he gets help from Michael, a warrior angel. The evil angel is called the “prince” of Persia (modern day Iran). It’s possible that a stronger evil angel, a “king,’ was asked to help fight the angel Michael, who has greater power than the messenger angel. The verses are in Daniel 10:11-13:
And he (a messenger angel) said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
The term "archangel," a higher good angel, is used in I Thessalonians 4 and Jude 9. Michael here is called a "chief prince." So it’s possible that there is a hierarchy of warrior angels, both good and evil (since the evil ones are called "prince" and "king"), classified by their power on both sides. It’s also possible that smarter evil individual angels are in charge of countries, and they are responsible for enticing men in that city or country to greater evil.
The inescapable fact confronts us that our world lies beneath a scene of conflict. God, according to other Scriptures, sometimes restrains Satan—sometimes using His angels to do that. And sometimes He does not--if he sees the wickedness of men to be too great (see Romans 1 for the phrase "gave them up"). Satan has evil desires for our lives, to ruin it by enticing us to sin, to even to kill us. It is also true, however, that all angels, evil and good, are immortal, and the evil angels can persuade people to commit such sin and such blindness to Christ that they effectively take our soul. While our lives run to their end, we have the ability to choose which side of each moral decision we are confronted with, to make; so that determines which side, God or Satan, gain more control over our behavior. Little by little, we thus choose our ultimate destination, heaven or hell.
The angels sent forth by God have three main tasks: As already stated, some are His messengers, and some are warriors. Thirdly, there are God’s agents, sent forth to protect those who may be in danger--these are normally described as guardian angels. Matthew 18:10 says:
“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
In this verse, we see that the Father’s watchful eye directs those angels on behalf of potentially vulnerable children.
I have to say, at this point, that when tragedy happens to children, or to anybody, it does not mean that “God does not exist” or “God messed up.” We do not know all we should about sorrow and suffering that happen in our lives. If it is a child, it could be a comfort to know that God will always accept the innocent to heaven; they pass from death to a wonderful life; their end is finer there than anywhere here. And if we are in heaven, Scripture does show that we will recognize relatives and loved ones (Luke 16:19ff). Perhaps even miscarried or aborted children will be recognized if we are in heaven too. We could have more children there than we think!
Many Christians believe that heaven is a place of unbroken peace and harmony. This may be true of the third heaven; but as we have seen, it does not apply to the second heaven. It is also likely that Satan pours out a stream of slanderous accusations against the Christians on earth from the mid-heaven. Revelation 12:10 attests to that:
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God, day and night, has been cast down.
This verse in Revelation speaks of the future. Satan is not cast down to hell at this time, as you might think. It is speaking on him as being cast down from mid-heaven to earth. Satan’s role as the accuser of our brethren (and us, possibly) will end in the End Times, according to this verse. Likewise he will be kicked out of his place of accusation, currently in mid-heaven. But on the earth, he will be devastating in his effects. The verses following are a warning to the inhabitants of the earth about what to expect when the devil is cast down from his mid-heaven place. Revelation 12:12:
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
That “short time” reference, according to this writer, begins the Tribulation, a seven-year period where Satan “struts his stuff,” causing wars, famine, death and misery. Christians will need to have a good relationship with God to persevere and keep our allegiance on our Lord to survive this terrible time. Scripture is clear for those living in those times; we will only win heaven if we persevere for Him. We cannot take the mark, or give ourselves over to selfishness and greed in a day where love is lacking. Love cannot be lacking in Christians—real Christians. This event will be in the future; but we don’t know exactly when. Scripture gives signs, but it does not precisely say. (More on this in upcoming blogs).
Many Christians believe that Satan is confined to hell. But that is not true. There are two satanic princes, named Death and Hades, who rule in hell; but Satan roams freely throughout the universe. See Revelation 20:13:
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
Job 1:6&7 adds more:
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
Your writer would like you to notice Satan is included in the phrase “sons of God.” The Hebrew words for that suggest these are of the original creations of God. Adam was a son of God in that sense. And all the angels were. But then some went bad. But be careful. This does NOT mean that Jesus, God’s Son, was in the same order as these evil angels. Nor does it mean that Satan is Jesus’ brother; such nonsense is in the Mormon doctrine. Also keep in mind that Jesus, despite His name as “Son of God,” was NOT created by God. The phrase has a different meaning. All Scripture indicates that Jesus was eternal, and is 100% God (but He was also human on earth).
When Adam and Eve were created, the earth was “perfect,” God said. We only get a glimpse of its beauty. It was created for Adam and Eve to enjoy. But they rebelled. Eve wanted “to be as gods,” Satan’s Lie that is most seductive to us. This was sin; they decided not to obey God’s simple instructions about avoiding one tree. This appearance of sin was not tolerable to a holy God. So they were deprived of His fellowship. Sin, like a plague, invaded mankind, and was transmitted through the generations, so we all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory and acceptance as we are. Sin has caused corruption in men and the earth. Romans 5:19a states it bluntly:
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners
The continual leaning towards sin, this rebellion against God is spoken clearly in Genesis 6:12:
So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
The earth groans because it has been marred by sin. We are the cause. But there will be a new heaven and a new earth; those who love God will experience resurrection and see the deliverance of earth, per Romans 8:21-22:
….the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
Like a crippling disease, sin distorts and devastates everything it touches. But the heavens express the opposite. As Psalm 19:1 says:
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament (the visible sky) shows His handiwork
God cannot look upon sin without judgment. Habakkuk 1:13 says:
You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.
But God’s love is so great that He has provided a way for the curse of sin to be removed. God crucified sin on the cross by the blood of Christ, Who redeemed us. He died in our place, so He could present us faultless to His Father in heaven. He is the only one who can bridge the gap between heaven and earth. It is difficult, but necessary, for us to be humble and admit that we are sinners by choice and practice, and never deserve heaven. God’s grace for salvation and entrance to heaven can only be applied for those who admit that there is no way that we can be reconciled to God by our efforts. We must place our trust in Christ for that.
(Editor) But not only that, we cannot maintain our salvation without an actual continual relationship with God. We must learn to obey His commandments, and bear fruit for Him (Galatians 5:22-23 for a list). We’re not just talking about the 10 Commandments, though they are a start. Jesus gave many examples of God’s standards at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). See the Sower parable for how some seed starts out good, then loses its life, being bogged down by continued attachment to the ”world;” i.e., lusts of spending or sex while single, or other condemned things. By not persevering to make God’s right decisions, by not really living any differently than before we dedicated our life to Him. Or read my “Vineyard” blog. Christ talked more about hell than you could imagine. You need to meditate on the Gospels, on those particular verses, thoroughly, to learn how easy it is to deceive yourselves. Many will be shocked when denied heaven, in that Judgment Day, as Matthew 7:21-23 points out:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not...done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
We only have this life to prepare, intelligently, for our eternal future. Heaven or hell? The differences are so stark and radical that several days of Biblical study are worth it, don’t you think? Read the Gospels with an open mind. Every word that Christ says helps to form the right doctrine for salvation. I assure you, most pastors do not get this right. Do not assume anything; be a good investigator and find proof of obtaining and keeping salvation. Do not be many of the ignorant ones who were complacent and presumptuous, assuming God was a nice guy that will let their behavior pass. God knows who loves Him enough to make hard decisions for Him when they come. You may believe in “once saved, always saved.” I have upcoming blogs to prove that’s a lie. You may believe if End Times come, Christ will rapture us before things get messy. How convenient. Well, that’s a lie too, as I’ve already shown in my three End Times blogs. As it says, in II Timothy 2:15:
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
How can you resist verses like these, in Revelation 21:3-4?
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 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.”
God loves us, but must be a God of Justice too. Get on the right side of this. Have some faith, enough for action for Him. Find your gift that the Lord gives His people. Work it. Not having or doing any is a ticket to hell.
May you come to some changes in your life, if need be, and stick to them. God bless your quest.
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