|
What is Heaven?
The place, where God lives and where
good people are believed to go after they die, so that they
can enjoy perfect happiness.
If we ask some people "Do you like
to know about the heaven?" Many of them will say, I am not
interested in this subject. Why, because they are not going
there in their future, that is why they are not interested.
If anyone is going to some place, he or she will ask about
the place before they were going to the place.
Many preachers and teachers are predicting
the coming of the Lord (the rapture) will happen in our life
time. Do you believe it? If it happens do you go to heaven
or you will be left behind? If you read the following you
will be encouraged.
Do you know any people who visited heaven
when they were alive?
Enoch walk
with God.
Gen 5: 22. And Enoch walked with God after he begat
Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
23. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and
five years:
24. And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God
took him.
Hebrews 11:5-6
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death;
and was not found, because God had translated him: for before
his translation he had this testimony,
that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible
to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him.
The prophet
(Elijah) who stands before God.
1 Ki 18:15. And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth,
before whom I stand, I will
surely shew myself unto him to day.
2 Ki 2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that
Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do
for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said,
I pray thee, let a double portion of thy
spirit be upon me.
10. And he said, Thou hast asked a
hard thing: nevertheless, if
thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall
be so unto thee; but if not, it shall
not be so.
11. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked,
that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses
of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up
by a whirlwind into heaven.
12. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father,
my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes,
and rent them in two pieces.
Apostle
Paul said
2 Cor 12:2. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago,
(whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the
body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to
the third heaven.
3. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of
the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4. How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable
words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Apostle John
went to heaven
Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened
in heaven: and the first voice
which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me;
which said, Come up hither,
and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
2. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne
was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine
stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in
sight like unto an emerald.
Jesus Christ
Ac 1: 9. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld,
he was taken up; and a cloud
received him out of their sight.
10. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went
up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11. Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing
up into heaven? this same Jesus, which
is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in
like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Stephen
Ac 7: 56. And said, Behold, I see
the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on
the right hand of God.
57. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their
ears, and ran upon him with one accord.
58. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the
witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose
name was Saul.
59. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying,
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord,
lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this,
he fell asleep.
It is easier to study about these people
and try to understand their ways. We are not going to heaven
like them, but we do not be left
behind at the Lord's second coming (the rapture).
So let us see what the bible says about
the heaven.
Is 42:5. Thus saith God the LORD, he that
created the heavens, and stretched
them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh
out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it,
and spirit to them that walk therein:
God created the heavens
the one we see and the one we do not see.
Rev 21: 1. And I saw a new
heaven and a new earth: for the first
heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there
was no more sea.
2. And I John saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband.
2Co 12: 2. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago,
(whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the
body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to
the third heaven.
Lk 23:42. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou
comest into thy kingdom.
43. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day
shalt thou be with me in paradise.
This paradise is also in heaven and
part of the kingdom of God. Heaven is a holy place.
Is 57:15. For thus saith the high and lofty
One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell
in the high and holy
place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble
spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive
the heart of the contrite ones.
Is it, all the people going in to heaven
are in the same place or in same level?
Ex 20:18. And all the people saw the thunderings,
and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the
mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed,
and stood afar off.
19. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will
hear: but let not God speak with us,
lest we die.
Moses
like to listen from God, the people did not like to list from
God.
Ex 34:30. And when Aaron and all the children
of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin
of his face shone; and they
were afraid to come nigh him.
31. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers
of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with
them.
32. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and
he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with
him in mount Sinai.
33. And till Moses had done
speaking with them, he put a vail
on his face.
What we understand from this? It is
not comfortable for everyone to be in the same place. There
is a spiritual level or relationship toward God. In front
of God everybody is not same.If God ordain someone to a job
it is not right to talk against them.
Nu 12: 2. And they said, Hath the LORD
indeed spoken only by Moses?
hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.
3. (Now the man Moses was very meek,
above all the men which were upon
the face of the earth.)
4. And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron,
and unto Miriam, Come out ye
three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three
came out.
5. And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and
stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and
Miriam: and they both came forth.
6. And he said, Hear now my words:
If there be a prophet among
you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision,
and will speak unto him in a dream.
7. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful
in all mine house.
8. With him will I speak mouth to
mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and
the similitude of the LORD
shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not
afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
9. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and
he departed.
10. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold,
Miriam became leprous, white
as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was
leprous.
11. And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee,
lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done
foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
God set the order in the church and
he gives the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Why God set the level
in the church?
1Cor 12: 28 And God hath set some in the
church, first apostles, secondarily
prophets, thirdly teachers,
after that miracles, then
gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Eph 4:11. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and
of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect
man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness
of Christ:
12. For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ:
13. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
If anyone say that, in front of God
every Christians are same, then ask them when God broke these
level.
Mt 17: 1. And after six days Jesus
taketh Peter, James,
and John his brother, and bringeth
them up into an high mountain apart,
2. And was transfigured before
them: and his face did shine as the
sun, and his raiment was white
as the light.
3. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses
and Elias talking with him.
4. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good
for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles;
one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed
them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6. And when the disciples heard
it, they fell on their face, and were sore
afraid.
7. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be
not afraid.
8. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man,
save Jesus only.
When the disciples heard the voice
of God they fell on their face and they were sore afraid.
The thing happened to John in Revelation.
Rev 1: 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's
day, and heard behind me a
great voice, as of a trumpet.
11. Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:
and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the
seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna,
and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and
unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
12. And I turned to see the voice
that spake with me. And being turned,
I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto
the Son of man, clothed with
a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a
golden girdle.
Jn 19: When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple
standing by, whom he loved,
he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
Jn 20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus
loved following;
which also leaned on his breast
at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?
John was a beloved disciple of Jesus
and still he fell down at the high mount when he saw Jesus
transfigured and in Revelation he was not afraid. Why?
|
