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Home , Third Heaven

–Don’t Miss it for the World

Wednesday, June 09, 2021

Primary Text: John 14:1-3— (1) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Introduction: Regardless of religious denomination, most people say they want to go to heaven. In fact, a Christian survey conducted within recent years reported that nearly 80 percent of those who professed believed they would go to heaven when they died. As the signs of the return of Christ become more evident, heaven becomes a more desirable place to be. But what does the Bible really say about heaven? Is heaven all that it is reported to be? What and who can we expect to be in heaven? What shouldn’t we expect to be in heaven? While Bible does not teach us everything we would like to know about heaven, we know heaven is real, because it is mentioned over 300 times in the Bible. In addition, Jesus promised to return and take His followers back to heaven with Him. Based on the Bible’s description of heaven, nothing on earth compares to its splendor and glory. Heaven will be worth all that we sacrifice here on earth. We shouldn’t miss it, for the world.

What the Word “Heaven” Means: Read Gen 1:8, Deut. 10:14, 2 Cor. 12:2

Gen. 1:8-- And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Deut. 10:14— (14) Behold, the heaven and the heaven of is the LORD's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.

2 Cor. 12:2— (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.

Note: In Genesis chapter one, “God called the firmament Heaven”. The word “firmament” means the whole vault of the sky with its innumerable stars etc. The Greek word for Heaven “Ouranos” means, cosmologically (planetary or of the planet systems), one of the great divisions of the universe; Thus, the sky, which we can see above us is also referred to as “heaven.” wrote that God owns the “heaven of heavens”, which, indicates that there are multiple levels of what we call heaven, and that God is owner and Creator of them all. In addition, the apostle Paul said he knew a man who as caught up into the “third heaven.” Paul’s vision makes it clear, that beginning with the sky above us, there are three levels which are referred to as heaven.

What Is Heaven? • God’s Headquarters: Gen. 28:13-14, 16-17— (12) And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the of God ascending and descending on it. (13) And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of thy father, and the God of : the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; (16) And awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. (17) And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. Isa. 66:1--Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Note: In Jacob’s dream, a ladder reached up to heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended the ladder as God watched from above it. When Jacob awoke, he believed he had discovered the gate of heaven and that the ladder reached the house of God (the third heaven). Isaiah said that heaven is God’s throne. Thus, if there are levels or spheres of heaven God inhabits the highest level.

• The Home of Angels: Matt. 24:36--But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Rev. 7:11— (11) And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

• The Future Home of the Redeemed: 1 Thess. 4:16-18— (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

What will heaven be like? • Heaven is a : 2 Cor. 12:2-4— (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. Rev. 22:1-2--And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the , which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Note: The word paradise means heaven. It can also mean a park i.e., an Eden or a place of future happiness or bliss. Thus, heaven is a paradise, a place like the , where there is eternal happiness. Paul’s vision was of a man who was caught up (the phrase used for raptured) into heaven. John saw a river of crystal clear, pure water in heaven, and the tree of life with 12 types of fruit. Jesus uses the same word when He told the thief on the Cross, he would be with Him in “paradise” (Luke 23:43).

• Heaven is a Celestial City: Rev. 21:1-5, 10-25— (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. (3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. (10) And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, (11) Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; (12) And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: (13) On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. (14) And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (16) And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. (17) And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the . (18) And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. (19) And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones… (21) And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. (22) And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. (23) And the city had no need of the , neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (24) And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. (25) And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

Note: According to 2 Peter 3:10, the day will come “…in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” Thus, God will purify the earth with fire instead of water, as He did in Noah’s day. After the earth’s purification there will be a new heaven and earth, and the holy city, the New Jerusalem will descend from heaven. Is the New Jerusalem a literal heaven? In general, there are two views regarding the New Jerusalem. One is that the city is symbolic and the other literal. The symbolic view is that the New Jerusalem represents the ideal church, which will be fully realized in God’s own time. Those who hold this view cite Rev. 21:9, 10, where the New Jerusalem is referred to as the “bride” the “Lamb’s wife”, which, is the global Church, that is already in existence. The thought is, just as the actual city of Jerusalem was the place where the faithful worshippers of Jehovah dwelt, so the New Jerusalem depicted in Revelation represents the church of God. Albeit, some believe God’s ideal for the Church will not materialize until the Lord’s return. Under the symbolic view, the size of the city denotes the Church’s ability to hold countless members. The fact that the city descends out of heaven means it is the product of God’s divine process of redemption.

Those who see the New Jerusalem as a literal city believe it is the eternal dwelling place of God, to be inhabited by the saints during the Millennium, after the new heaven and earth appear, and throughout eternity. In John 14:3, Jesus said there were many “mansions” in His father’s house. The Greek word for mansion “mone” pronounced mon-ay means a staying, i.e., residence (the act or the place): --abode, mansion (The New Strong’s Concordance of the Bible, 1990), which denotes a physical or literal place. In addition, Revelation speaks of a river of pure water, a street of pure, transparent gold, and the tree of life that bears 12 types of fruit. Many doubt that these items in the city are symbolic but literal.

• Heaven is Free of the Curse: Rev. 21:4--And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Rev. 22:3--And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

Note: Everything related to the curse that man received due to Adam’s sin will be gone forever. There will be no more sickness, anxiety, stress, hatred, violence, etc.

Who will be in Heaven? • The Repentant: Isa. 57:15— (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.

• Those who do the Will of God: Matt. 7:21— (21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. • Those who are Born Again: John 3:5—Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. • Those whose names are in the Book of Life: Rev. 20:

• The Apostles: Luke 10:20— (20) Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. Matthew 19:28-- And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Rev. 21:14-- And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Who will Not Be in Heaven? • All Sinners: 1 Cor. 6:9-10— (9) Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Gal. 5:21—(19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (20) Idolatry, , hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, (21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Rev. 21:8-- But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Rev. 21:27--And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. Rev. 22:14-15— (14) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (15) For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

• The Devil: Rev. 19:10-- And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

• Those Whose Names are not in the Book of Life: Rev. 20:15— (15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Summary: Regardless of religious denomination, most people want to go to heaven. In fact, one Christian survey reported that nearly 80 percent of those who profess Christianity believe they would go to heaven when they died. Why? Because as far back as any of us can remember, we have been taught that when our life on earth is over, there a much better place called heaven. And there is. The Bible teaches that heaven is God’s heavenly paradise. It is a place of eternal happiness, joy, and bliss. Heaven is a celestial city; God’s headquarters, and home to God’s heavenly host. Heaven is the future home of every born-again believer who is repentant in heart and doing the will of God, and whose name is recorded in God’s book of life. Fortunately, the Bible lists many sinful habits that will not be allowed in heaven. Therefore, as the apostle Paul, said we can examine ourselves “...whether we be in the faith” (2 Cor. 13:5). With the Bible as our guide, we should judge (compare) ourselves to the word of God, and ensure that we meet the requirements to enter into that eternal city, the holy city that God has prepared for them who love Him. No matter what we must endure here on earth, heaven will be worth it all. Don’t miss heaven—for the world.