God's current dwelling is not for us.
In part I, we discussed Hell, specifically the different kinds of Hell found in our world. Check it out here if you haven't read it yet.
In part II, it is time to discuss Heaven. Once again, it seems to be a misunderstood concept in Christianity. Pastors regularly read comforting things during funerals "They are in a better place" or "They are with God now". Let's see if that holds up to scripture!
Here are the topics we will address in this teaching:
- The Correct Order of Events- From When You Die to When Yeshua Returns
- Spirits, Mediums and Divination
- Why We Won't Live in God's Heavenly Dwelling
- Proving No Man Has Ever Entered Heaven - Addressing Enoch & Elijah
- Where Will Heaven Be Based
- What Will Heaven (Really) Look Like
- What Will We Do in Heaven?
- Are There Animals in Heaven?
- Misunderstood Verses
The Correct Order of Events- From When You Die to When Yeshua Returns
We will start by laying out the events that occur when you pass away on Earth, and then justify it with scripture:
- When you die, your spirit falls asleep.
- Your spirit will awaken from Sheol when Yeshua returns.
- You are then resurrected physically, in a new body.
- You will be judged - either sending you to Hell (Gehenna) or eternal life with God.
- For eternal life, we live with and serve God in the New Heaven and New Earth.
Evidence for the above point of view:
- When you die, your spirit falls asleep.
Mat 9:24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him.
Jhn 11:11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
Isa 38:18 For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.
Psa 6:5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave?
1Th 4:14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
There are many more instances, but we will keep it to these. These verses all point to the fact that when we die, we enter a slumber. One similar to when we fall asleep in our own lives. We have no idea about the time or location or what is happening.
We know from Part 1 on Hell, that these souls reside in Sheol - The place for ALL spirits of the dead.
- The spirit will awaken when Yeshua returns
1Co 15:51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
1Co 15:52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Dan 12:2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
Jhn 5:28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice
Jhn 5:29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
1Th 4:14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
1Th 4:15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
1Th 4:17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
- You are then resurrected physically, in a new body.
Job 19:26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;
Isa 26:19 But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise— let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy— your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.
- You will be judged
Rev 20:13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.
2Ti 4:1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
- For eternal life, we live with and serve God in the New Heaven and New Earth.
We will discuss this in detail a bit later in the following sections:
- Where Will Heaven Be Based
- What Will Heaven (Really) Look Like
- What Will We Do in Heaven?
Spirits, Mediums and Divination
Since souls and spirits of the dead are sleeping in Sheol, it seems that through occult practices, some people such as mediums and seers can wake them up. This is a dangerous practice, and strictly forbidden by God. We have a podcast on this entire point, which you can check out in The New Life Podcast by Love Church.
There is an interesting example of this in the Bible in the book of Samuel.
Saul was the king at the time, about to head into battle. However, his trusted advisor, David was not there to advise him on an upcoming battle. In a desperate attempt to gain wisdom from the Lord, Saul sought out a medium. The Bible reads as follows:
1Sa 28:11 Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” “Bring up Samuel,” he said.
1Sa 28:12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”
1Sa 28:13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.”
1Sa 28:14 “What does he look like?” he asked. “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
1Sa 28:15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”
1Sa 28:16 Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has departed from you and become your enemy?
The Lord punished Saul by giving him over to his enemies for consulting a medium. Never attempt to perform or take part in occult practices, especially when not rooted in God. It is a dangerous path.
We Will NOT Live in God's Heavenly Dwelling
Yes, you read that correctly. A topic Christianity has made up is that when we die, we immediately enter the Heavenly gates, and start living in Heaven with God. We walk the streets of gold, and the Earth is a secondary thought.
The reality is that God said that He will establish His Kingdom on Earth, under Heaven.
Dan 2:44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
Dan 7:27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’
The Kingdom that will be established on Earth is from Heaven. This is why the Bible frequently mentions the "Kingdom of Heaven." God has chosen Earth as the location for this Kingdom. The beginning of the Lord's Prayer reflects this idea, as it indicates that a Heavenly Kingdom will be realized on Earth:
Mat 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
This is also quite clearly stated in the Book of Revelation:
Rev 21:1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
Rev 21:2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Here are some more verses which support the idea of Heaven being established on Earth, instead of God's Heavenly dwelling:
Isa 65:17 “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
Isa 65:18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.
2Pe 3:13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
These verses highlight that God's ultimate plan is to bring His Kingdom to Earth, establishing a divine place where He will dwell with His people. The word NEW implies something different than what is current!
The focus is on a renewed Heaven/Earth, where God's presence will be fully realized and His will perfectly carried out. Details of a new temple, with dimensions and designs are also mentioned in Revelations.
Proving No Man Has Ever Entered Heaven - Addressing Enoch & Elijah
Since we all go to sleep in Sheol when we die, it also means that no man or soul has ever entered Heaven. Many people will bring up the phrase "He is in Heaven with God now" in funerals, but this is incorrect, based on the evidence shown above and in Part 1.
Christians will often turn to Enoch and Elijah. They say these men went straight to Heaven to be with God and suffered no death, therefore nullifying the statement that no man has entered Heaven.
We now have a contradiction - so let's investigate Enoch and Elijah to see if they really went to Heaven:
Here is Elijah's story:
2Ki 2:11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
Examining the word "Heaven" above is Shamayim:
shâmayim, shaw-mah'-yim; dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה shâmeh; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):—air, × astrologer, heaven(-s).
We can see that this is referring to the SKY. It seems more likely God transported him somewhere physically or allowed him to move into the spiritual realm. People who believe Elijah ascended to Heaven will have a very difficult time explaining 2 Chronicles 21:12, where Elijah (after this event) manages to send a letter to King Jehoram!
2Ch 21:12 Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: “This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah.
This strange transportation method is not a one-time event - we see it happen again with Phillip and the Ethiopian in Acts 8:39.
What About Enoch who Ascended to Heaven?
This is just an assumption by most people - read the verse for yourself and ask, where does it tell us that he ascended to Heaven?
Gen 5:24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
Here, "took" means:
lâqach, law-kakh'; a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):—accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, × many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.
This does not elude at all to Heaven. He, along with every other being is waiting for the second coming in Sheol. If you have read the book of Enoch, you will also realize that what Enoch experienced was similar to what John experienced in the book of Revelation. God revealed a lot to Enoch in the Spirit.
As you can see, no man has entered Heaven. Yeshua has not returned, the dead have not been judged, and so this is not yet permitted.
Where Will Heaven Be Based?
God explicitly states where the base of Heaven will be:
Mic 4:1 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.
Mic 4:2 Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Jer 3:17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
Jerusalem is key. This is where Yeshua will return. This is also explained in Zechariah:
Zec 14:4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.
Zec 14:5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
Zec 14:6 On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness.
Zec 14:7 It will be a unique day—a day known only to the LORD—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light.
Zec 14:8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.
Zec 14:9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.
What Does Heaven (Really) Look Like?
After the great tribulation, satan's judgment, and the judgment of the dead, a new temple will descend from Heaven to Jerusalem, here on Earth. This will be God's dwelling place among us. This whole process is described in detail in Revelation 21:
Rev 21:1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
Rev 21:2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
Rev 21:4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Rev 21:5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Rev 21:6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty, I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.
Rev 21:7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.
A few verses later, the book describes how beautiful the New Jerusalem is:
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God
Rev 21:11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
The Angel then begins to give us some dimensions of the new Jerusalem:
Rev 21:12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Rev 21:13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west.
Rev 21:14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Rev 21:15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls.
Rev 21:16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.
We then get to the famous parts, the streets of gold, and some more descriptions of the inside:
Rev 21:18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
Rev 21:19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,
Rev 21:20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
Rev 21:21 The 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.
As you can see, all of these things describe the New Jerusalem (i.e. New Heaven, which is a Temple / City!), which is located here on Earth, and not in God's original dwelling place. Only when we are resurrected and judged worthy of eternal life, will this new place descend from God's original Heaven, and then we will live there with God, Yeshua, your family, etc.
The version where people pass away and are immediately in God's original Heaven is not valid, as the New Jerusalem is the intended place for us to be with God.
What Will We Do in Heaven?
We will be with our Creator and all His glory! The Book of Revelation also states that there will be no sun or moon because it is not necessary. God's light will sustain us throughout the ages. Apart from this, it is not clear what we will do.
In my personal opinion, this is what Heaven will look like:
1. Worship and Praise: One of the primary activities in Heaven will be worship and praise of God and Yeshua. In Revelation 4:8-11, we see a vivid depiction of continuous worship: "Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come." The twenty-four elders also fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him forever and ever." What a powerful picture!
2. Fellowship and Joy: Yeshua enjoyed sharing meals and fellowship with people during His time on Earth. In Heaven, we will also experience joy and community. Luke 22:29-30 mentions that Jesus promised His disciples they would eat and drink at His table in His Kingdom. Imagine having a great feast with your past relatives. What about Moses himself?
3. Service and Purpose: We will have meaningful roles in Heaven. Revelation 22:3 states, "No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him." This service will be fulfilling and joyful, free from the burdens of sin and toil we experience on Earth. What an honour it will be to serve God in His ways.
4. Perfect Health and Eternal Life: In Heaven, there will be no sickness, tiredness, or sin. Revelation 21:4 assures us, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Our bodies will be transformed and glorified, as mentioned in Philippians 3:21, "who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."
5. Exploration and Discovery: While not explicitly stated in the Bible, it is reasonable to believe that Heaven will offer endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. God's creation is vast and marvelous, and in our eternal state, we may have the capacity to explore and learn more about His works and His nature, continually growing in our understanding and awe of Him. I believe we will also be given more knowledge on God and the workings of the World.
Are there animals in Heaven?
For some, this is even more important than seeing family members, so let's try to address it.
It is not explicitly stated in the Bible "Animals will be with us in Heaven", however, I believe it is strongly inferred:
Isa 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Rev 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
There are multiple other verses that suggest there will be animals in Heaven:
Luke 3:6, Rom 8:19-22, Psa 36:6, Ecc 3:18-21
God especially loves animals, as they are also part of his creation:
Gen 9:5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.
Gen 9:12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations
In my opinion, it does not make sense that Heaven will come on Earth and suddenly all the animals living at the time will disappear. Especially since there will be peace between all animals at the end times. Animals do not sin and therefore cannot be judged as we will be.
So indeed I believe that all the remaining living animals will still be with us and allowed to continue to thrive since there will be peace between all animals. This makes sense as God loves ALL his creation and they are all a testament to his design and glory.
The question that is not as clear is whether past animals will be resurrected. God does not give us a clue on this. Will your household pet be with you in Heaven? I don't see why not. Why don't you pray for it? I think people underestimate God's generosity. Each living creature also has a soul and flesh, and so I also believe that animals could have a second life.
Misunderstood Verses
Many verses are misunderstood, mistranslated, or taken out of context. Let's go through some:
- Yeshua speaking to the criminal on the cross:
Luk 23:43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
We know that when you sleep you do not know of time. So for this person, and all people who are in Yeshua, when you wake up, it will be the second coming. It will be as if no time passed.
- Paul's letter in Corinthians:
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
Same argument as number 1. A person who is away from the body is sleeping in Sheol until the second coming. They will have no idea how much time has passed.
- The story of Lazarus and the rich man
Luk 16:22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
Luk 16:23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
Luk 16:24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
This story is a parable about turning back to God's Law and it is not literal.
Conclusion
In this teaching, we discussed Heaven and shed some light on a place that many Christians are uncertain of or misunderstand. We first showed the correct order of events when someone passes away to the point where Christ returns. People's souls do not instantly go to Heaven, they fall asleep in Sheol.
Even though the souls are asleep, it is apparent through occult practices, that it is possible to see and converse with these sleeping souls, as evidenced through 1 Samuel, where King Saul sought a medium to awaken the soul of Samuel to receive guidance about an upcoming battle; but because he practiced the forbidden, God turned him over to his enemies. These practices are strictly forbidden and should never be sought out.
We then showed why we do not enter "Heaven" when we die. No man has ever entered this place, including Enoch and Elijah. The Bible never eludes to Enoch being taken to Heaven, and Elijah was never taken to Heaven, because he managed to send a letter to a King later in time. Instead we saw that Heaven is to be set here on Earth and a New Heaven (New temple) will descend to a New Earth (Earth after judgement day). Heaven will also be solely based in Jerusalem.
This "New Heaven" will be God's dwelling among us forever and ever. God moves himself onto Earth and will sustain us.
I hope this teaching provided some more clarity over Heaven. In Part III, we will visit Hell, or rather, the person synonymous with Hell - The Devil.
