A thought just came to me and wondered if Heaven is a great big place or has different levels?
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What is Heaven like?
- Thread starter Winter_Rose
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Albion
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- Dec 8, 2004
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Jesus did say that there are many mansions (or rooms) in his Father's house. I assume, therefore, that there's more than just a famous turn of phrase to the idea of "third heaven" or "seventh heaven."
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faroukfarouk
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Philippians 1.23 speaks of 'having the desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better'. Heaven is being where the Lord Jesus is, with all that this means. All the promises, all the comforts, all the blessings are around being with Him for ever, if we love and trust Him and His work at the Cross for sinners.
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- Nov 21, 2008
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Does not have different levels. You need an eye-witness of one who was shown heaven. Paul was shown it in 2Cor 12 - but does not describe it.
John was shown it in Rev 21-22 but was shown it as it appears after the 1000 years of the millennium that will take place after the 2nd coming.
And of course others have seen it.
Every time you look up into space at night - you see real heaven - because it is all the universe except our solar system.
God manifests in space and time - localized as if only on His throne in heaven - even though He transcends it. And so all angels are finite - not infinite and are localized - they are only in one physical location at a time.
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- Nov 21, 2008
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"The living know that they will die - but the DEAD know not anything" Eccl 9:5.
No Bible text says "only the dead know .." anything.
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That's a good question. Not sure how accurate this is, but I read Hebrews 12:22-24 as being a passage describing Paradise / Heaven.
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How many times must this singular passage be taken out of context? Do you believe that the righteous and the wicked share a common destiny as verse 2 says? I think there are numerous scriptures that say God's elect will be in heaven.
Not so.
Luke 16:19 [ The Rich Man and Lazarus ] “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
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. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 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.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Rev 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.
Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Matthew 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”
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. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 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.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Rev 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.
Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Matthew 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”
For this reason scripture in the New Testament uses sleep to refer to the saints that have died.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 [ Believers Who Have Died ] Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleepin death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
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- Jan 2, 2015
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Don't worry about it because the new Earth will be your home.
"I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man" (Rev 21:2)
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