Yes, there is a HEAVEN. However, there isn’t one Heaven, but three! And… that is according to the book that is the sole authority on the subject: the BIBLE.
That “other” place HELL? It’s a whole other story in itself. It’s a misconception too! However... I’ll get to that subject at another time.
Of course, many people today are convinced that there is this mystical and glorious place reserved for them in the heavens above when they die. The upsurge in evangelical preaching that is now worldwide, has added fuel to this idea (illusion) of the “pearly gates” opening up to golden cobblestoned streets and grand mansions, amidst a serene pastoral setting up in heaven. With all the chaos going on in the world today; it’s no wonder people want to believe that such a place exists. Ironically, the very ones preaching (selling) this idea are already living in grand mansions, sitting in gold lined chairs, wearing thousand-dollar tailored suits, and have multi-million-dollar bank accounts as a result of their “tickling” the ears of the vulnerable and ignorant. The Apostle Paul’s warning in (2 Timothy 4:3-4) makes this point crystal clear: “There will be a period of time …they will turn away from listening to the truth and give attention to false stories….”
We are flooded with books, magazines, movies, DVDs and CDs on the subject. HEAVEN SELLS! The commercialization of heaven is in full swing. Recently, a young boy’s journey to heaven and back, while he was under the influence of anesthesia during an operation, was told by his father, in a best-selling book (Heaven is for REAL). The story, as told by the father, is so vividly recounted that anyone who reads it and who has any doubt about going to heaven at death, will welcome life’s final breathe. It’s that convincing! Its sales soared, and as a result, Hollywood wanted a piece of the action. An academy award winning producer was signed to produce the movie version. After reading the book myself, I could see why the cute and cuddly little, blonde haired, child’s story had gotten the attention it did. After all-- who could resist such a story by this cherubic little boy? I couldn’t! However, in reality, the story is FICTIONALIZED/NON-FICTION.
In recent years, there have been hundreds--if not thousands--of paperback books on the subject of HEAVEN and NEAR-DEATH experiences. Two books that became popular sellers on near-death experiences are: (Beyond the Light) and (My Journey to Heaven). In my research, I discovered that many of the experiences these people had, have overtones of hallucinogenic and psychotic interludes in the person’s subconscious state, while under the influence of drugs or anesthetics. Some appear to have even been in a state of influence by some supernatural forces. Keep in mind here, that there are “two” kinds of supernatural forces: Good and Evil; both have been well documented over the course of human history.
We should be cautious about who or what we attribute these parapsychological phenomena to! The Bible warns us: “…stand firm against the crafty acts of the Devil…we have a struggle not against blood and flesh, but…against the wicked ‘spirit forces’ in the heavenly places….” (Ephesians 6:12) Also keep in mind that the Devil is the “father of the LIE.” Confusing people’s thinking is something he is good at. He is a master at deception. He will use any means to draw people away from the truth of God’s word. And, he can twist the truth in a person’s thinking, to make a “lie” appear as the “truth.” The Bible says that the Devil “…can appear as an ‘angel’ of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14) Since some claim to have actually died and come back, it’s also important to know that at death, the brain does not stop functioning immediately, but continues to be active even after the heart stops. At (M.I.T) they have done tests, and discovered that shortly after the heart stops, there are still lingering electrical waves coming from within the brain. Also, it was noted that at the moment of cessation of all bodily functions, there is an immediate loss of 3/4 of an ounce of body weight (21 Grams)--which they claim is a “mystery." This discovery also contributes to the assumption of a (soul) leaving the body.
So...these ones who have come back from the dead, or who have been revived; they all tell the same story of seeing this blinding “light” and having mystical, celestial encounters with spirit creatures. Many even claim to have met Jesus personally and shook his hand and sat in his lap. And, many also claimed to have been given a guided tour of heaven by Jesus.
CONSIDER THIS REVEALING OPINION ON THIS BRAIN ACTIVITY AT DEATH, BY A NOTED AUTHOR AND AUTHORITY ON THE SUBJECT (Michael Shermer): "Because the brain does not perceive itself, it imputes mental activity to a separate source — hallucinations of preternatural entities such as ghosts, angels, and aliens are perceived as actual beings; out-of-body and near-death experiences are sensed as external events instead of internal states; likewise, the neural pattern of information that is our memories and personality — our “self” — is sensed as a soul. In this sense, the soul is an illusion…." [This quote was taken from an article on a debate between Mr. Shermer and Deepak Chopra, on the subject of "life after death."]
Of the (three) heavens that will be discussed here, it is most likely that the (third) heaven is the one that most of these people will claim to have visited. YOU will be the judge of that! Put away your preconceived notions about HEAVEN, and consider what the “original” source (the Bible) has to say about it.
THE FACTS:
The very first verse in the Bible states: “In the beginning God created the HEAVENS and the earth. Heavens, not heaven! Also, the scripture in (Genesis chapter 1) says that God made an “expanse” between the waters on the earth and the waters above the earth and he went on to call the expanse Heaven. It’s reasonable to assume that this is the (first) Heaven the Bible speaks of, based on some of the scriptures quoted in the next chapter.
Now, the Genesis account goes on to speak of the celestial bodies beyond the earth’s atmosphere; in particular (the Sun and the Moon). (Verse 15) “…They will serve as luminaries in the expanse of the Heavens….” Note here that heavens is in the plural now and not singular, as in the expanse above the earth, as mentioned earlier. An obvious deduction here is that this particular heaven lies between other heavens.
The Bible only refers to (3) heavens in total. The third heaven would certainly be the one where God himself resides, and that is exactly what is indicated here in this scripture (2 Corinthians 12:1-2): “…I know a man…God knows… was caught away as such to the third heaven….” This taking away of one of God’s servants, into God’s presence in the Most Holy of all heavens--the third heaven--was witnessed by the Apostle Paul in a supernatural vision he was given. The Apostle Paul was the most gifted of all the Apostles, and one who had supernatural powers given him by God, through Jesus.
Now that we have established--according to the original source the (BIBLE)--that there are three levels of heaven; we can better understand who and what would inhabit these levels-- and most importantly: Where do WE go when we die? With that said; now let’s get to the truth about heaven. Don’t worry; there is “light” at the end of the tunnel--as will be discussed in the final chapters.
CAUTION! You’re about to enter a no-spin zone!
To skip the following chapters and go directly to the final chapters about where we go when we die, wouldn’t help you to understand it without having some background knowledge of these three levels of heaven. Keep in mind that the whole concept of Heaven originated in the one source, that all--or most--Religions got it from in the first place: [The original scriptures that eventually comprised the book we call the BIBLE--the number one, least read, least understood, most misquoted, and best-selling book of all time.]
With all due respect to humility; I don’t think anyone can truly get the whole picture or meaning of what is written in scriptures, unless one has in some capacity, or to some degree, read through the sixty six books of the Bible. It would be presumptuous for anyone to say: “I know what this or that scripture means,” without some knowledge of all the other scriptures that come into play. A good illustration would be like someone grabbing a few pieces of a puzzle out of a box and connecting them, and then assuming: “I know what this picture is!” without the rest of the pieces connecting to give a true rendering of the real picture. Anyone who has a broad knowledge of all the scriptures in the Bible, can see without doubt, that they are all in harmony with the one true picture of what they mean--in this case, HEAVEN. Taking certain scriptures out of context and then embellishing them with one’s own idea or concept of what the meaning is, is rampant among modern day evangelists and preachers. All you have to do is flick through the channels on Christian TV and radio, listen to some of them, and it’s obvious that they contradict each other on certain issues--in particular HEAVEN.
WHO INHABITS THE FIRST LEVEL?
The first level of heaven is the space (expanse) between earth and the outer atmosphere above the planet. In (Genesis 1:7) God mentioned that there would be “waters” beneath the expanse [oceans and lakes], and “waters” above the expanse [logically they would be the clouds that fall as rain water], and that would probably include the upper atmosphere of earth beneath the ozone layer.
It would be good to note here that in the account of the great flood of Noah’s day, where it says: “…and the downpour from the heavens was restrained…,” that it’s indicating the clouds stopped raining down on the earth—a logical deduction.
“…and God began to call the expanse HEAVEN….” (Genesis 1:8) In this heaven is where God created and placed all kinds of flying creatures: “…let the flying creatures fly over the earth upon the face of the expanse of the heavens….” (Genesis 1:20) The only creatures that are mentioned here who inhabit the heavens in the expanse between earth and the outer atmosphere are “flying creatures” like birds.
If you’re hung up on the plural use of the word “heavens” in that scripture; you only need to recall that we use this type of plurality when we say things like: “The skies are clear today with a chance of scattered showers.” Here, it’s a figure-of-speech. After all, there is only ONE sky above us! A little logic comes into play here. So…this heaven is obviously not the place where WE go when we die--unless you are a strong believer in (reincarnation) as in Buddhism or Hinduism--in which case you would morph into a bird or some other flying creature.
WHO INHABITS THE SECOND LEVEL OF HEAVEN?
At the present time (in our generation) that would include the astronauts and the satellites--along with all the galaxies and constellations in the known universe out there. There are many references in the Bible to the second level of heaven where the stars, the galaxies, and the constellations are. Moses made mention of this heaven, when he recalled God’s promise to Abraham: “…I will multiply your offspring like the STARS of the heavens….” Also, when God spoke to the Israelites in the wilderness: “…when you raise your eyes to the heavens and see the sun and the moon and the stars--all the army of the heavens….” (Deuteronomy 4: 19) Albert Einstein (the noted physicist and scientist) believed that the heavens or the (Universe) is spread out like a giant, interwoven fabric. I wonder if he was referring to Job’s proclamation about God: “…He spreads out the heavens by himself….” (Job 9:8) I think Einstein was on to something that even he wasn’t aware of. Consider this scripture (Revelation 6:13-14): “…the heaven departed as a scroll that is being rolled up….” It has been said that science is constantly proving the accuracy of the Bible.
This second level of heaven is also likely to be the place where the devil and the demon angels reside--the ones who fell from the HIGH heaven (Most Holy Heaven) where God resides. There is reference to these fallen angels being “cast” into a state of dense darkness (tartarus) and being assigned there until the “Day of Judgment” by God: “…punishing the angels who sinned…putting them in chains of dense darkness….” (2 Peter 2:4) This event occurred in the time prior to the flood of Noah’s day when these angels intermingled with the flesh of humans on earth and defiled their sacred position as angelic creatures of God. He punished them by not allowing them to enter back into the “Most Holy” of heavens, where his “unapproachable light” shines, and by casting them out into the pitch black, cold darkness of the vast Universe. Aside from the billions of galaxies out there, the Universe is void of light and is predominantly a vacuum of total darkness. We must wonder about these so-called, enormous “black holes” that scientists say are out there. They have so much vortex force that nothing can escape their devouring hold--not even whole galaxies! Unimaginable power! Could there be some connection with these “bottomless” black holes, and that place of imprisonment for the devil that is spoken of in (Revelation 20:2-3): “…He seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for 1,000 years. And he hurled him into the abyss….” It may be that the Hubble telescope is revealing more to us about the second heaven than God wanted us to see. This heaven is probably not such an ideal place either for us humans to inhabit when we die. This brings us to the third and final level of heaven.
WHO INHABITS THE THIRD LEVEL OF HEAVEN?
The third level of heaven is where God himself resides, along with Jesus and of course the heavenly hosts (the angels). This (third) heaven is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in (2 Corinthians 12:1-2). CAUTION! Don’t let your imagination run wild here and take this scripture out of context--as it so easily can be! This was an isolated incident and I only mention it here to give Biblical proof that a (third) heaven exists. The prophet Ezra alluded to this place in his explicit description of it: “…the Heaven of the heavens cannot contain you….” (2 Chronicles 6:18) This is true because God (Jehovah) is light personified and his glory is beyond measure.
“…for his invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward…” (Romans 1:20) God is a Spirit and no man can see God. “…the one alone having immortality, who dwells in “unapproachable” light, whom no man has seen or can see….” (1 Timothy 6:16) Although we cannot see God with our physical eyes, we can see him with the “eyes of our heart” and mind: (Ephesians 1:18) Blind people see in this way. The “unapproachable light” mentioned here, can only mean the presence of the true God (Jehovah). His dwelling place is in the “Heaven above all the heavens”--as stated by Ezra the prophet. Even Moses had to shield himself from the unbearable light of God.
I feel I must clarify something here before I continue: “As a freelance writer, I am not associated with any religious organization or cult. In the course of my life, I did become associated with several religions of the world (even to the point of getting baptized into them) and the last association ended more than twenty years ago. The reason I mention this is because I have used the name of God (Jehovah)—the English version of Yahweh-- a few times here in this article, and I wouldn’t want anyone assuming that I am a follower of any particular religion or cult because of using God’s name in the context of this article. This translation of God’s name from the Hebrew (Yahweh) to the English version (Jehovah) happens to be the most internationally recognized translation of the Hebrew name of God as it is written in the original Hebrew scrolls over 7,000 times. It is used in the popular [King James] version of the Bible in selected verses, i.e.: (Exodus 6:2)” The thousands of other times it was used in the original scriptures were deleted by scribes and translators over the years because of Religious superstitions. The “title” God was used instead.
Now that we have some understanding of the three heavens spoken of in the Bible, we should be able to make some sense of it and understand where we fit in as mortal humans on this planet earth that is spiraling around in the outskirts of the Milky Way galaxy, within the vast expanse of the second heaven, that we call the Universe.
WHERE DO WE GO WHEN WE DIE?
The Bible, yes YOUR Bible makes this point very clear in numerous scriptures. Consider this one “conspicuously” overlooked scripture in the first book of the Bible, where God is talking to Adam after his disobedience: “…In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19) Note here that this is one of the rare occasions when God himself spoke, and when HE says something, we can believe it! This verse needs no intellectual interpretation. It’s clear and simple. Don’t let this worry you though! Don’t be disillusioned! There is hope for the dead! It is called the “RESURRECTION.”
God’s word clearly states that the dead are in a sleep-like state. “…those asleep in the dust of the earth will wake up….” (Daniel 12:2) “…and the tombs were opened, and the many bodies of the holy ones who had fallen asleep were raised up….” (Matthew 27:52-53) NOTE: This scripture specifically refers to holy ones, not everyone! And of course this scripture needs no further interpretation: “David…fell asleep in death….” (Acts 13:36) Since it is the Bible where this misconception of (where we go when we die) was taken from by "false prophets," then we can use this scripture in the same Bible to prove that they are lying: (John 11:11) Here Jesus spoke about resurrecting Lazarus: "...I am journeying there to awaken him from SLEEP....!"
It's important to know that Lazarus was dead in the tomb for over (4) days and that the body was already decomposing! He certainly wasn't up in HEAVEN, and if he was, would Jesus have called him back from such a beautiful and peaceful place? Jesus said in (John 11:43-44): “Lazarus...come out!" And the fact that Jesus (wept) over his death! Would Jesus have wept over Lazarus being in HEAVEN!? THINK about this. How these modern-day preachers seem to miss this point and be able to convince the masses of a Heavenly deliverance after death…is somewhat of a mystery in itself! It goes against all the Biblical references to “where we go when we die.”
The subject of the condition of the dead is well established throughout the Bible. To elaborate on it any further would be redundant.
THE RAPTURE!
There is an ever growing number of pastors, preachers, evangelists, and motivational speakers now that fill the airwaves and the television screens--too numerous to mention here. The one thing they all have in common, is that they are all doing extremely well financially. I won’t bore you with the statistics of their lavish lifestyles that anyone can find out with a little research on the internet. The other thing that most of them have in common is that they are telling people that they will go to HEAVEN when they die and that their loved ones are in heaven already. All one has to do is accept Jesus’ sacrifice to gain entrance. Well…there is the matter of the so-called “seed donation” too! We must pay our dues! What is most significant, is that they are calming people’s fears of the impending “great tribulation” of the “end-times” and all its suffering, by promoting the un-scriptural doctrine they call: “the RAPTURE.”
According to them, the “Rapture” will take place soon, before the “great tribulation,” prior to “Armageddon,” as described in (Mark 13:19). In this, ALL those who accept Jesus as their personal savior, will (in an instant) disappear off the face of the earth--or in an airplane, if that’s where they happen to be at the time--to be gathered together in a “cloud” and then joined by Jesus who will escort them into heaven, so that they can escape the horrible tribulation God will unleash on the earth in the “end times.” Who wouldn’t want to believe this! No one wants to go through hell on earth... if there is a way out of it. And these self-proclaimed (modern-day) prophets are giving the masses just that! A way out! This “dangling-of-the-carrot” technique is a trick that con artists have been using for years! Of course, the "carrot" is the reward of (going to heaven). They usually conclude their sermons with: “Call the number at the bottom of the screen….” “Any amount will do….” “But please give as much as you can….” Does that sound familiar? The elderly and the infirm are the ones they target mostly. And now that millions of “baby boomers” are up in that category; they are prime pickings! Many of these unsuspecting victims--according to investigative reports--are willing their life’s savings and property to these unscrupulous (Elmer Gantry) style preachers.
I… want… the… TRUTH!
(I can handle it!)
The idea or concept of the RAPTURE doctrine was started in 1830 AD, in a little village, south of London England, by an elite group of evangelists called the [Plymouth Brethren] headed by a man named John Nelson Darby. Pastor Darby took this scripture as his main source to create the RAPTURE doctrine. And! It is the one most used today to proliferate the idea: (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) “…we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep in death; because the Lord himself will descend from HEAVEN with a commanding call…and we the living who are surviving will…be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air….”
Darby believed that this scripture applied to ALL professed Christians who would be alive in the end-time --whenever that came.
This is probably the quintessential example of what is meant by “taking scripture out of context.”
Taking scriptures “out of context” and embellishing them to conform to one’s own personal interpretation of it, is dangerous and can cause major misunderstandings; as is the case here. It was the Apostle Paul who wrote that profound text in a letter to the Thessalonian congregation in Greece. He was directing that particular passage about the “heavenly hope” to his Brothers-in-the-Faith: (those who were anointed “holy ones” and “chosen ones” who were the leaders or elders of the congregation). In many other letters, he refers to them as “leaders of the flock”--those entrusted with the responsibility of “shepherding the flock of God.” Here, it is important to remember that there are “shepherds” and there are “sheep.” Jesus made mention of this distinction when he told Peter: “…feed my sheep….” Many scriptures make a distinction between "chosen-ones" and "other sheep." Two distinct classes.
So you see…these are the only ones (anointed ones) who will go to heaven. These were and are a special group who WILL go to heaven and be in the presence of God and Jesus. Yes, they are the privileged ones who get to go there! And they are the ones who will RULE with Jesus, as kings and priests over the “great crowd “or “other sheep” on earth during the millennial rein of Jesus. (Revelation 7). This is Good news for all those who are asleep in death and those who will die before Jesus’ return.
USING GOOD SENSE AND LOGIC!
Let’s think about this: Would God create us humans only to have us live a short life here on earth and then die and be morphed into an angel and rise to some heavenly place to live with him? Remember! He already created angels to inhabit heaven with him long before he created us here on earth as humans. He wanted us to be what he created us to be in the first place…humans—in the likeness of God. To assume that God would create us here in this form, only to have us deteriorate back to dust, and then to have us morph into a spirit creature to inhabit the heavenly realm; is going too far with the imagination and even borders on making God appear to be disorganized with his objectives. Now…you know that God is far from being disorganized. The evidence of all creations around us and in the heavens is testimony to his intelligent design and order.
The most recognized prayer in the world is the so-called Lord’s Prayer: (Matthew 6:10--THE OUR FATHER) In this prayer, we are praying for God’s (kingdom) to come to earth, so that we here on earth can have the peace and joy that exists in heaven, without all the evils and hardships that we are experiencing here on earth now. Keep in mind that a (kingdom) is referring to a “government.” That is what they call it in England (the United Kingdom) where they have a King and Queen (a kingdom), and that kingdom rules over its citizens. We are praying for God’s rulership over us by his appointed King (Jesus Christ)--along with his anointed ones as co-rulers. The number of those co-rulers is mentioned in (Revelation 14:3-4)
The whole message of the Bible is that of a (kingdom) being established in the heavens and being ruled by Jesus Christ and special anointed ones. And, that redemption of the human race was accomplished by Jesus paying the ransom price to God the Father, so that we--as humans--could live here in a “RESTORED” paradise, under the rulership of His government (kingdom). THAT IS THE WHOLE, SIMPLE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE! From the first book of Genesis, to the last book of Revelation, all the stories and events recorded, lead up to the restoration of God’s (original purpose): Humans (with Godlike qualities) living in harmony with each other, and cultivating a paradise world, along with all the wonderful animals.--and the heavenly angels as guardians over us all.
Many of you, who are reading this essay, and have gotten to this point of the expose on the TRUTH about heaven and our future destination as humans, are probably thinking: “What kind of a WORLD would we be inhabiting, and who would want to live on this planet (earth) with all its pollution and diseases, violence and corruption?” Consider this: When a contractor is commissioned to completely REMODEL a kitchen, he first has to demolish all the existing structure and trash all the refuse, before he can begin to RE-CREATE the “new” kitchen. “Out with the old; in with the new.” Likewise, when God takes action to restore the RUINED earth; He will follow the same paradigm (plan).
The first step in the restoring process will be to destroy those who have and are RUINING the earth. (Revelation 11:18): “…bring to ruin, those ruining the earth….” And then, He begins the RE-CREATION-- as mentioned in (Matthew 19:28): “…in the re-creation, when the Son of man….” Yes, almighty God, the creator of all things “seen and un-seen”, revealed to the Apostle John, in (Revelation 21:1) that there will be a “NEW heaven and a NEW earth.” NEW, means exactly that, “all new!” The final epitaph of mankind’s destructive rule over earth is prophetically inscribed in stone, at the entrance to the [United Nations] building in Manhattan: (Isaiah 2) “…in the final part of the days…. they will beat their swords into plowshares…. nor will they learn WAR anymore….” This renewal and rebirth is taking place on EARTH, not in HEAVEN.
Finally, let us not overlook this one important scripture that explains just where we fit in, in the divine purpose of God, in His original plan for us: (Genesis 1:26-28) “…God said: let us make man in our image, according to our likeness…let them have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and the domestic animals…He created him; male and female he created them…be fruitful and become many, fill the earth and subdue it….”
So…you see… this is why God created us and what he intended for us to do here on this beautiful and enchanting earth. Someone (the Devil) interfered with his plan, “in the beginning”, but he has a plan to fix the problem. That plan is already in progress, in its final stages. Amidst all the confusion and chaos about: Who are we? Where did we come from? Where are we going?, we can find comfort in knowing that God gives us the answers in His word…the Bible.
CONCLUSSION:
These words of wisdom, written by King Solomon (one who had seen it all, done it all and had it all) are probably most appropriate, considering all that was written here: (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20) “This is what I have seen to be good and proper: that one should eat and drink and find enjoyment for all the hard work at which he toils under the sun during the few days of life that the true God has given him… for he will hardly notice the passing days of his life…the true God keeps him preoccupied with the rejoicing of his heart….”
We live in an age of overwhelming information and knowledge. Because of this, we have become “too smart for our own britches”--as the saying goes. We are the generation of “know-it-alls.” We over analyze. We over scrutinize. We over think. We over eat and drink. And because of this; we are burdening ourselves with a heavy load of stress that is making our lives anything but one to rejoice about.
King Solomon’s words of advice (Ecclesiastes 5;18-20) are the ones we should all heed--while we can!
This so good. I can tell you have read your bible and studied it.
I love this:
So…you see… this is why God created us and what he intended for us to do here on this beautiful and enchanting earth. Someone (the Devil) interfered with his plan, “in the beginning”, but he has a plan to fix the problem. That plan is already in progress, in its final stages. Amidst all the confusion and chaos about: Who are we? Where did we come from? Where are we going?, we can find comfort in knowing that God gives us the answers in His word…the Bible.
Have a great day,
Lois
A most enlightening article based on painstaking research by letting the Bible speak for itself. I'd never considered the layers of Heaven. I will try to heed King Solomon's words by finding balance between work and enjoying life's simple pleasures.
A very exhausting as well as excellent detail account about Heaven according to the Bible. Well done! That said, I am a born again believer in the Bible and I know where I am going. However, I did not know about such a detailed account about Heaven. It shows me that there is much to learn from this magnificent book and I doubt if I will ever learn all there is to know in my lifetime.
I must commend you for an extremely well researched and written article on something that is dear to so many hearts, worldwide. It seems to me, that in this century, above all others, we have the opportunity to make the earth either a heaven or a hell. When I see what is happening, particularly in the Middle East where the Muslim faith also believes in the same God and the same heavens (nicely explained by you) I am encouraged, not by the wars and turmoil that's breaking out, but the process that will eventually benefit a people long repressed by their religion. The same thing is happening here in the United States with so many coming to the realization that spending money on religious rituals will not bring heaven. Even the Catholic Church under the leadership of its recent popes, is rapidly changing.
I remain optimistic that humans are very adaptable people and quite rational, allowing heaven to win. And when we look back from the year 2100 with the stars in our sights, we will wonder why we went through all that hell to get where we are.
Finally! Understand and learn from the New Testament Book of James.
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Finally! Understand and learn from the New Testament Book of Matthew.
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Everything you wanted to know about HEAVEN, but didn't want to hear:
