"Going to heaven"...a misnomer of sorts

[kat8585]

The New Jerusalem will be too big to rest on the planet. I believe that it will be above the Earth.

Maybe the New Earth will be bigger than this one. Seems it would have to be.

[Botz]

Well Im going to heaven where the streets are paved with gold and the river of life is lined with 12 fruit trees and I get to travel the universe.

This earth is not going to be renewed but rolled up like a scroll and discarded as trash, God is making a new earth, but I doubt it will be so that we inhabit it in any fashion like here.

We will have glorified bodies that do not need food and can be transported accross the universe at will.

Seriously you think we are coming back here after being raptured? God is going to erase all the sorry and sad memories of such a sorry and sad place.IMO

The streets paved with gold are in the Celestial City (John Bunyan) and the Heavenly Jersualem comes down and G-d dwells among men in the New heavens and the New Earth...the impression I get is that He literally causes His dwelling place to be transferred from Heaven to Earth, and choses to dwell amongst men.

[Fez]

You know what?

I really don't care, as long as Jesus is there!

[Botz]

You know what?

I really don't care, as long as Jesus is there!

Lol...I don't think most of us really care mate...its just interesting...and even while speculating, one is always forced back into the Scriptures, and that is always most excellent,

[HAZARD]

Hi.

"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." (John 14:2).

We know that Heaven is a created place.

(Gen. 1:1; Isa.42:5: 45:18; Col.1:16-18: Neh.9:6; Ps. 102:25; Prov.8:27).

It is not dissimilar to the planet earth (Gen.1:1; Heb.11:8-16). In this last passage it is called a "BETTER COUNTRY" than the earth. Heaven, therefore, is not an invisable nothing or a cloud floating in space where saints sit and play Jew's harp forever.

THERE ARE THREE HEAVENS. Besides the planet called Heaven where God dwells (Gen21:17; 22:11, 15: 2 Cor. 12:1-3; Deut. 26:15; 1 Kings 8:30;38, 43, 49) there are two other spheres called Heaven. Paul speaks of three heavens (2 Cor. 12:1-3) The third Heaven here is called the paradise where God lives. The other two heavens are: the clouds (Gen.1:8; 7:23; 8:2; Job 38:9, 34; Isa. 14:14; Jer.51:16) and the starry space between the Earth and the planet Heaven (Gen. 1:15-20; 22:17; Isa.14:12-14; Ps. 8:3).

HEAVEN IS THE CAPITOL OF THE UNIVERSE, for God has His capitol city, the New Jerusalem, His capitol building, the Heavenly Temple or Tabernacle, and His throne in the Temple in Heaven. This city is described by John in Rev.21-22. This capital city will continue to be in Heaven until the end of the Millenium and then it will be moved from the planet Heaven to the planet Earth (Rev.21:2, 9-21). Many Scriptures speak of God's throne being in Heaven. (Ps. 103:19; Rev.4:1-2). That God has a real temple in Heaven is clear from Rev.4-5; 11:19; 14:17; 16:17.

GOD OWNS AND RULES FROM THE HEAVENS OF HEAVENS (Gen. 14:19,22; Ps. 11:4; 89:11; Luke 10:21; 11:2). He also ownes the Earth and all things in the universe, but at present this planet is in rebellion against Him. This is why Jesus will be sent from Heaven with the armies of Heaven to sieze this rebellious part of the universe and restore Gods absolute rule on Earth as before the rebellion started (1 Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 19:1-21; 20:1-10 Zech. 14; Jude 14; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Joel 3; Matt. 24:29-31; 25:31-46).

THE LOCATION OF HEAVEN IS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE UNIVERSE. (Isa.14:12-14). In Scripture we are told that Lucifer led a rebellion into Heaven into the sides of the North. In Ps.75:6-7 we are told that promotion comes not from the south, east, or west, but from Lord and therefore from the north.

HEAVEN IS INHABITED " Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." (Rev. 12:12), (! Kings 22:19; 2 Chron. 18:18; Matt.18:10; 22:30; 24:36; Rev. 12:12; 13:6). Armies and hosts of Heaven are mentioned an number of times as seen in these passages and in Dan. 4:35; Luke 2:13; Rev. 19:14. These inhabitants are listed in part as common angels, archangels, seraphim, cherubim and other spirit beings. Heavenly bodies are mentioned in 1 Cor. 15:48-49. Rejocing in Heaven is referred to by the inhabitants in Heaven (Ps. 96:11; 148:1, 4; Isa.44:23; Rev. 12:12). 8. Paul speaks of "the invisible things" in Heaven as being like the visible things on Earth; that is the things in Heaven are just like the things on Earth. (Rom. 1:20). The word "things" is used in many passages in referring to realities in Heaven. (Phil. 2:10; Col 1:16-20; Heb. 8:12; 9:23). We know from Scripture that in Heaven there are Cities (Rev.21), mansions (John 14:1-3), trees, rivers (Rev.22:1-3), fountains of water (Rev. 7:17), food (Ex.16:4; Ps.78:25: 105:40; John 6:31-51: Luke 22:16, 18, 30; Rev. 2:7, 17: 19:1-10; 22:1-3), animals (2 Kings 2:11-12; 6:13-17; Zech. 1:8-11: 6:1-8; Rev. 19:11-14, 21: Rom. 1:20), furniture tongs (Isa.6:6), fire and coals (Isa. 6:6; Rev.8:5) censer and incense (Rev. 8:4-6), smoke (Rev. 8:4; 15:8), musical instruments (Rev. 5:8; 14:1-5; 15:2-4), clothes (Dan. 7:9; Rev. 1:13; 6:9-11), stones (Rev. 2:17), books (Rev. 3:5; 5:1-7; 10:1-11; 20:11-15), Also mentioned in Scripture are, vials or bowls, crowns, thunderings, lightnings, clouds, lamps, a sea of glass, singing, worship, palm trees, temples, silence, so there must also be noise at other times, trumpets, hail, mountains, keys and chains, measuring sticks, olive trees, the ark of the testament, doors, posts, girdles, pearls, diamonds and other precious stones, walls, gates, gold in abundance, streets, fruits, banquets, and many other inumerable things. If the invisible things in the heavenlies are clearly seen by the things on Earth, as Paul taught in Rom. 1:20, then we have a right to believe that there are in Heaven the same kind of things that we have on Earth. We have no right to make an exception of any good thing that God created and intended for man to have before the fall. Several natural men have gone to Heaven and have come back or will later come back. They are Enoch (Gen.5:22; Heb. 11:5), Elijah (2 Kings 2), Paul (2 Cor. 12:1-4), and John (Rev. 4:1). The first two of these men are still in Heaven living a natural life and will come back as the two witnesses of Zech. 4:11-14; Rev. 11:3-13).

Enoch has been in Heaven over 5,142 years and Elijah has been there over 3,500 years and they are still eating, drinking, and enjoying life on the planet Heaven. If we will understand such statements made above as literal, then the doctrin of the Heavenly world will no longer be a mystery.

[Fez]

You know what?

I really don't care, as long as Jesus is there!

Lol...I don't think most of us really care mate...its just interesting...and even while speculating, one is always forced back into the Scriptures, and that is always most excellent,

Agreed! An interesting post, and if it directs us to read more scripture, even more so!

[Smalcald]

The New Jerusalem will be too big to rest on the planet. I believe that it will be above the Earth.

Maybe the New Earth will be bigger than this one. Seems it would have to be.

Maybe it is not even in this dimension. Maybe it exists in an entire new space-time existence and so froth.

I honestly don't think our conceptions of size will make any sense.

[OneLight]

Scripture tells us that we will be with the Lord forever, where ever He will be.

1 Thessalonians 4:17

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.

I personally believe that we will be with Him until He creates a new heaven and new earth, one large enough to house the New Jerusalem, being 1500 miles cubic. No matter what the end result will be, we will be with the Lord!

[nebula]

You know what?

I really don't care, as long as Jesus is there!

AMEN!!!

Lol...I don't think most of us really care mate...its just interesting...and even while speculating, one is always forced back into the Scriptures, and that is always most excellent,

True, too!

[kross]

Most Believers say "I want to go to heaven" or 'I'm going to heaven when I die." Is that really true? Yes and no.

Heaven is the abode of God, angels and spirits. The Third Heaven belongs to God. The angels and righteous spirits awaiting the resurrection go to heaven, but our ultimate destination is the New Earth, NOT heaven. Man was never made to dwell in heaven, but on the earth in an Edenic state. God created Earth just for us and on the Last Day the earth will be made new (renewed if you will) and the Church (the Bride, the Holy City) will down out of heaven having met Christ in the air, and we will reoccupy the earth.

I'm not sure where the idea of eternity in heaven comes from, but the Scripture doesn't indicate that to be the ul;timate case. Will you go to heaven as a Believer? In spirit to await the resurrection, absolutely. After the resurrection, no. That is not to say that we will be 'earthbound' so to speak, only that our ultimate home will be the New Earth.

(Before anyone asks, no, I am NOT a Jehovah's Witness. I don't buy a bit of their heresies. That said, a stopped clock is right twice a day.)

The answer depends largely on your view of The Millenium. I believe Christians will be in Heaven for the Millenium, which will take place after the rapture.

Ultimately, we all will be on the new Earth in the New Jerusalem