No disrespect intended, but,this implies no more football. Is Heaven a place where everyone just stands around eating fruit and praising God for eternity? Praising God is a wonderfulI thing, but I would think that, even God, would tire of that after a few thousand or million years. I wonder what, if any, temporal activities might be replicated in Heaven. Will we have modern homes with ovens and dishwashers or return to the "Garden of Eden" type of environment? I believe that we will see Jesus and reunite with our loved ones. I hope my dogs also get to show up. How do you envision Heaven? The Scriptures don't have alot to say about it.
Envisioning Heaven: No more donuts or football?
- Thread starter Adrift
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Dear Adrift,
Heaven is not a place or a location. Believing that heaven is a location is a false understanding that comes from the carnal mind.
The spiritual symbol "heaven" usually represents a person's spiritual state of being. It can also represent a person's mind. And in a physical sense (OT), it can represent the earth's atmosphere, but even then, it is a "type" which represents the spiritual.
Consider this:
Scripture equates unbelievers as dwelling in the sea, unconverted/carnal believers as dwelling on the earth and converted believers as dwelling in heaven with Christ. These spirit words all represent a person's spiritual state of being.
Christ is spirit and is everywhere. When a person is converted, Christ sets up His throne room in the person's mind and rules them from within. In that way, a person becomes the temple of God.
Psa 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple (a believer), the LORD'S throne is in heaven (their mind): his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
1Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Phil 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Consider what Christ said here:
John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
To understand "heaven", a person must think spiritually and not carnally.
Joe
Randy Kluth
Well-Known Member
I envision continuity rather than devolution. Technology will increase, and there will be cats and dogs.
However, there will be sinlessness. That will make the way for endless joy in creativity and the pleasure in that creativity.
Most of all the fellowship will be fun, and not boring, repetitive, and meaningless. We have trouble envisioning it because of the negativities we have now.
Lambano
Well-Known Member
Rockerduck
Well-Known Member
"My death day is my best day". When we are with Christ, in Heaven, His Love will encompass us, around us, and in us. That perfect Love only from God. Food is on trees and plentiful and we; ourselves, will love also one another without selfishness, pride, lust, greed, etc.. Our loved ones, in Christ, will be there, too. This is all in God plan for your lives. He had foreknowledge of you before you were born, that you would be in Heaven.
Do not try to use your finite mind to figure out God's infinite mind. Just remember the day you received the Holy Spirit in your life. It's that feeling times 1000; forever.
Romans 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 8:35 - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
1 Corinthians 8:3 - But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.
Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Ephesians 1:4 - just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Revelation 22:2 - In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.
Do not try to use your finite mind to figure out God's infinite mind. Just remember the day you received the Holy Spirit in your life. It's that feeling times 1000; forever.
Romans 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 8:35 - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
1 Corinthians 8:3 - But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.
Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Ephesians 1:4 - just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Revelation 22:2 - In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.
Rockerduck
Well-Known Member
1 Corinthians 2:9 -
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Webers_Home
Well-Known Member
.
Heaven? Not Interested!
It's an alien world with which I am totally unfamiliar; and when I leave here,
I will be leaving behind everything near and dear to me, e.g. photos,
mementos, souvenirs, collections, sights and sounds, mountains, creeks,
rivers and forests, clothing and equipment, tools, landmarks, entertainment,
hobbies, my spouse, BFF, and my antique Ford Ranger pick-up truck, etc,
etc.
The culture shock tsunami of leaving all that I know & love and going to a
foreign land where I know & love nothing at all, is not my idea of a good
time. Personally; I dread the thought of having to start all over again from
scratch.
NOTE: I've heard tell of folks thoroughly unable to form attachments to
anything, to anybody, nor to any place. When they leave this life, they will
leave nothing behind of sentimental value; nothing in the least, nothing at
all. It's like they lived their entire lives as turnips and carrots instead of
sentient beings.
For many of us working stiffs, the first day on a new job is stressful and
quite an adjustment. The night before that first day can cause enough
anxiety to keep us awake worrying about what we might expect.
I'd imagine that, whether we end up in the right place or the wrong place in
the afterlife, we will be just as stressed on our first day there as the first day
here on a new job.
The anxiety associated with death is to be expected seeing as how most of
us have no experience at all with that particular journey. But much of my
own anxiety in regards to death is related to what comes after. Pity there
are no guide books available in print to prepare us in advance for the
adjustment folks are required to undergo as they struggle to fit into
Heaven's (or Hell's) way of life.
* The one thing I do look forward to in Heaven is the possibility of a library
where everything that can be known about the cosmos is stored. Carl Sagan
would've loved a library like that because he went to his grave with a lot of
unanswered questions. But now they'll never be answered because Carl was,
at best, an agnostic, and at worst, an atheist.
_
Heaven? Not Interested!
It's an alien world with which I am totally unfamiliar; and when I leave here,
I will be leaving behind everything near and dear to me, e.g. photos,
mementos, souvenirs, collections, sights and sounds, mountains, creeks,
rivers and forests, clothing and equipment, tools, landmarks, entertainment,
hobbies, my spouse, BFF, and my antique Ford Ranger pick-up truck, etc,
etc.
The culture shock tsunami of leaving all that I know & love and going to a
foreign land where I know & love nothing at all, is not my idea of a good
time. Personally; I dread the thought of having to start all over again from
scratch.
NOTE: I've heard tell of folks thoroughly unable to form attachments to
anything, to anybody, nor to any place. When they leave this life, they will
leave nothing behind of sentimental value; nothing in the least, nothing at
all. It's like they lived their entire lives as turnips and carrots instead of
sentient beings.
For many of us working stiffs, the first day on a new job is stressful and
quite an adjustment. The night before that first day can cause enough
anxiety to keep us awake worrying about what we might expect.
I'd imagine that, whether we end up in the right place or the wrong place in
the afterlife, we will be just as stressed on our first day there as the first day
here on a new job.
The anxiety associated with death is to be expected seeing as how most of
us have no experience at all with that particular journey. But much of my
own anxiety in regards to death is related to what comes after. Pity there
are no guide books available in print to prepare us in advance for the
adjustment folks are required to undergo as they struggle to fit into
Heaven's (or Hell's) way of life.
* The one thing I do look forward to in Heaven is the possibility of a library
where everything that can be known about the cosmos is stored. Carl Sagan
would've loved a library like that because he went to his grave with a lot of
unanswered questions. But now they'll never be answered because Carl was,
at best, an agnostic, and at worst, an atheist.
_
St. SteVen
Well-Known Member
And ice cream. Donuts and ice cream.
But what about chocolate cake? (Devil's food) - Horrors!
Only Angel Food cake? I hope they have strawberries and whipping cream!
/
St. SteVen
Well-Known Member
Interesting topic, thanks.
Jesus said he was preparing a place for us. Some translations say mansion.
It will be interesting to see what the place looks like, where it is, who our neighbors are.
I want @BarneyFife for my next door neighbor, and several others on the same street or hallway.
The New Jerusalem is described as a cube that extends up above earths atmosphere.
Imagine taking the elevator to the top. Wow, what a view!
And the view from balconies on the courtyard. Wow. Streets of gold.
And monuments to our Spirit-led deeds.
/
Lambano
Well-Known Member
I learned the hard way not to make jokes about Devil's Food cake. We were having a church bake sale...
BarneyFife
Well-Known Member
You won't like it. I don't play my music loud, except with headphones.
375 miles up!
Transparent GOLD!
(Description of New Jerusalem begins at 45:00)
Panorama of Prophecy: "The Glorious Kingdom" | Doug Batchelor
Panorama of Prophecy: Episode 5 | "The Glorious Kingdom" | Doug BatchelorBible Questions:00:00 - Intro07:35 - What is the Testimony of Jesus mentioned in Rev...
www.youtube.com
.
BarneyFife
Well-Known Member
Donuts are barely even food. Try eating nothing for 7 days (no, don't do that) and then eat a peach. The smell of donuts will make you ill.
.
BarneyFife
Well-Known Member
BarneyFife
Well-Known Member
St. SteVen
Well-Known Member
You'd have to pack a lunch for the elevator ride. - LOL
(and stop for potty breaks)
/
BarneyFife
Well-Known Member
Aunty Jane
Well-Known Member
That is an interesting observation.....Assuming that everyone is going to heaven......but who told you that was true?
Where did God put humans in the beginning....and how long were we supposed to live on earth? Was Adam ever told he would go to "heaven or hell", depending upon whether he was good or bad? If he obeyed he would live forever on earth, but if he disobeyed he would die. Two choices...life or death....was all there ever was.
My study of the Bible reveals that humans were never supposed to go to heaven, in fact the apostles themselves had no notion about this even as Jesus was ascending to heaven right before their eyes......they asked a very Jewish question as he was leaving....
"....they asked him: “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”...(Acts 1:6)
Jews believed in an earthly Kingdom with Messiah as king, and Israel restored to her rightful place as God's people.....but they did not know how that would come about since Rome was a dominant world power, and it didn't appear to be going anywhere. Israel had no army by that time.
After the diaspora, (the dispersion of the Jews outside of their homeland) the Jewish people had not had possession of their homeland for hundreds of years, so when Jesus walked the earth, the Romans had jurisdiction over Jerusalem and its surrounds. It was indicated by Daniel, (back when he was an exile in Babylon some 500 years before the birth of Christ) that a march of world powers would dominate the Jewish people until the "Appointed Times of the Nations" (or "the Gentile Times) were fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)
Rome was the fourth Gentile world power to dominate God's people, (according to Daniel's prophesy) but there was another world power to come, reaching all the way down to our day, when the last ruling kings would come to their end. (Dan 2:44)
Jesus went on to say to his apostles....."It does not belong to you to know the times or seasons that the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction. 8 But you will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you, and you will be witnesses of me in Jerusalem, in all Ju·deʹa and Sa·marʹi·a, and to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:-8)
They were going to receive the holy spirit which would reveal to them the purpose of their choosing and where they would serve as "kings and priests" with Christ (Rev 20:6).....so they had work to do, the scope of which must have puzzled them...how would this small band of believers ever reach "the most distant part of the earth"? Jehovah would see to it. (Matt 9:37)
"9 After he had said these things, while they were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud caught him up from their sight. 10 And as they were gazing into the sky while he was on his way, suddenly two men in white garments stood beside them 11 and said: “Men of Galʹi·lee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who was taken up from you into the sky will come in the same manner as you have seen him going into the sky.” (Acts 1:9-11)
Jesus was going to return as he promised....but not for another 2000 years. But he would return in the same "manner" as he left....How was that?.....the world did not know that it happened, and only his closest companions witnessed it. So has Jesus already returned? World events since 1914 testify to it. He gave all of the signs, not of his "coming" but of his "presence"(parousia) as King of God's Kingdom. If his return was a visible event, then why the need for a sign? (Matt 24:3-14) All the things he spoke about have come to pass.....beginning with an unprecedented kind of warfare....."nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom in what would come to be called the "FIRST WORLD WAR"....which was followed by all the other signs in the years since then.
God's Kingdom would rule from heaven, with a specially chosen remnant of natural Israel in the apostles and many of the first Christians, joined later by others (Gentiles) who would be chosen for a role in heaven too, but by and large, the destiny of the redeemed human race will be on earth, ruled by the best government that mankind has ever seen.
This means that humans will live in paradise on earth as God first purposed, with all the enjoyments that we missed out on.....even maybe football and donuts!
King David wrote in prophesy....
"Your kingship is an eternal kingship,
And your dominion endures throughout all generation
14 Jehovah supports all who are falling
And raises up all who are bowed down.
15 All eyes look hopefully to you;
You give them their food in its season.
16 You open your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing."
Sounds good to me.....
I never actually wanted to go to heaven because I knew in my heart that the earth was meant to be my home.....it wasn't till I studied the Bible for myself that I realized that going to heaven was never mentioned as an option for mankind in general...only for the elect ...and their role is clearly defined...(Rev 20:6) Kings need subjects, and sinners need priests to intercede for them and lead them in worship....there are no sinners in heaven.
Revelation is about the future......and what a future it portrays....
This is what John saw in his vision of the future.....
"I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”
What is this talking about? "New Jerusalem" is a heavenly ruling authority, (Christ's bride) seen bringing God's rulership to "mankind" on earth.
God is going to be "with them" through the Kingdom of his son, and he will bring all things back into reconciliation with God.....there will be no more pain, suffering or death in the new world to come....everlasting life in paradise on earth is what God gave us at the beginning....nothing has altered that purpose from being fulfilled in the future. (Isa 55:11)
quietthinker
Well-Known Member
Nowhere did I say that everyone went to Heaven. The structure of my sentence infers "everybody" who is in Heaven.
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