Difference between revisions of "What the Bible Says About" Heaven"

Latest revision as of 23:53, 10 May 2015

What the Bible Says About" Heaven

by Tom Stewart

1. Heaven was created by God.
"In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth" (Genesis 1:1).

"And sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, Who created Heaven, and the things that therein are, and the Earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer" (Revelation 10:6).

2. Heaven is everlasting.
"His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and His throne as the days of Heaven" (Psalm 89:29).

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle we redissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens"(2Corinthians 5:1).

3. Heaven is immeasurable.
"Thus saith the LORD; If Heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the Earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD" (Jeremiah 31:37).

4. Heaven is high.
"For as the Heaven is high above the Earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him" (Psalm 103:11).

"For thus saith the High and Lofty One That Inhabiteth Eternity,whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that isof a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Isaiah 57:15).

5. Heaven is holy.
"Look down from Thy holy habitation, from Heaven, and bless Thy people Israel, and the land which Thou hast given us, as Thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey" (Deuteronomy 26:15).

"Now know I that the LORD saveth His anointed; He will hear him from His Holy Heaven with the saving strength of His right hand" (Psalm 20:6).

"For thus saith the High and Lofty One That Inhabiteth Eternity,whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Isaiah 57:15).

6. Heaven is God's dwelling-place.
"And hearken Thou to the supplication of Thy servant, and of Thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear Thou in Heaven Thy dwelling place:and when Thou hearest, forgive" (1Kings 8:30).

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name" (Matthew 6:9).

7. Heaven is God's throne.
"Thus saith the LORD, The Heaven is My throne, and the Earth is My footstool: where is the house that ye build unto Me? and where is the place of My rest?" (Isaiah 66:1).

"Heaven is My throne, and Earth is My footstool: what house will ye build Me? saith the LORD: or what is the place of My rest?" (Acts 7:49).

8-1. God is the Lord of Heaven.
"But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of Heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver,and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know:and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified" (Daniel 5:23).

"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes" (Matthew 11:25).

8-2. God reigns in Heaven.
"The LORD is-in His holy temple, the LORD's throne is in Heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men" (Psalm 11:4).

"Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did He in Heaven, and in Earth,in the seas, and all deep places" (Psalm 135:6).

"And all the inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitantsof the Earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?" (Daniel4:35).

8-3. God fills Heaven.
"Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD" (Jeremiah 23:24).

8-4. God answers His people from Heaven.
"And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and He answered him from Heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering" (1Chronicles 21:26).

"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2Chronicles 7:14).

"Therefore Thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies,who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto Thee,Thou heardest them from Heaven; and according to Thy manifold mercies Thougavest them saviors, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies" (Nehemiah 9:27).

"Now know I that the LORD saveth His anointed; He will hear him from His Holy Heaven with the saving strength of His right hand" (Psalm 20:6).

8-5. God sends His judgments from Heaven.
"Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of Heaven" (Genesis 19:24).

"The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of Heaven shall He thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the Earth;and He shall give strength unto His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed" (1Samuel 2:10).

"13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from Heaven; 14 He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches"(Daniel 4:13-14).

"For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18).

9-1. Christ as Mediator, entered into Heaven.
"Whom the Heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which Godhath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21).
"Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus,made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Hebrews 6:20).
"12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Hebrews 9:12, 24).

9-2. Christ is all-powerful in Heaven.
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth" (Matthew 28:18).

"Who is gone into Heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angel sand authorities and powers being made subject unto Him" (1Peter 3:22).

10. Angels are in Heaven.
"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in Heaven" (Matthew 18:10).
"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but My Father only" (Matthew24:36).

11. Names of saints are written in Heaven.
"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice,because your names are written in Heaven" (Luke 10:20).

"To the general assembly and Church of the firstborn, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect"(Hebrews 12:23).

12. Saints rewarded in Heaven.
"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in Heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matthew 5:12).

"To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for you" (1Peter 1:4).

13. Repentance occasions joy in Heaven.
"I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance"(Luke 15:7).

14. Lay up treasure in Heaven.
"But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt,and where thieves do not break through nor steal" (Matthew 6:20).

"Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the Heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth" (Luke 12:33).

15. Flesh and blood cannot inherit Heaven.
"Now this Isay, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God;neither doth corruption inherit in corruption" (1Corinthians 15:50).

16. Happiness of Heaven, described.
"16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Revelation 7:16, 17).

17-1. Heaven is called a garner [a building or place where grain is stored].
"Whose fan isin His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire"(Matthew 3:12).

17-2. Heaven is called the Kingdom of Christ and of God.
"For this ye know, that no whore monger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God" (Ephesians 5:5).

17-3. Heaven is called the Father's house.
"In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. Igo to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2).

17-4. Heaven is called a Heavenly Country.
"But now they desire a Better Country, that is, an Heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed tobe called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city"(Hebrews 11:16).

17-5. Heaven is called a rest.
"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9).

17-6. Heaven is called Paradise.
"2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen year sago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the Third Heaven. 4 How that he was caught up intoParadise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man toutter"(2Corinthians 12:2, 4).

18. The wicked excluded from Heaven.
"Envyings,murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:21).

"For this ye know, that no whore monger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God" (Ephesians 5:5).

"For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whore mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" (Revelation 22:15).

19. Enoch and Elijah were translated into Heaven.
"And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him" (Genesis 5:24).

"By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God" (Hebrews 11:5).

"And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that,behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into Heaven" (2Kings 2:11).

[Please see our article "<a href="http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Jehovah/Doing-Now-in-Heaven.html">WhatAre They Doing Now in Heaven?</a>" ---<a href="http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Jehovah/Doing-Now-in-Heaven.html" target="_blank">New Window</a> for a Scriptural discussion of how God is using the Saints on Earth tofurther perfect both Saints and Angels in Heaven.]