Here is a brief study from excerpts in articles and emails concerning heaven.
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,2772.0.html ---
God lives in a different "realm" from us. If we must use
physical analogies, I suppose we could say that we live in the physical
subject to death; whereas God lives in the spirit and never dies. We
live in a world of wickedness; whereas God lives in a world of
righteousness. We live in darkness; whereas God lives in light.
God's elect are making the transition and transformation from evil
to good; from physical to spiritual; for darkness to light.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4138.0.html -----
The "Kingdom of God" also known as the "Kingdom of the heavenS," is God's domain, where He resides. To the degree that we have God's Spirit is the degree to which we reside in this Kingdom. At present we are merely begotten, awaiting a new birth into His Kingdom. This Kingdom has no end after the physical has passed away. Etc.
http://bible-truths.com/lake13.html ------------------------------
SEA, EARTH, AND HEAVEN
There are three realms spoken of in Revelation: sea, earth, and heaven:
"And the angel which I saw stand upon the SEA and upon the EARTH lifted up his hand to HEAVEN, and swore by Him that lives for ever and ever, [for the eons of the eons], 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 [no longer a time of delay]" (Rev. 10:5-6).
The angels [messengers] of God communicate things from heaven to both the earth and the sea:
"And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the ANGEL which stands upon the sea and upon the earth" (Rev. 10:08).
There are three realms of humanity and three realms of spiritual understanding. The lowest of all is the sea. Those with at least some spiritual understanding are those who dwell in the earth. And those who have the very mind of Christ are those who dwell in heaven. ALL REALMS will give honor and glory to God:
"And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, [need I explain that ‘fish’ do not have the mental capacity to comprehend what is being taught here—these are MEN, MANKIND, HUMANITY] and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sits upon the throne, and upon the Lamb for the eons of the eons" (Rev. 5:13).
Is this not saying the identical thing that Paul teaches in Phil. 2:10-11:
"That at the name of Jesus every knee should BOW, of things [them] in heaven, and things [them] in earth, and things [them] under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
More proof:
"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and [inhabitants] of the sea! …" (Rev. 12:12).
Next notice that:
"And when the dragon saw that he was cast into the earth , he persecuted the WOMAN [the Church] which brought forth the man child [the manifest sons of God]" (Rev. 12:13).
Where is the Church? Does she dwell in the spiritual realms of heaven? No. Is she located in the sea? No. She dwells in the earth. She is higher than the sea, but lower than heaven; she dwells in the earth. These are the three realms spoken of in Revelation. If we can’t get our thinking above the symbols themselves, we will never ever understand the book of Revelation.
The saints have left the earth in their spiritual walk with God. Those who are now ‘spiritually-minded;’ dwell in heaven—a much much higher realm than that of the earth.
http://bible-truths.com/lake9.html -------------------------
GOD’S HEAVEN IS HIGHER THAN MAN’S HEAVEN
Satan is the god of this world (I Cor. 4:4). Satan possesses ALL the kingdoms of the world (Matt. 4:8-9). Satan appears to the heads of his nations as an angel of light (I Cor. 11:12). It was Satan who appealed to the heaven of Eve’s mind. It was Satan that caused the people to build a tower that would reach MAN’S concept of heaven. The heaven of the minds of those conceiving of such lofty things. It was Satan who caused the king of Babylon to be lifted up in his own heaven, his own mind. Listen to his own words:
"At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and said, is not this GREAT BABYLON, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of MY power, and for the honour of MY MAJESTY?"
v
God has a heaven. It is a SPIRIT REALM. It is where God lives and has His Being. Men too have a heaven. It is likewise, the REALM where they live and have their being—they spiritually live in their own minds, their own heavens.
Notice Prov. 23:7, "For as he THINKS in his heart, SO IS HE." The ‘heart’ is the innermost seat of our deepest emotions, but it is accessed through the MIND. It is what one thinks that determines what one is. When the king of Babylon THOUGHT that he had ascended into heaven in his mind, then that is where HE WAS, "so IS he." But ... BUT, it was man’s heaven and not God’s. No ‘man,’ no ‘carnal man’ has ever ascended into God’s heaven of spirit,
"And NO MAN has ascended up to heaven [God’s heaven], but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man WHICH IS IN HEAVEN [right at the very time He was speaking these words]" (John 3:13).
Jesus could live "on earth" and "in heaven" at the same time! But carnal men live in the heaven of their minds all the time. Man’s heaven is a place of spiritual delusion; whereas God’s heaven is a place of spiritual enlightenment.
"And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the EARTH [of man] and the HEAVEN [of man] fled away; and there was found NO PLACE FOR THEM… And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. And I saw a NEW heaven and a NEW earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." (Rev. 20:11, 16 & 21:1).
It would be mind-boggling enough to think that the entire UNIVERSE could "flee away," but it would be quite another to then suggest that, "there was found NO PLACE FOR THEM." That would be absurd if taken literally. ALL THESE THINGS ARE SPIRITUAL! In the white throne judgment there will be no more a place for the flesh, for the carnal mind, for man’s heaven. There will truly be no place found for them. They will be annihilated in God’s "CONSUMING FIRE" (Heb. 12:29 & I Cor. 3:15)!
God will give man a new earth and a new heaven, and as for the great sea of carnal, God-defying humanity, "…and there was NO MORE SEA."
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,1696.0.html ---
I've come under more frequent spiritual attack. I know within my heart that I must stand strong in the Lord and know that nothing can hurt me unless it is His will. But I am very immature in my spirituality and it's very difficult to deal with these things at times.
Dear Bill:
"Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God...." (Eph. 6:1-17).
I don't know what else to tell you. We all do battle against this spiritual realm.
http://bible-truths.com/lake11.html ---------------------------------
In Hebrews 10:25 were are admonished as follows:
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching."
That this is speaking of believers congregating together to worship and study God’s Word, there can be no doubt. However, there is a much deeper meaning to this "assembling" that few have ever seen. I never saw it myself until I read a paper by J. Preston Eby, entitled: "FORSAKE NOT THE ASSEMBLING."
I will quote an excerpt or two from his paper:
"The Greek word for ‘assembling’ is EPISUNAGOGE. The word, literally, is a verb meaning to synagogue. It is a compound of the Greek prefix EPI with the word SUNAGOGE from which we get our transliterated English word Synagogue. EPI means super – imposition – that which is above, higher than, highest, upon. SUNAGOGE means a meeting, assembly, or gathering. Putting these two words together, EPI-SUNAGOGE means THE ABOVE SYNAGOGUE, THE HIGHER MEETING, THE HIGHEST ASSEMBLY, THE HIGHER-THAN-ALL-GATHERINGS!
It bespeaks of something far greater than merely collecting so many breathing bodies together in one place.
It is a meeting in a higher realm, on a higher plane, in the high places of the Spirit, and in the heights of Truth. It is a gathering together in a dimension above. It indicates an assembling IN THE SPIRIT…"(All Caps belong to Mr. Eby).
This Greek word episunagoge is used only one other time in Scripture, and that is in II Thes. 2:1:
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together [Gk: episunagoge] unto Him."
In Hebrews 10 we are admonished to "assemble" in an high meeting, a meeting in the SPIRIT! In II Thes. 2 this meeting in the Spirit will become a literal meeting with our Lord.
And so, back to our question once more: Which denomination should we join? Where should we go to Church? Where should we "forsake not the assembling of ourselves together?" In a physical building of some physical denomination? No. WE are to episunagoge (assemble) on a higher plane, in a higher realm, in a spiritual assembly, IN THE SPIRIT!
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So how do we relate to 'heaven' now in our lives... as Ray shows in Scripture
Prov. 23:7, "For as he THINKS in his heart, SO IS HE." It is what one thinks that determines what one is. We need to seek that high realm as much as possible... I believe study (private and with others), meditate and pray is how we do that.
John 14:2 In My Father's house (3614) are many mansions (3438); if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
G3614 house - properly residence (abstractly), but usually (concretely) an abode (literally or figuratively); by implication a family (especially domestics): - home, house (-hold).
G3438 mansions - a staying, that is, residence (the act or the place): - abode, mansion.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (3438) with him.
2Cor 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house (3614) of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house (3614) not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
v. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house (3613) which is from heaven:
v. 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
G3613 house - a residence (literally or figuratively): - habitation, house.
What I'm trying to show is all these words in the Scripture "house," "home," "mansions" all mean the same thing, it's talking about our body that holds the spirit of life. You can see in 2 Cor. Paul calls our physical body an "earthly house."
Now God's house/abode is the Kingdom of God/Heaven - the spiritual realm. In John 14:23 Jesus said He and the Father would "make Our home with him," this is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that a chosen few receive in this lifetime... heaven comes to those few now.
Luke 17:20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation;
v. 21 nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."
John 6:56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
So in John 14:2 when Jesus said "I go to prepare a place for you," isn't that actually when the Holy Spirit/Christ comes to dwell in and begin preparing the Elect, getting those few ready for the first resurrection? I certainly think so.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
mercy, peace and love
Kat