Heaven by Joel Joseph | ThePropheticScroll.org Written exclusively for ERFMinistries May God bless you always, may you grow up to be righteous, may you grow up to be true, may you always know the truth. May you stay forever young, forever young! Well, Bob Dylan – Have I got news for you! We will stay forever young and it will be forever and ever. Recent studies have discovered that human DNA doesn’t age beyond 30 years or so. This could imply that our eternal resurrected age will be somewhere in that range. The resurrected body will be something to put science fiction to absolute shame. In the resurrection we will have both physical and supernatural spiritual qualities and be able to switch between them at will. Our state will be perfect, disease and deformity free. Our senses will be supercharged to say the least. We will be able to travel the universe at the speed of thought, appear in one place and then another in an instant. We will have full and perfect knowledge of all things and the power of sin will be forever gone. 1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall be known, just as I am known. Both Heaven and hell are largely misunderstood in these days, but the Bible does give elaborate insights into both, which we would do well to give heed to. The Bible speaks of the Heavens above us, but also of an actual place called Heaven. This will be the eternal home of true believers, but we will not be limited and restricted to that actual place / planet. The Biblical descriptions of Heaven are many, varied and absolutely wonderful. Numerous verses of scripture paint a picture of cities built of gold and jewels, designed by the architect of our bodies and the entire universe! There will be unimaginable plants producing different types of fruits on the same tree and what about wildlife? Well, there will be angelic beings, creatures, birds of some sort and animals of the most amazing proportions, and all in perfect balance and harmony. Romans 8:19, 21 For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the revealing of the sons of God ... because the creation itself will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Some people have the mistaken idea that people in Heaven will spend their time playing harps and other such things. Let’s have a look at the important issues of our eternity. We Will Rule and Reign! Daniel 7:18 The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. Revelation 22:5 And there shall be no night there: There will be no lamp or light of the sun, for the Lord gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. These verses above speak of true believers ruling and reigning with our Lord forever. There are many other similar verses. Do you see that we will be granted to sit with our Lord on His throne? That speaks of the authority which will be given us in this future reign. Isn’t that the most wonderful thought indeed? Here we sit with no idea of the magnitude of what lies before us! Please don’t get the idea that any of this is because you are so great! It is all because of our Lord’s choice and His plan for you, created before the foundation of the earth! You may think that you’re not worthy to rule and reign with our Lord, and like all of us, you are right. But what we are talking about here is the magnificent future of perfection and holiness that lies before us at the completion of our salvation, which is when we will be transformed, and will have the same qualities of our Lord. So, we will rule and reign with our Lord forever, but where and over what or whom? It won’t be Heaven will it? Heaven is already perfect. No my friends it will be over all creation in the entire universe! Can you see that this is a bit more extensive than playing harps in some cloud forever? We will all have some form of delegated authority and responsibility. We will have angelic helpers as well. Some like Scottie will be responsible for beaming up those that die during the Millennium. Some will rule and reign over 5 cities, some over 10 cities. Luke 19:17 Well done good and faithful servant; because you were faithful in very little, have authority over 10 cities. Although this is a parable, there are other Biblical indicators that this will be exactly true in reality. 1 Corinthians 2:9 Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor have entered into man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. Genesis 27:39 Behold your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth and from the dew of Heaven from above. Personally, I’m a dreamer. I live with my head in the clouds much of the time. But if we can get just a glimpse of what lies ahead for us, it will lift us up now, expanding our hope and faith – nourishing us with that wonderful dew of Heaven. What you know and believe about Heaven will influence your life now in a big way. The Hebrew word Talya is a wonderful word, it even has a nice liquid sound to it. It means the dew of Heaven. Is your life enriched by Heaven’s dew? Can you feel its nourishment now? If you can see at least some of the glory of Heaven through the eye of faith, you will be a different type of person. You will in many ways, be above the world system and unable to be drawn into it. You will never be able to sit and fit comfortably in the world – how amazing is that! You know the good-old stupid quote He’s so Heavenly minded he’s no earthly good? Actually the truth is the opposite. The more Heavenly minded you are, the more Godly good you will be in the world! Philippians 2:15 Become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. It is very important to note that God is a respecter of persons. Of course He is no respecter of people in terms of salvation. All people who are saved, will be equal in terms of the salvation-foundation. But what each person does in his saved life, as a response to God’s leading will make him / her forever different in brightness – and this will be forever. The Bible talks of numerous eternal rewards. 1 Corinthians 15:38-42 God gives it a body as He pleases. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies, but the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. For one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption and it is raised in incorruption. Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Don’t you think it’s worth throwing off the sin and rubbish that besets and hinders us? How to Get to Heaven: The murderer on the cross next to our Lord was saved, because he called out in sincerity to our Lord. But he will get to Heaven without any Spirit-led works done in his life, and no rewards as a result. But hey, he will have a big smile on his dial forever compared to the guy on the cross on the other side of our Lord! You need to be saved, you must come to the cross of our Lord and invite its work into your life. You need to come to Him in surrender and be born-again of His Spirit. This is the salvation-foundation. Serving and following our Lord is all part of the deal after salvation, but not for salvation. No one is saved by works or by how good he or she is. How to Get to Heaven With An Abundant Entry: 2 Peter 1:10-11 Brethren, be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things, you will never stumble; for so an entrance will supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Yeshua our Messiah. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and straw, each one’s work will become manifest; for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test each ones work. If anyone’s work which he has built endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. These verses above speak of rewards for the Spirit-led works we do as believers. Note that we all produce gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and straw. And note what happens to each group when fire hits it. One lot is left as a puff of smoke, and the other lot endures. Note also that the final reward-state is an eternal weight of glory. Do you think it’s wise to get your priorities right with God now?
Posted on: Sun, 07 Sep 2014 13:35:36 +0000
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