We all have a basic understanding that our [hopeful] destination is “heaven”. Heaven is spoken of in our churches and even in our non-religious culture. People who hate religion and ‘God’ still want to end up in “heaven”.
If you’ve been to any funerals, the deceased is ALWAYS smiling down on us from a better place, no matter how wretched of a human being they might have been. We are all promised that we’ll get to see them again one day, when we also go to this magic place in the sky.
Funerals are about comforting grieving friends and family. They are not about teaching anyone the truth.
All it takes is about thirty minutes of bible study to figure out this is all bogus. There is no magical heaven-place off somewhere in the universe, where the deceased can hang out in comfort while smiling down on all of us, watching us go about our lives.
We are told in Revelation where “heaven” is…
Heaven is right here on earth.
Nobody is going anywhere, folks.
Let’s take a look at Revelation 21-22.
A New Heaven and a New Earth
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
2 I also saw the holy city—the New Jerusalem—coming down out of heaven from Yehova, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 I also heard a loud voice from the throne, saying,
“Behold, the dwelling of Yehova is among men,
and He shall tabernacle among them.
They shall be His people,
and Yehova Himself shall be among them
and be their God.
4 He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes,
and death shall be no more.
Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer,
for the former things have passed away.”
5 And the One seated upon the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new!” Then He said, “Write, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 Then He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will freely give from the spring of the water of life. 7 The one who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But for the cowardly and faithless and detestable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars—their lot is in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem
9 Then came one of the seven angels holding the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
10 Then he carried me away in the Ruach to a great and high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Yehova, 11 having the glory of Yehova—her radiance like a most precious stone, like a jasper, sparkling like crystal. 12 She had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and above the gates twelve angels. On the gates were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of Bnei-Yisrael—13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve emissaries of the Lamb.
15 The angel speaking with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city is laid out as a square—its length the same as its width. He measured the city with the rod—12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall—144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. 18 The material of the city’s wall was jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. 19 The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every kind of precious stone—the first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, carnelian; the seventh, yellow topaz; the eighth; beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls—each of the gates was from a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.
22 I saw no temple in her, for its Temple is Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of Yehova lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates shall never be shut by day, for there shall be no night there! 26 And they shall bring into it the glory and honor of the nations. 27 And nothing unholy shall ever enter it, nor anyone doing what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Book of Life.
REVELATION 22
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life—bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of Yehova and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the city’s street. On either side of the river was a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of Yehova and of the Lamb shall be in the city, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 Night shall be no more, and people will have no need for lamplight or sunlight—for Adonai Elohim will shine on them. And they shall reign forever and ever!
We get a glimpse of heaven on earth in Revelation 21 and 22. It is the City of New Jerusalem.
This is the destination of those whose names are written in the Book of Life. This is the destination of the elect, the saints, the saved.
This is where the Tree of Life exists.
This is where the saved will dwell with the glory of Yehova.
Who gets to go there?
We are told in Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Right there you have it…
Those who keep the commands of Yehova are allowed to enter.
Who is not allowed into New Jerusalem?
We see in Revelation 22:15
15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
Those who love and practice a lie. This is referring to those who seek, hear, love, and follow false doctrine.
Jeremiah told us all about it way back in the day.
Jeremiah 16:19-20
19 O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
20 Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?
Is there anywhere else in scripture that tells us who gets to enter the kingdom of heaven, and who does not?
Matthew 7:21-23 [Direct quote of Yeshua Messiah]
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Messiah Himself tells us point blank who gets to be in the kingdom:
Those who do the will of My Father.
Yehova gave us His will and told us to do it. The Torah.
Am I wrong about this?
What does Yeshua say in verse 23 above?
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
In this phrase, Messiah is speaking to people who thought they followed Him. People who thought they were going to heaven.
Messiah says He does not know them.
He rejects them and tells them to depart from Him.
Why?
Because they practice lawlessness.
They do not uphold the will of the Father, which is the Torah.
Is this really important?
“This can’t be important, because I’ve been taught the opposite my whole life.”
Messiah also said this:
John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
and this…
John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
and this…
John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
Seems like this idea is highly important to Yeshua Messiah.
Messiah says this is how He will know if we love Him.
“Yeah, but, all we have to do is “come to Jesus” and we are good, right?”
Well, what does Messiah have to say about it?
John 14:6
6 Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Yes, we must start with the forgiveness that Messiah offers.
This is critical. There is no other way.
But we don’t stay there. We don’t sit at the foot of the cross and remain there for the rest of our lives.
It is a starting point on this journey, not the finish line.
We must continue on to the Father.
We all desire to end up in heaven, even those not willing to admit it.
How do we get there?
Easy.
We must do the will of the Father.
This is not what any of us have been taught, just as Jeremiah pointed out in ancient times.
We have inherited lies about what heaven is.
We have inherited lies about how to get there.
I highly encourage you to read your bible and sort it out in prayer.
Do not take my word for anything.
Study it.
Pray about it.
Go find the truth, because you will not get the truth sitting in a church pew.
As usual something that is based on scripture instead of feelings. I see so many people post how they think our “Christian brothers” are going to make it but don’t make a solid case for it except for maybe a scripture or two that could be used to support their theory if there weren’t so many others that discredit it. Only 8 people made it into the boat, the road is narrow and there will be FEW that find it, many are called FEW are chosen.
Sadly, you are correct. I have spent countless hours studying and praying about this.
There are so many scriptures to tell us the truth.
But there are a few out there to give the unmotivated false sense of security.
We are being tested, each and every day.