Are You Going to Heaven?
Ever since we could understand the most basic communication, we knew about going to Heaven: “That’s where grandpa is now honey, he’s in Heaven with the angels.” So much of what we believe is folklore or fantasy and that comes directly from Catholicism. We’ve heard about St. Peter standing at the pearly gates deciding who gets into Heaven and who doesn’t. Many years ago I was sharing Christ with an older neighbor and telling him about Heaven. He said that he didn’t care about going to Heaven because he liked it pretty much right here on earth. I kind of agreed with him because sitting on a cloud, strumming on a harp didn’t appeal to me either.
I’m going to make a bold statement here and it most likely will sound lopsided to you: While the Redeemed have the promise of Heaven—they actually don’t go to Heaven, with the exception of the thirty-day period set aside for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Let me show you by scripture how that works out.
Protestant Reformation didn’t go far enough. As the followers of Luther were called protesters, they soon became disconnected from the Catholic Church, but those Lutherans, and others who followed, still carry DNA of the Pope. Heaven as taught by “The Church,” is home to the canonized Saints and those prayed out of purgatory. There, they answer prayers and perform miracles on behalf of the Savior (according to Rome). And as I mentioned earlier, St. Peter stands at the pearly gates admitting some, rejecting others.
As we have studied the First Resurrection, Judgment at His Coming and Salvation in general, we can clearly see that we can’t go (inherit) to Heaven, at least until the Coming of Christ. Until then, we only have the promise of Salvation, that is held by faith. Our names may be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, but the twinkling-of-an-eye transformation moment doesn’t happen until the last trump. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13,14)
That earnest is like a down-payment we have tucked in our jeans pocket, like a down payment on a piece of property. So, just as we don’t take possession of property until the closing, neither do we inherit the promise of Heaven until He closes the age of decision with His coming.
We are therefore, with Jesus but asleep. Perhaps our soul in beneath the altar of God such as are the martyrs but certainly in a place called Paradise.. We are asleep, not praising God, singing with the angels, not baking cookies or leading the choir: Why?, because our Salvation is not yet complete. Then, when Christ comes, the Father brings with the Son, those asleep in Jesus so their soul will be united with their dust so they can be part of the Resurrection of the Dead. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (1 Thessalonians 1:14)
After the Marriage Supper many (tens of thousands) of the Redeemed join Christ on white horses to complete the Wrath of God for 45 days and that ends with the Battle of Armageddon. Following that, the Blessed inherit the earth for a Millennium which ends with the Last Battle, or the Battle of Gog and Magog. Then all souls, Damned and Redeemed stand before the Throne of God and the Judgment Seat of Christ. Unrepented sins are revealed before all and rewards/sentences are meted out. Then, the new Heaven and the New Earth come down. We live eternally on earth as our inheritance. We don’t go to Heaven but like my neighbor wished, We inherit the earth which God called Heaven in Gen. 1:8.
Subscribe!
