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Heaven and Hell — 8 Comments

  1. Hello,
    I have a doubt regarding this message,
    How is it, there are people already in heaven because the Bible stays by the dead.
    The last trumpet the dead in Christ shall rise again in this post and I say people are already in heaven or hell.
    Thank you for your reply

    • Dear Jodia,
      I am no theologian or ‘heavenologian,’ but I do not believe that we have a full and correct grasp of all that scripture has to tell us.  The more I study, I find the more the Holy Spirit corrects me; the more I study, the more I recognise how little I know and understand about the Bible.
      I personally know of men who have prayed and the dead have risen and I have no reason to doubt their testimonies.  Interestingly, all the visions the ‘dead’ saw seem to have a commonality in them that I put down to a commonality of truth. 
      Just because what we see or understand (or what we appear to see and appear to understand) seems to contradict our interpretation of the Bible, this does not mean that the Bible is wrong.  I believe that it is more likely to be our understanding and interpretation which is wrong.
      Enoch walked off into heaven, as did Elijah.  In Matthew 17:1-11, Moses and Elijah were there in attendance at the transfiguration of Jesus – presumably coming from heaven to Jerusalem.
      Read the story of Lazarus from Luke 16:19-31 and ask yourself this: Why would Jesus tell if story if it were not, or could not, be real?  In other words, if Lazarus – an acknowledged “nobody” – could make it to heaven, like Moses and Elijah did, why not others?  The last verse is interesting, as Jesus says: ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’
      I pray this helps. 
      Blessings in Christ,
      Angus.

  2. my concern about this testimony is the statement to keep sundays holy, i found nothing in the scripture about keep sunday holy, but there is a command to keep shabbat holy, may be there is mis-translation ???

    • Dear Danang Dwi K,
      I believe you may be correct from a Hebrew viewpoint.  However, most of the Christian denominations historically celebrate Sunday as the “Sabbath”.  I believe this was originally to separate Christianity from its Hebrew roots. 
      Unfortunately now, even the mandatory or usual celebration of Sunday as the Lord’s Day is now not even accepted by a number of denominations.  Their view, as I understand, is that we can celebrate the Sabbath any day of the week, but often therefore, many end up never celebrating it!  The OT says that the letter of the law brings death but the spirit brings life.  Based on that, I would argue that as long as we celebrate one day of the week as the Lord’s Day, we meet the spirit of God’s intent for us.
      As for the contents of the article to which you refer, we do not endorse or deny the content.  We all need to rely on and be guided by the Holy Spirit.
      Thanks indeed for you’re comment.  Greatly appreciated.
      Blessings in Christ,
      Angus

      • Dear Angus,
        I agree with you that celebrating Sabbath is a blessing, but how do you think we should interpret the following verses: “Therefore let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ,” (Colossians 2:16-17 ESV) and “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind,” (Romans 14:5 ESV).
        Be blessed,
        Annard

        • Dear Annard,
          Thanks indeed for your comment.
          I believe my answer is contained in our article Do God’s 10 Commandments Apply to Christians Today? and nicely explained in the 4 min. video by Pastor John Piper.
          The Spirit of the law brings life whereas the letter of the law brings death.  Thus as Christians, while we are no longer under the law, when we are in Christ, we will want to comply with the Spirit of God’s laws which God gave for our benefit. 
          As Jesus says in Mark 2:27 “And He said to them, The sabbath came into being for man’s sake, and not man for the sabbath’s sake.” Keeping the Sabbath because we wish to benefit from it and use it as a day set aside from the world to praise and be with the Lord, seems quite reasonable in this regard.  Keeping the Sabbath because it is a religious ritual with which we must comply, is quite another. 
          I hope this and John Piper’s video clarify.
          Blessings in Christ,
          Angus

  3. I’m a little confused about your testimony. If God gives us homes in heaven (John 14:2) why are we still earning it as we work for him? I know there’s scriptures that say we get treasures but where does it mention about houses being earned as we work specifically? If there is none then is what you saw legitimate? I’m just trying to understand that is all.

    Scott

    • Dear Scott,

      Thank you for your comment.
      To start with, please note that this testimony is not ours, but from a Korean Pastor Rev. PARK Yong Gyu.  We are simply hosting a copy on our website, and without comment.
      Reverend Park’s experience does certainly make one think, and this is the reason we share it.  Hence the reason we have a number of them and will add one more today.
      As Jesus says in Matthew 19:21 “If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come back and follow me.” This same position is then repeated in Mark 10:21, Luke 12:33 and Luke 18:22.  The question following from this is perhaps: What are then the treasures we will have in heaven?
      ISBE says of the NT word ‘treasure’: the word thēsauros means literally, a “deposit,” so wealth and treasure.  Evidently throughout the New Testament it has a twofold usage as describing (1) material treasure, either money or other valuable material possession, and (2) spiritual treasure, e.g. “like unto treasure hid in a field” (Mat 13:44); “good treasure of the heart” (Mat 12:35).  Other references to material treasure are Mat 6:21; Mat 13:52; Luk 12:21, Luk 12:34, etc.  References to spiritual treasure are Mat 19:21; Mar 10:21; Luk 6:45; Luk 12:33; Luk 18:22; plural Mat 6:20; Col 2:3.
      As the ISBE says, in this particular usage above, treasure means a material treasure.
      Then in Matthew 6:19-21 we find multiple uses of the word ‘treasures,’ as Jesus says “Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.  But keep on storing up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.  That’s how it is with the person who stores up treasures for himself rather than with God.”
      The inference here may be again that they are material, the types which “moths and rust destroy.”
      As the LASB says of Matthew 6:20 ” Storing treasures in heaven is not limited to tithing but is accomplished by all acts of obedience to God.  There is a sense in which giving our money to God’s work is like investing in heaven.  But we should seek to please God not only in our giving but also in fulfilling God’s purposes in all we do.”
      You are right in saying that John 14:2 offers us accommodation: “My Father’s house has many rooms.  If that were not true, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you?” and though Romans 3:28 says “that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law”, yet we are Philippians 2:12 says, to “… cultivate your own salvation with fear and trembling” (MKJV) orwork out your own salvation(KJV).
      God wants us to be overcomers, not just scoring the minimum pass-mark to enter Heaven, but to be Disciples of Jesus and enter with honour, attested by our obedience to Him.  “God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Tim 5:9).  If we are to “work out” our own salvation here on earth, though we are justified by faith and faith alone, can we not also have material treasures in Heaven too?
      What we all want to hear after death are the words of Jesus as recorded in Mat 25:21 “His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful over a few things; I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
      That is what I work to hear.  The size of the house matters not, for as a bond servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, I live in His grace and mercy in all things and at all times.  I know He knows what is best for me – certainly better than I do.
      I hope this helps.

      Blessings in Christ, Angus.

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