Even those who worship God and do all evil deeds on the earth, feel assured that a place for them is definitely reserved in heaven. On the other end of the spectrum are those who consider it a good work for God to murder those who do not believe in their God. Some believe in the result of their good and charitable works while others believe in living secluded from all and everything to enter into the presence of God. But most do not even know or ignore the true and only door to heaven and all will actually realise the truth of their faith that will take them into the ever-burning fires of hell or joys of heaven.
What and where is heaven? ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’, is the opening line of the Holy Bible (Genesis 1:1). This reveals the source and separateness of all creation, for God naturally was somewhere, before He created anything else. Since God is perfect and complete in Himself, creation cannot add anything to Him but it is an act of expression of God’s love. God is Sovereign and as Creator, He alone is aware of every aspect of the existence and functioning of it all. We learn that ‘The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all’ (Psalm 103:19). The Creator, King and Ruler of it all, has a throne and it is in heaven and from there He sustains everything and controls it all, while leading it into a particular direction.
Heaven is inhabited by angelic beings of various ranks and each one holding a different charge. Gabriel carries the Word of God to His people while Michael is a prayer warrior and all these are spiritual beings. God is Spirit and His Spirit ‘was hovering over the face of the waters’ and with His Word created everything (John 4:24). On the earth, the waters were separated from the ‘dry land’, which was then called earth (Genesis 1:9-10). Everything that came into being, after that was created from the same elements that were to sustain it. Trees and plants; living creatures and the birds from the earth and fish and other sea creatures from the sea. Man is the only living being that has two elements in it, the earthly from which he was formed and the heavenly that was breathed into him (Genesis 2:7-15). After that God planted a special place, in the east in Eden, a Garden, in which ‘God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food’. Four rivers were formed from one flowing from ‘Eden to water the garden’ and gold and precious stones were in plenty in these river-beds.
Only man was given dominion rights over all that was created on the earth and he was commanded to ‘fill the earth and subdue it’ (Genesis 1:28). God created man in ‘His image and likeness’ and desired him to be the ruler of everything in it. The only hindrance to this was the ‘tree of knowledge of good and evil’, eating of which was to bring experience of evil into their lives. This would cause separation from God and bring spiritual death immediately.
Lucifer was created in ‘perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty’ – He was ‘the anointed cherub’ on the holy mountain of God, right close to God’s throne (Ezekiel 28:12-17). His ‘heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendour’. Filled with pride, he tried to reach higher still and be equal to God Himself and was cast down to the ground.On the earth he was ‘in Eden, the garden of God’. Being a spiritual being, he was not seen by the earthly beings but was a witness to the whole process of creation. In heaven, no one except God and His Beloved Son have dominion and on earth man was given this right to mankind by God. Thus, heaven for mankind was on the earth and they were to live here with all splendour and joy.
On the earth, ‘the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field’ (Genesis 3:1). The devil could incite him to mislead Eve into sin. Since Eve and then Adam also followed the lie of the devil, they themselves and all that they had, came to be under his control. Thereafter, love that they had received from God was replaced by self-interest and evil desires took root. In this state, evil ruled over the minds and hearts of mankind (Genesis 6:5-6). God saw ‘that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually’. The Perfect God had created a perfect earth and all that was in it but this heaven was polluted by mankind under devil’s control.
After spiritual death, physical death also followed and mankind was subject to death while living and even after death, to be used by the devil to further propagate evil. Hell was supposed to be the final destination for the devil and the group of angels with him and mankind landed up there by default, through their sin. However, those who lived a reasonably righteous life, committed to God, could neither be in heaven, due to their sin nature, nor be in hell. The illustration of this was provided by our Lord Himself in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the beggar at his gate (Luke 16:19-31). – Both died and the rich man, who had lived his life not caring about anyone else and was in Hades, while Lazarus was in ‘Abraham’s Bosom’, an example of paradise. All those who were saved from hell fires were in this separate place, awaiting the Messiah to rescue them. Abraham identified the difference, ‘between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us’. Since man was to dwell on earth, no one could enter heaven without a way being created by God Himself and remained separated till the coming of the Messiah.
Fulfilment of Lord Jesus’ promise for a place in heaven – After crucifixion, Lord Jesus was laid in the tomb by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, the Jewish leader. On Sunday, Mary Magdalene and other women saw the empty tomb, and while the others returned, Mary stayed there, weeping outside the tomb (John 20:6-7; 14-17). The Risen Lord appeared to her and though she saw Him but ‘did not know that it was Jesus’. She recognised His voice when He called her name but was warned by the Lord, ‘Do not cling to Me’. Apostles Peter and John reached the tomb, after being told by the women, who had returned after seeing the empty tomb. They saw ‘the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths’.
As per Jewish custom a dead body is wrapped around, limb by limb, with cloth strips with the anointing spices wrapped in these strips. The cloths lying there in the empty tomb were as if the body had just been withdrawn from within them, like a needle being pulled out. The shape of the body was retained in those cloths. The Risen Lord retained His earthly body without the blood in it and the Spirit of God in Him. This body could be touched and felt, for it retained all characteristics of the earlier one. The Resurrected Lord Jesus met two of the disciples going to Emmaus (Luke 24:15). He ‘drew near and went with them’ and then explained from the Old Testament about all the prophecies about Him that were fulfilled. Later, He called Apostle Thomas, who doubted the resurrection, to ‘reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand and reach your hand here, and put it into My side’ (John 20:27). On being asked, the disciples gave the Lord ‘a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence’ (Luke 24:42-43).
On the Mount of Olives, ‘He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight’ (Acts 1:9). He was buried in the body, raised from the dead and ascended into heaven with the same body. Apostle Paul clarifies this further, ‘now Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep’ (1 Corinthians 15:20). All believers will likewise be raised from the dead. Since all our sins of past, present and future were put on the Saviour on the cross, He descended into Hades, below the earth and then, crossed over to Abraham and others held captive. ‘After His resurrection’, graves were opened and ‘many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised’ (Matthew 27:52-53). These people were seen by many in their raised state. Apostle Paul quoted Psalm 68:18, ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive’ (Ephesians 4:8). Abraham and all other saints till then were raised from the dead and like a conquering General, He led those who were captive into heaven with Him.
A believer, when he dies on earth, he opens his eyes in the presence of the Lord in heaven. There is no rebirth or second chance and now is the time to surrender to the Saviour Lord. Lord Jesus blessed the believer with the assurance that we will not be like the orphans, with no one to care for us (John 14:18 & 26). A believer receives the Holy Spirit on submission to the Lord. Since the Holy Spirit is of God He teaches us all things, pertaining to this life and future. Also He knows and reminds us of the teachings of Lord Jesus, helping us to follow and live accordingly. Thus, God is in us here on earth and ‘prays for us with groanings which cannot be uttered’ (Romans 8:26). In heaven, we have Lord Jesus as our ‘great High Priest’ (Hebrews 4:14). The High Priest represents mankind before God, taking their offerings before Him. On earth, we have such great blessings and hereafter we have a place prepared and earmarked in heaven.
Since our Lord ascended with His resurrected human body, the way is opened for all of mankind to receive entry, through faith in salvation. The great blessing we have is that on the cross, ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them’ (2 Corinthians 5:19). When Lord Jesus declared, ‘It is finished’, all the prophecies concerning Him, in the Old Testament, were fulfilled (John 19:30). Since He Himself is the only door to heaven, our entry is ensured by Him personally.
Why must we perform good deeds here on earth? The general understanding of most religions is that we must do good deeds to enter heaven. The Jewish people believe that they will enter heaven on the faith and deeds of their ancestor Abraham. Many even believe that Abraham guards the door to hell to ensure that no Jew enters there by mistake. However, as per Scripture, ‘as many as received Him (Lord Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name’ (John 1:12). Anyone who believes and receives Him as the Saviour is given this right. To ensure this, He did two things. First, the glory that the Son of God had on earth, the glory of the Second Adam is given to us (John 17:22). We are like Adam in the Garden of Eden, with free access to God through prayer and worship. Second, Lord Jesus prayed to God the Father, ‘I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me’. The Son of God prayed for us while here as the Lamb of God. He is now seated at the right hand of God with all power and authority over everything in heaven, on earth and below the earth. What He has promised here, He is able to fulfil that. Every believer is part of ‘a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people’ (1 Peter 2:9). We, as believers, do good to others, for we represent Him and not to earn entry into heaven.
Our relationship with others in heaven – Clarifying a question of the Sadducees, Lord Jesus taught, ‘in the resurrection they neither marry, nor given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven’ (Matthew 22:30). The glory of the Lord fills the heaven as light and all there are fully overwhelmed by that. In heaven, the four living creatures around the throne of God, ‘each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within’ (Revelation 4:8). Eyes represent a source of intake of light and wisdom and these had eyes all over and are supposed to be filled with wisdom. ‘And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come’. The New Jerusalem will be on earth and the Lord God will rule (Revelation 21:23). ‘The city had no need of the sun or the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light’. Like the angels, everyone will be so overwhelmed by the glory of the Lord and His love, to earnestly worship Him. Any of the relatives, husband or wife in heaven will have no desire to shift their focus from the Lord. A relationship of earth, will have no meaning in light of being in His presence in heaven.
God sees the heart and all those falsely misusing His name shall suffer and not enter into His presence in heaven (Matthew 7:22-23). In heaven there will be surprises, because such people who make a great show of their works may not be there. Others, who humbly and quietly reach out to others, whom we do not expect to be there, may be there. We are chosen and blessed by God not for what we can do for Him but what He can make us achieve in His power. Do not boast of your strength and great works, but giving thanks in everything submit to His will and He will surely take us to be with Him.
Heaven is heaven for two reasons; first, the presence of God makes it so. Second, that no one can reach and enter there in his own power and strength, for otherwise, the rich and the mighty will all be there. Our good works here on earth are not for entry into heaven but to glorify the name of God and reveal His presence in us. Submitting to and living in obedience to Lord Jesus is the only and sure way of entry into heaven. Anyone who delays taking the final call on this must be careful, lest you reach somewhere you may not desire to go!
