Are there different levels of Heaven? Are there three heavens?
What is the second heaven?
What are the heavenly places/realms?
The Firmament, Third Heaven, and Structure of Things Biblical
Is Satan in hell? Where is Satan?
How much power does Satan possess?
Why did Satan think he could defeat God?
Who will go to hell?
Who will go to heaven?
Amazing Grace – Peter Hollens feat. Home Free
Warnings of the Last Days From God | Christian Short Film “The Days of Noah Have Come”
The Wenchuan China Earthquake May 12, 2008
Sichuan earthquake of 2008
8 Dead, 23 Missing in China Mudslides
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2 Corinthians 12:2 Context
1It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
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Are
there different levels of Heaven? Are there three heavens?
The closest thing
Scripture says to there being different levels of heaven is found in 2
Corinthians 12:2, I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago
was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the
body I do not know—God knows. Some
interpret this as indicating that there are three different levels of heaven: a
level for super-committed Christians or Christians who have obtained a high level
of spirituality, a level for ordinary Christians, and a level for Christians who did
not serve God faithfully. This view has no basis in Scripture.
Paul is not saying that there are three heavens or
even three levels of heaven. In many ancient cultures, people used the term heaven
to describe three different realms —the
sky, outer space, and then a spiritual heaven. Paul was saying that God took
him to the spiritual heaven—the realm beyond the physical universe
where God dwells. The concept of different levels of heaven may have come in
part from Dante’s
The Divine Comedy in which the poet describes both
heaven and hell as having nine different levels. The Divine Comedy,
however, is a fictional work. The idea of different levels of heaven is foreign
to Scripture.
Scripture does speak of different rewards in heaven.
Jesus said regarding rewards, Behold, I
am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to
what he has done (Revelation
22:12). Since Jesus will be distributing rewards on the basis of what we
have done, we can safely say that there will be a time of reward for believers
and that the rewards will differ somewhat from person to person.
Only those works that survive God’s refining fire have eternal value and will be worthy of reward. Those valuable works are referred to as gold, silver, and costly stones (1 Corinthians 3:12) and are those things that are built upon the foundation of faith in Christ. Those works that will not be rewarded are called wood, hay, and stubble ; these are not evil deeds but shallow activities with no eternal value. Rewards will be distributed at the judgment seat of Christ, a place where believers’ lives will be evaluated for the purpose of rewards. Judgment of believers never refers to punishment for sin. Jesus Christ was punished for our sin when He died on the cross, and God said about us: I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more (Hebrews 8:12). What a glorious thought! The Christian need never fear punishment, but can look forward to crowns of reward that he can cast at the feet of the Savior. In conclusion, there are not different levels of heaven, but there are different levels of reward in heaven.
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What is the second heaven?
The second heaven is not called such in Scripture;
rather, the existence of the second heaven is inferred from the fact that the
Bible speaks of a third heaven, and, if there is a third heaven, there must be
a first heaven and second heaven, too. The idea that more than one type of heaven exists is confirmed in Hebrews
7:26,
which says that Jesus, our High Priest, is exalted above the heavens ; in other words,
Jesus is in a heaven beyond other heavens.
The third heaven is mentioned in 2
Corinthians 12:2. Paul says, I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago
was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the
body I do not know—God knows. In verse
4, Paul equates the third heaven with paradise,
the realm where God dwells. If the third
heaven is God’s dwelling place, then we could consider the second heaven to be outer space, the realm of the stars and planets; and the
first heaven to be earth’s atmosphere, the realm of the birds and clouds.
The term heaven is used in Scripture to
refer to all three realms. Psalm
104:12 speaks of the
birds of the heavens (ESV)—this would be
the first heaven, the atmosphere of Earth. In Isaiah
13:10 we find the
stars of heaven and their constellations —a reference to the second heaven,
outer space. And Revelation 11:19 describes the
opening of God’s temple in heaven —the
third heaven, or God’s dwelling place.
Some Charismatic
groups use the term second heaven in reference to
Satan’s domain and anything that comes from there. They take biblical
descriptions of Satan being the ruler of
the kingdom of the air (Ephesians
2:2)
and demons
being the spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly realms (Ephesians
6:12)
and develop a theology of spiritual
warfare. According to these groups, second heaven revelations are false visions coming from Satan in an attempt
to deceive God’s prophets on earth. Prophets must learn to distinguish between second heaven revelations (from the devil) and third heaven revelations (from God). These same groups also sometimes
teach a hierarchy of demonic power, with the first-heaven (earth-bound) demons
being of lesser authority and power than the second-heaven demons.
Categorizing demons into first-heaven and
second-heaven types goes beyond what the Bible says. Again, the Bible does not
include the term second heaven anywhere. Those who look for prophecies
or new revelations from God set themselves up for deception. God has spoken,
and the Bible’s canon is closed. We do not need a new word from God; we need to obey His old word.
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What are the heavenly places/realms?
The phrase heavenly
places or heavenly realms is used several times in the book of Ephesians
(1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12). This phrase is translated from the Greek word epouranios,
meaning the sphere of spiritual
activities. Heavenly realms can refer to both angelic and demonic
activity. Ephesians 1:20 says that God raised Christ from the dead and seated him at
his right hand in the heavenly realms. But Ephesians
6:12
speaks of evil forces in the same realm: Our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against . . . the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
As flesh-and-blood humans, we have very little
understanding of the spirit world. We cannot see, hear, or touch it. However,
the Bible assumes it, and we can glean insight into a world we cannot see by
studying what God tells us about it. First of all, God is spirit (John
4:24).
He exists outside the bounds of time, space, and matter. His home is called
heaven (Acts 7:55; Isaiah
63:15), but this is a distinct place, not to be confused
with the heavens, referring to the atmosphere (Genesis
1:1;
Psalm
148:4), or the heavenly
realms, which encompass all spirit
beings. In God’s heaven, He sits on a throne (Matthew
23:22; Hebrews
4:16),
surrounded by adoring angels (Revelation
7:11;
Psalm
99:1)
who exist to serve God and minister to His saints (Hebrews
1:14;
Matthew
4:11;
Genesis
19:1).
Angels also have the ability to appear as men when sent to deliver messages
from God (Genesis 18:2, 16–17; 19:1–2;
Daniel 10:5–6).
However, the dark side of the heavenly realms
belongs to Satan
and his evil spirits. Satan is not the counterpart to God. God has no
challenger. Satan is a created being who has only the power God allows him to
have for only as long as God allows it (Isaiah
14:12; Luke
22:31; Revelation
12:12). Yet, for reasons known only to God, Satan and his
minions are allowed to wreak havoc upon the earth and the servants of God—if
unchecked by spiritual warfare and the holy angels. Daniel
10
gives us the best glimpse into what happens in this world we cannot see. An
angel was dispatched by God to deliver a message to Daniel
as he prayed, but the messenger was detained for three weeks by the prince of Persia, a demon (verse 13). The angel later told
Daniel that he had to have help from Michael the archangel
in order to prevail and continue on the assignment God had given him.
This glimpse into the heavenly realms helps us
understand a few things. First, we learn that there is fierce warfare taking
place at all times. Satan and his demons
are actively working to thwart the plans of God and destroy whatever they can
(see John 10:10). If a mighty angel on
a mission from God could be detained by demonic forces, then demons must have
great power. Second, God does not leave His children defenseless against this
evil army. Second Corinthians 10:4
says, For the weapons of our warfare are
not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. Ephesians
6:11–17 tells us exactly what armor we need to stand firm
against the temptations and schemes of the devil. In ourselves, we are no match
for Satan’s devices. We need spiritual
armor to fight spiritual battles. The third truth we can
learn from the Daniel passage is that prayer gets God’s attention and that His
answer is on the way. There are forces unknown to us that may interfere with God’s
desire to aid us, and we must continue to persevere in prayer until the answer
comes (see Luke 18:1; Ephesians
6:18).
The heavenly realms are as real as the earthly
realms. We will spend most of our lives living in the heavenly realms (2
Corinthians 5:1; 1
John 5:11). In contrast, our earthly existence is only a vapor that appears for a little while and is
gone (James
4:14).
Physical battles may seem intense, but the results are temporary. However,
spiritual battles have eternal consequences. When we live our earthly lives in
recognition of the unseen battles that rage all around us, we will be more
careful about what we say and do (Ephesians
5:15–16; 2
Corinthians 2:11). We will be faithful to utilize our
weapons of prayer and the armor of God, knowing that the real battles are
fought and won in the heavenly realms.
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The Firmament, Third Heaven, and Structure of Things Biblical
On the second day in the Genesis narrative the Lord calls for there to be a “firmament” in the “midst of the waters” to divide the waters:
“And God said, Let there be
a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the
waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the
firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And
God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the
second day.”
(Genesis 1:6-8 KJV)
The term “firmament” and its identity has been one of the greatest puzzles concerning the Creation account, mostly because of its Hebrew definition:
רָקִיעַ raqiya` raw-kee’-ah
from 7554; properly, an expanse, i.e. the firmament or
(apparently) visible arch of the sky:—firmament.
רָקַע raqa` raw-kah’
a primitive root; to pound the earth (as a sign of
passion); by analogy to expand (by hammering); by implication, to overlay (with
thin sheets of metal):—beat, make broad, spread abroad (forth, over, out, into
plates), stamp, stretch.
Most people interpret this to mean just the expanse of the sky (the atmosphere) or outer space, or both (which it is), but the full meaning goes well beyond that simplistic interpretation. The creation of the firmament is associated with the placement of a defined heavenly structure. Many modern scholars consign the term “firmament” as a relic of a pre-scientific culture and translate the Hebrew word raqia as a “dome” or “vault” in some modern Bibles, but it is rendered as “firmament” in the KJV for good reason. The problem that puzzles people is the implication in the Hebrew language of the firmament being a firm, fixed structure (FIRMament). That structure, and the KJV word choice, can be explained in the context of the Ruin-Reconstruction interpretation of Genesis.
More…………………..
http://www.kjvbible.org/firmament.html
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Is Satan in hell? Where is Satan?
At the moment, Satan is not in hell. Rather, Satan
roams the earth, seeking people to tempt into sin and thus separate from God. First
Peter 5:8 states, Be
alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour. In John
14:30, Jesus called Satan the prince of this world, and the apostle Paul referred to him as the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit
who is now at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians
2:2).
Satan does not live in hell; he lives and works on the earth and in the heavens
circling it.
Satan is the father
of lies (John
8:44),
and he influences and rules the world right now. Satan desires worship (Matthew
4:9),
and he uses deceit and distractions to draw man’s focus to himself. The world
worships Satan in one way or another, except for those who are of the kingdom
of God and are therefore called out of Satan’s deceptions. If a person is not a
child of God, he is by default a child of Satan (see John
8:44;
Acts
13:10). First
John 3:10 tells us how to distinguish the two: This is how we know who the children of God
are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right
is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. James
4:4
explains that anyone who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
This is important to know, because soon Jesus will
return to earth and collect what belongs to Him. He will defeat the followers
of Satan and claim His elect for Himself. Ultimately, Satan will be thrown into
the lake of fire and tormented day and
night forever and ever (Revelation
20:10). Afterward, Jesus will judge unbelievers according
to what they have done during their lives. Anyone whose name is not found
written in the Book of Life is thrown into the lake of fire where Satan and his
minions will be by that time (Revelation
20:13, 15).
Hell and death are also thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation
20:14), so, technically speaking, at no time does Satan
reside in hell. But he will be confined permanently in a very hot place that
could be called a hellish location, to be tormented eternally.
The key takeaway for each person is to ensure that his own name is written in the Book of Life so that he may have eternal life in heaven, rather than eternal separation from God in the lake of fire.
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How much power does Satan possess?
Satan was an angel created by God who turned against
God’s authority (Isaiah 14:13) and became the head
of a kingdom of evil spirits called demons, his angels (Matthew
25:41). His power both in the heavenly realm and on earth
is great and should not be underestimated. However, while Satan and his forces
are formidable enemies, Jesus Christ crushed Satan’s power, fulfilling the
prophecy of Genesis 3:15. The cross of Christ
won the victory (John 12:31). The prince of this world now stands condemned (John 16:11),
and Jesus will one day destroy Satan’s power completely and purify creation (2
Peter 3:10).
Satan’s power in the heavenly realm / spirit world:
Satan’s power has repute in the spiritual realm (Jude
1:9),
where he has limited access to the presence of God (Job
1:6).
The book of Job provides insight into the relationship between God and Satan.
In Job 1:6-12, Satan stands before
God and reports that he has been walking
up and down on the earth (v. 7). God
asks Satan if he has considered godly Job, and Satan immediately accuses Job of
insincerity—he only loves God for the blessings God gives. Stretch out your hand, Satan says, and strike everything he has, and he will
surely curse you to your face (v. 11).
God grants Satan permission to affect Job’s possessions and family, but not his
person, and Satan leaves. In Job
2,
Satan comes again into God’s presence and is, this time, permitted to affect
Job’s personal health. (The rest of the book is from Job’s perspective,
providing an example of how to deal with suffering.)
This is an important passage because it shows
Satan’s place in the spiritual realm. He is able to accuse God’s people in His
very presence, and Jude 1:9 shows that even
Michael the archangel needs the Lord’s help in overcoming him. However, Satan
is obviously restrained from enacting his full fury; he is still a created
being under God, and his power is limited.
Satan’s power on the earth:
Job
1
also reveals that Satan does enact evil and cause direct harm on the earth. The
most well-known and important of his actions on earth occurred in the garden of
Eden. Genesis
3
tells of Satan’s temptation of Eve, the mother
of all the living (v. 20), and her
subsequent first sin. It was this act, and that of Eve’s husband Adam, that
brought sin into the world, and it is the reason all humankind must be redeemed
from sin in order to be with God.
One day, Jesus met a woman who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years (Luke
13:11). Jesus attributes the infirmity to Satan, who had
kept her bound (verse 16). Satan’s power was real, but it was
easily overcome by our Lord: He put his
hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God (v. 13). Jesus’ miracle was a clear
demonstration of His authority over Satan.
Since his instigation of evil on earth, Satan has
been named the prince, god, or ruler
of this world (John
14:30; cf. John
12:31; 16:11;
2 Corinthians 4:3-4;
Ephesians
2:2;
Colossians
1:13).
He is the enemy of God and truth (Matthew
13:24-30; 2
Thessalonians 2:9-12), and he does everything he can to
tempt individuals (Genesis 3; Luke
22:31; 1
Timothy 3:7) and larger groups of people (1
Thessalonians 3:5; Revelation
2:10).
He leads the whole world astray (Revelation
12:9).
Satan accomplishes this by various means, including appealing to man’s pride (1
Timothy 3:6; 1
Corinthians 4:6), interfering with the transmission of
truth (Matthew 13:18-22, 38-39),
and placing false believers within the church (1
Timothy 4:1-2; 2
Timothy 3:1-9; Revelation
2:9;
3:9). In John
8:44,
Jesus says that Satan is a liar and the
father of it.
God still grants Satan some authority in this world,
which means that his power is not yet completely broken—except in one area: his
power of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 says that Jesus
came as a man to die in order to destroy
him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil, a power Satan had held from the beginning (John
8:44).
The salvation Jesus provides has released us from Satan’s stranglehold. Death
has lost its sting (1
Corinthians 15:55).
Satan’s
power – the conclusion:
The Bible says that the whole world is under the control of the
evil one (1
John 5:19), and we must be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the
devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter
5:8). Yet Christians have a great hope, for Jesus Christ (John
16:33) and our faith in Him (1
John 5:4) have overcome Satan’s evil. The one who is in you is greater than the one
who is in the world (1 John
4:4).
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Why did Satan think he could defeat God?
It is hard to imagine a being like Lucifer (Satan)
believing he could even do battle with God, much less defeat Him. Even the most
depraved mind should be able to see that a creature cannot possibly contend
with the Creator. Yet Satan attempted to dethrone God and strives to this day
to defy God’s authority, thwart His plans, and harass His people.
Perhaps part of the explanation is that pride has blinded
Satan to reality. Two Old Testament passages (Isaiah
14:12-15 and Ezekiel
28:11-19) discuss Satan’s original position and the reasons
for his loss of that position. They tell of an exalted angelic being, one of
God’s creatures, who became proud. He determined to take the throne of God for
himself. But God removed him from his position.
Satan’s influence in worldly affairs is clearly
revealed (John 12:31). Satan is extremely
intelligent. Through his intelligence he deceived Adam and Eve and took over
their rule of the world for himself (Genesis
1:26;
3:1-7; 2
Corinthians 11:3). His cleverness enables him to carry
out his deceptive work almost at will, although his power is subject to God’s
restrictions (Job 1:12; Luke
4:6;
2 Thessalonians 2:7-8).
He does have certain victories—although within the boundaries God has set for
him—and perhaps these victories allow him to continue the illusion that he can
have victory over God Himself.
The reins of God on Satan’s activities are
illustrated by Satan’s request to God for permission to afflict Job (Job
1:7-12). Satan is permitted to afflict God’s people (Luke
13:16; 1
Thessalonians 2:18; Hebrews
2:14),
but he is never permitted to win an ultimate victory over them (John
14:30-31; 16:33).
A part of Satan’s continuing ambition to replace God is his passionate yearning
to have others worship him (Matthew
4:8-9; Revelation
13:4,
12). Satan is the wicked one (Matthew
13:19, 38),
while God is the Holy One (Isaiah
1:4).
Satan’s nature is malicious. His efforts in opposing
God, His people, and His truth are tireless (Job
1:7;
2:2;
Matthew
13:28). He is always opposed to man’s best interests (1
Chronicles 21:1; Zechariah
3:1-2). Through his role in introducing sin into the
human family (Genesis 3), Satan has gained the
power of death—a power which Christ has broken through His crucifixion and
resurrection (Hebrews 2:14-15). Satan tempted
Christ directly, trying to lead Him into compromise by promising Him worldly
authority and power (Luke
4:5-8).
Despite Satan’s self-delusion that he can defeat
God, Satan is destined to fail. His final defeat is predicted in John
12:31, Revelation
12:9,
and 20:10. The death of Christ
on the cross is the basis for Satan’s final defeat (Hebrews
2:14-15; 1
Peter 3:18, 22).
That event was the grand climax to a sinless life during which Jesus triumphed
over the enemy repeatedly (Matthew
4:1-11; Luke
4:1-13). Satan probably rejoiced in the death of Christ,
believing it to be a victory for him, but like all his victories, that one,
too, was short-lived. When Jesus rose from the grave, Satan was once again
defeated. The final victory will come when Jesus returns and Satan is cast into
the lake of fire (Revelation
20:1-15).
The death and resurrection of Christ provide the
believer strength for victory over sin. We have assurance that the God of peace will crush Satan under your
feet (Romans
16:20). But such personal victory depends on God’s grace
and power in our lives and our will to offer resistance to Satan’s temptations
(Ephesians
4:25-27; James
4:7;
1 Peter 5:8-9). To help Christians
win this battle against Satan, God has provided the power of Christ’s blood (Revelation
12:11), the continuing prayer of Christ in heaven for
believers (Hebrews 7:25), the leading of the
Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16), and various
weapons for spiritual warfare (Ephesians
6:10–18).
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Who will go to hell?
Hell has become a controversial subject in recent years, even among Christians. However, the controversy is entirely man-made. The rejection of the reality of hell stems from a human inability to reconcile the love of God with eternal punishment or from an outright rejection of God’s Word. Even some professing Christians have come to unbiblical conclusions. Some have tried to redefine hell, create an intermediate state not found in Scripture, or deny hell altogether. In doing so, they are ignoring Jesus’ warning in Revelation 22:19, If anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
Hell
is mentioned 167 times in the Bible, sometimes called Gehenna, Hades, the pit,
the Abyss, or everlasting punishment (Proverbs 7:27; Luke 8:31; 10:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:9). Jesus
spoke of heaven and hell as real places (Matthew 13:41–42; 23:33; Mark 9:43–47; Luke 12:5). The
story Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus was an actual event that
demonstrated the reality of the two eternal destinations (Luke 16:19–31). Heaven
is the dwelling place of God (2 Chronicles 30:27) where
Jesus has gone to prepare a place for those who love Him (John 14:2). Hell
was created for the devil and his angels
(Matthew 25:41). But
because every human being is a sinner, every person past the age of
accountability has already been condemned to hell (Romans 3:10; 5:12; John 3:18). We all
deserve hell as the just punishment for our rebellion against God (Romans 6:23).
Jesus
was clear that no one can see the
kingdom of God unless they are born again (John 3:3). He was
also clear that hell is an eternal punishment for those who do not obey
Him (Matthew 25:46). Second Thessalonians 1:8–9 says that in the end God will punish those who do not know God and do
not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting
destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
his might. John the Baptist said about
Jesus, His winnowing fork is in his
hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn
and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12).
John 3:18 explains
in the simplest terms who will go to heaven and who will go to hell: Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but
whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not
believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. So, those who go to hell are specifically
those who do not believe in Jesus’ name. To believe goes beyond a mental recognition of the truth.
To believe in Christ for salvation requires a transfer of allegiance. We stop
worshiping ourselves, we forsake our sin, and we begin to worship God with our
heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:36–37; Mark 12:30).
God
desires that every person spend eternity with Him (Matthew 18:14; 2 Peter 3:9), but He
honors our free will (John 4:14). Anyone
who so desires can go to heaven (John 1:12). Jesus
already paid the price for our salvation, but we must accept that gift and
transfer ownership of our lives to Him (Luke 9:23). Heaven
is perfect, and God cannot take anyone there who insists on holding on to his
or her sin. We must allow Him to cleanse us of our sin and make us righteous in
His sight (2 Corinthians 5:21). John 1:10–12 shows us
the problem and the solution: He was in
the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not
recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive
him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave
the right to become children of God.
We can choose to trust in Jesus’ payment for our sin, or we can choose to pay for our sins ourselves—but we must remember that the payment for our sin is eternity in hell. C. S. Lewis said it this way: There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’
Who will go to hell?
——————————————–
Who will go to heaven?
People have different ideas about heaven. Many have no understanding of God at all, but still like to think of heaven as the better place where we all go when we die. Ideas about heaven are often no more than vague hopes, on par with maybe I’ll win the lottery some day. Most people don’t give heaven much thought until they attend a funeral or a loved one dies. It is popular to refer to heaven as the place where the good people go. And of course, everyone they know and love is included in the category of good people.
But the Bible has a lot to say about life after
death, and it contradicts popular opinion. John
3:16
says, For God so loved the world that he
gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life. Then in verse 36,
Jesus goes on to say, Whoever believes
in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for
God’s wrath remains on them. Hebrews
9:27
says, It is appointed to men once to
die, but after this the judgment. According to these verses, everyone dies, but
not everyone goes to heaven (Matthew
25:46; Romans
6:23;
Luke
12:5;
Mark
9:43).
God is holy and perfect. Heaven, His dwelling place,
is holy and perfect, too (Psalm
68:5;
Nehemiah
1:5;
Revelation
11:19). According to Romans
3:10,
there is none righteous, no not one. No human being is holy and perfect enough for
heaven. The people we call good are not good at all compared to the sinless
perfection of God. If God allowed sinful humans to enter the perfection of
heaven, it would no longer be perfect. What standard should be used to
determine who is good enough? God’s standard is the only one that counts,
and He has already ruled. Romans
3:23
says that all have sinned and fallen
short of God’s glory. And the payment
for that sin is eternal separation from God (Romans
6:23).
Sin has to be punished, or God is not just (2
Thessalonians 1:6). The judgment we face at death is
simply God bringing our accounts up to date and passing sentence on our crimes
against Him. We have no way to make our wrongs right. Our good does not
outweigh our bad. One sin ruins perfection, just as one drop of arsenic in a
glass of water poisons the whole glass.
So God became man and took our punishment upon
Himself. Jesus was God in the flesh. He lived a sinless life of obedience to
His Father (Hebrews 4:15). He had no sin, yet
at the cross He took our sin and made it His own. Once He paid the price for
our sin, we could be declared holy and perfect (2
Corinthians 5:21). When we confess our sin to Him and
ask His forgiveness, He stamps Paid in
Full over our life of selfishness, lust,
and greed (Acts 2:38; 3:19;
1
Peter 3:18).
When we stand before God one day, we cannot beg
entrance to heaven based on our own merit. We have none to offer. Compared to
God’s standard of holiness, not one of us is good enough. But Jesus is, and it
is by His merit we can enter heaven. First
Corinthians 6:9-11 says, Do you not know that wrongdoers will not
inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral
nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the
greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of
God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were
sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the
Spirit of our God. The sacrifice of
Jesus covers it all.
The people who go to heaven are all alike in one
way: they are sinners who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (John
1:12;
Acts
16:31; Romans
10:9).
They have recognized their need for a Savior and humbly accepted God’s offer of
forgiveness. They have repented of their old ways of living and set their
course to follow Christ (Mark
8:34;
John
15:14). They have not attempted to earn God’s forgiveness
but have served him gladly from grateful hearts (Psalm
100:2). The kind of faith that saves a soul is one that
transforms a life (James
2:26;
1 John 3:9-10) and rests fully on
the grace of God.
Do you want to know for sure that you will be among those who will go to
heaven?
Who will go to heaven?
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Amazing Grace – Peter Hollens feat. Home Free
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Warnings of the Last Days From God | Christian Short Film “The Days of Noah Have Come”
Warnings of the Last Days From God | Christian Short Film “The Days of Noah Have Come” Let’s look back on mankind during the age of Noah. Man was engaged in all kinds of evil activities paying no thought to repentance. Nobody listened to the word of God. Their rigidity and evil aroused God’s anger and in the end, they were swallowed up by the disaster of the great flood. Only Noah and his family of eight listened to God’s word and were able to survive. Now, the last days have already arrived. Mankind’s corruption is getting deeper and deeper. Everyone reveres evil. The entire religious world follows the tide of the world. They do not love the truth one bit. The days of Noah have already arrived! In order to save mankind, God has returned once more to do the judgment work of the last days amongst mankind. This is the last time that God saves man! What should mankind choose?
This is a true story. Since the citizens of Qingping County in the province of Sichuan have repeatedly refused to accept Almighty God’s kingdom gospel, they have met with two instances of disaster. During the Great Sichuan Earthquake, many brothers and sisters who believed in Almighty God were miraculously protected by God and survived. These facts have been witnessed: those that accept and obey God and those that deny and resist God. These two kinds of people have two very different endings!
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God’s work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God’s sheep hear God’s voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
Special statement: This video production was produced as a not-for-profit piece by the Church of Almighty God. The actors that appear in this production are performing on a not-for-profit basis, and have not been paid in any way. This video may not be distributed for profit to any third party, and we hope that everyone will share it and distribute it openly. When you distribute it, please note the source. Without the consent of the Church of Almighty God, no organization, social group, or individual may tamper with or misrepresent the contents of this video. The content of this video has been translated entirely by professional translators. However, due to linguistic differences etc., a small number of inaccuracies are inevitable. If you discover any such inaccuracies, please refer to the original Chinese version, and feel free to get in touch to let us know.
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The Wenchuan China Earthquake May 12, 2008
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Sichuan earthquake of 2008
China
“The May 2008 quake flattened some four-fifths of the structures in the affected area. Whole villages and towns in the mountains were destroyed, and many schools collapsed. Almost 90,000 people were counted as dead or missing and presumed dead in the final official Chinese government assessment; the officially reported total killed included more than 5,300 children, the bulk of them students attending classes. In addition, nearly 375,000 people were injured by falling debris and building collapses. Hundreds of dams, including two major ones, were found to have sustained damage. Some 200 relief workers were reported to have died in mudslides in the affected area, where damming of rivers and lakes by rocks, mud, and earthquake debris made flooding a major threat until workers could open channels to drain the impounded water.”
More………………….
https://www.britannica.com/event/Sichuan-earthquake-of-2008
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8 Dead, 23 Missing in China Mudslides
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