We have now come to the final step of God’s plan, His Eternal State: True Heaven. We don’t have a lot of detail, but we have some glimpses of what life will be like. Let’s explore.

Knowing that the layout of the tabernacle was a pattern of what was in Heaven (Ex 25:9; Hb 8:5), and knowing that God has made many statements that Israel will be his people forever and be his witnesses to the world, it is likely that Israel will be surrounding the city of Jerusalem as they did when the tabernacle was first erected since God now dwells in the new Jerusalem. Also, there will be three gates on each side of the wall with a name of a tribe on each gate (Rv 21:12) – just like it stated in the Old Testament that three tribes camped on each side of the tabernacle (Nu 2). Again, it is likely that Israel will lead the nations in the worship of God (Is 43:10, 21).

As far as activities, the Bible does not have a lot to say on this subject. However, knowing that the intent is to return to a more Edenic state (however, it will be so much more), one can use that as a reference. The original intent for Adam and Eve was to have them have dominion over all the earth and to subdue it, and to “work it” and “to take care of it” (Gn 2:15). These words and concepts would imply exploration, production, guarding, and observing. Therefore, as then, one will learn about God: His attributes and His creation. All that one does will be to bring glory to God: everyone will explore His creation, learn more about God and recognize, acknowledge, and proclaim His attributes. This would be one fulfillment of Revelation 21:24, 26: “And the nations [peoples] of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it... and they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.”

Dr. Herman A. Hoyt, who graduated from Ashland Theological Seminary with highest honors and who later served as academic dean of Grace Theological Seminary for fourteen years (1948-1962) and then as its president for the next fifteen years (1962-1976), summarizes what life in the Eternal State will be like:

“Will the redeemed sink into a state of ineffable bliss marked by release from exertion and hardship on the one hand, but filled with enjoyment and idleness on the other? The answer to this seems to be a positive no. And even though there is little information in the Scriptures on this point, it is sufficient to draw a picture of wonder and attractiveness with which to excite anticipation for this glorious future.”

He goes on to provide these descriptions:

• the attitude of worship will permeate every aspect of activity and employment

• research will enter every area of creation and will reach beyond the wildest imagination of men

• the kings, that is, those in administrative authority over the nations, will bring the results of their accomplishments to the city as an offering of praise to the King of kings

• the perfect administration of the universe will at last be achieved through grace

• at last, redeemed mankind will have reached that place of purity and perfection in a land of life, light and love where the deepest desires of the human heart will be satisfied.

In addition, Dr. Robert Congdon, a noted international Bible teacher, conference speaker, author, and radio commentator on subjects related to Biblical prophecy and world events states the following:

“Unlike most scientists and writers of today, redeemed individuals of the new earth will delight in giving glory to God as they explore His creation, and through it learn more about Him. God’s attributes will be recognized, acknowledged, and proclaimed. For example: As one saint goes forth in the universe and studies some aspect of a planet that is unreachable today, he will discover a new aspect of God’s greatness. Immediately he will return to tell others of God’s glory. Another, searching the microscopic world, will see God’s infinite details and call others to see God’s greatness. This will be the fulfillment of several of David’s psalms: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork’ (Ps 19:1), and ‘the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself’ (Ps 5-6).”

It seems that everyone during this time is going to be exploring further all of the things God knows that human beings do not. It is going to be a scientists’ wonderland!

Because of the large number of people, there will be the need for a lot of administration. Here are some of the groups and their likely responsibilities based upon what scripture has revealed about them:

• The Bride (New Testament Saints, i.e., the Church): assists in the administration and offers eternal testimony to God’s attributes of grace and love (Rv 2:26-27; 3:21; 20:6)

• The Resurrected Saints (Old Testament and Tribulation): friends and attendants of the Bridegroom (Mt 25:1, 10). They will rule over Israel and the nations.

• Israel: head of the nations and being God’s witnesses helping the nations worship the Lord (Is 61:6-11, 66:22; Dn 7:27).

• Kings and Nations: Administered by kings, the nations will carry on activity and production throughout eternity and bring the glory and honor that they find in their daily tasks and discoveries back to God for display when they visit the New Jerusalem (Rv 21:24).

This is only a peek of what things will be like. While everything can’t be directly supported by direct scripture references, many of these inferences are similar to the scenarios that have been provided above and give at least a glimpse of what true heaven may be like. Perhaps more was not provided because either mankind is not able to understand it or it is too wonderful to even describe. I’m reminded of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey where the question was asked, “What’s going to happen?” The simple response was, “Something wonderful.” Well, that’s what’s going to happen here: something wonderful. Do you plan on being around to experience it? I trust you will. Come with me to visit Something Wonderful.

Quotes in this post came from the following:

Hoyt, Herman A. The End Times. Chicago: Moody Press, 1969.

Congdon, Robert R. Living in the New Heaven and Earth. Sixteenth Annual Pre-Trib Study Group: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX, 2007.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Let’s finish up our topic on contrasting heaven and hell with two final posts. We have spent several posts on understanding both hell and heaven. While there is a lot more that could be presented, I think we have covered some significant topics. I thought we would do some review via a question and answer session. See if you can answer the questions before reading the answers. Review the previous posts for the supportive scriptures.

1. The Bible is not consistent in stating what happens to someone when they die. Therefore, can we really know what happens after death?

A. There is a progression over history as to what happens to those who die

a. Prior to Christ’s death: All dead resided in Sheol

b. After Christ’s resurrection: Righteous in Heaven; Unrighteous remain in Sheol

2. What do we mean by “righteous”?

A. Those who accept Christ by faith

a. Prior to Christ’s first coming, those who accepted by faith that their coming Messiah would be the sin sacrifice for their sins and that would be their only merit to enter Heaven

b. After Christ’s first coming, those who accept by faith that Christ paid the penalty for their sin on the cross and only through Him do we have merit to enter Heaven

3. Doesn’t the Old Testament supports soul sleep? No one is conscious until they are resurrected, right?

A. Many scriptures contrast death to the living which can sometimes feel there is no consciousness there; yet, there are many scriptures that allude to being with loved ones, activity, and speaking that occurs in Sheol.

4. Isn’t it true that there is no torment or flames in Sheol? Doesn’t only the parable by Christ in New Testament state torment or flame?

A. There are passages in the Old Testament that do refer to flames and/or torment in Sheol for those who were labeled ‘wicked’

a. There is no torment mentioned for those labeled ‘righteous’

b. Yet, neither are there passages that consider Sheol to be a paradise for the righteous

5. If God is going to send people to an eternal hell, why wouldn’t there be more verses in the Bible that are clearer on this topic?

A. God expects people to understand the subtleties in scripture

a. It was a concept understood by Jewish society and therefore did not need emphasis

b. Only when one tries to justify their own will can the scriptures be ignored

6. Isn’t sending people to hell outside of God’s character of love?

A. We should not confuse ‘love’ with ‘longsuffering’

a. God loves everyone but mankind also has responsibility

b. Is love true love if only one-sided?

c. Can one hate God and not reverence Him and yet claim it is unjust to receive consequence?

d. You can rest on God’s love or His justice. God has never been ‘fair’ because it is not a Biblical concept.

7. What is the purpose of the Rapture?

A. God removes the Church so He can “remember” his covenant with Israel.

a. This is the prophetic significance of Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets)

b. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb cannot occur until the entire Church is with Him

c. Another concept of the Rapture would the The Receiving: that is, the receiving of the bride (the church) by Christ (the groom)

8. What is the purpose of the Tribulation? Why does this have to occur?

A. The main purpose is so God can work with Israel once again.

a. It is a final fulfillment of Dt 28 & 29

b. It is global because Jews and those of Israeli descent are worldwide today

c. This time fulfills scripture of how God will again bring Judah and Israel back together into one nation

d. This time forces Israel to do what his loving prodding could not: accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah before He returns to the earth.

e. God’s will still prevails even when Satan is supposedly in control

9. How do we know Christ’s Millennial Kingdom will be an actual physical kingdom?

A. Not only Revelation, but many passages in the Old Testament refer to this time and describe it as a physical kingdom.

a. This re-establishes the theocracy that was lost by Adam and proves why Christ is superior to Satan

b. This allows Israel to become the kingdom of priests to the world originally offered to them

c. This further tests humanity and proves that their rebellion has nothing to do with Satan

10. Why would Christ’s Millennial Kingdom need to come to an end if it is supposed to be so wonderful?

A. Christ’s earthly reign is not perfect. It is a theocracy containing sinful people.

a. Sin has to be removed in its entirety before a perfect kingdom can be established

b. Therefore, the earth and all those not responding to Christ must be removed

c. A sinless earth and heaven is created, populated by sinless people

d. However, it is likely there will still be humans without the propensity to sin present who will continue to “inherit the earth”; and maybe even the universe

I hope this helps you understand the Bible presents a cohesive message and not a hodgepodge of ideas to be interpreted any way one wishes. God has a plan and you are a part of it.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

It would seem life in the Eternal State may be similar to what life was like during the Millennium: Christ will continue to rule, Israel will continue to lead in worship, those glorified will continue to help rule, nations will still exist, and the people will continue to worship Christ with tribute of his glory. It is possible that now the whole universe will be open for exploration and bringing praise to God. All the talents and skills of each individual will be used to bring glory and honor to our King. However, there will also be key differences. The propensity to sin will be removed, the entire Trinity will dwell with mankind, and a New Jerusalem will descend out of heaven to earth and there will be no need for a temple (Rv 21-22).

This New Jerusalem will be huge and magnificent. It is possible that the new earth will be much larger than the earth today. That we don’t know, but we have been given the dimensions of this fabulous city: 1500 miles square. On today’s earth, if the current Jerusalem is its center, the city would stretch from the northern boundary of Turkey to the southern boundary of Egypt, and from Greece to parts of Iran. It would take up about two-thirds of the area of the continental United States. Some say it is cube shaped. Others, it is pyramid shaped. It may even be shaped like a ziggurat. No matter its exact shape, it will be magnificent.

Its streets will be of pure gold, a river (termed River of Life) will flow from God’s throne and the Tree of Life will be back again. Both the water from this river and the fruit of this tree will be the life sustainer of the nations of the earth. The city is composed of many precious stones, and most will be clear as crystal. The streets are of gold so pure they are transparent. God’s throne will be at the peak of the city. God’s Shekinah glory will radiate from there and through all the crystalline structures and streets of gold creating a glorious, colorful, and wondrous beauty. It is likely the river flowing from God’s throne will be like a huge waterfall through the middle of the city. Spray from it will create rainbows of color as the light refracts through the water droplets. It will truly be a wonder of the new world. If on today’s earth, and assuming no obstructions of the horizon, the city’s light would be seen from Alaska to South Africa, and from the east coast of the Americas to Japan. Of course, with God’s Shekinah glory being there, its light could extend much further.

As you can see, this will be the epitome of wonderful and this brief description will pale in comparison to how wonderful it will really be. Yet, I think you would agree this is not something to take lightly. Therefore, if you have not made Christ the Hope of your eternal future, you still have time. Don’t waste it but make haste. Such a glory should not be missed!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In a previous post, we discovered that the righteous in Sheol were relocated to Heaven after Christ’s resurrection. What does that mean for those who die today?

According to Scripture, the righteous go straight to heaven. The apostle Paul stated, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven…was caught up to paradise…” (2Co 12:2-4). This was important for Paul to experience this because it put him as an eyewitness to the fact the righteous today (i.e., those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ for their eternal future) go straight to heaven confirming the fact that the righteous were transferred from Sheol to Heaven. As we stated before, Paul called it paradise because Jesus Christ now resides there. Just as Enoch, Moses, and Elijah served as a tangible hope for the Old Testament saints that their future with their Messiah was secure, Paul’s experience serves as our hope we will also one day be with Christ. This is why Paul also stated, “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2Co 5:8).

We are talking about the righteous here, but what about the unrighteous? They still go to Sheol (Hades). There is nothing in Scripture to suggest they have changed their location. Actually, Scripture states they will remain there until their final judgment: “…death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done” (Rv 20:13).

What are people like in heaven? Scripture seems to suggest souls have similarities with a type of body. In Revelation, when the souls of those martyred for the cause of Christ were described, Scripture states they were able to speak, wore white robes (which would indicate some type of solid body), were told to wait and, therefore, were able to understand, reason, and comprehend time (Rv 6:9-11). This description is not the same as the resurrected body they will receive later. This description in Revelation is either talking of an intermediate, temporary body, or this is the normal characteristic of souls. It could even be that souls in our world appear as spirits but may not appear so in the spiritual world.

Of course, Christ is in Heaven today. Christ has three roles:

•Prophet – His role on earth during his first coming: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among your own brothers. You must listen to him” (Dt 18:15).

•Priest – His current role as our high priest and mediator: “Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess” (Hb 3:1). The author of Hebrews also states, “…because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hb 7:24-25).

•King – His future role after his second coming: “…He will rule them [the nations] with an iron scepter…on his robe and on his thigh he as the name written: King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rv 19:15-16).

We also need to understand that Christ coming to earth changed him forever. Prior to his coming to earth the first time, Christ was a spirit: “God is a spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:24). John also stated, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (Jn 1:1-2).

Christ’s birth made him human. Yet, he was unique: 100% human, 100% God: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).

Christ’s resurrected body is still that of a man (100% man; 100% God): “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Lk 24:39).

Christ is forever man (100% man; 100% God) to identify with us: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1Tm 2:5).

Christ agreed to change his relationship with God the Father forever – for us! How amazing it that! That really shows how much he loves us. Would you do that for someone? That would be a really hard decision, to be willing to give up so much for someone else. Yet, that is what Christ did for us. Can you now see why Sheol for the righteous was relocated? He loved us so much and wants to be with us, but the only way he could do that was to pay the sin debt and, by doing so, stopped being a spirit so he could save us and identify with us forever. We can never say he is cold and indifferent and doesn’t care. No one cares more than He does for us.

Next time we’ll look at heaven between now and our Savior’s second return. Stay tuned.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

When we think of the word ‘heaven,’ there are three places the Bible describes using the same word. Here are a few examples.

1. First Heaven – Sky. Isaiah spoke of this: As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater . . . (Is 55:10).

2. Second Heaven – Outer Space. Moses spoke of this: And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon, and the stars – all the heavenly array – do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under the heaven (Dt 4:19).

3. Third Heaven – Where God is. Paul spoke of this: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven (2Co 12:2). The psalmist spoke of this: The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne . . . (Ps 11:4). And Solomon spoke of this: But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you . . . (2Ch 6:18).

It’s the third heaven we want to concentrate on for this post. So, who occupies this third heaven? Based upon a previous post, we know that changed over the course of earth’s history. Let’s focus on its occupancy before Christ came to earth the first time. Here are the occupants the Bible speaks of and some of the supporting verses:

1.      First Person of Trinity (God the Father). We find God in the beginning: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Gn 1:1). He also revealed himself to the Israelites at Mount Sinai after they were rescued from Egypt: Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire (Ex 19:18a).

2.      Second Person of Trinity (God the Son – Jesus Christ). The Bible tells us he was there with God in the beginning: Then God said, “Let us make man in our image…” (Gn 1:26). Also, after God appeared to the Israelites in the smoke and fire on Mount Sinai, this second person of the Godhead appeared to their leaders: Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank (Ex 24:9-11). I find this awe inspiring because right after God gave the command to stay off the mountain because they were not holy, he met with them to show his grace.

3.      Third Person of Trinity (God the Holy Spirit). Even the Holy Spirit was with God in the beginning: Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Gn 1:2). The Holy Spirit was also given to many of the Israelite leaders: Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders (Nu 11:25a).

4.      Angels. The Bible speaks of both righteous angels and unrighteous angels, or demons, who followed Lucifer (also called the devil, the Adversary, or Satan).

Let’s now focus on these angels for a few minutes. The word ‘angel’ simply means ‘messenger.’ It is humans who have genericized what angels look like and what they do. The Bible actually gives us a look into these creatures whom God created. They are not all the same and they do not all have the same occupation or the same rank. Yet, they all are messengers who carry out the will of God:

1.      Cherubim (Ek 1:5-24; 10:1-22) – These are the highest rank of angels with the closest relationship to God, and a major part of God’s moving chariot throne

2.      Seraphim (Is 6:1-7) - They cover the unique presence of God and his throne.

3.      Four Living Beings (Rv 4:6-9) - They exalt God day and night.

4.      Archangel (1Th 4:16; Ju 1:9) - Chief Messenger and ruling angel.

5.      Angels – (Mt 24:36; 25:31; Hb 1:6; Ro 8:38; 1Pt 3:22) - These are messengers who carry out the message God wants delivered.

6.      Satan – (Jb 1:6; Rv 12:10) – Satan himself is an angel, a created being, who is submissive to God. He does not have equal billing or influence. The Bible does state he has access to heaven and to God, at least at certain times. Scriptures also tells us that one day his access will be revoked, and he will no longer be granted such access.

7.      Demons - (Ro 8:38; 1Co 15:24; Ep 1:21, 2:22, 3:10, 6:12; Cl 1:16, 2:10, 15; 1Pt 3:22) – These are under Satan and his authority. They may or may not have access to heaven. They also have ranks and are described as principalities, might, powers, dominions, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places, authorities, rulers, and thrones.

The Second Person of the Godhead (who later became known as Jesus Christ) has always been the part of the Trinity who has reached out to humans and revealed attributes of God to them. There are many examples of this, and theologians have termed these Old Testament visits, or pre-incarnate visits, as Christophanies: Adam & Eve (Gn 3:8-9), Abraham (Gn 18:1), Children of Israel (Ex 23:20-21), Moses, Aaron, and elders (Ex 24:9-11), Joshua (Js 5:13-15), and Manoah and his wife (Jd 13:2-23). While this is not an exhaustive list, it does help us see and understand God was in constant communication with humans even before the Holy Spirit was given to all Christians.

There are some other individuals we must consider. There are three humans who the Bible state were taken to heaven before Christ’s first coming. Let’s take a look at them and see what that implies.

Enoch. The Bible states, “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Gn 5:24). Later, we read, “by faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God” (Hb 11:5). And we find he was a prophet in his day: Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “see, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Ju 1:14). Therefore, Enoch preached of the Messiah coming to set up his earthly kingdom. How he entered heaven is how many will enter Christ’s kingdom. They, too, will not die but still be alive when Christ returns to earth again to set up his kingdom. They will literally, walk into his kingdom.

Moses. God told the children of Israel their promised coming Messiah would be recognizable because he would come as a prophet like Moses: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him” (Dt 18:15). When Moses died, God, himself buried him: “And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is” (Dt 34:5-6). Yet, Moses did not stay buried. We read of this unusual event in Jude: “But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, ‘the Lord rebuke you’” (Ju 1:9)! The reason we believe he did not stay dead is because he appeared with Christ and three of his disciples: “Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus” (Lk 9:30-31). Therefore, the disputed body may have been over Moses’ glorified body. If Moses was resurrected, Satan may have argued over Moses not staying in Sheol. Christ had not yet come and defeated death and Sheol, so Satan may have argued this was premature of God to raise Moses at this time. This would be consistent with the similarity between Moses and Jesus.

Elijah. He was another that did not face death in this life: “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind” (2Ki 2:11). This was a testimony to the message Elijah had constantly wanted his people to realize and understand about God: God is alive, and they can put their trust in him. Recall what he told the Israelites: “Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him’” (1Ki 18:21). This became a promise to Israel in that they would one day be with God if they remained faithful to their belief in their Messiah. Elijah also appeared along with Moses to Christ and three of his disciples: “Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus” (Lk 9:30-31).

There are some controversies around what I just presented. Next time, we’ll explore this further and see what the likely purpose of why these three individuals received special treatment. It may not be what you expect. Stay turned and find out. Until then, God bless.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In our last post, we discovered Paradise is wherever Jesus Christ, in his glorified state, resides. But there is a little more to it than just that, although that is an important step in understanding Biblical context.

We also found that everyone went to Sheol when they died, but they went to different sections within Sheol depending upon their faith in the coming Messiah. After the Messiah came, died, rose, and ascended, we find those who put their faith in the Messiah who came would now be with him in Heaven when they died. Since the entire Bible is true, then something had to have happened to make both passages of Scripture true. Somehow, the righteous went from being in Sheol to being in the third Heaven. So, how did it happen?

There is no one Scripture reference that tells us what happened, but there are enough pieces of evidence throughout Scripture which we can assemble into a logical scenario of the chain of events. Let’s explore.

Jesus told the thief on the cross he would be with Jesus in paradise that very day (Lk 23:43). We discovered that because Jesus went to Sheol, paradise came to Sheol that day. The long awaited hope all the righteous in Sheol had longed for was now being fulfilled. Joy had come to a non-joyous place. To fulfill Scripture, Jesus was in Sheol for three days (Mt 12:40). By rising from the dead, it showed he now possessed the power over death and Sheol (Rv 1:18). Others had died and been resurrected, but they died again. Jesus Christ rose and never died again. He is the Hope for our eternal future (Ro 6:5).

Jesus rose from the dead early on a Sunday (Mt 28:1, 6). Because of the rush to bury Jesus before Passover ended and the special Sabbath arrived (Lk 23:54), the women who had come to the crucifixion did not get to prepare Jesus’ body properly by Jewish standards (Mt 27:59-60; Lk 23:53). Several women came to anoint his body once the weekly Sabbath was over, when they could again travel to the tomb. Art usually depicts three women coming to the tomb that morning, but there were many other women with them (Lk 24:10). These women find the heavy stone already rolled away from the tomb’s entrance (Mk 16:4). Mary Magdalene gets to the tomb first (Jn 20:1), but goes off on her own in sadness. The other women see the angels who tell them to tell Peter and the other disciples Jesus is alive (Mt 28:6; Mk 16:7; Lk 24:6). The women leave; one group runs to the disciples (Mt 28:8); the others travel with Mary (Mt 28:9), Jesus’ mother, who is likely confused and trying to understand the angelic message.

The disciples did not believe the women, but Peter and John ran to the tomb (Lk 24:11-12; Jn 20:3) to check for themselves. When Mary Magdalene saw Peter and John approaching, she ran to them and told them someone took Jesus’ body (Jn 20:2). Mary Magdalene likely ran back to the tomb with them. Peter and John entered the tomb; Peter left confused; John believed (Jn 20:4-9). Peter and John left; Mary Magdalene remained at the tomb (Jn 20:10-11). Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene (Mk 16:9; Jn 20:14) but told her he had not yet ascended back to the Father (Jn 20:17). Mary Magdalene went back and told the disciples she had seen Jesus (Jn 20:18). What was this conversation with Mary Magdalene about?

A sin offering was considered most holy (Ex 30:10; Lv 10:17) and was to be used for atonement (Hb 9:7). Christ was now going to present himself to God the Father for the eternal atonement (Hb 9:12) of mankind. Perhaps something like the following occurred.

Jesus returned to Sheol and announced to all those in Sheol who had died and, by faith, had looked forward to his coming, “It is time! Come.” And then they were gone. This part of Sheol was now empty. The barrier dissolved, no longer needed. Jesus transported the righteous from Sheol to heaven with him: i.e., led captivity captive (Ep 4:8-10; Ps 68:18). That is why Paul was able to say that now to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2Co 5:8). Christ’s death created a paradigm shift among the living and the dead.

“They’re here! They’re here!” various angles were telling each other. They all scrambled to line the way that led to God’s throne. This was a once in an eternity experience! They were not going to miss it. Jesus led the procession, and behind him, from Abel to the thief on the cross who Christ had promised to be with Him in Paradise just a short time earlier, followed behind Jesus. As Jesus passed, angels genuflected and bowed their heads to show their respect to this One, their Beloved, who had been willing to leave this beautiful, wonderful, home and go to earth to pay the high price God required for mankind’s sin and be willing to be forever changed from spirit to human form. Jesus headed to God’s throne, to the true Most Holy Place (Hb 9:11-12). When the processional reached the throne, Jesus said, “Father, I present myself and the blood I have shed to you as the payment to purchase these here with me who have looked forward, by faith, to this day as we had prophesied even before our creation of mankind.” God replied, “My Son, I accept your sacrifice and your blood as payment for these here and for those who, also by faith, will also become yours. No longer is a sacrifice needed. Your payment satisfies the debt due once and for all.” He then turned His attention to those who accompanied Jesus. “My children, I welcome you. Your faith in your Messiah is rewarded. His blood has covered your sins, and I only see you through Him. You are accepted.” At that, all the angels stood and began to applaud these who had now come to be with them in Heaven, and some of the angels started singing praises to their unique and awesome God.

Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, and God, the first person of the Trinity, continued their conversation. “My Son, go now and finish your work. You have gathered one sheepfold, now is the time to start gathering the second. Go and show the Adversary you have not only paved the way for mankind to overcome their sin, but you have also overcome death itself. Go fulfill our prophecy to Eve that your death is comparable to that of a bruised heel. As a bruise is short-lived, so has been your death. Then the Adversary will know the rest of the prophecy will come to pass. You have served as a prophet, you will now serve all those who trust in your work by faith as their High Priest before Me, and you will one day serve as their King. Our prophecy cannot be thwarted. Go, My Son. I look forward to your return.” At that, as the angles still sang, Jesus was gone.

Jesus next appears to his mother and the other women (Mt 28:9). These women returned to tell the disciples Jesus would meet them in Galilee (Mt 28:10). How could the above have happened between the time of Jesus speaking to Mary Magdalene and him appearing to his mother before she got back to the disciples? Well, Heaven seems to be outside of our normal sense of time (2Pt 3:8). Therefore, one can’t correlate our sense of what can get accomplished with what God can accomplish.

Jesus, later in the day, appeared to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus (Mk 16:12; Lk 24:15), and later appeared to all the disciples (Mt 28:16; Mk 16:14; Lk 24:36; Jn 20:19).

So, the righteous were moved from Sheol to Heaven because of Christ’s payment of atonement for their sins and their faith in him coming to do just that. We now will be with him forever if we accept what he did utilizing that same faith. They looked forward; we look backward. But our faith in Christ is the same. Praise His Name.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The word paradise conjures up images of somewhere peaceful and beautiful, and where no one has a care in the world. But what is the Biblical meaning? Some would say the Garden of Eden, or Heaven, or the Millennium, or maybe the New Jerusalem as part of the New Earth. Well, let’s see how the Bible used the word ‘paradise.’ Surprisingly, it is only used three times:

Lk 23:43 – Jesus answered him, “I tell you [thief on the cross] the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

2Co 12:4 – [Paul] was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.”

Rv 2:7 – He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

As we first look at these, it would appear three different places are being called paradise. Let’s investigate each one. In a previous post, we saw that prior to Christ’s resurrection, everyone went to Sheol. Was Christ calling the part of Sheol for the righteous, paradise? If that is the case, then this would be the only place in Scripture where Sheol is called Paradise.

King David referred to Sheol differently. Even knowing he would one day go to the portion for the righteous, he referred to it as a place like the following:

•Of captivity

•Where worship at temple cannot occur

•Where joys of life cannot be experienced

Therefore, he did not consider it a place he wanted to go, but a place to be released from.

There was an expectation of future joy after death, but that would occur only after their resurrection. After Babylonian captivity, some Jewish sects did teach of experiencing Gan Eden after death. Yet, most taught this would occur after their resurrection.

Christ would have known the correct time of Gan Eden, or Paradise, so he would not have used it inappropriately.

So, how do we make sense of three different places being called ‘paradise’? Well, what do all these references have in common? It would seem that in all cases, Jesus Christ himself is present. He was in the Garden of Eden; he was in Sheol when the thief on the cross went to Sheol; he is in Heaven today; and we who accept him by faith will be with him in his Millennial Kingdom and in the New Earth. It would seem, then, that paradise is wherever he is. He could tell the thief he would be in Paradise because Christ would be with him in Sheol. This was the only time it could be called Paradise as this was the first time happiness and joy entered there. Christ is today in Heaven, and so it would be correct for Paul to state he went to Paradise. And, in the future, Christ will be a part of the New Heaven and Earth when the Tree of Life will once again be available as John stated in Revelation.

It seems appropriate that Paradise is wherever Christ is. He is the one who brings hope and joy. Paradise is associated with praise, and praise is void without Christ being the subject of it.

Now, if that is the case, how does this play a key role in the transition of Christ’s followers going from being in Sheol after death to being in Heaven in Christ’s presence after death? Stay tuned for our next post.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In the Old Testament, Sheol is noted as the place where all dead go: both the righteous and the wicked. Before we get deeper into the controversy of why translators did not always translate the world Sheol into the same English word, let’s first get an understanding of what the Old Testament stated about Sheol.

We first need to understand that while all the dead went to Sheol, not everyone went to the same place in Sheol. It seems there was a different place for the righteous versus that for the wicked. There are passages within scripture that mention at least three different sections within Sheol (Dt 32:22; Ps 30:3; Is 14:15; 2Pt 2:4) with the righteous occupying the upper part, the wicked the lower part (sometimes called the “pit”), and some angels occupying another, separate, section of Sheol. We will discuss this latter section in a separate post. In addition, the Talmud supports this belief as well (see ref).

What are some of the characteristics of Sheol? Many Old Testament passages tell what Sheol is not rather than what it actually is. Many passages contrast Sheol to life and hence the term “land of the living” in contrast to the land of the dead – the opposite of each other (Ps27:13; 52:5; 116:9; 142:5; Is 38:11; 53:8; and Ezekiel 26:20; 32:23-27; 32:32). Sheol is a place where activities of physical life are no longer possible: they do not marry, procreate, or carry on business transactions; they cannot attend public worship in the temple and give sacrifices or praise; they cannot eat or drink; they do not have any wisdom or knowledge about what is happening in the land of the living; they are cut off from the living; they have entered a new dimension of reality with its own kind of existence (Ps 6:5, 30:9, 88:10-12, 115:17; Ec 9:5, 10; Is 38:18). It is a place hidden to us and of a different dimension. Some scripture calls it a “shadowy place” or “place of darkness” (Jb 10:21-22; Ps 143:3) and a place of disembodied spirits (Jb 26:5; Ps 88:10; Pv 2:18, 9:18, 21:16; Is 14:9, 26:14, 19). Other scripture tells us Sheol is found “down”, “beneath the earth,” or in “the lower parts of the earth” (Jb 11:8; Is 44:23, 57:9; Ek 26:20; Am 9:2). Since the rebellion of Adam, Satan is the ruler of the earth (Mt 4:8-9) and of death (1Co 15:26). During Old Testament times even the righteous were not in God’s presence after death.

Yet, Sheol was also not a place of inactivity. Ps 115:17 states, “It is not the dead who praise the LORD, those who go down to silence.” Yet, this is not a verse that supports the idea of “soul sleep.” To a Jew, praise involved the temple in Jerusalem, especially in David’s case. There is no temple in Sheol and, therefore, no place to adequately praise God. David was making a statement of contrast between the live, physical world and the dead, spiritual world. We have contrast here – silence of praise, not silence in totality.

Princeton scholar Charles Hodge stated: “That the Jews believed in a conscious life after death is beyond dispute.” There are Biblical examples as well. Jacob expected to see his son Joseph in Sheol and interact with him (Gn 37:35). There are numerous other scriptures that support expectations of interacting with loved ones who had passed on before (Gn 15:15, 25:8, 35;29, 37:35, 49:33; Nu 29:24, 28, 31:2; Dt 32:50, 34:5; 2Sa 12:23). Those in Sheol can converse with each other and can make moral judgments on new arrivals (Is 14:9-20, 44:23; Ek 32:21).

Although there are not many Old Testament passages that directly state torment occurs in Sheol, Old Testament scripture is not exactly silent on this issue either. Some scriptures do allude to the fact that Sheol is a place of God’s continuing judgment. The wicked in the lowest part of Sheol experience the fire of God’s anger (Dt 32:22), experience distress (2Sa 22:6; Ps 18:6, 116:3, 118:5), and may writhe in pain (Jb 26:5). Although no other passages in the Old Testament directly speak of torment in the intermediate state, there are other passages that speak of “everlasting humiliation and contempt” which awaits the wicked after the resurrection (Is 66:24; Dn 12:2). Peter was clear in stating the unrighteous are in torment until their resurrection: . . . the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the Day of Judgment, while continuing their punishment (2Pt 2:9).

What about the righteous? While they were certainly not in torment, scripture does not paint it as a place of paradise either. They feared death (Ps 6, 18:4, 55:4, 116:3); yet, still had hope (Ps 73:23-25). They knew they were not abandoned (Jb 26:6) and were not out of God’s reach (Ps 139:8). They knew Sheol was not permanent for them (Ps 16:10, 49:14-15, 86:13). The ascension of Enoch (Gn 5:24) and Elijah (2Ki 2:11) to heaven indicated that the righteous would someday be taken into God’s presence.

So, we now know that Sheol was established as an intermediate state for everyone where activity was still occurring. The wicked and righteous were in separate areas and experienced Sheol differently. Likely the wicked were in a state of some type of torment while the righteous were in a state of peace, but not necessarily paradise. In our next post, let’s see how the translators used various English words to translate Sheol into our present Bible and what that implies.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens