Heaven is real

How do we answer those around us when they debate the existence of Heaven?

We remind them of the testimonies written up in the Bible of not one, but three separate men who had had the tremendous privilege of being shown the place where God resides, through God-given visions. One is the prophet Daniel, quoted above.

The other two men were firstly Ezekiel, who wrote of his experience in Ezekiel 1:26-27 “Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor.”  And John in Rev 4:2 “And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.”

Of course, there is also Enoch’s testimonies of his many extraordinary visitations to Heaven, written up in the Book of Enoch. We know from the Bible that Enoch walked so closely with God, that he never experienced death – one day when he was called up to Heaven, he just did not return.

The sad truth is that many institution churches teach that Heaven and Hell are not real, they are metaphors of good and evil. To that I can only say that if you believe in Jesus, you also have to believe His words.  And He very explicitly told His disciples in John 14:2 “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” Why would Jesus talk about a place, if no such place existed?

Heaven and Hell (yes, Hell is real, Jesus often referred to it) exist in a dimension beyond our three-dimensional life here on earth. We also, upon our resurrection, or upon being raptured if we are still alive when that occurs, will receive a glorified body, to be able to live in that dimension. Jesus demonstrated what that body looks like when He appeared to more than 500 people after his resurrection – His body had flesh and bones, He could eat, He could move through walls and suddenly appear in their midst. Some of the details of how we will live in Heaven one day, are described by John in Revelation, but not all is revealed. The most important thing we can know about it, is that we will never be separated from God for all eternity, and that is enough to give us abundant hope for the future!

Points to ponder: There is only one way to enter Heaven, and that is through faith in what Jesus has done for us through His death on Calvary, and then relying on the voice of Holy Spirit to guide you on your journey.  Are you trusting on His atonement for your salvation only? Or do you have a “Jesus plus …..” kind of faith:  Jesus + doing good works; Jesus + obeying the rules of my church; Jesus + observing the regulations of the Torah; Jesus + following the age-old traditions of my family…?