Why do so many people believe we will spend Eternity in Heaven? When the Bible clearly tells us..?

Question

The New Jerusalem
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

Revelation 21

We will spend Eternity on the new earth with God.
Jesus is going to rule the earth.

Opinions????

Answer 1

This passage is dealing with events after the millennium, it is not the millennium.

Joh 14:2 In My Father's house are many dwelling places. But if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you!
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will receive you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.

Is that place in Heaven or on the earth?

2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle is taken down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in Heaven.

That pretty much says Heaven.

Php 3:20 For our citizenship is in Heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Php 3:21 who will transform our body of humiliation, for it to be conformed to His body of glory, according to the working of Him to be able even to subject all things under Himself.

Our citizenship is where? Heaven.

Heb 10:34 For also you suffered together in my bonds; and you accepted the seizure of your possessions with joy, knowing yourselves to have a better and abiding possession in Heaven,

Where is our abiding possession? Heaven.

1Pe 1:4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in Heaven for you

Rev 19:6 And I heard as a sound of a numerous crowd, and as a sound of many waters, and as a sound of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah! Because the Lord God Almighty reigned.
Rev 19:7 Let us rejoice and let us exult, and we will give glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb came, and His wife prepared herself.
Rev 19:8 And it was given to her that she be clothed in fine linen, pure and bright; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.
Rev 19:9 And he says to me, Write: Blessed are the ones having been called to the supper of the marriage of the Lamb. And he says to me, These Words of God are true.

Where is the bride of Christ, the Church, at this time? Heaven.

I believe we, in our spiritual bodies, will be able to move between Heaven and the new earth, freely.

Answer 2

Read it again. The first heaven and the first earth are passed away and the kingdom is not and never was intended to be "of this world" any more than the spiritual world is a realm of ghosts.

At Calvary a new creation was begun. Not only this earth but the entire cosmos will be reborn. Many teach that all things will be put under the Lord's feet and this is true. The problem is that this government is not a program but a soverign act of God.

Scripture notes that all "things" will be summed up together in Christ. For this the physical universe including this earth and time itself will be no more. Please note in Isaiah that the kingdoms of this world "become" the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. This and many other Scriptures do not point to a take over or change of venue but a complete replacement with a new creation. The only thing that will be the same is your essence in Christ.

You are expecting the same thing, and making the same mistake, that the high church religious people made when they were speaking breath to breath with the Word made flesh some 2,000 years ago. They expected a physical king in a physical kingdom commanding a better world.

God however is and remains a spirit despite the delusion cast that this fallen world is the real and lasting plan which existed before the foundation of the same. Everything that has a beginning will have an end. What is actually real is held between the Alpha and the Omega.

Look at your own quote. The first heaven and the first earth are "passed away" and there is "no longer" any sea... and the old order is "passed away." Passed away means gone not remodeled; not even an extreme make over in time.

Don't know how to tell you this but the spiritual world is the reality and this dirt is just the shadow. It gives only the faintest hint of what will be as the physical senses only interpret the material in time and all that is marked for destruction. No tears because it is seen and experienced only with the eyes of the spirit; which are the only eyes, the eyes of faith. Think about it.

Answer 3

Heaven – the New Earth – is a physical place on which we will dwell with glorified physical bodies (see 1 Corinthians 15:35-58). The concept that Heaven is “in the clouds” is unbiblical. The concept that we will be “spirits floating around in Heaven” is unbiblical. The Heaven that believers will experience will be a new and perfect planet on which we will dwell. The New Earth will be free from sin, evil, sickness, suffering, and death. It will likely be very similar to our current Earth, or perhaps even a re-creation of our current earth – but without the curse of sin.

Answer 4

You are just too right on this matter. But before I touch on this matter of what is taught, that we will be living in heaven for eternity has always bothered me. The word does not teach this so where did this concept come from?
Also.. if the Lord is preparing a place for us in heaven then why will He suddenly make a new one at the end of the Millennium. There will be a new Heaven and a New earth.

You quoted a very beautiful verse that spoke of the New Jersualem coming down out of heaven from God, Prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband. Is this New Jerusalem a city? Or is the New Jerusalem a " she"

This New Jerusalem is the Bride of the Lamb. Is Christ going to marry a literal city? If, this city is not a physical thing but a spiritual picture of the Church as the Bride of Christ then what does this mean to us today? Do we suddenly become this BEautiful city?

I believe that as believers we all make up this city. Where the street of Gold signifying the Golden Divine Nature is our walk day by day. The street is for walking and as believers we walk according to the Divine Nature and according to the Spirit of God indwelling us.

THe tree of life is in this city and the river of water of life. As believers these matters should not be so new to us. We should be those enjoying Christ as the Tree of Life every day.. eating of Him in the word and drinking of Him as the water of life as we pray in spirit.

In Corinthians we are urged to take care of how we build. This city is built. In the Same way Eve was built from Adam.. Christ said that He will build His church which consumates as the New Jersualem. We need to be mindful to allow the Lord to transform us from being the living Stones into the Precious stones by the inner working and refining of the HOly Spirit. We want to build with teh Gold, Silver and the Precious stones. There are only precious materials in this city. I believe that we are the New Jersualem in process today. That the Church is the means and the way for God to gain His bride who will Match Him to be His counterpart for eternity.

The doctrine of Heaven stems from the Apostate Roman Catholic church and much leaven has been hidden and mixed in to the teachings that we have had passed down to us in christianity.
The gospel is so much higher than the " heaven hell ' one that we have been given and preached to all our lives.

I just truly appreciate that we are going to be on the new earth as the New Jerusalem. That there will be the new heavens too. .. but heaven as our eternal home is not scriptural or according to God's vision. :He created the Heavens for the Earth and the earth for man and this man for Himself to be His expression and represenation on the earth.

THis is actually an amazing quesiton you posted and will take much to truly delve into sister. But I do thank You for posting it.

In Christ
sandy

Answer 5

You would have to compare a few scripture references in order to pull it all together. One of the responders spoke of Christ and the thief going to Paradise when Christ died. Who would dare question Christ Himself? Then, as the Bible says in Ephesians 4, Christ took captivity captive when He arose to Heaven. So I believe the Old Testament saints, and all saints who died since Christ's bodily resurrection, go to be with Him (2 Corinthians 5, where one verse says we are willing to be absent from the body and present with the Lord). Where else would the Lord be at this time but Heaven?

What's going to happen after the second coming is something we may not know now, but it will be crystal clear later. Whether I go to Heaven now or later, whether Jesus rules on earth or in Heaven, it doesn't matter. What DOES matter is whether or not we have placed saving faith in His finished work. I hope all of us have done so.

Answer 6

Furthermore, no where in the Bible does it say that when a person dies they go to heaven. It is implied by the thief of the cross issue when Jesus said today you will be with me in paradise. People assume the two are the same heaven/paradise. Actually heaven is God's abode and not much is known about that. Good observation. If your a christian be careful. This is not main-stream thinking.

Answer 7

Most people feel that Heaven is where God resides, be it on the new Earth God will make, or on high where He now sits.

Whether you call it Heaven or not is irrelevant, as long as you know you will be with Christ for eternity.

Answer 8

you are right on there. there will be a new heaven and a new earth. And that is what most Christians (or I atleast hope) are refering too when they talk about being in Heaven for Eternity.

For a better understanding of this belief/doctrine or whatever you wanna call it, I suggest reading "Heaven", by Randy Alcorn.

Answer 9

You are right!!! Jehovah's Witness believes that the new heaven and earth is not literal....it means that it is new because all the people who will survive from armagedon are all good, no more wicked ones...

And Jehovah's Kingdom will rule the Earth. Jesus as the King and by the help of the annointed ones, who will be with Jesus in Heaven, for us? our jope is here on earth paradise

Answer 10

Good points. Most people who pretend to follow the Messiah do not even read the book let alone try to follow it. What day did the almighty say to rest? And as Proverbs 30:4 says... What is His name? and His son's name? Ex 23:13 is real clear that we should not use heathen names!