HEAVEN: #1 1ST. KINGS 8: 27-30 6-14-08
Today I want to bring a few thoughts on “Heaven” we all love to think about and talk about heaven, and that is where we that are saved are going one day, we believe the Bible & that is what we’re told in the Word of God, but just as sure as there is a heaven there is a hell and a lake of fire, and that is where all that are not saved will end up one day according to the word of God as well. Let me say that hell is mentioned more in the Bible than heaven. But today we’ll think mainly on Heaven. Listen as I read today’s text found in
1ST. KINGS 8: 27-30 27But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? 28Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day: 29That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. 30And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.
It’s a wonderful thought to know that one day we’ll meet all the Old Testament saints. But heaven would not be heaven if the Lord Jesus weren’t there; if it wasn’t for Him none of us could go to heaven.
The very first thing we’ll see is as John saw in his vision will be God the Father and also The Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ as He is The Only One worthy to open the 7 sealed book. The Lamb receives the 7 sealed book from Jehovah’s Hand. according to Rev.4: & 5: its then and there that we’ll gladly cast our crowns at His feet because He is The One that’s worthy and not us. Rev. 4: 10-11 10The four and twenty elders** fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Rev. 5: 11-14 11And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
And let me say that if it was not for the fact that we’ll have glorified ears at that time we wouldn’t be able to stand the shouting and praising God, & there’ll be no bashful Christians at that time.
Sister Ruth all of our sicknesses and frailty will be over. My precious wife will be over her fibromynalsia along with all her other health problems, and most all of us have some kind of health problems, if you don’t just sit tight their on the way.JN. 3: 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Philippians 3: 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, --
There are three different heavens that we find in the Bible, the first heaven is the air where the birds and air planes fly, and its also Satan’s domain at this time,
EPH. 2:2 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the second heaven is where the planets and stars are, and then the third heaven is WHERE Gods throne is, far above all heavens. The third Heaven is where God’s throne is located.
It is the place called Paradise, where the saints of God are waiting for the resurrection of their bodies.
Paul said in: 2nd Cor.12: 2-4 I 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.
Paul here tells about his experience at Lystra on his first missionary journey about 14 years earlier. Acts 14:19–20 “And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe” let me say dear heart that the Devil can’t kill Gods man unless God allows it.
Well; where is Heaven? How do you get there? & What is it like?
Well we know that Heaven is always referred to as “up.” And we know there’s no stairway leading to heaven.
We know that there are windows in Heaven, and that the windows are always spoken of as being open to pour out things from God. Sometimes blessings are poured out ( II Kings 7:2 Then a lord** on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes,),
And sometimes curses are poured out heavens windows Isa. 24:18 18And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open,), and then sometimes the same thing that is a blessing to some is a curse to others** ( Gen. 8:2*** 2The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;-
There is also a Door to heaven, John tells us in Rev.4:1 “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” here is the rapture.
The first thing he saw was JEHOVAH on His Throne. 3And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. We cannot imagine the beauty and radiance of God.
The psalmist said, (Ps. 11:4). “The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven...” encircling the throne was a sparkling rainbow of emerald which is green, “green” speaks of His eternal Life and grace. Think of “the ever green tree” its green all the time.
Which tells us its unending. And let me add here that at the white Throne judgment of the lost in Rev.20: THERE IS NO GREEN RAINBOW, THERE IS NO MERCY.
The twenty-four elders, clothed with glistening, white garments and pure gold crowns on their heads, were seated upon the twenty-four seats. Thunder and lightnings were proceeding out from the throne and voices could be heard. There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne.
JOHN CONTINUES TO TELL US about the things he sees in heaven; The Tree of Life was there. This same tree was in the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve. After the fall of man, an angel was posted at the gate with a revolving sword, to keep them away from this tree lest they should eat of it and live forever in their fallen state.
On this tree grew twelve different kinds of fruit each month. The leaves were for the healing of the nations.
The beautiful River of Life was flowing out from under the throne and pure water of life was freely accessible. The street was made of pure, transparent gold, suggesting the elimination of all impurities, which cloud things on the earth.
As John continued to look, he saw twelve gates of pearl; three on the north, three on the south, three on the east and three on the west. Twelve angels stood at these twelve gates.
But Jesus will be what truly makes it heaven. If we were not told of all these beautiful and wonderful things that are there, it would still be beautiful and wonderful simple because He will be there. He is what’s so important to you & I that are saved.
And then too, part of what will make it heaven is what won’t be there…
There will be no tears, no death, no sorrow, no crying, no pain, no night, no more curse, no hunger, no thirst or hundreds of other things that have plagued us here.
The great host of angels, or messengers, will be busy serving God and carrying out His every desire. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, God sent a multitude of angels to earth to praise and cry out, “Glory to God in the highest”
It must have been a great blessing for John to see all of these things. Stephen had been privileged to see part of this too as is recorded in Acts 6: 8-chapter 7. As he was dying, after being stoned, he spoke of seeing Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Before he could tell much of what he saw, God called him home.
Paul got a glimpse of this on the Damascus Road in Acts 9: The vision was so bright, that it blinded him. He later spoke to Herod Agrippa, saying, “Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19).
Enoch and Elijah were taken up into Heaven. They saw the scene, but never returned to explain about it. Moses got a little glimpse of God, and his face shined SO BRIGHT AFTERWARDS he had to wear a veil.
It is going to be wonderful thing to go there and see for ourselves. We are told,
(II Cor. 5:1). “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”
God looks down from Heaven and sees and hears, as possible the saints that are there. (Ps. 14:2). “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God”
Sinner friend if you miss heaven you’ve missed it all.
