What the Bible says about HEAVEN Rolan D. Monje Pasig Region, MMCC www.addtoyourlearning.com Special thanks to Koko Enrile and Ben Arcellana for some slides.

Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next – CS Lewis

An introductory study What heaven is What heaven is NOT What heaven is like What won’t be there What it’s worth to get there How to get there

What heaven is Grk: ouranos (based on Old Testament duality of heaven-and-earth; taken in NT) The home of God (Mt 6.9 says “Our Father who is in heaven…) A special, prepared place (Jn 14.2) A place of rest (Heb 4.9) Exciting and important topic, but actually not that easy to explain from the Bible; demands further study

What heaven is not Not a place to just ‘relax’ and be selfish Not a place where you will do nothing (remember it’s Paradise/Eden restored; Rev 22.3)

What heaven is not Not the new Jerusalem in Rev 21.2-10 (the New Jerusalem comes out “from” heaven, but it is not heaven itself)

What heaven is not Not simply a place for disembodied spirits

Some definitions Hades(Gk)/Sheol(Heb) = place of the dead Hell(Eng)/Gehenna(Gk)= place of punishment Paradise(Eng)/Paridisus(Lat) = enclosed garden Ouranos(Gk)/Heaven(Eng) = place of rest

What heaven is like A Holy Place A Happy Place Ps 20.6 “Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.” A Happy Place Rev 7.17 “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes….When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

What won’t be there Death (Rev. 21:4) Mourning (Rev. 21:4) Pain (Rev. 21:4) Tears or Crying (Rev. 21:4) Hunger (Rev. 7:16) Thirst (Rev. 7:16) Sin (Rev. 21:27)

What won’t be there NOT EVERYONE (Matt 7) Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. …Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

What won’t be there NOT EVERYONE (Rev 22) Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

From Jesus "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.“ (Jn 14)

From Paul “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” (2 Cor 5)

Things built by human hands Most expensive Hotel Room in the world Atlantis Bridge Suite, Bahamas ($25,000 per night)

The Neushwanstein Castle Most beautiful castle The Neushwanstein Castle

Heaven, divinely prepared

More than the place (Rev 21-22) Fellowship with God Fellowship with people of God we know Fellowship with people of God we didn’t know

What it’s worth to get there Everything you are Everything you’ve got What could be more important? What are you focused on? Are you investing in heaven? Are you teaching your kids about heaven?

Shaijus & Beena Philip www.disciplestoday.org

Heb 11:16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

How to get there Not just ‘death’ Know what will not be allowed to enter Know how to be right with God Make an early reservation!

Col 3.1 “Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God”

See you when we get there!

What the Bible says about HEAVEN Rolan D. Monje Pasig Region, MMCC