MISLEADING ARTICLE: The New Testament Doesn’t Say What Most People Think It Does About Heaven

AND YET … as always … a left leaning lemming comes out of the woodwork like a cockroach to try to ruin Christianity at Christmas time.

There are SO MANY ERRS in this article, that I hardly know where to begin to tear it apart, and shed light on REAL TRUTHS.

n.t. wright may be a professor – but he has no understanding AT ALL about what he is attempting to highlight; despite his having ‘authored 80 books’:

https://time.com/5743505/new-testament-heaven/

This hack {author} claims that “many people believe there is a heaven and an earth and that human souls have been exiled from heaven and are serving out time here on earth until they return.”

I, personally, DO NOT KNOW ANY CHRISTIANS THAT BELIEVE WHAT HE WROTE. That mindset is faaaar removed from the foundation of Scripture as laid out in either the Old Covenant …. Or the new Covenant.

MOST CHRISTIANS ACTUALLY believe that the physical body does die: but the soul enters into Heaven, as Yeshua promised – later to be reunited with it’s risen body when Yeshua returns back to earth to establish his Kingdom on earth, as described in both the Old & New Covenants.

1 John 14:1-3 tells us plainly that Yeshua SPOKE PLAINLY ABOUT HEAVEN BEING AN ACTUAL PLACE REMOVED FROM EARTH – He went there after resurrection (Acts 1:9 thru 12) … and He promised to return and take us back there with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:16 thru 18). It is plainly written: it’s no mystery.

Philippians 3:20 plainly tells us that HEAVEN IS THE DWELLING PLACE OF ELOHEI: His throne is there – the Angels are there – and Adonai Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Himself, is there now. THE EARLY CHURCH TAUGHT CHRISTIANS that “our citizenship is in Heaven.” And Christians are to eagerly await Adonai Yeshua Ha’Mashiach to return from there.

In Luke 23:43, Yeshua promised the thief on the cross alongside His, that he would be with Him in Paradise (Heaven) that day, as reward for recognizing Who Yeshua was, and giving homage to Him.

The Early Church, as well, as Christians like myself and my husband today, believe that heaven is closer at hand than most people perceive it to be; so close in fact, THAT AT DEATH THE SOUL EASILY AND IMMEDIATELY CROSSES FROM THIS LIFE TO THE NEXT. Effortlessly. How can that be, if heaven is billion and billions of light years away? I, personally watched my husband take his last breath December 14^th, 2018: Bob was ready to ‘go Home’ … we spoke of that occurrence for months before the actual happening. When Bob breathed out his last breath, as I watched it happen, there WAS NO DOUBT FOR EITHER OF US that Bob’s spirit had at that very moment left his physical body behind on the bed … and walked straight into a parallel world referred to as Heaven, where Bob received a Crown.

 

NO DOUBT. It is what the Scriptures tell us, it is what we believe, it is what happened that morning, at 8:05 AM.

What we are told of Heaven, what we believe about Heaven, and the REALITY OF HEAVEN AS AN ACTUAL PLACE is found IN Scripture – Old and New Covenants. We KNOW this because we have been told not only by the ancient Believers … but because Yeshua, HIMSELF TOLD US; and the Apostles taught what Yeshua taught:

Heaven is – Elohei’s (Triune God/Father, Son, Holy Spirit) dwelling place (Psalm 33:13)

Heaven is – Paradise (Luke 23:43)

Heaven is – Elohim’s (The Father’s) House (John 14:2)

Heaven is – Where Adonai Yeshua is right now (Acts 1:11)

Heaven is – Where Christians go when their physical body dies (Philippians 1:21 thru 23)

Heaven is – A City designed and built by Elohei (Hebrews 11:10)

Heaven is – A better country (Hebrews 11:16)

Heaven is also a place where the streets are paved with gold: as pure as transparent glass, the 12 gates individually made of a single pearl, the surrounding wall of green jasper, and the foundation made of overlapping precious jewels. This description is given in the Book of Revelation, chapter 21; which is the most descriptive visual of Heaven’s design. But, the Old Covenant speaks of Heaven too, in the books of Ezekiel 40 thru 48; and Zechariah 2:4-5. Truthfully, though, this is what our human minds can comprehend: Heaven WILL BE SO MUCH MORE!

Our finite minds cannot fully comprehend what Heaven will actually look like.

I don’t know who {middle platonists} were – and I don’t particularly care: {pagan delphi priests} have no basis is what I believe Heaven TO BE based on what Scripture TELLS ME, IT IS.

I believe … and Bob believed: and is NOW EXPERIENCING … what Yeshua taught about Heaven, and what the early Church understood Heaven to be.

The Early Church BELIEVED that at the time of our physical body death, our spirit would IMMEDIATELY be taken INTO THE PRESENCE OF Mashiach YESHUA IN HEAVEN: Mashiach YESHUA IS IN HEAVEN NOW, according to what HE PERSONALLY taught his followers … and what those same followers taught the Early Church Believers (Luke 23:43; Acts 1:2 & 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 1:10 & 4:16; and 2 Thessalonians 1:7).

And, on 2 different occasions, Paul spoke of our physical death as ushering us immediately into the presence of Yeshua (Philippians 1:23-24 & 2 Corinthians 5:6 thru 9; 1 John 3:2) – Who we just read, is NOW IN HEAVEN.

The early Church UNDERSTOOD Heaven to be our true ‘Home’. They never considered Earth to be our all in all. Earth, as we know it, is only a stepping stone to a better life, in a better body, for a bigger purpose.

Yes, Yeshua WILL RETURN TO EARTH … and WE WILL RECEIVE A NEW IMMORTAL PHYSICAL FORM, created specifically for us – BUT, that FACT does NOT NULLIFY HE REALITY OF HEAVEN AS AN ACTUAL PLACE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.

I realize, that some human beings … like this arrogantly ignorant {author} … is loathe to let go of their humanity. I get that; some people are. However, facts are facts. And the FACT IS THAT THE EARTH WE KNOW WILL SOMEDAY CEASE TO EXIST. That is Elohei’s Ultimate Plan.

The {author} asks, “If the only point is to save souls from the wreck of the world; so they can go to Heaven – why bother to make this world a better place?” He is MISSING THE POINT OF SCRIPTURE. And he is woefully ignorant of CHRISTIANITY AND ITS PURPOSE. (1) Humans cannot ‘save souls’ – only Yeshua can do that; humans CAN and ARE TOLD to get the message of the Gospel out to everyone they come across so that no one would be lost and adrift in sin: the rest is up to Elohei (2) The purpose of Heaven is to receive rewards for being good sons and daughters of the Most High God, and to be blessed forever with eternal life, never more to die. Ever. (3) We “bother to make our world a better place” WHILE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR HEAVENLY HOME, because we strive to be better people, and we live on Earth – therefore, we desire a desirable living space. Nothing more … nothing less. Human beings cannot “renew the world” – that is beyond our capabilities. And the renewal of this world WAS NEVER ELOHEI’S PLAN: Elohei’s Plan was always to create a NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH that will replace what is now experienced (Psalm 102:26; Hebrews 13:14; 2 Peter 3:7 thru 13; Revelation 21:1).

This time we have on Earth will never come our way again: it’s a 1-time shot to enjoy the air we breathe, the water we drink and play in, the body our spirit is housed in – the body we enjoy, and share enjoyment with when love comes into our lives to create new lives. We are given our lives as a grace to be a blessing to Elohim and to fellow humans that share this world with us. We will never relive the life we have right now, at this moment. When this life we live ends, it is finished. BUT OUR SPIRIT LIVES ON ETERNALLY, in a new body, living a new life: this life we live now will not be a continuous looping replay.

Scripture speaks of 3 Heavens: the first is the atmosphere around Earth; the second is the sun, the moon, and the stars; and the third is the presence of Elohei. Scripture also teaches that while there are 3 Heavens, sin only corrupted the first and second … the realm of Elohei remains pure and holy; therefore, it is the first and second Heavens that will be changed, and replaced.

From reading n.t. wright’s article, it is abundantly clear that he KNOWS NOTHING AT ALL about what he writes about. He is a college professor – he caters to the godless minions who want to be told they do not have to change (John 8:43; Ephesians 4:17 thru 19); while Scripture plainly SAYS CHANGE IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO FULLY LIVE (Romans 12:2). Only those who believe On Yeshua, and change their lives under the tutelage of The Ruach Ha'Kodesh will enter the gates of Heaven and enjoy the glories there.