“ON
EAGLES’ WINGS MINISTRIES”
“See how I bare you on
eagles’ wings and brought you unto myself.” Exodus 19: 4.
Royce O. Kennedy, 909 Whistling Duck Drive, Largo, MD 20774, U.S.A
Website:
www.godfire.net/kennedy
Email: Rkenn909@hotmail.com
“JOHN’S VISION OF HEAVEN” Part 1, February 2019.
For this study, I wish to use this term: “John’s vision of heaven, OR IS IT?” We will address the subject of heaven from scriptures that directly support and define the true meaning of the word. Our emphasis will be centered around John’s vision of what the great majority of Christians deem to be heaven as outlined in Revelation 21: 1-3. The word “heaven” for the greater percentage of Christians continues to be highlighted across the vast realm of Christendom as the place where people go to be with Jesus as soon as they die.
As practiced in many local Assemblies, during testimony time mainly during the Sunday evening service, one by one the saints end their testimony by saying: “pray for my strength in the Lord to be faithful to the end, for I mean to make heaven my home.” Even the un-churched person on the street, entertains and subscribes to the concept of going to heaven after death. I grew up in a Baptist environment and got saved in what was called “Church of God” and became a preacher among those who looked forward to going to heaven. Watching the eastern skies was a constant mantra to the wise, making ready for the trip on high.
Since then, or in recent years, my understanding of heaven gradually changed based upon what the Lord spoke to my heart in London about the year 1966. He told me to read the bible slowly, and to watch every word in the text, because words have meanings, and taken out of context can divert from the truth. Since then I have based my study and my writings solely upon what the bible said, and not upon the usual doctrinal frame work of the local Assembly. Think of the common ideas contained in songs and even in sermons by leading ministers of the gospel. We are familiar with the Negro-Spirituals that espouse the idea that “I have robe, you have robe, when I get to heaven am gonna put on my robe and walk all over God’s heaven.” One of our favorite from back home is: “I’m gonna walk on streets of glory, bye and bye (repeat) I’m gonna walk on streets of glory, I’m gonna sing redemption story, I’m gonna walk on streets of glory by and by.”
Another popular song that brings back fond memories of my teenage years in church is this: “We shall have a grand time up in heaven: we shall have a grand time up in heaven, have a grand time; walking with the angels, singing hallelujah, we shall have a grand time up in heaven, have a grand time.” I have a mansion, just over the hilltop—Lord build me just a cabin in the corner of glory land.” We sing these songs, get so happy that while some faces are awash with tears, others break into a dance—all about heaven! But what does the scripture say about these beliefs about heaven?
Many months ago, I placed a challenge on Face Book for any one who can find in the bible where Jesus, upon his return to earth, took his people back with him to heaven, to please send the scriptures, so I can read them for myself. NO ONE DID, because there is no such scripture or scriptures. The best approach I can think of in this study, is for us to go all the way back in time to the creation story, to assure ourselves of God’s personal account of what HE called heaven. The idea is not for us to discount the reality of heaven as outlined in scripture; but rather to acquire a true understanding of the subject as verified and substantiated in scripture.
Let us assume that there are a thousand different groups with each one teaching their own version of heaven, it stands to reason that all thousand groups cannot be correct: so, the best approach for us to ascertain the “biblical truth” is for us to do a biblical safari. Let us go back to the act of creation and see how God named the newly created universe. “And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament HEAVEN. And the evening and the morning were the second day.” Genesis 1:7, 8. Because Paul mentioned being caught up to the third heaven, many have set about to set them in this chronological order. They say, the first heaven is the atmospheric heaven outside our bedroom window. The second is the starry heaven where we see the sun, moon, and stars; and the third, is the angelic heaven where God dwells. That sort of explain the three heavens, but it said that the Jews believe in seven heavens. However, the bible gives us a much bigger figure in the number of heavens that we need to consider, so as to put the matter in its proper context.
Give this scripture your sincere thought as to the truth it contains. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33: 6, 9. The heavens are so numerous the writer did even bother to put a figure to his account. In my short study of the subject of going to heaven after death, it seems to me that on Old Testament times, that concept was not embraced or even considered by the ancients. Let us see what happened at death, or after death back in olden times. We can examine the passing of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, and even those who perished in the flood of Noah’s day. Let us examine the accounts of those who died or were exhorted by the Lord as to their ultimate end of life.
The purpose here, is to confirm the fact that people in those ancient times did not see “going to heaven” as their ultimate reward and their final destination. Let us begin with Abraham. After affirming the destiny of his seeds that would end up in Egyptian Bondage, we read: “And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.” Genesis 15: 15. “Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man full of years; and was gathered to his people.” Gen.25:8. Next in line is Isaac. “And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days.” Genesis 35: 29. Once again, we emphasize the fact that going to heaven after death did not figure into the equation, and seemingly, was not a part of the mindset of people back in ancient times.
There are two major take-aways from the accounts referred to above, that do not require a lot of research or deliberations. The first reality that is self-evident, is that the person who dies did not come to an end or cease to exist, and the second is that the departed fathers have not gone away as if in thin air or in a mist. Both the newly dead person and the long deceased loved ones remain in “real time” no matter what side of the equation they occupy—be it present time, or on the other side in the realm of spirit. But when we add this truth, it is not surprising: “For all live unto him.” Luke 20:38. Having said that, let us for a moment stand as mere spectators, viewing the inner workings of the Divine between two worlds. On one side of the equation is a world lying as it were, a vast waste land. On the other, is a family of eight setting out to begin the replenishing of the earth (starting from scratch.)
What do we see when we look at “Mother Earth?” “And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beasts, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land DIED.” Genesis 7: 21, 22. As a bible teacher, an elder in the local church, or simply a Christian, how would you connect both the old “destroyed world” with the world of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Is there a message of redemption that directly relates to the dead? Does God hold out any hope for those who died in the flood because they ignored and bluntly rejected the preaching of Noah?
I do not profess to hear and understand every sermon preached on this subject; so, I will ask you if somewhere along the way, over the years, you have heard bible studies and sermons directly involving these “lost souls.” From my days in Sunday school, I used to hear preachers say that there is no repentance in the grave: where the tree falls, there will it remain until judgment takes its course. For the most part, it has been greatly overlooked or willfully ignored, and to venture into the realm of the dead, to make any contact with the dead, is called “taboo” by the church. But when we understand this profound truth that is substantiated and under girded by biblical truth, we are compelled to recalibrate our mindset
Peter opened to us a brand-new doctrine (though not new at all) that completes God’s saving grace as it reaches through the land of the living and the dead. We are taken back in time by Peter: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God (that is mankind in general) being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison: which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was a preparing. For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit.” 1st Peter 3:18-20; 4:6. Let us see how death and its aftermath was treated back in olden times. We will begin with Abraham. God spoke to this man in clear and distinct language, pertaining to his seed that would end up in four hundred years of Egyptian bondage. But among those prophetic details, God delivered a personal message to Abraham.
“And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.” Genesis 15: 15. Here is the fulfillment of that prophecy! Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man; and was gathered to his people.” Genesis 25: 8. The narrative now shifts to Isaac. “And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.” Genesis 35: 29. We move down the chain of the family tree to Jacob. “And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.” Genesis 49: 33.
The biblical narrative moves down the corridor of time to David the king of Israel. “So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.” 1st Kings 2:10. And what about Solomon, David’s son? “And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father.” 2nd Chronicles 9:31. Throughout the archives of biblical narratives, the idea of going to heaven after death does not figure into the equation. In every case the person who dies, is gathered unto his people. In fact, even today, people who have had “near death experience” tell of meeting their loved ones with whom they had conversation and was told that they had to return to earth and resume their normal life. Jesus spoke a parable that we can highlight at this juncture, in our quest for a better understanding to this subject.
The Lord said in a parable: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall be gathered all nations before him: and he shall separate them one from another. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matthew 25:31-34. Thus far, death among the people of old did not seem to culminate in a trip to heaven. The subject of heaven is not mentioned or alluded to in any of these Old Testament “real life stories.”. The overwhelming theme is that the departed soul would be gathered unto “his people, or his fathers”. I have heard it said that during the days of slavery, the slaves were promised heaven as their reward for being obedient and hard workers. Heaven became an incentive for these poor slaves. I try not to be negative in my observations of the Christian landscape; l but here is my personal observation.
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Royce O. Kennedy
Royce Kennedy
909 Whistling Duck Drive
Upper Marlboro, MD 20774-7134
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