Heaven. The difference between what most people think of heaven and what the Bible says about it

Just like in many modern languages the word heaven has a number of meanings in Hebrew and in Greek.

The word heaven is often used for what people see when they look up: the blue sky, the clouds, the birds which fly in the sky, etcetera.

The word heaven is also used for the universe: the space in which our earth moves and the sun, the moon, the stars, all heavenly bodies and all solar systems.

In the Bible the word heaven is often used with a third meaning: the dwelling place of God, God’s Son and the angels.

On this website it was stated before that it is not in accordance with what the Bible teaches to think that human souls are immortal. Neither is it in accordance with the Bible to think that human souls go to heaven after their death.

The Bible clearly teaches that so far only one person has ascended from earth and gone to heaven and that is Jesus Christ, who arrived in heaven after His ascension in the year 33 A.D.

This means that, with the exception of Jesus, there are no people in heaven who have ever lived on our earth.

When Jesus was on earth He said very clearly that no human being had ever ascended to heaven.

The Hebrew Scriptures occasionally refer to the possibility of a resurrection of the dead, but there is not any text in the Hebrew Scriptures that refers to the possibility of human souls to go to heaven.

The Greek Scriptures too demonstrate clearly that Jesus Christ has been the first and the only human being who, after an existence on earth, continued his life in heaven and lives in heaven up to the present day.

It is true that during His life on earth Jesus clearly stated that His ransom sacrifice would make it possible for a limited number of people, a little flock, to follow Him to heaven. When Jesus told His disciples that there was this possibility of going to heaven for a small number of people they obviously did not understand Him. Only in the years that followed the pouring out of the holy spirit on Pentecost of the year 33 did it become clear for the followers of Jesus that a limited number of people after their resurrection from the dead will not get a body of flesh and blood, but a spiritual body. An immaterial body that can follow Christ into heaven.

The resurrected persons that will follow Jesus into heaven are the 144,000 people mentioned in Revelation 14:1-6. After the establishment of God’s Kingdom at the end of human history they will rule the earth from heaven as lower-priests and lower-kings. These are the 144,000 people who have been specially called and chosen by JHWH. People who, during their life on earth, have demonstrated that they are worthy of following Christ into heaven and become citizens of heaven, together with JHWH and His Son. These people have died in complete union with Christ and therefore they are heirs to an eternal life in heaven, together with Him

Together with JHWH and The Lamb these 144,000 people form the new heaven mentioned in Revelation. The new earth will be formed by the millions of people who will be resurrected from the dead with the prospect of an eternal life on earth. These are the subjects of the government which is in heaven.

Mind: the Bible leaves no doubt about it that none of the 144,000 eventual co-rulers in heaven have already been resurrected and admitted there. All the people who have ever died on our earth, from the worst ones to be best ones, “sleep” in death. They are not aware of anything and cannot influence living people or their circumstances in any way. Only at the end of our human history which is now evolving will JHWH and The Lamb establish God’s Kingdom. And only after this Kingdom has been realized will people be resurrected from the dead: the large “herd” for a life on earth, the little “herd” for a life in heaven.