Prayer A to Z

Heaven Is Boundless And Eternal

Posted on June 11, 2024 by Stephen Nielsen

I have been writing a book on heaven and also blogging on it. These first few blogs are on a general description of heaven. This is my third post having to do with heaven being boundless and eternal.

Yes, heaven is beyond our universe—beyond the stars; that is, beyond the second heaven to the third heaven. Hence, it is far beyond our telescopes to a place unimaginable, incomprehensible.

This place is never ending and will never pass away. The Psalmist said of it, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever…” (Ps. 45:6).

Daniel said of it, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:14).

In Luke’s gospel, speaking of God’s Son who is enthroned with His Father, it was said,

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Lu. 1:32-34).

Now, speaking of being incomprehensible, we really need to look at Isaiah 57:15 (in the KJV).

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

That term “inhabiteth eternity,” deserves further attention. I like what Barnes in Barnes’ Notes says of it.

The word ‘eternity’ here evidently stands in contrast with the ‘contrite and humble spirit;’ and it seems to be used to denote the elevated place of an eternal dwelling or heaven. He dwells not only among human beings, but he dwells in eternity-where time is unknown-in a world where succession is not marked-and long before the interminable duration was broken in upon by the revolutions of years and days.2

In this verse, I think the phrase “high and holy place” (in the NASV) may be a bit deceiving to us. I think this place, the third heaven, is more than just a “faraway place” in terms of distance and time. I rather think we are talking about being in a different dimension and realm. It is a place fit only for those who have transformed bodies, untarnished by sin. It is a real place, yet vastly different. It is a place where God allowed Paul to be, but we must believe that God shielded heaven from any sinful corruption from Paul’s untransformed body.

Posted in heaven | Tagged boundless, eternal, eternal life, in another dimension, the third heaven, unimaginable | Leave a comment

Jealous Evil Men

Posted on June 10, 2024 by Stephen Nielsen

May God Send His Angel

Posted in Reblogs | Tagged Daniel, evil | Leave a comment

Heaven is God’s Kingdom and Throne

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Stephen Nielsen

Here is my second post—out of eight—on a description of the third heaven.

Notice, we are not saying that God’s kingdom and throne are in heaven; rather, that heaven is His kingdom and heaven is His throne. Yes, all of heaven is God’s kingdom, and He rules from heaven in His sovereignty and on His throne over all.

In several verses in Matthew’s gospel Jesus talked about heaven as the “kingdom of heaven.” In Matthew 4:17, Jesus, when He began to preach, He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Again, in Matthew 5:3, He said, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

As for God’s throne, it says in Isaiah 66:1, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.’” Quite a vivid scene wouldn’t you say? Just as heaven is boundless and eternal, so is His kingdom and His throne.

But though His throne encompasses all of heaven, it seems also that He may choose any specific place to demonstrate and pronounce His sovereignty. This is shone to us in Revelation 4 and 5, where John saw into heaven marvelous things concerning heaven’s throne room and the worship that went on there. Some may say that this scene is only symbolic in order to teach us about heaven. Yet, there is no reason to think that God may not choose to place any number of these real worship events at any time and place throughout heaven. Why not?

Now the most important part is regarding who may enter the kingdom of heaven? We will look at a few verses to get the answer. In Revelation 3:21, it tells us clearly, “He who overcomes, I will grant to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Wow! Not only will we be invited into His kingdom, we also will be granted the opportunity to reign with Him if we are overcomers. What does that mean? Here are some verses in Matthew’s gospel to answer that question.

In Matthew 5:20 we are told that we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven unless our righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees—which means that we must not be hypocrites as they were, but to be genuine in our faith.

Again, in Matthew 7:21, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” Here Jesus, similarly, tells us that our religious words (‘Lord, Lord’) will not give us entrance into His kingdom; rather, we must demonstrate that we are true believers by doing His will.

Jesus also tells us that there are levels (or ranks) in His kingdom. In Matthew 5:19 He said (in the NLT), “So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Therefore, I take this to mean that in our life now, how we regard and practice His word will make a difference in how we are ranked in heaven—whether we are of the least in heaven or the greatest.

And Jesus, in another illustration (from Matthew 18:1-5) teaches us that the greatest is the one who humbles himself as a child. Hence, those who are humble now will be greatest in heaven.

Posted in heaven | Tagged God, God's Kingdom, God's throne, Jesus Christ | Leave a comment

Heaven Is Where God Dwells

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Stephen Nielsen

I have for a couple months now been writing a book on heaven. And I have been intending to blog on it as I go along. Well, I think I am ready to start. The first few posts will be on a general view or description of heaven in its present form—and I suppose what it has been like for eternity past. This first post, as the title indicates, describes heaven as the place where God dwells.

Certainly, God is everywhere since He is omnipresent. As David declares in Psalm 139:7-10,

Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the dawn,

If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand will lead me,

And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

Then, I’m sure you have heard that there are three levels of heaven: the atmospheric heaven—the sky around the earth; the second heaven, the planetary heaven, or we could call it the universe; and, the third heaven, which is a place that is boundless and eternal—like God Himself. The other two heavens will pass away, but this heaven is eternal and will never change.

So, in these three heavens God is present. But in the third heaven His presence is unique. It is a special presence of His dwelling. I like what John MacArthur said about it.

[The third heaven] is uniquely His home, His center of operations, His command post. It is the place where His throne resides. And it is where the most perfect worship of Him occurs. It is in that sense that we say heaven is His dwelling-place.[1]

But why else is this place unique? Why is it uniquely His home? Well, it fits Him. It is boundless, infinite and eternal like Him. And it is a holy place—where there is no sin or corruption found. It is not allowed. And it is a place where also His holy angels dwell, and all the saints who have died in the Lord.

Here are some Old Testament verses that back up our claim that the third heaven is God’s dwelling place.

Deuteronomy 26:15

‘Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the ground which You have given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers.’

2 Chronicles 30:27

Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.

Isaiah 57:15

For thus says the high and exalted One

Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,

“I dwell on a high and holy place…

We should also look at some New Testament passages. Altogether, the term “Father in heaven” is used in Matthew’s gospel seven times. And this certainly indicates His home or dwelling place.

I especially like the passage in John 14:2-3.

John 14:2-3

In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

Here Jesus refers to heaven as His Father’s house. I’m not sure if He is meaning that all of heaven is His house, or just the New Jerusalem—the capitol city of heaven referred to in Revelation. I think both are meant. We also see here that Jesus is welcoming all believers to come and dwell with Him in His house. And He will actually prepare for us our own room, or dwelling place. Hence, we will dwell in our own place inside of His dwelling place of heaven. Yes, He will give us our own private place, but we will also share in His dwelling place—or all of heaven together with the saints and the angels.

[1] John MacArthur, The Glory of Heaven (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1996), p. 56.