Heaven, Our Eternal Home?

Well, I suppose it's all how you look at it. 

""I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Jesus said to the thief on the cross beside him. Luke 23:43)

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words."

It had always been my thought that upon death we are released from time and therefore none of the "contradictions" in the bible mattered. I have since changed my mind about that... in part.

Stories like "the thief on the cross" and "the rich man and Lazarus" (in Luke 16) show me (unless the rich man just "thought" he was still in time) that we go straight to heaven or hell upon death. 

To make sense of "the dead in Christ rising first..." I have to think of that as a bodily resurrection, and the other as a spirit thing. 

So now back to the question of Heaven as a home. 

I suppose with this theory (and that's all it is) you live spiritually in heaven from the time you die until the rapture. Starting with the rapture, I imagine we have our new bodies. In my calculations there will be many, many people who remain in heaven during the thousand year reign.

Rev. 20:4-6 "I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years."

I'm still not quite sure if the martyrs that reign with Christ are martyrs from all time (which is my first choice), or just from the Tribulation, or would it include all believers that would've been unwilling to "take the mark" had it been in their time (that being my last choice). Either way, these chosen to reign with Him will only be in Heaven physically for a very short time (not quite a month by my calculations), and then back down to reign for a thousand years.

...THEN...

After the great deception (Rev 20:7-10) the old earth and sky pass away and it's Judgment Day. (dum-dum-dum duuum).

After that... the new heaven and new earth are revealed, and the New Jerusalem comes down from Heaven.

This is where my question's "rubber" of Heaven as our Eternal home hits the "pavement".

Do you think that the New Jerusalem is Heaven? Or are they separate?

The description of the new Jerusalem is that it's 12,000 "stadia" in length wide and height. (That's about 1400 miles, meaning it would hide the entire Middle East, and would be over 4000 times as tall as the tallest building on Earth now.)  It's streets are paved in the purest, nearly transparent, gold, and it has twelve gates each made of a single pearl. The throne of God will be in the city and the river of life will flow from it.

The question then becomes that if the New Jerusalem and Heaven are one in the same... or at least part of each other, will we live there? 

You could use the John 14:2-3 quote to say "yes, we will" ("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.")

But you could also say that that is just about heaven now (in the interim phase). We may live in our "room" for a time, possibly before the new heaven and new earth, then we may go on with our own new life. 

Surely we will "serve" Him in the new city.

Rev. 22:3-5 "No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."

So what do you think? Will we ever really live eternally in Heaven?

Just a note on the Pope

I'm sure you may have heard already about the sexual abuse cover-up scandal rocking the Catholic world. (Here's one link if you haven't)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/28/pope-sex-abuse-scandal-in_n_516257.html

Many, many eschatologists would have you believe that the Catholic church is the "false church", or the "one world religion" that will take over in these last days. Some would say that is has taken over enough to warrant that title already, and some may be jumping to the conclusion that this recent news only proves that this is the apostate pope people are waiting for to declare the Catholic church "bad".

That's all BS.  Satan may have a little smoke and mirrors trick going on... "Look over here, look over here," but Islam is the religion to watch. 

Soon enough, there will be proof if you're not convinced already.

The Conquerer on a White Horse

I've already talked about how Muslims are waiting for the Mahdi who will come riding on a white horse. This is mentioned in Revelation 6:1-2 "I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, 'Come!' I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest."

Today I'm writing this more for amusement than because I really think there's something to this, but it is amusing, so I'll share...

Maybe you already know that Muhammad's horse's name was Burak. I never knew that,  but it is said that he went to heaven on his horse (usually portrayed as a winged horse, but a white horse none-the-less.) This is said to have happened at the temple mount in Jerusalem. For the Muslims the Western Wall is the "Al-Buraq Wall," (part of the Al Aqsa Mosque) and served as a tying post for Muhammad's horse.

In the Koran "The Day of Burak" is mentioned

"It is the Day of Rising, and the Day of Anguish and Repentance.
This is the Day of Burak!
This is the of Reckoning and Recompense.
This is the Day of Parting;
This is the Day of Encounter!"

(The story says that he will be given a crown and will ride Burak and will go to Heaven, and that a cry will be heard...)

"Raise your head, Rider of the Winged-Horse, as it is the Day of Reckoning and of Recompense. Raise your head and ask, and it will be given!"

"Your Lord shall give you, and you will be satisfied." (Koran 93,5) 

The name Burak also translated Barak, Barack, and Barric means "lightening or blessing". In the US, we are definitely living in the "day of Barack", and I have no doubt that he is helping to usher in the appearance of the Mahdi (Anti-Christ), "like lightning that flashes from the west to the east".

Wouldn't that be amusing if that turned out to be what was meant by "riding on the white horse". 

Again, I'm not saying this cause I believe it without a doubt... I'm just amused by the coincidence.

"The Last Trump"

1 Corinthians 15:51-58 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

What is the "Last trumpet". We've talked about trumpets before with Rosh Hashanah. You can go back and look it up. The feast of Trumpets is a two day feast at the new moon usually in September. It's "announced" with shofar (ram's horn) blasts. The 100th blast is called the "last trump".

I'm not sure if Isaiah 18 :3 is talking about this one, but it says all the people of the world will hear the trumpet.

Matthew 24:29-31 says "Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 'At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other."

1 Thess 4:15-18  "According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words."

So even for (silly) people who don't believe that Rosh Hashanah is the "date" of the rapture, there will be all kinds of signs... and possibly 99 other loud trumpet blasts before we are "caught up".

The fun thing in these verses to me is seeing that it is at that time that we are made "immortal". The reason I like that is because a month later we're coming back down, following Jesus on horse back for the battle of Armageddon. (Rev. 19:14 "The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.") 

He will loose NO ONE in battle. We will be imperishable! The armies of the beast do not stand a chance. 

Can you imagine an army of saints that have been perfected? How cool is that?

Manna-fest show

Just a quicky..

I Went to the Perry Stone site, as recommended by one of the blog readers.

The episode that's on his page today is about the 153 fish in the net. (John 21)

He had some very interesting things to say. (I think I like him.;-).)

Basically the 153 fish represent the 153 nations that will be in the world at the end of time (before the millennium). (There are more now, but we know from prophesy that 3 nations from the middle east will come together and then of course there will be the ten nation beast empire.) Any body know how many there are now?

The other things I learned from his talk was that the Hebrew people don't eat cat fish cause it's not Kosher. They have a skin on them that doesn't let them release the toxins like fish with gills can. So that's why there was a separating of the good and "bad" fish.

Even in that there is a big message.

But in addition to that message, the type of net used in the story has significance too.  It was a large net that required many men to pull it in. If they didn't work in harmony to pull it in, It wouldn't work right. Perry talked about the church body working together, and how when we are not harmonious, we loose "fish".

The Mahdi

So, who is this Mahdi person?

The Mahdi is the Islamic version of the Messiah. 

What are the prophecies concerning him?

He will be a descendant of Muhammad. 

He will be a devout Muslim, a caliph even.

He will be the greatest spiritual, political, and military world leader ever, and establish a new world order.

He will emerge after a period of great turmoil and suffering upon the earth. 

He will rule with peace.

All who oppose him will be dealt with.

He will uphold/make a seven year peace treaty with a Jew of priestly lineage.

Islam will be the only tolerated religion on earth, and he (with his helper "Jesus") will enforce this.

He will appear (symbolically) riding a white horse.

He will discover biblical manuscripts that he use to convert Jews to Islam.

He will rediscover the Ark of the Covenant and help bring it to Jerusalem.

He will have power from Allah over the weather and the earth.

He will have enormous wealth and will distribute it to many.

He will be loved by all.

OK, so that's what Islamic prophecies say.  Do you see any similarities to the Christian Anti-Christ?  Um yeah.

Revelation 6:2 "I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

Daniel 9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. "

Daniel 11:39-43 "He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. ...Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand.  He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission."

I'm sure there are more, but again, I'm running short on time.

In Daniel 7 it talks about a king that will first gain control over three kingdoms, then a ten-nation "beast" empire.

In Revelation 13 it talks about the Anti-Christ's power to make war and overcome... Then it goes on to say that there is another beast that  (vs 11)"had two horns like a lamb (Islamic "Jesus"), but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

The Muslim's not only believe that our Anti-Christ is their savior (the Mahdi), (though they don't see it that way,) they also believe that our "false prophet" is Jesus. He will say he is Jesus, and there will be Christians who believe him. But he will serve the Mahdi, and Allah. 

"The Islamic Anti-Christ" by Joel Richardson

Well, I just finished reading Joel's book. A MUST read for anyone interested in these things.
Not only has my personal time line been shaken, but I now feel like I have solid ground to stand on in my claims about the Anti-Christ being from Islam.
Before I get into the book, let me just explain how my time line has been shaken.
If you have read my past posts you'll know that I am expecting something to happen around 2014 - 2015 based on the tetrad of eclipses that are prophesied about in Revelation.  In a past post I said something along the lines of, "What's left to happen but the rapture and return of Christ?"
I now have the "what's left" question answered. 
I had not studied Islamic eschatology ever before. I didn't know what they thought about end times. Now I know, and it has far greater implications than I imagined.
This may take a few posts...

Since 9/11 the number of American converts to Islam has quadrupled. Within 20 years (maybe 10 or less) Islam will be the largest religion in the world.
The Islamic empire that will rise is the resurrected Ottoman empire. We can watch Turkey and Syria and Iran to see this unfold sometime in the near future.

Along with the rise in natural disasters, the fall of money will set a perfect stage for a "savior". 
Christians know that whoever says "There is the Christ," not to believe him.
Matthew 24:23-27 At that time if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ!" or "There he is!" do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible. See I have told you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."
But the world will be looking for the savior. Christians are waiting on the return of Christ. Muslims are waiting on the Mahdi and their version of Jesus to come.

Anyway, imagine it... the Christian world is waiting on the rapture.  But earthquakes etc. are running rampant, they start to doubt (and rightfully so) their pre-trib rapture theology.  Then a messiah appears on the scene doing miracles and bringing peace all over the world. "I guess we were wrong," they say, "Jesus has returned, and we were not raptured. Oh well, party on. There's world peace and that's good enough for me."
But this Jesus is the Islamic Jesus (who Muslims believe will come at the end and rule along with the Mahdi. Jesus will play 'second fiddle' to the Mahdi.) The whole world (minus the "elect") will follow him. It will only be when his true nature is revealed that "all in Judea will flee to the mountains" (Matt.24:16), and the real 3 1/2 year tribulation begins.
It just blew my mind to think that Satan (planning this whole thing since Mohammad's days) would use our own calculations and Biblical predictions, to trick us.  He is indeed the father of lies.