As in
previous studies, we will look at definitions,
scriptures, lexical, and commentary evidence
and confessional support for the purpose to
glorify God in how we live. This study is a
continuation of a previous study on heaven.
Definitions:
Heaven: Primarily, “the
essential and immediate dwelling place of God
and the eternal home of His people;” also “the
place where God most fully makes known his
presence to bless.” *
Heaven: is the dwelling place
of God and for those who go there a place of
everlasting bliss. Scripture implies three
heavens, since “the third heaven” is revealed
to exist (2 Corinthians 12:2). It is logical
that a third heaven cannot exist without a
first and second. Scripture does not describe
specifically the first and second heaven. The
first, however, apparently refers to the
atmospheric heavens of the fowl (Hosea 2:18)
and clouds (Daniel 7:13). The second heaven
may be the area of the stars and planets
(Genesis 1:14-18). It is the abode of all
supernatural angelic beings. The third heaven
is the abode of the triune God. Its location
is unrevealed. (See Matthew 23:34-37; Luke
10:20; and Revelation 22:2; Rev 22:20-21). **
From the Scriptures
on heaven:
“So then
after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was
received up into heaven, and sat on the right
hand of God.” (Mark 16:19)
“In my
Father's house are many mansions: if it were
not so,
I would have told you. I go to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye
may be also.” (John 14:2-3)
“And when
he had spoken these things, while they beheld,
he was taken up; and a cloud received him out
of their sight. And while they looked
stedfastly toward heaven as he went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white
apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee,
why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same
Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen
him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)
From the Pulpit
Commentary on Acts 1:11:
“Verse 11.
- Looking for gazing up, A.V.; this for this
same, A.V.; was received for is taken, A.V.;
beheld him going for have seen him go, A.V. In
like manner; i.e. in a cloud. The description
of our Lord's second advent constantly makes
mention of clouds. “Behold, he cometh with
clouds” (Revelation 1:7). “One like the Son of
man came with the clouds of heaven” (Daniel
7:13; and so Matthew 26:64; Luke 21:27, etc.).
We are reminded of the grand imagery of Psalm
104:3, “Who maketh the clouds his chariot, who
walketh upon the wings of the wind.” It may be
remarked that the above is by far the fullest
account we have of the ascension of our Lord.
St. Luke appears to have learnt some further
particulars concerning it in the interval
between writing his Gospel (Luke 24:50-52) and
writing the Acts. But allusions to the
Ascension are frequent (Mark 16:19; John 6:62;
John 20:17; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 4:8, 9;
Philippians 2:9; Colossians 3:1; 1 Timothy
3:16; 1 Peter 3:22, etc.). With reference to
Zeller's assertion, that in St. Luke's Gospel
the Ascension is represented as taking place
on the day of the Resurrection, it may freely
be admitted that the narrative in the Gospel
does not mark distinctly the interval of time
between the different appearances and
discourses of our Lord from the day of the
Resurrection to that of the Ascension. It
seems to group them according to their logical
connection rather than according to their
chronological sequence, and to be a general
account of what Jesus said between the
Resurrection and the Ascension. But there is
nothing whatever in the text of St. Luke to
indicate that what is related in the section
Luke 24:44-49 took place at the same time as
the things related in the preceding verses.
And when we compare with that section what is
contained in Acts 1:4, 5, it becomes clear
that it did not. Because the words “assembling
together with them,” in ver. 4, clearly
indicate a different occasion from the
apparitions on the day of the Resurrection;
and as the words in Luke 24:44-49 correspond
with those in Acts 1:4, 5, it must have been
also on a different occasion that they were
spoken. Again, the narrative of St. John, both
in the twentieth and the twenty-first
chapters, as well as that of Matthew 28:10,
16; Mark 16:7, precludes the possibility of
the Ascension having taken place, or having
been thought to have taken place, on the day
of the Resurrection, or for many days after,
so that to force a meaning upon the last
chapter of St. Luke's Gospel which it does not
necessarily bear, and which places it at
variance with St. Luke's own account in the
Acts (Acts 1:3; 13:31), and with the Church
traditions as preserved by St. Matthew, St.
Mark and St. John, is a violent and willful
transaction.” (1)
Additional Scriptures
on heaven:
“But he,
full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and
saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at
the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55ESV)
“For we
know that if our earthly house of this
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building
of God, and house not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens.” (2Corinthians 5:1)
“For he
looked for a city which hath foundations,
whose builder and maker is
God.” (Hebrews 11:10)
“But now
they desire a better country,
that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God: for he hath
prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:16)
“And I John
saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down
from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2)
From Gill's
Exposition of the Entire Bible on
Revelation 21:2:
“And I John
saw the holy city... The same with the beloved
city in Revelation 20:9 the church of God:
sometimes the church militant is called a
city, of which the saints are now fellow
citizens, governed by wholesome laws, and
enjoying many privileges; but here the general
assembly and church of the firstborn, or all
the elect of God, are intended, the whole body
and society of them, being as a city, compact
together; called holy, not only because set
apart to holiness by God the Father, and their
sins expiated by the blood of Christ, or
because he is made sanctification to them, or
because internally sanctified by the Spirit of
God, which now is but in part; but because
they will be perfectly holy in themselves,
without the being of sin in them, or any spot
of it on them: and John, for the more strong
ascertaining the truth of this vision,
expresses his name, who saw it, to whom God
sent his angel, and signified to him by these
Apocalyptic visions what should be hereafter;
though the name is left out in the Alexandrian
copy, and in the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic
versions:
new
Jerusalem; the church of God, both in the Old
and New Testament, is often called Jerusalem,
to which its name, which signifies the vision
of peace, agrees; it was the city of the great
King, whither the tribes went up to worship;
it was a free city, and a fortified one: the
Gospel church state in its imperfection is
called the heavenly Jerusalem, and the
Jerusalem above, which is free, and the mother
of all; and here the church in its perfect
state is called the new Jerusalem, where will
be complete peace and prosperity; and which is
called new, because it has its seat in the new
heaven and new earth: the inhabitants of which
will appear in their new and shining robes of
immortality and glory; and to distinguish it
from the old Jerusalem, and even from the
former state of the church; for this will be
“the third time” that Jerusalem will be built,
as say the Jews, namely, in the time of the
King Messiah:
coming down
from God out of heaven; which designs not the
spiritual and heavenly original of the saints,
being born from above, on which account the
church is called the heavenly Jerusalem; but a
local descent of all the saints with Christ
from the third heaven into the air, where they
will be met by living saints; and their bodies
being raised and united to their souls, they
will reign with Christ in the new earth: and
this is
the
building which the Jews say God will prepare
for the Jerusalem which is above, “to descend
into:”
prepared as
a bride adorned for her husband; Christ is the
husband, or bridegroom, and the church is his
spouse, and bride; and in these characters
they will both appear at this time, when the
marriage between them will be consummated: and
the church may be said to be prepared as such,
when all the elect of God are gathered in, the
number of the saints is perfected; when the
good work of grace is finished in them all,
and they are all arrayed in the righteousness
of Christ: and to be "adorned", when not only
they are clothed with the robe of
righteousness, and garments of salvation, and
are beautified with the graces of the Spirit,
but also with the bright robes of immortality
and glory. The phrase is Jewish, and is to be
read exactly as here in the book of Zohar
(t).” (2)
Digging deeper from Vine's
Expository Dictionary of Old Testament
Words Heaven:
Shâmayim (שָׁמֶה,
Strong's #8064), “heavens; heaven; sky.” This
general Semitic word appears in languages such
as Ugaritic, Akkadian, Aramaic, and Arabic. It
occurs 420 times and in all periods of
biblical Hebrew.
First, shâmayim
is the usual Hebrew word for the “sky” and the
“realm of the sky.” This realm is where birds
fly. God forbids Israel to make any “likeness
of any winged fowl that flieth in the air”
(Deut. 4:17). When Absalom’s hair caught in
the branches of a tree, he hung suspended
between the “heaven” and the earth (2 Sam.
18:9). This area, high above the ground but
below the stars and heavenly bodies, is often
the locus of visions: “And David lifted up his
eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand
between the earth and the heaven, having a
drawn sword in his hand stretched out over
Jerusalem” (1Chron. 21:16).
Second,
this word represents an area farther removed
from the earth’s surface. From this area come
such things as frost (Job 38:29), snow (Isa.
55:10), fire (Gen. 19:24), dust (Deut. 28:24),
hail (Josh. 10:11), and rain: “The fountains
also of the deep and the windows of heaven
were stopped, and the rain from heaven was
restrained” (Gen. 8:2). This realm is God’s
storehouse; God is the dispenser of the stores
and Lord of the realm (Deut. 28:12). This
meaning of shâmayim
occurs in Gen. 1:7-8: “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.”
Third, shâmayim
also represents the realm in which the sun,
moon, and stars are located: “And God said,
Let there be lights in the firmament of the
heaven to divide the day from the night …”
(Gen. 1:14). This imagery is often repeated in
the Creation account and in poetical passages.
Thus the “heavens” can be stretched out like a
curtain (Ps. 104:2) or rolled up as a scroll
(Isa. 34:4).
Fourth, the
phrase “heaven and earth” may denote the
entire creation. This use of the word appears
in Gen. 1:1: “In the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth.”
Fifth,
“heaven” is the dwelling place of God: “He
that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the
Lord shall have them in derision” (Ps. 2:4;
cf. Deut. 4:39). Again, note Deut. 26:15:
“Look down from thy holy habitation, from
heaven, and bless thy people Israel…” Another
expression representing the dwelling place of
God is “the highest heaven [literally, the
heaven of heavens].” This does not indicate
height, but an absolute—i.e., God’s abode is a
unique realm not to be identified with the
physical creation: “Behold the heaven and the
heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the
earth also, with all that therein is” (Deut.
10:14). (3)
How do we get to
heaven?
Belgic Confession,
Article 26: The Intercession of Christ
Article 26: The
Intercession of Christ
We believe
that we have no access to God except through
the one and only Mediator and Intercessor,
“Jesus Christ the righteous,”[63] who
therefore was made human, uniting together the
divine and human natures, so that we human
beings might have access to the divine
Majesty. Otherwise, we would have no access.
But this Mediator, whom the Father has
appointed between himself and us, ought not
terrify us by his greatness, so that we have
to look for another one, according to our
fancy. For neither in heaven nor among the
creatures on earth is there anyone who loves
us more than Jesus Christ does. Although he
was “in the form of God,” Christ nevertheless
“emptied himself,” taking “human form” and
“the form of a slave” for us; [64] and he made
himself “like his brothers and sisters in
every respect.”[65] Suppose we had to find
another intercessor. Who would love us more
than he who gave his life for us, even though
“we were his enemies”? [66] And suppose we had
to find one who has prestige and power. Who
has as much of these as he who is seated at
the right hand of the Father, [67] and who has
“all authority in heaven and on earth”? [68]
And who will be heard more readily than God's
own dearly beloved Son? So, the practice of
honoring the saints as intercessors in fact
dishonors them because of its misplaced faith.
That was something the saints never did nor
asked for, but which in keeping with their
duty, as appears from their writings, they
consistently refused.
We should
not plead here that we are unworthy—for it is
not a question of offering our prayers on the
basis of our own dignity but only on the basis
of the excellence and dignity of Jesus Christ,
whose righteousness is ours by faith. Since
the apostle for good reason wants us to get
rid of this foolish fear—or rather, this
unbelief—he says to us that Jesus Christ was
made like “his brothers and sisters in every
respect, that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest” to purify the sins of
the people. [69] For since he suffered, being
tempted, he is also able to help those who are
tempted. [70]
And
further, to encourage us more to approach him
he says, “Since, then, we have a great high
priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our
confession. For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses, but we have one who in every
respect has been tempted, as we are, yet
without sin. Let us therefore approach the
throne of grace with boldness, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace, to help in time
of need.” [71]
The same
apostle says that we “have confidence to enter
the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus." "Let us
approach with a true heart in full assurance
of faith....” [72]
Likewise,
Christ “holds his priesthood
permanently….Consequently, he is able for all
time to save those who approach God through
him, since he always lives to make
intercession for them.” [73]
What more
do we need? For Christ himself declares: “I am
the way, and the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me.” [74]
Why should we seek another intercessor?
Since it
has pleased God to give us the Son as our
Intercessor, let us not leave him for
another—or rather seek, without ever finding.
For, when giving Christ to us, God knew well
that we were sinners.
Therefore,
in following the command of Christ we call on
the heavenly Father through Christ, our only
Mediator, as we are taught by the Lord's
Prayer, being assured that we shall obtain all
we ask of the Father in his name.
1.H.
D. M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell, The
Pulpit Commentary, Acts, Vol.18., (Grand
Rapids, Michigan, Eerdmans Publishing Company
reprint 1978), p. 3.
2.John
Gill, Exposition
of the Old and New Testaments, Revelation,
9 Volumes, (Grace Works, Multi-Media Labs),
2011, p. 454-455.
3.W. E. Vine, Vine's
Expository Dictionary of OT, (Dallas,
TX, Thomas Nelson), p. 298-299.4.
“To
God, only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ
forever. Amen.” (Romans 16:27) and “heirs
according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:28,
29)
Mr.
Kettler has previously published articles in
the Chalcedon Report and Contra
Mundum. He and his wife Marea attend
the Westminster, CO, RPCNA Church. Mr.
Kettler is the author of the book defending
the Reformed Faith against attacks,
titled: The
Religion That Started in a
Hat. Available at: http://www.TheReligionThatStartedInAHat.com