

Three times we’re told God will be with us. Heaven is God’s special dwelling place, right? So where are we told God will especially dwell in eternity? Not in some place far off, distant from his people, but on the New Earth where we are told “the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them.and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3). Is it a commonly accepted idea that Heaven will be on the “New Earth”? This opens the door to my speculation-which is certainly not a direct biblical teaching-that we may rule planets in the new universe. Then he says, “I will give him the morning star,” which was the name for the planet Venus (Revelation 2:28). Furthermore, God promises to the overcomer he will give him authority over the nations. This suggests that God’s design for us to rule the new earth could extend to other planets in the new universe. Since the whole universe fell under our sin, it implies the whole universe was put under our stewardship. It also teaches that the whole universe fell on the coattails of humanity’s sin, and consequently the whole creation (not just the earth) groans, awaiting its redemption, which will come in our resurrection (Romans 8:19-23). The Bible teaches that there will be not only a new earth, but new celestial heavens. However, I have had upset people tell me “But Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in the New Earth.” Well, yes, and they also believe in the creation, resurrection and final judgment-but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t! On the contrary, we should ask what the Bible actually says. I’m not familiar with that as a Mormon belief. You say, “I can easily envision our inhabiting and governing other resurrected planets.” Does this lend credit to the Mormon belief that you get your own planet when you die?

In Chapter 26 of Heaven you discuss space and time. This will come as a surprise to many, since the book’s conclusions about Heaven and the New Earth are dramatically different-as well as much more vivid and exciting-than what most evangelicals believe. If they do, I believe they will discover that the great majority of the book is solidly grounded in Scripture. As I say in the introduction to Heaven, readers should carefully examine God’s Word and evaluate the book’s claims accordingly (Acts 17:11). The book is filled with Scripture, and I’ve labored to interpret the Bible accurately, consistently and in context. How can you be sure that this depiction of Heaven is the correct one? And with him the faithful, who suffer in the name of the Lord of spirits.MaMany people have questions regarding Heaven. They shall deny the name of the Lord of spirits, and shall expel him from the temples, in which they assemble Ħ. Their strength shall be in their riches, and their faith in the gods whom they have formed with their own hands. They shall condemn the stars of heaven, shall lift up their hands against the Most High, shall tread upon and inhabit the earth, exhibiting all their works of iniquity, even their works of iniquity. Darkness shall be their habitation, and worms shall be their bed nor from that their bed shall they hope to be again raised, because they exalted not the name of the Lord of spirits.ĥ. The countenance likewise of the mighty shall He cast down, filling them with confusion. He shall hurl kings from their thrones and their dominions because they will not exalt and praise him, nor humble themselves before him, by whom their kingdoms were granted to them. This Son of man, whom thou beholdest, shall raise up kings and the mighty from their couches, and the powerful from their thrones shall loosen the bridles of the powerful, and break in pieces the teeth of sinners.Ĥ. He answered and said to me, This is the Son of man, to whom righteousness belongs with whom righteousness has dwelt and who will reveal all the treasures of that which is concealed: for the Lord of spirits has chosen him and his portion has surpassed all before the Lord of spirits in everlasting uprightness.ģ.

Then I inquired of one of the angels, who went with me, and who showed me every secret thing, concerning this Son of man who he was whence he was and why he accompanied the Ancient of days.Ģ.

#Chapter 26 the three kingdoms of heaven full#
His countenance was full of grace, like that of one of the holy angels. There I beheld the Ancient of days, whose head was like white wool, and with him another, whose countenance resembled that of man.
