Heaven: Q & A

This is the 4th and final part of our Heaven blog series. Pastor Phil preached a fantastic series on Heaven at Foothills Church many years ago. I've asked him for his manuscripts, so I could re-publish them here on the blog. I hope you find it as encouraging as I have. Because it is a sermon manuscript, it reads a little longer than our usual blog posts, but I promise it's worth the read! — Kaley Morgan

Written by Phil Christiansen

My prayers have been that you would be encouraged as you think and talk about Heaven; that there would be no more fear, no more anxiety, but a sense of eager anticipation—the kind of excitement we had as children when we looked forward to our birthday or Christmas. In this Heaven blog series, we talked about what happens when the Christian dies and what we can expect after death. Then, we walked through some common misunderstandings, myths and lies that can make us afraid to go to Heaven. In the last post, we looked at what we might expect when all things are made new and Christ’s Kingdom is finally and fully established. If you missed any of these, I encourage you to go back and read them!

Blog 1: Heaven: When a Christ Follower Dies
Blog 2: Heaven: Why We Are Afraid To Go There
Blog 3: Heaven: All Things New

Remember, this blog series is reposting manuscripts of a series preached many years ago. During the series, people were able to submit any questions they had about Heaven. Pastor Roy and I looked at every question, categorized them by similar theme and prepared to answer as many of them as we could in our time together that day. Today's post is that Q & A.

So, with the table set, let’s dig in! Our desire is to think theologically, to think Godly thoughts, but not take ourselves too seriously. Some of our responses don’t have hard & fast answers—but we’ll give them our best, educated guesses. Here we go! 

Roy Answers: Jesus has a fabulous arm and can throw a hail Mary from end zone to end zone! If you’re wearing a Steelers jersey, you’ll catch it to win the Heavenly Bowl playoff!

Phil Answers: This question came up a lot! The truth is: we don’t know for sure, but we can venture a guess. Scholars and theologians, old and new, seem to agree that our bodies will appear in their most vital, alive, active, healthy stage of life. Most believe that ‘age’ will be somewhere around late 20’s to early 30’s. As many of us know from experience, our bodies begin to decline after that.

Jesus was in his early 30’s at death. Many believe that since His body is our template for what our resurrected bodies will be like (Phil 3:21), that the early 30’s age is what our resurrected/glorified bodies may be as well. “Augustine argued that all in heaven would be young in age, in the prime of life, for that is the period of peak perfection of bodily competencies.” Thomas Aquinas believed similarly. (Oden, Thomas. Life in the Spirit, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, Prince Press, 1998. p 408)

Roy Answers: I asked that question about 30 years ago of a theologian who said he didn’t think so because no one in the Bible was cremated. However, we know many died in the desert of Sinai and long ago were little more than dust. In Genesis 3:19, at the beginning of human experience, God told Adam that “dust you are and to dust you will return.” Many were incinerated in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on 9/11 and other wars and fires. I don’t see any conflict between burial and cremation.

Phil Answers: I believe miscarried and aborted babies go to Heaven. One reason is what David said in 2 Samuel 12:23 when his newly born child, conceived with Bathsheba, died: “But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” God knows every little nuance of the tiny one that He was knitting together in its mother’s womb. We know from the bible that God has a special love for little ones (Matt 19:13-14; Luke 18:16). In Matthew 18:10, Jesus even says, “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” This sounds like God has angels assigned to the tiny ones. Though sinful from conception (Psalm 51:4-6) these children never even had a chance to repent and receive God’s grace. I don’t know how it works, but I believe that God in His love and mercy covers the little ones, somehow with the blood of Christ. Billy Graham writes, “Babies, young children, and the mentally handicapped cannot comprehend their limitations or the truths of God’s plan of salvation—but God, in His grace, receives each of them just as they are and changes their hearts” (Graham, Billy, The Heaven Answer Book (Kindle Locations 1112-1113). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition).

With that said, I don’t know what their eternal bodies would be like. Since they were fully human at the moment of conception, perhaps God will resurrect them to enjoy the bodies that they would have had if they had lived to maturity.

Phil Answers: Jesus made it clear that at the resurrection we would neither marry or given in marriage (Matthew 22:30; Mark 12:25; Luke 20:35). There will be only one marriage in Heaven: The Church to Christ. Having said that, I absolutely believe you will deeply love the person you now call ‘spouse.’ I believe you will see your spouse, your heart will be filled with joy, you’ll reminisce, you’ll laugh about the stuff you did together and you’ll celebrate the victories you shared in Jesus. Just as you will remember and love your children, other family members & friends. Remember: we are, corporately, the family of God. The relationships we establish on the earth don’t disappear in Heaven—even if they change. “Love does not die; it cannot die because it cannot fail”  (Tada, Joni Eareckson. Heaven: Your Real Home (p. 202). Zondervan. Kindle Edition). Love is part of who you are; it’s part of your person. But you will not be married because marriage will have fulfilled its purpose to provide companionship, serve as the model of God’s love for His people and the means through which the earth would be populated (Genesis 2:18-25). We’ll never be lonely in Heaven. The marriage of the Church to Christ will at last be complete. And we certainly won’t need to populate the Earth.

We will still have gender in Heaven—because God made us male and female—that’s core to who you are. But, since there will be no marriage, there will be no sex in Heaven either. Why? Beyond procreation, sex is an earthly shadow of a heavenly reality. The intimacy shared between husband and wife is intended to point us to God. Marital sex is the best earthly model available that reveals the depth of relational intimacy Jesus wants us to enjoy with Him—open, transparent, vulnerable, honest, unrestricted connection. Once we’re in Heaven, we won’t need sex anymore because we’ll be face-to-face, in an unbelievably intimate relationship, with the One who made us for Himself.

So: no marriage or sex in Heaven because they will have fulfilled their purposes. But, don’t worry! I’m convinced that our lives will be so full, so dynamic, so joy-filled that we won’t struggle with unfulfilled desires. If anything the Lord, in His kindness, will give us something even better.

Roy Answers: An interesting question made more interesting because of the interaction of Saul with the medium of Endor who called up the spirit of Samuel. First, Saul was in deep trouble and knew it. He opted to turn to a pagan practice he had outlawed. There are attempts to understand this incident as God permitting Samuel to appear for this unique occasion, or an evil spirit in Samuel’s form, or a parapsychological power in which the woman discerned Saul’s thoughts and picture of Samuel in her own mind. Whatever it was, God’s statement to Saul was that he was done and would die an ugly death for his unfaithfulness to the Lord. Remember, this was a one-time event of the Old Testament and there is nothing in the New Testament to normalize this in any way. It is very important that we understand the power of the occult even though New Age propaganda has glamorized it. The demonic is presently active and controlling lives today.

The other implication of bygone believers knowing what is going on here is misinterpreting Hebrews 12:1 that there is a cloud of witnesses surrounding us. We aren’t in a stadium with masses of departed spirits gazing down to watch us fumble the ball or cheer a touchdown. The witnesses are not only the heroes of chapter 11 but all the previous believers who have set the example of godly living.

When it says there will be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents, I assume that includes believers along with angels. I think that’s going on 24/7 right now, but I question if they are informed of the details of earthly activity.

Matthew 17:1-4 says, “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’”

Phil Answers: Clearly this was a unique situation. Jesus was standing there on the mountain and Moses & Elijah showed up! None of these guys had ever seen Moses or Elijah before. There were no digital cameras or portrait painters back then that would have given the disciples an idea of who had suddenly appeared before them. Here’s what’s interesting: Elijah and Moses must not have been “ghostly” looking—because the guys didn’t freak out. Moses and Elijah must have had bodies of some sort if they were identifiable and they must have looked like the kind of men that would appreciate a tent or shelter. In other words, they must have looked like regular, normal, men. That’s weird!

Elijah was taken to Heaven while still alive (2 Kings 2:11-12, 15-18). Moses died in Moab and was buried but no one knew where (Deuteronomy 34:5-8). My best thinking on this is that both Elijah & Moses were present in the flesh up on the mountain with Jesus. Elijah went to Heaven in his body. He may have been standing, in his earthly body, on the mount. Since Moses died and was buried, then the Lord may have given Moses some sort of temporary body since the resurrection had not yet occurred. Perhaps Moses’ body was like those of the angels when they take human form (ex. Genesis 18; Joshua 5:13-15; Acts 1:9-12).

To answer the question, I think that Elijah & Moses did have bodies of some sort at the transfiguration. What we don’t know is what type or for how long. Clearly their bodies were not like yours and mine since the appeared/disappeared very quickly.

(Matthew 9:24; Mark 5:39; Luke 8:52; John 11:11; Acts 7:60, 13:36; 1 Cor. 11:30, 15:6; 1 Thess. 4:13-15, 5:10)

Phil Answers: 1 Cor. 15:20 is the key to determining the meaning of “fallen asleep”: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” To have fallen asleep is simply a euphemism for being dead much like we use the words “passed away.” Very simply, “fallen asleep” is a description for what the body looks like when someone is dead. Remember also how terrified the pagan cultures were of death: to them, it absolute end of everything. Dead = Done to the pagan. As followers of Jesus, we know that death does not have the last say because Jesus has conquered death and the grave! (Hosea 13:14; 1 Cor. 15:55) Fallen asleep is a euphemism for death, nothing more.

The phrase dead in Christ is a differentiation between those who have died having known and trusted Jesus and those who have not. The dead in Christ will live even though they die…(John 11:25). Those who have died having denied Christ will spend eternity in the fiery lake of burning sulfur, which is called “the second death” (Revelation 20:15 & 21:8).

When you die, your body awaits resurrection. Your spirit/soul is immediately in the presence of the Lord. (Luke 23:43; Phil. 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:8; Rom. 8:35, 38-39; Rev. 6:9-11)

Roy Answers: The idea is not found in the Bible, but in the Apocrypha (II Maccabees 12:39-45). The Protestant church with the exception of the Anglican Church, have rejected the canonicity of the 15 books written from 300 B.C. to 100 A.D. New Unger’s Bible Dictionary lists four specific reasons for their lack of authenticity including historical and geographical inaccuracy. We reject these books as authentic and so reject the doctrines espoused in them. The idea of Purgatory is that if a person dies short of perfect righteousness, he or she must spend time getting purged of their sins. The length could be short or long and all in Purgatory will be set free at the resurrection. We reject this as a direct contradiction of the Bible. No one is righteous. No one is without sin. No one will die perfect. Our perfection is Christ. He is our righteousness. We are accepted in him because we are clothed with his righteousness. God made Christ sin so we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are justified through faith and by the blood of Jesus (Romans 5:1, 9). The Bible teaches it is heaven or hell. Hebrews 9:27 states it is appointed to man to die once and then the judgment. No secondary purging, no second chance.

Phil Answers: For the sake of our conversation, Abraham’s bosom, paradise and Heaven, are basically synonyms. There were minor differences in them, but they all described the place of blessing, joy and peace in the presence of God. 

When we talk about the word sheol we need to know a couple of things: 1) The Hebrew language is context driven. 2) Because of that, sheol used at least 6 different ways. This makes sheol one of the most difficult Hebrew words to interpret in the Old Testament. Most simply, sheol means grave, which is how the NIV translates it. Both the wicked and the dead go to sheol, everyone dies (unless they’re still alive when Jesus returns), but that’s where the commonality ends. The Old Testament makes it clear that the righteous are delivered from sheol while the wicked remain there—and that’s when we see sheol used much like the word Hades or Hell. That points forward to eternal resurrection for the faithful and a second death for those who stubbornly refuse God’s grace and forgiveness.

Phil Answers: Until a few years ago, I would have said “no” to both of those questions. But, as I grown, studied God’s word and become more familiar with God’s kindness, my answers have changed.

Looking at Genesis, we must notice the animals. After God made Adam we read how God brought all the animals to Adam and they were named. But, for Adam, no suitable helper was found. After that, God created the woman for the man. My point is: apparently, the animals were created even before the woman. Animals have been part of the human/creaturely interaction since the foundations of the Earth. If we are going to have a new Earth that will be like Earth, then certainly animals will be part of the mix. 

Regarding Pets: When I consider pets…I’m not sure. But, here’s my gut on the issue: God made those critters and, to some degree, they reflect His glory. Our Father is kind and gracious. If we, as human fathers and mothers, love to give our children gifts that make them smile and bless them, how much more does our Heavenly Father? I would not be surprised one bit if our pets were in Heaven. My thinking is, “Why not?” God is the restoring, redeeming, renewing Lord of the universe. It would be nothing for Him to bless His children in this way. Author Joni Eareckson Tada writes, “If God brings our pets back to life, it wouldn’t surprise me. It would be totally in keeping with His generous character…Exorbitant. Excessive. Extravagant in grace after grace” (Holiness in Hidden Places, Nashville: J. Countryman, 1999. p 133).

Roy Answers: Heaven is the place where God dwells. To speak of the immensity of God is to state that he is everywhere present at the same time (termed omnipresent), and that all that exists does so inside of God. The entire universe exists inside of God, which would include the specific place termed heaven. That’s where we will spend eternity. What about the New Jerusalem. It has huge dimensions. Is it the capitol city of the new earth? How would that fit? The Bible does not give us dimensions of the new earth. Will it have a circumference of 24,000 miles or 250,000, or something else? Whatever it is, it will accommodate the New Jerusalem. Although the text states there will be no more sea, does that mean there won’t be water? We love water features. We’re drawn to the sea and to water. We know the oceans are necessary to ecological balance in the seasons and the evaporation and condensation cycle. Having created this magnificent and varied earth for our habitation and enjoyment, God isn’t going to short-sheet us on our eternal state. We can be certain that if there are oceans, lakes, rivers and waterfalls, we will not fear death by drowning due to any inability to swim. 

Phil Answers: Paul wrote, “I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows…But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words…” (2 Corinthians 12:2-4 [NLT]). According to the Jewish notion there were three heavens: The first was the region of the clouds, sky & atmosphere. The second was the area of the sun, moon and stars. The third heaven described the dwelling place of God. (Easton, M. (1996). Easton's Bible dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)

There’s a clue as to what Paul meant in verse 4 of 2 Corinthians 12 because he refers to having been caught up to paradise. Paradise is another descriptor for Heaven (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor 12:4; Rev. 2:7). So, simply, Paul was describing what we would call Heaven—where God chooses to dwell.

Roy Answers: The Bible doesn’t address this specifically, but it is consistent with what we do know to say simply that we will understand the why and will agree with God’s disposition as just and fair. On the positive side, we will understand the why of Jesus as the only way to God and why all other attempted paths to heaven are fantasy only.

Roy Answers: Heaven overcrowded? Do you think the God who created this massive universe with its masterful design and this earth with its opulent beauty doesn’t know how to create an eternal dwelling place big enough to accommodate all he has called to inhabit it? He’s pretty good at math and engineering.

A more critical question is will everyone who thinks they are going to heaven go there? What makes a person a Christian? What is a Christian? I define a Christian as a person in whom Jesus lives by his Spirit. A Christian is a person who is a committed follower of Jesus. He said in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” A follower of Jesus is a disciple. In John 2 it states many believed on Jesus but he did not commit himself to them because he knew what was in their hearts. The Bible says that even the devils believe and tremble. Simply saying I believe in Jesus is not saving faith. Paul testified before Agrippa “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20). I am very concerned with the casual attitude that too many people have about what it means to be a Christian. While a person begins that journey with a prayer of repentance and surrender, simply saying words with no intention to follow Jesus is deceiving themself. Christ died for us that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who loved us and gave himself for us (2 Corinthians 5:15). 

Will those who have never heard of Christ be in heaven? No. There is no other name given among men through which a person can be saved (Acts 4:12). That is why the Alliance is committed to taking the gospel to people who have never heard.

Listen to Romans 10:9-13(NLT): "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.' Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For 'Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.'

This is a time for heart examination. It is either heaven or hell, nothing in between. If you will do what those verses tell you, confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [and that means he’s your boss] and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, commit to become his life-long follower in life and death, you will be saved.

I invite you to take a gut check. Have you had a casual Sunday kind of faith? You prayed a prayer at some point but you really have not been serious about your commitment. You can change that right now. Prepare to meet God. The Holy Spirit knows your heart. If you sense his conviction, you can change your status this very moment. Bow with me in prayer. If you want to know for certain you are going to heaven, pray something like this: “Lord Jesus, you are my Lord and Master. I am a sinner and I can’t save myself by being religious or doing good things. You died to wipe out my sins and make me acceptable to a holy God. I ask you to save me. Make me your child. I receive you as the gift of eternal life and commit to follow you. Make me the person you want me to be. Thank you for loving me and saving me. Amen.”

Here’s why: God has you here for a purpose. You are to be salt and light to every people group around the world. When you surrendered your life to Him, He didn’t catapult you to Heaven instantly because He has a mission for you: be an ambassador for Christ. Tell the whole world, in your home, your school, your workplace, on your team, at the grocery and gas station, in Spain, in Jordan, in China and India—tell the whole world about the God Who made them for Himself and made a way for them to be saved from their sin so they could live not only now, but forever, with Him. You are the body of Christ, friends. You are on mission. God won’t take you home until He’s ready. So, you live life to its fullest. You live every day like it’s your last —with passion, purpose, joy and peace. Live big. Love big. Serve big. And when it comes time to die, you hold that life loosely because, for you, the best is yet to come!

I hope you have enjoyed this blog series as much as I have. If you have any other questions that we did not address here, ask in the comments below and I'll do my best to get an answer for you! —Kaley Morgan