Where is Heaven?

Where is Heaven?

November 1, 2015

I have received numerous articles written by Harold Smith (or haRold, as he prefers in reference to himself) and have found most to be very inspirational. The following is a very inspirational piece, of vital importance to all Believers. I have added my own comments at the end of the article (which I hope are equally inspirational) and add some clarity to haRold’s words.

Where is Heaven?

by haRold Smith

http://hethathasanear.com/

a citizen of the Commonwealth

(Ephesians 2:12)

…He answered them and said, "The kingdom of YHVH does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' for indeed, the the kingdom of YHVH is within you." Luke 17:20-21

In Matthew 5:34 (click on highlighted words to view content) Yeshua reinforces that heaven IS YHVH's throne, His residency, the place where Spirit dwells and abides (quoting directly from Isaiah 66:1). The Kingdom of YHVH tells us whose it is and the Kingdom of heaven tells us where it is - but there is only one Kingdom referred to in scripture that belongs to Spirit.

There was an epochal event that occurred on Yom Shav'uot (Day of Pentecost) that had not happened since the separation took place in gan edan (the Eden garden). For it was on that day, as a result of the sacrifice of the Kinsman Redeemer that the promise of the restoration of the Kingdom was fulfilled. On that day, the Kingdom of YHVH's residency, His throne, moved from the "heavenlies" once again into the hearts of men who would receive His Words (Jeremiah 31:33, John 1:12). Yeshua said in Luke 17:20-21 above that the Kingdom of YHVH is "within" - not "over yonder". The throne of YHVH today resides in a tabernacle not made of stone, but in the hearts of men who have allowed His Words to cleanse and purify their hearts - YHVH's Kingdom is within and among His saints (Revelation 21:3, Psalm 73:1). It must be constantly stated that there is no scripture telling people to accept "Jesus" as their personal savior so they can "go to" a place called "heaven" - that is what is known as a symbolic reading of the text and, even though it has been repeated often enough to become part of the cultural vernacular, it still remains that heaven is where YHVH's throne abides.

Metaphor, allegory and symbolism are problematic when approaching scripture. Words like "do not lie", "do not murder" or "do not commit adultery" are universally understood literally at their face value. So, since much of the words of scripture are to be taken literally (and we are not given a codex anywhere spelling out what to follow); then, which words are to be taken literally and which words are to have symbolism, metaphor or allegory applied to them - and who gets to decide which ones are which? Symbolism, metaphor and allegory are artificial interpretations placed over the reading of what the words of the text actually say and mean. Words mean things. Reading into the text is what is known as eisegesis (metaphor, allegory or symbolism) as opposed to exegesis (reading out of the text) - what the words actually say. In fact, without any explicit statement from the text telling us otherwise, any attempt to override what the words actually say and mean will inevitably be found to simply be the opinion of the interpreter. The paradigm the interpreter brings to the text will lead him to find exactly the evidence he needs to support his opinion (metaphor, allegory or symbolic approach). While much of the Tanakh (OT) is written in figurative poetry, it does not speak in purely symbolic, abstract concepts. There is always a literal reality at the core of the subject, which is only then interpreted in a symbolic way to underscore and enhance the truth already contained in that reality.

Is there a real "heaven"? There is, but it must be seen from the Hebraic perspective these Hebrew texts describe it in order to understand that heaven is not a physical "place" - but, rather, a state of being that allows one to abide in the Present Presence. The usual Hebrew word for "heavens" is shamayim, a plural form meaning "heights, elevations". The Hebrew word marom is also used as an equivalent to shamayim, meaning "high places, heights" while the phrase "heaven and earth" is used to indicate the whole universe (Genesis 1:1, Jeremiah 23:24, Acts 17:24). According to Hebrew scripture there are three heavens: the firmament, as "fowls of the heaven" (Genesis 2:19, Psalm 8:8, Lamentations 4:19, etc.); the starry heavens - that which can be seen overhead (Deuteronomy 17:3, Jeremiah 8:2); and, while the religion of Christianity has laid exclusive claim to it, the "heaven of heavens" or the "third heaven" referred to by Paul in2Corinthians 12:2 which actually originates in the words of the Tanakh found in Deuteronomy 10:14, 1Kings 8:27, and Psalm 148:4. Therefore, with the Hebraic definition of heaven considered to be that which is "lifted up or exalted, lofty" in mind - it is to this "third heaven" this discussion is focused for that is where the "throne of YHVH" is located. As referenced above, heaven is YHVH's throne. When YHVH changed His place of abode, His dwelling place, into the hearts of men who would embrace His Nature on Yom Shavuot (Day of Pentecost) - heaven moved with Him. This is the day when the Covenant YHVH made with Himself was fulfilled for it was on this day that the same words originally given in stone and accompanied with fire were now able to be written on the hearts of men. The manner of delivery had changed – BUT THEY ARE STILL THE SAME WORDS WITH THE SAME ACCOMPANIMENT OF FIRE (Exodus 20:1-17, Jeremiah 31:31-34).

So, just where are these “high” or "heavenly places"? As we have seen, heaven is where Spirit, whose name is YHVH, abides on His throne in His Kingdom. Yeshua says in Luke 17:20-21 above that Kingdom is "within or among" the faithful. The faithful are those who keep the Words of YHVH - just as Yeshua did (John 8:28, Deuteronomy 7:9). If the words of Yeshua are true and heaven is within those in whom the Spirit of YHVH abides, then those "heavenly places" are also within. If the Kingdom of YHVH abides within or among the faithful, then those within or among whom it abides become the Gatekeepers of YHVH's Kingdom - those charged with the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of theVirtue found in His Kingdom. This is what the Hebrew perspective of scripture consistently considers a "high or heavenly place." The self-determination of a person found within or among those considered the faithful to exalt his own will in opposition to what YHVH has declared becomes "wickedness" in those heavenly places. Those symbolic metaphors that paint heaven as something other than what the words of Yeshua define it as is part of the worldly wickedness that Spirit, Who is Light, cannot abide with.

Understanding this Hebrew perspective brings clarity to the words of Ephesians 6:12 above. The Greek word translated as "wickedness" in this verse is poneria meaning "depravity" but is derived from poneros which, while translated as "evil", actually means "full of labours, annoyances, hardships" - not a persona. Thisponeros, translated into English as "wicked one" or "evil one" in 1John 5:18 can then be seen to mean that the person who keeps himself in YHVH's Words is not touched by this evil "force of labor" created from his own determination. It is the same word Yeshua uses in Mark 7:21 as He is describing what comes out of the heart of a man that defiles him. Yeshua also used this word when saying that evil proceeds from the heart of men in Matthew 9:4 and Matthew 12:34-35 - but Yeshua was only repeating what He had been taught of His Father.

It is with this Hebraic understanding of where heaven is and from where evil originates that places a new enlightenment on Yeshua's words of Matthew 6:10, "Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The responsibility of Gatekeepers to the Kingdom of YHVH where His Throne, heaven, abides is to show forth the Glory of the Father by preventing the worldly forces of darkness from infecting the Body of Messiah through the embrace of the laborious thoughts of men from which those evil forces originate - and that begins with me. If the Words of Yeshua cleanse us from those evil thoughts and the Words He speaks are the Words of His Father - then, how can we expect to be cleansed if we reject YHVH's Words? How can we be equipped to resist the worldly forces of wickedness that bombard us on a daily basis if we say His Words are no longer applicable to us today? How do we keep from being separated from His Presence if it is in the keeping of His Words that assures He abides with us? It is much easier to blame what befalls us on some imaginary evil than to accept responsibility for where evil originates. And this brings us back to the primary usage of the Hebrew word sa-tan as any adversarial opposition to His Words - not some metaphorical physical entity.

Site Manager’s Comments:

I fully agree with haRold. Like I said in numerous other articles, too many people are looking FORWARD to the RETURN of Yahushua or the COMING of the Kingdom. Meanwhile, they fail to realize is that both the Kingdom and Yahushua are here now living within each and every one of us (Believers), looking to expand and grow until we are all FILLED with that special spirit and ALLOW it to fully possess us.

We all play a very important role in ALL of this. We can either encourage Yahuwah’s spirit to grow inside of us or we can cause it to diminish and become stagnant (or be withdrawn altogether). The choice is entirely ours.

Many think that at baptism, they receive a full portion of the spirit, and that is it. From that point on they are saved no matter what they do or fail to do with the “portion” of the spirit they received. This, of course is one of HaSatan’s greatest deceptions. It is the same one perpetrated on the first two humans, Adam and Eve, that we are already elohim and can decide right and wrong on our own. This deception was further enhanced by the Christian claim that the Law of Yahuwah is “done away”.

With whatever portion of Yahuwah’s spirit we possess, we are to use that to glorify Yahuwah. If we merely do nothing with the talent given us, we will be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven. If we desire to be counted amongst the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, we are to be doing something with that spirit. We have to allow and encourage that portion of the spirit (one talent) to grow into 2, 3, 5, and 10 talents. We do that by writing the Law of Yahuwah on our minds and hearts until it becomes an integral part of our nature. Then, and only then, will we be one with the Father and our eldest brother, Yahushua.

What was it that brought the apostles so much success at converting the masses? It was the full (or almost full) portion of the spirit dwelling within them. They used every ounce of their energy and “works” to glorify Yahuwah. They converted thousands in a single day. What minister or “lay person” can boast of such numbers today? We are fortunate to get even one person to listen to us. Why is that? Did we not all receive the same spirit?

We all receive the exact same spirit as Yahushua and His apostles. It is what we do with that spirit that makes all the difference. Many of us are still battling to come out from our traditional Christian backgrounds. Christianity taught us to disregard the Law (word) of Yahuwah and go our own way. Such doctrine has caused many to abort the spirit in them and allow another (strange) spirit to grow in its place – the spirit of lawlessness.

And yet, Yahuwah allows this to happen as a method of testing us. We have to be well on the road to complete incorruption to qualify for the Kingdom. Simple belief may get us inside the door, but to gain a position of any significance, we must capitalize on that one talent (portion of the spirit) that we were given at baptism and cause it to grow into ten talents (a full measure of the spirit). That takes “works”!

Just because we do not have any strict overseers standing over us, does not mean that we can go about our merry way and do whatever we please. We are like an executive CEO that has been put in charge of a company. It is expected of us that we have the talent to make that company’s profit margin grow and expand. The company does not expect to have to hold your hand the entire time. They hired you because they had faith in you and your abilities (talents).

The same is true of the spirit inside of each and every one of us. We have all been specially selected to be ambassadors of Yahuwah. Why do you suppose that you were selected? What do you suppose is expected of you? The exact same thing that is expected of that corporate CEO!

Both the Kingdom and the Creator of it are dwelling inside of us right now. We need look no further. We must not think of it as some future event; or we will never do anything with that talent we received. Are we guilty of thinking that “Yahuwah delays His coming”? If so, we will not be ready when He actually does come. We will be like children thinking they do not need to clean their room until their parents get home (and force them to). This is considered to be lazy and slothful by our Father. Such an attitude will only get us the lowest of possible positions in the Kingdom, if any at all.

Yahuwah saw something in us that we, ourselves, could not see – spiritual potential. And, it is usually laziness that extinguishes that potential. Most are content to merely pay and pray for the ministry of whatever deceptive religion they support. The ministry, itself, usually promotes this concept. This is a totally bogus concept. We are ALL called for a reason and a purpose. We are expected to seek out that purpose, not sit back and fall asleep.

First and foremost, we are called to be truth-seekers. It is the cloak of deception that hides our purpose from us. As that cloak is pulled away and more and more truth is revealed to us, we begin to see our purpose more clearly. It is then expected that we share and put our knowledge into action that glorifies Yahuwah. By thinking that the Kingdom is some far off, future event, we tend to slack off until we see signs of His imminent return. There is no room for spiritual growth as long as we harbour this attitude.

I have also witnessed many “Sabbath Believers” who only feel the need to glorify Yahuwah on the Sabbath, and not every day. This is another copout, folks. If we are truly filled with Yahuwah’s spirit, our ever thought, word and action is to reflect the glory of Yahuwah 24/7.

Unfortunately, there are more people focused on self glory than glorifying Yahuwah. These, of course, are those with grandiose, money-making ministries. They view their wealth as a blessing from the Creator for doing a good job. My contention is, that the lowliest of “lay persons” that are pure in heart, will be promoted into the actual Kingdom long before this rich evangelical who has made merchandise out of the word of Yahuwah and received his reward in this (physical) lifetime.

While I agree with haRold and fully know where he is coming from, I do believe that there is an actual place out in the universe where the throne of Yahuwah literally resides, and from which His spirit goes out into all the universe. I do not believe that HaRold was denying this. We most definitely have been denied the ability to see that place with our naked eyes. However, we can see it and know it through the spirit dwelling inside of us. But first we have to believe that it is living inside of us and be found acting like we believe it is.

Many are just sitting back waiting for the spirit to lead them. They may be waiting a very long time. In fact, they may never get off their backsides and do what was expected of them. Their physical lives may be over before they ever realize this fact.

It must not be so with us, my friends. We must be about seeking Yahuwah’s purpose in our lives and demonstrating that purpose before our fellow man, thereby causing our lights to shine and Yahuwah’s name to be glorified. The zeal of Yahuwah must be found in us. There is no room for complacency or slothfulness. We must believe that we are all already in the Kingdom and be doing our best to promote that Kingdom before our fellow man.

Of course, all of Yahuwah laws come under the general heading of “LOVE”. Yahuwah built His creation out of love. His Laws demonstrate how his love works. Mankind has been too involved in self-love to see and understand the agape love of Yahuwah. Once we adopt and demonstrate that love we automatically become obedient to all of the Law. Only then will we come out from under the law; as by nature (of agape love) we no longer even think to disobey.

We only have this lifetime to get this right, my friends. Yahuwah must know that we are incorruptible, or diligently working towards that state, before He can promote us into the literal Kingdom. Until then we are spiritually living in that Kingdom here and now and our total focus must be on serving Yahuwah and allowing the world to see Yahuwah through us. If we do not believe and accept that fact, we are doomed to fail. And, if we do believe that, we must demonstrate our belief through our works.

We must not save such a demonstration of the works of Yahuwah in us merely on the Sabbath day, before fellow believers only. We must be doing so before all men on a daily basis. We are going to be judged on an individual basis and: therefore, must be individually doing our part (anything that brings glory to Yahuwah’s name).

We have heard the saying that “love conquers all”. That saying is especially true of the Love of Yahuwah. Well, if all of the Law falls under the general heading of “love”, then the saying is certainly understandable. When we fully establish the law of love in our hearts and minds, we will have conquered sin! We will become one with the Father and our eldest brother! We will be “fit” for the Kingdom! We will be granted eternal life in the literal Kingdom of Yahuwah!

Love is not just a word; it is an action. In our marriages we declare that we love our spouses, but some deny that word by their actions. It must not be so with us, my friends, in our relationship with Yahuwah. Marriage is the perfect testing ground for developing the spirit of love. Our actions must match our words. If they do not, we have much to work on in this regard.

We conquer hate by replacing it with love. We must fill our vessel with love so as to keep hatred out. When this one law is at the root of everything we think, say and do, we will truly be living in the Kingdom of Yahuwah and not merely taking up space. We must prove our faith by our works. Otherwise, the spirit that we received at baptism may just wither and die from neglect.

Both Yahuwah and the Kingdom are inside us at this very moment. Believe it! Live like you believe it. Think like you believe it! Talk like you believe it! Act like you believe it.

Therefore, let us go out into the world, being wise as serpents and harmless as doves; and glorify Yahuwah before the entire global population.