John 3:5-15
Jesus Came from Heaven
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
John 14:1-14
Jesus is Going Back to Heaven
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 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. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
1 Corinthians 2:6-10
Paul's Thoughts on Heaven
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
Heaven is where God and Jesus are...Heaven is talked about throughout the Bible...Yet, there are not sections or groups of verses that are together -that discuss what heaven is and what heaven is like...Maybe the concept of understanding heaven is over our heads, and too difficult for us to understand, and thus the lack of detail for us in His Word...
2 Corinthians 12:1-4
Levels of Heaven
1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.
John 11:38-44
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Heaven is a place we go after our deaths...And heaven is a place of paradise...Jesus and God are from and live in heaven...God sent His Son down from heaven...What is heaven actually like?...
Our God is a quiet God, and often we do not see Him or hear Him...He makes it difficult for us, or at least for me to often understand heaven and Him...He sent His Son to help us and to learn more about Him and heaven...Jesus is Someone we could see and to feel and to have and to even question...Nicodemus questioned Him...And Jesus makes it very plain and clear to him that He is from heaven...He told Nicodemus that "No one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven—the Son of Man...Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life...And later He later plainly tells His Disciples about heaven...In trying to comfort His Disciples before His arrest He says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled...You believe in God; believe also in Me...My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that 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."...
Jesus plainly spoke and said that He was going to His Father's house -to His Disciples...And He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father's house...Jesus talked about preparations in heaven for His Disciples...But we know the things God has prepared for those who love Him are inconceivable...It is written, "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love Him—these are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit."...And we know His Father's house is certainly in heaven...And even after hearing Jesus speak about preparing him a place in heaven, Thomas one of His Disciples had questions...Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”...
Thomas did not understand His words about heaven and where He was going and He was face to face with His Great Teacher...And I think I am like Thomas, I too have questions...Through these words from Jesus about heaven, they for me, do not begin to clear the mystery of heaven...I can relate and understand Jesus statement about the wind to Nicodemus, as I think about heaven...Nicodemus did not understand all that Jesus was talking about..."You are Israel’s teacher,” Jesus said, “and do you not understand these things?...Very truly I tell you, We speak of what we know, and We testify to what We have seen, but still you people do not accept Our testimony...I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?...No one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven—the Son of Man."...
There are very many questions we could ask about heaven....For instance, what are the different levels of heaven?...Are there different levels?...Are there more than three?...Are there seven levels?...If there are different levels of heaven, what are in these different levels?...Do we go to the first level after we die, and can we have dreams or visions about this first level, or any level -as one reads and hears about near death experiences?...Was Lazarus in heaven, before Jesus raised him?...What level was Lazarus in or was he in heaven?...Did Lazarus want to leave where he was after He passed, and what did he feel and see during his four day death period?...
Thinking about heaven is much a mystery for me...Even my imagination cannot describe heaven...God has revealed only so much to us about heaven...But we do know that the glory of God is in heaven and His Son is there...A place of peace and Truth and grace...Heaven is for real...