Chapter 13 – Resurrection

In The Book of Signs, Dr. David Jeremiah offers answers to questions including:

• What does the Bible tell us about the future?
• How much can we understand about biblical prophecy and its application in our lives?
• What signs and signals will precede the end of everything as we know it?
• Which of those signs and signals have already come to pass, which are we experiencing now, and which are still to come?

An epic and authoritative guide to biblical prophecy, The Book of Signs is a must-have resource for Christians seeking to navigate the uncertainties of the present and embrace God’s promises for the future with a renewed sense of hope and purpose.

Chapter 14 heaven 1 December, Suzanne Edwards found a deflated blue helium balloon in the backyard of her home in Monroe Georgia attached to it was a tender picture of a man woman and little boy who all seemed very happy.
Also attached a note scribbled in childlike printing as she read the note, Suzanne began to cry.
It said dad, I wish you were here so we could have fun together. I wish you a merry Christmas.
I hope you tell God to give me those presents. I hope you are happy in heaven.
If you are ok, then tell me I love you Alejandro.
The author of those plaintiff words as Suzanne learned later was seven year old Alejandro Garcia Herreros, whose home was about 20 miles away.
Three years before Alejandro had been living with his parents in Cauda Colombia where his father, Carlos was a law professor known for his pro law enforcement views on December the 4th 2013, Carlos was murdered in the street.
He was shot to death in front of Alejandro.
Alejandro’s mother subsequently moved with him to the United States, but Christmas remained a poignant and painful lesson for the boy toward the end of each year, he composed a letter to his dad and sent it upward in a helium balloon with the belief that the balloon could ascend to heaven and take the message to his dad.
Using social media Suzanne attempted to get in touch with Alejandro’s mother by saying a helium balloon floated into my yard today and landed on my heart, writing a message to be passed on to the boy Suzanne.
Also told him, I want you to know that heaven is a wonderful place more amazing than you or I can even imagine it is a place where there is no pain and no worries.
I am certain your daddy didn’t want to leave you or cause you to feel lonely or sad.
He will always love you. And I am sure that you make him proud. Have a merry Christmas.
When his mother relayed the message to him, Aleandro cried and so did millions of other people when the story was discovered and picked up by major media outlets around the globe, touched my heart too while I’m pretty sure a blue helium balloon will not make it all the way up to the heaven of heavens.
I do believe God sees every sparrow that flies and falls. He knows the rising and falling of our spirits.
He knows the heartaches and hopes of every child.
He who directs the planets in their orbits can certainly send reminders of heaven to those of us on earth who need it.
And we all need these reminders.
We need the comfort that comes from knowing the true biblical doctrine of heaven, that wonderful place, which has been a sign of God’s love for His creation from Genesis to revelation and is more amazing than you.
And I could ever imagine God created us for heaven.
And that’s our true home, that’s our country, that’s our destination.
And when we set our minds on things above, we can experience a supernatural peace.
Even when the world around us is falling apart.
At the rapture of the church, Jesus will escort believers to heaven to live with Him there forever.
And as we’ll discover in future chapters, amazing new experiences are in store for believers in heaven.
While the tribulation unfolds on earth.
In this chapter, I want to explore what the Bible teaches us about the nature of heaven, tracing what it’s like now and what it will be like in the future.
The prominence of heaven. Let’s begin with some foundational truths about heaven.
The word heaven is mentioned almost 700 times in the Bible, 33 of the 39 old Testament books talk about heaven along with 21 books in The New Testament, the word heaven refers to something that is raised up or lofty.
So the language of the Bible speaks of heaven as a place that is high, lofty and lifted up.
Heaven plays such a prominent role in scripture that if you delete all references to it from the word of God and the text of the Bible would fall apart in key places and turn to mishmash, the plurality of heaven.
As you work your way through the hundreds of mentions of the word heaven.
In the Bible, you soon realize there is a plurality of heavens.
In fact, the Bible specifically speaks of three distinct heavens.
When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians about his visions and revelations, he told them of a time when he was caught up to the third heaven.
Second Corinthians 12 2 that clearly implies there is also a 1st and 2nd heaven.
The first heaven, the first heaven is the atmospheric heaven, the sky with its clouds and birds and life-giving oxygen.
Isaiah 55 10 and 11 says for as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven and do not return there, but water the earth and make it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater.
So shall my word be in this passage?
The word heaven refers to the atmosphere that yields its rain and snow to the earth.
We live on a privileged planet surrounded by a thin layer of gasses, mainly nitrogen and oxygen that make life possible.
Traces of the earth’s atmosphere stretch 300 miles into space, but it doesn’t abruptly end.
It simply tapers off gradually. The most vital resources of our atmosphere are within 10 miles of the surface of the earth.
And God custom designed them to sustain life.
No other known planet in the entire universe has an atmosphere like ours.
And this is the first heaven, the second heaven, the second heaven is the vast universe in which we live filled with billions of stars, planets, dust, clouds, Meteors and Galaxies.
The story of the creation of the second heaven is told in Genesis 1 14 to 17, then God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night and let them be for signs and seasons and for days and years and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth.
And it was so then God made two great lights, the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night.
He made the stars. Also, God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth.
The psalmist referred to this second heaven when he wrote the heavens, declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork.
Psalm 19 1, Jesus said that at the very end of time, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven.
Matthew 24 29. These are all references to the second heaven, the stellar skies, the third heaven.
The third heaven is the one Paul had in mind when he wrote, I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago, whether in the body, I do not know or whether out of the body, I do not know.
God knows such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
And I know such a man, whether in the body or out of the body. I do not know.
God knows how he was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words which it is not lawful for a man to utter Second Corinthians 12 2 through four, Paul was not referring to the atmospheric heaven or to the stellar heaven.
He was referring to the highest heaven, the very dwelling place of God.
King Solomon had a different name for this place in first kings 8 27.
When he said, will God indeed dwell on the earth, behold heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot continue how much less this temple which I have built.
Moses called this the highest heaven.
In Deuteronomy 10 14, Jesus was referring to this heaven when he taught us to pray our father in heaven.
Matthew 69. The psalmist said the Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord’s throne is in heaven.
Psalm 11 4 psalm 100 and 3 19 says, the Lord has established his throne in heaven and his kingdom rules overall this heaven, the heaven of heavens, the highest heaven is the locale of the throne and the dwelling place of God.
It is paradise. It is our eternal home.
This is where we will soon live side by side with God and with the angels and with the redeemed of all the ages, the place called heaven.
It’s important for us to realize the third heaven is just as real and just as literal as the other two heavens.
The Bible refers to it as a place, a word that implies a specific literal location in John 14 1 to 3.
Jesus said, let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God believe also in me, 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 to myself that where I am there you may be.
Also, Jesus spoke those words in the upper room on the night before his death, he had just told his disciples, he would die for them on the cross.
He explained, he would be buried and resurrected and that he would return to heaven.
They were confused by this and filled with sorrow, but Jesus told them they shouldn’t be troubled.
He said I go to prepare a place for you.
And the Greek word used in John 14 3 is topos which strictly refers to a place that can be located actually a real place.
The Apostle Paul spoke of Christ as descending to heaven to sit at God’s right hand in the heavenly places, Ephesians 120.
Jesus doesn’t intend for us to live in a vapory Netherland in a disembodied haze or in a blissful but intangible state of mind.
No, the Bible refers to heaven as a specific place.
Sometimes the Bible refers to heaven as a country which implies vastness of territory.
Sometimes it’s referred to as the celestial city which brings to mind, buildings and streets and residence and activity.
Sometimes heaven is referred to as a kingdom which speaks of organization and government.
In the passage, I quoted from John 14, Jesus referred to heaven as my father’s house.
There’s something intimate, sweet and personal about heaven.
When we talk about it as my father’s house, it’s no longer an empty space in our mind’s eye.
We see a home. Jesus promised that if we put our trust in him, he would prepare a place for us in our father’s house that will serve as our heavenly home.
There is nothing imaginary or hypothetical or intangible about that. Where is this place?
Well, the Bible doesn’t give us exact coordinates of latitude and longitude, but the Bible does give us one important clue.
Heaven is up in mark 6 41 Jesus took the boys loaves and fish and he looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples at the very end of his earthly ministry, Jesus led his disciples to the mount of Olives.
And the Bible says he lifted his hands and blessed them.
Now it came to pass while he blessed them that he was parted from them and carried up into heaven.
Luke 24 50 51. Ephesians 4 10 says he who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens that he might feel all things.
This kind of language permeates the scripture as heaven is continually viewed as being up above the earth.
And the earth is described as down below the heavens of God, where then is heaven?
Heaven is up, but which way is up? That’s not an easy question to answer.
It depends on our location on the surface of the earth.
Suppose America and China both launched a missile at the same time.
Each program to travel into space at a right angle from the location of its launch, both missiles would go up, but they would be traveling through the solar system in opposite directions up is a helpful word, but it isn’t very specific in terms of location.
Let’s narrow down the location of heaven a bit more.
We find a fascinating reference to heaven in Isaiah 14 13 in the passage that speaks of the moment Lucifer was evicted from heaven following his rebellion against God.
Notice the terminology, the Lord told the devil you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven.
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north.
The last phrase is a reference to the third heaven, the farthest sides of the north, no matter where you are on earth, north will always be up.
So it would seem reasonable to conclude that heaven is somewhere in the northern universe beyond the reach of astronomers telescopes.
And when I read scientist reports that a place exists in the northern heavens that seems strangely vacant of stars and Galaxies, it validates that conclusion.
Astronomers in Hawaii have found a huge hole in the universe that dwarfs anything else of its kind.
One report tells us the super void, which is 1.8 billion light years across is the largest known structure ever discovered in the universe.
But scientists are baffled about what it is without the scriptures which are inspired by the Holy Spirit.
We would have no idea of heaven’s existence or description, but God has revealed to us what heaven is like granted.
Even with the biblical data, we can’t fully visualize heaven or appreciate all of its glories, but we can form a very biblical concept of what heaven is like and we can visualize it within the parameters of biblical revelation.
God desires that we do so the preciousness of heaven, everything that is important to Christ followers is in heaven, everything a redeemer is in heaven.
First of all, our redeemer is in heaven.
Hebrews 9 24 says Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands which are copies of the true but into heaven itself.
Now to appear in the presence of God.
For us, just imagine the moment we get to heaven and we see Jesus right now, we don’t see Him with our visual eyesight.
The Bible says, whom having not seen you love though?
Now you do not see him yet believing you rejoice with joy, inexpressible and full of glory.
If we rejoice with joy, inexpressible and full of glory.
Now, when we cannot see Him with visible eyesight, think of our joy and glory.
When we can, everything else will pale into insignificance.
Revelation 22 verses three and four says about heaven, the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him.
They shall see his face. Our relationships are in heaven.
Second heaven is precious because our relationships continue there.
Our loved ones who have died in Christ are all in heaven.
My father told me toward the end of his life.
You know, David, one of the things about getting old is this one day you begin to realize that you have more friends in heaven than you have on earth.
He was right about that. It happens gradually but surely as we age, our resources are in heaven.
Third, our resources are in heaven.
The Bible says, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, from the dead to an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled.
And that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you when you became a Christian, God became your father and he made you an error.
We are heirs of God. And the Bible is full of information about our inheritance.
The book of Ephesians says in Him also we have obtained an inheritance chapter one verse 11, Galatians 112 says, we are qualified in Christ to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in the Light Hebrews 9 15 says we are called in Christ to receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Revelation. 21 7 says about the glories of heaven. He who overcomes shall inherit all things.
You have an inheritance in Christ that will never be touched by inflation.
It won’t be lost in an economic crash.
Its value will never decline or decrease and it is both reserved and preserved for you.
Your name is on it and your eternal resources are there. Our residence is in heaven.
Heaven is also precious to us because our residence is there.
I’m not just talking about where we will live. I’m talking about our citizenship.
When we become Christ followers, we become residents of heaven.
Philippians 3 20 says our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
No, we are not citizens of earth who are going to heaven.
We are citizens of heaven who are traveling through earth.
When you apply for a passport, you have to state where you were born where you currently live, your birth date and so forth.
And if approved, the government issues you a passport to let other governments know that you are a citizen of the United States, Germany, Mexico or wherever I was born in Toledo, Ohio and I live in Southern California.
I have a United States passport but my real residence is in heaven.
I’m a citizen of that land and I’m currently here on earth as an ambassador. That’s true of every believer.
The Apostle Paul said our citizenship is in heaven. Now, then we are ambassadors for Christ Philippians 322nd Corinthians 520.
Our reward is in heaven.
Our redeemer, our relationships, our resources, our residents are in heaven and so are our rewards.
Jesus told his followers amid persecution, rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great.
Is your reward in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5 12 chapter 16 of this book is devoted entirely to what the Bible says about the rewards awaiting us in heaven.
Our riches are in heaven. Heaven.
Is also precious to us because it is where our riches are.
Matthew 6 19 to 21 says, do not lay up for yourselves.
Treasures on earth where Moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither Moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there.
Your heart will be also what a statement. How can we lay up for ourselves riches in heaven?
Well, the only way we can get our treasures from here to there is by investing in God’s work.
We can’t take our money with us to heaven in our homes or cars or boats or articles of clothing, but we can take other people with us by investing our lives and resources in the spreading of God’s kingdom.
The only things going from earth to heaven are human souls and the word of God.
So if you’re trying to build equity in heaven, invest your time, talents and treasure in the word of God and the souls of men and women who need the message of Jesus Christ.
Our reservation is in heaven. Finally, heaven is precious because our reservation is there.
There is a book in heaven, a registry called the Lamb’s Book of Life in which the names of all who will be in heaven are recorded.
Jesus said to his disciples on one occasion after they had reported great success in their ministries.
He said, nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
Luke 10 20 is your name written in heaven. Do you have a reservation there? One day?
You will stand before God and he will say to you, why should I let you into my heaven?
And you must be able to say my name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
I have a reservation. I have put my trust in Jesus Christ as my savior.
And therefore I qualify to come in through his shed blood.
Ruth Anna Metzger is a professional singer who told a story that illustrates the importance of this.
Several years ago, Ruth Anna was asked to sing at a wedding in Seattle where she lives.
It was a very upscale wedding and a member of one of the wealthiest families in the city was getting married and Ruth Anna considered it a great honor to be chosen as the soloist.
She was particularly excited because the wedding reception was to be held on the top two floors of the Columbia Center, the tallest building in the northwest.
It was very exclusive and Ruth Anna couldn’t help thinking about how fun it would be to go there with her husband Roy.
After the wedding, Ruth Anna and Roy drove to the beautiful facility and approached the reception desk.
They saw Java who was decked out in a splendid tuxedo, admitted and introduced the guest and ushered them toward the luscious hors d’oeuvres and exotic beverages.
About that time, the bride and groom approached a beautiful glass and brass staircase leading to the top floor and someone ceremoniously cut a satin ribbon draped across the bottom of the stairs and announced that the wedding feast was about to begin.
As Roy and Rut Anna approached the top of the stairs, the Maor D asked them, may I have your name please?
Before him was a bound book. I am Ruth Anna Metzger. And this is my husband, Roy.
The maid d searched through the listings in the book and then he looked again and he asked Rua to spell her name and he searched again.
And finally he looked up and he said, I’m sorry, but your name isn’t here?
Oh, there must be some mistake. Ruth Anna said I am the singer. I sang for this wedding.
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you did.
Said the man without your name in the book, you cannot attend this banquet.
He motioned to a waiter and said, show these people to the service elevator, please.
The Metzger were unceremoniously ushered past beautifully decorated tables laden with shrimp, whole smoked salmon and magnificent carved ice sculptures.
They passed the orchestra preparing to perform. All the musicians were resplendent in white tuxedos.
The Metzker were led past the guest, enjoying the food, the fellowship, the views and the opulence of the moment, the waiter took Rut Anna and Roy to the service elevator, ushered them in and pushed G for the parking garage.
The Metzger were stunned to find themselves out on the street, driving home in silence. Somewhere along the way.
Roy looked over and asked sweetheart what happened?
She said when the invitation arrived for the reception, I was very busy and I never bothered to return the RSVP.
Besides I was the singer. Surely I could go to the reception without returning the RSVP.
Then as Ruth Anna later recalled, she started to cry.
Not only because she had missed the most lavish banquet she’d ever been invited to, but also because she suddenly had a small taste of what it will be like someday for people as they stand before Christ and find their names missing from the lamb’s book of Life.
Almighty God is inviting you to the banquet, but you need to reserve your place.
You must respond to his RSVP. If you’re listening to these words and aren’t sure your reservation is secure.
I urge you to pray about it right now. Confess your sins.
Acknowledge Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior do it.
Now turn your life over to his control and accept his free offer of the gift of eternal life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life John.
3 16.