Description
This course explains whether there are really streets of gold in heaven; how big the heavenly city is; whether there will be food there, and how long it will last.
Bible Study Course
Heaven
Welcome to Book 2 in Bible Doctrine II. As you have seen in Book 1, hell is a place of terrible torment for the unsaved throughout all of eternity. But there is good news for those who have had their sins washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ — there is a place called heaven! The word hell is used over 50 times in the Bible, but the word heaven is used over 700 times! This study is written to be used with the KING JAMES BIBLE, otherwise your answers are going to be incorrect. So please get your Bible, and begin this exciting study.
Chapter 1
I. Where Is Heaven?
Note: The question, “Where is heaven?” must be made more specific, as you can see by the following Scripture. According to II Corinthians 12:2-4, Paul was “caught up to the __________ heaven.” So of which heaven would you like to know the location? Let us look at them in order.
A. The first heaven.
1. Job 35:10,11 says that God makes us wiser than the _____________ of heaven.
2. According to Jeremiah 4:25, there would come a time in Israel when man and all the __________ of the heavens would flee.
3. Lamentations 4:19 talks about persecutors being swifter than the _____________ of the heaven.
These verses tell us that different types of birds fly in heaven.
4. I Kings 18:45 says, “the heaven was __________ with clouds and wind.”
5. According to Psalm 147:8, God covers the heaven with ____________.
6. Daniel had a vision of the ______ of man coming with the clouds of heaven. (Daniel 7:13)
7. Jesus agreed fully with Daniel when He said in Matthew 24:30, “they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of ____________ with power and great glory.”
8. Isaiah 55:10 says that “the rain cometh down, and the __________ from heaven.”
9. God does good by giving us “__________ from heaven,” according to Acts 14:17.
10. Genesis 27:39 refers to “the ______ of heaven from above.”
Note: Not only are the birds said to “fly in heaven,” but also that clouds, snow, rain, and dew are in, and come from heaven.
So according to these Scriptures, we take it that the first heaven
refers to the atmosphere around the earth. It is in
this area where the birds fly, and the clouds are found.
B. The second heaven.
1. On the fourth day, “God said, Let there be ______________ in the firmament of the heaven.” (Genesis 1:14)
2. Verse 16 tells us what these lights were:
a. The ______________ light to rule the day (this refers to the sun).
b. The ____________ light to rule the night (this refers to the moon).
c. The __________ (which also shine at night).
3. Deuteronomy 1:10 uses the _________ of heaven to be an example of a very large number.
4. When Joshua was fighting a battle, God caused the sun to stand still in the _________ (middle) of heaven. (Joshua 10:13)
5.According to Deuteronomy 4:19, the sun, moon, and stars make up “the __________ of heaven.”
6. II Kings 23:5 adds one more thing to “the host of heaven” by referring to “the sun, and to the moon, and to the _____________, and to all the host of heaven.”
Note: These verses have told us that the sun, moon, stars, and planets are in heaven.
So we take it that the second heaven refers to the
realm of the sun, moon, stars, and planets. We usually
refer to this area today as space or outer space.
C. The third heaven.
1. Going back to our first Scripture passage in II Corinthians 12:2-4, we find that Paul gave a name to the third heaven. In verse 2, he says he is “caught up to the third heaven,” and in verse 4 he says he was “caught up into ________________.”
2. According to Luke 23:39-43, the repentant thief on the cross would be with Jesus in ________________ that very day.
3. Not only the thief on the cross was given that promise, but so is every saved person today, because II Corinthians 5:8 says, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be ______________ with the Lord.”
So paradise is the third heaven, and that is where Jesus and the
thief on the cross were going that very day — the moment they died.
The same promise is given to Christians today.
4. Hebrews 9:24 says that Christ is entered into “heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of ______ for us.”
5. According to Psalm 11:4, “the Lord’s ____________ is in heaven.”
6. Solomon was asking God to hear prayer “in heaven thy ________________ place.” (I Kings 8:30)
7. In II Chronicles 7:14, God said that if His people would humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways, then he would “hear from ____________,” and would answer their prayers.
Note: These verses tell us that the third heaven is the dwelling place of God, and that it is called paradise. This is where God’s throne is; where Jesus is now; and where saved people who have passed away are presently residing.
Man does not really have a special term to designate the third heaven, for it is higher than the stars and planets. It is normally just called heaven, because it is beyond man’s realm of observation. Psalm 103:11 refers to this when it says, “the heaven is ________ above the earth.” To distinguish the third heaven from the others, the Bible sometimes calls it “the heaven and ____________ of heavens,” as in I Kings 8:27. In other words, it is “the heaven above all others.”
Question: If God’s throne and dwelling place is in heaven, and if Jesus has now ascended up to heaven, then why do people say, “Jesus is in my heart” or “Jesus is with us here as we pray”?
a. Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “lo, I am with you __________.”
b. According to John 16:28, Jesus said, “I __________ the world, and go to the Father.”
c. Matthew 18:20 states, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the __________ of them.”
d. According to Acts 1:9-11, Jesus was taken up from them into ____________.
e. Jesus said in Revelation 3:20 that, “if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come ____ to him, and will sup with him.”
Note: How can we possibly understand these verses of Scripture which seem to be contradicting each other? Other Scriptures answer this question.
f. I Kings 8:27 records a prayer of Solomon as he was dedicating the new temple he had built for God. He realized something very important when he said, “behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot ______________ thee; how much less this house that I have builded?”
g. According to Jeremiah 23:24, no one can hide from God because He “__________ heaven and earth.”
h. Psalm 139:7 says, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy ________________?”
God is always everywhere at once. This includes
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Note: Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit in John 14:16,26, and said, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will ________ in my name.”
But why would He send Him when He (the Holy Spirit) was already upon earth, even throughout the Old Testament? I Samuel 16:13 says, “the ___________ of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.”
The answer regarding how the Holy Spirit could be sent when He was already here is found in John 14:17. It says, “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth ________ you (right now), and shall be ____ you (future).”
The Holy Spirit was with God’s people in Old Testament times, but then Jesus came to earth. After His departure from the earth, the Holy Spirit would be coming for a special ministry in God’s people. Not just with them now, but in them.
The same truth applies to Jesus. He had a special ministry “in the flesh” upon earth, and then He ascended back to heaven. The Bible says, “And the Word was made __________, and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14) Describing His departure, the Bible says, “And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into ____________.” (Luke 24:51)
But this certainly does not mean that Jesus is no longer around, because He said in Matthew 28:20, “lo, I am with you __________, even unto the end of the word.”
So it is proper to say, “Jesus is in heaven,” and
“Jesus is in my heart,” if you are a Christian. Both
statements are true, according to these Bible verses.
In fact, a Christian is not only indwelt by the Holy Spirit and by Jesus, but also by God the Father. The Bible says in John 14:23, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and WE will come unto him, and make OUR __________ with him.” So God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are present with the Christian at all times.
REVIEW:
1. Paul was caught up to the __________ heaven.
2. In the first heaven, you will find birds, clouds, rain, snow, and dew. We commonly refer to this area as the ____________________.
3. The sun, moon, stars, and planets are also said to be in heaven (we assume the second heaven). We normally call this area __________.
4. Another name for the third heaven is ________________.
5. Not only the thief on the cross was promised to be with the Lord in paradise, but every __________ person is given the promise “to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
6. The Lord’s throne is in ____________.
7. When the Bible refers to “the heaven of heavens,” it is referring to the heaven __________ all others.
8. Jesus promised believers, “lo, I am ________ you alway.”
9. Jesus also said, “I leave the __________ and go to the Father.”
10. We can understand these two verses in part, because God “fills heaven and __________.”
11. The other part of our understanding is to realize that although God is everywhere at all times, He also chooses to have one member of the Trinity come for a ______________ ministry at times (like when Jesus came in the flesh to earth, and like when the Holy Spirit came to indwell believers).
Chapter 2
II. Why Is There A Heaven?
A. To separate good from evil.
1. Luke 16:19-26 describes “a great ________ fixed” between heaven and hell, so that no one can pass over from one place to the other. (vs.26)
This tells us that lost people in hell never have a second chance
to be saved. If they did, Abraham would have surely told him to
just be patient and wait until “his time was up.”
Illustration: What do you tell a child who is hurting and itching terribly with the chicken pox? “Just don’t itch them! Try and remain calm, and they will all be gone in a few days.”
But Abraham could give no such false hope to the rich man in hell. Throughout all of eternity, there will be no way to ever be relieved of the torment in hell, and no way to ever cross over to heaven.
Have you ever wondered if anyone could mess up some-
day in heaven, and then be kicked out of it down to hell?
Well, the answer is “No!” There are no trap doors in
heaven. All who enter there are forever with the Lord.
There is no way to get from heaven to hell.
2. According to Revelation 21:27, nothing can enter into heaven that defileth, neither worketh abomination, nor maketh a ____________.
3. Outside of the gates of the heavenly city are “dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and _________________, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” (Revelation 22:14,15)
Note: So heaven is a place in which nothing evil can enter. It is a place to separate good from evil for all of eternity. For more on this point, please refer to the previous booklet on the subject: Hell.
— Another reason why there is a heaven:
B. To give comfort and rest.
1. According to Luke 16:19-25, Lazarus “was __________ by the angels into Abraham’s bosom” (up to heaven). (vs.22)
2. In verse 25, the rich man is told that Lazarus received evil things during his lifetime upon earth, “but now he is ______________.”
Illustration: What do you do for a child who has fallen down and been hurt, and is crying? You pick him up and hold him.
What do you do when a little child has been scared by a dog, or by lightning and thunder, or by a bad dream, and is crying? You pick her up and hold her.
What you are doing in both instances is comforting the child. And that is the exact picture we get of Lazarus in heaven.
First, he is picked up by the angels and carried to heaven. But he is not deposited in a big room all by himself, like a crying child left off at the day care center — from his mother’s arms to an unfamiliar and large place. There is no such treatment for Lazarus.
Secondly, he is placed directly into Abraham’s bosom — his lap.
What a beautiful picture of comfort, after having faced such a lonely,
painful life. The moment Lazarus dies, he is passed from
the loving arms of one, to the the loving arms of another.
3. Revelation 14:13 says that those who die in the Lord are blessed, because “they may ________ from their labours.”
4. In John 14:2, we are told that in the Father’s house are many ___________.
5. According to verses 2 and 3 of that chapter, Jesus has gone to “____________ a place for you” (for believers).
6. After He has it prepared, He promises to one day “come again, and __________ you unto myself.” (vs.3)
7. According to Luke 12:37, those who are faithfully watching for Jesus’ return will be seated down to a meal, and Jesus “will come forth and __________ them” (serve them the meal).
Illustration: Heaven is not a place like America was when the pilgrims arrived here. At that time, this country was big and beautiful, but it was also rough and wild. It required a lot of back-breaking work to get lumber for homes. It was a land of great potential, but it was certainly not a place of rest. A lot of hard work had to be done!
Heaven is big and beautiful, but the work there has already been done. The mansions will be built and waiting for us. The streets will already be paved with gold. At our first meal there, we will not even have to cook. We will not even have to walk around and pick up our food, because Jesus will serve it to us. We will truly enter into a place of rest!
REVIEW:
1. The first reason there is a heaven is to ________________ good from evil.
2. Between heaven and hell there is a great _____________ fixed.
3. Outside of the heavenly city are murderers, idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a __________.
4. The second reason there is a heaven is to give _______________ and rest.
5. Lazarus was ______________ by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.
6. Although Lazarus received evil things upon earth, in heaven he was __________________.
7. Those who die in the Lord are blessed because they may ________ from their labors.
8. Jesus has gone to heaven to _____________ a place for us.
9. Those who are faithfully watching for Jesus’ return will be seated to a meal in heaven, and __________ will serve it to them.
Chapter 3
III. What Is It Like In Heaven?
A. It is a place of beauty.
1. Hebrews 12:22 refers to “the city of the living God, the _______________ Jerusalem.”
2. A further description of that heavenly city is given in Revelation 21. Please read it and fill in the following blanks.
a. Verse 2 likens the beauty of that city unto “a ___________ adorned for her husband.”
Note: A bride is the most beautiful person in the world to her groom. She makes herself up that way on purpose, because she wants to be pleasing in his sight. The heavenly city, new Jerusalem, is also very beautiful. It was made to be pleasing to the sight of those who will inhabit it forever.
b. This holy city is a creation of God, because it is seen “descending out of _____________ from God.” (vs. 10)
c. This city has the glory of God, and has a dazzling light “like unto a _________ most precious,” according to verse 11.
Think about light sparkling in a diamond as you gaze at it.
That is how beautiful the light in heaven will be!
d. The size of the city is very impressive!
1.) According to (vs.16), it is __________ furlongs long, wide, and high.
2.) A furlong is about 607 feet, which means that the size of the city is __________________ feet long, and __________________ feet wide, and __________________ feet high!
3.) A mile is 5,280 feet. That means that the heavenly city is about __________ miles long, and __________ miles wide, and __________ miles high!
Illustration: As the crow flies, the city would be about as long as the distance the Mackinaw Bridge in Michigan is from Miami, Florida; and about as wide as the distance the Mackinaw Bridge is from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In terms of square miles, the heavenly city, New Jerusalem,
is going to cover 1,903,020 square miles. That figures out to be
over half of the area of the United States. Just think
of it — one city bigger than half of the United States!
But that is not all, the heavenly city is as tall as it is wide! As of the date of this writing, the tallest building in the world is the Sears Tower in Chicago. It is 1,454 feet tall. That is a little over 1/4 of a mile high. Architects want to see a mile high building erected. They say it is possible from an engineering standpoint, but that it would be financially unprofitable to the owner at this point.
Think of the heavenly city — it is beyond comprehension
as to its size. It goes up, not 1/4 of a mile, not 1 mile,
but 1,379½ miles into the sky!
Exactly how the city is built that high or the shape of it, we are not told. But there is a wall running around the outside of the city that is ______ cubits tall, according to verse 17. If a cubit equals 18 inches, then how high is the wall running around the city? ______ feet high.
e. According to verse 18, the building of the wall of the city is made of ____________.
Note: Verse 11 describes this stone as being “clear as ______________.”
Illustration: The wisdom of having an outer wall that high made out of jasper stone as clear as crystal is readily apparent. Just talk to some people from New York City. Many of their streets never see direct sunlight because of the many tall buildings around them. New proposed high rise buildings are meeting with much opposition there in that city. Any building higher than 75 feet is considered to be a high rise. Think of the wall around New Jerusalem — 216 feet high! But there are no dark, shadowy corners or streets in heaven, because the walls are clear as crystal, and thus let light through, creating a bright, cheery place.
f. The above material refers to this outer wall running around the outside of the city, but everything inside the city is “pure ________, like clear glass.” (vs.18)
The interior of the city is pure gold as clear as glass.
When gold, silver, or some other precious metal is placed smoothly
over the backside of a piece of glass, what do you have? A mirror!
The heavenly city is going to be like one huge mirror.
Illustration: The John Hancock Tower in Boston is 790 feet high, and it is covered with reflective glass. Because it is so high and reflects the clouds and sky like a big mirror, people say that it “disappears in the sky.”
Can you imagine how beautiful the heavenly city, New Jerusalem, is going to be? The city will “disappear in the sky” as it reflects the glory and majesty of God! The huge city will not draw attention to its wonderful architecture, but to its glorious Architect!
g. According to verses 14, 19, & 20, of how many layers does the foundation consist? ____ layers
Note: The foundation of most homes is barely visible, and only shows for about 6 to 12 inches. Because it does not show very much, it is usually not covered with anything — it is just gray-looking cement or cement blocks. But look at the foundations to this city! Name the different precious stones used to garnish it.
1.) 2.)
3.) 4.)
5.) 6.)
7.) 8.)
9.) 10.)
11.) 12.)
h. What things are going to be used to make the 12 gates? (vs.21) ____________
i. That same verse tells us “the street of the city was pure ________, as it were transparent glass.”
j. What provides light for the city, according to verse 23? ________________________
Note: What a dazzling picture of beauty the Bible paints of the heavenly city! Just make certain that YOU will be there!
— What Is It Like In Heaven?
B. It is a place of safety.
1. According to Revelation 21:25, the gates to the heavenly city will not need to be shut, because there will be no __________ there.
Note: People are much more afraid when it gets dark, because wicked deeds are often done under cover of darkness so the evil person will not be recognized.
2. John 3:20 says, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the __________,” because the light shows his evil deeds.
3. Weapons are sometimes carried, “because of ________ in the night.” (Song of Solomon 3:8)
4. Job 24:16 says of wicked people, “In the dark they ______ through houses.”
5. The next verse says that the morning light brings fear to them “if one ________ them.”
Note: People do evil deeds in the darkness so no one can see their faces, and thus bring them to justice.
But in the heavenly city, there is “no need of the ______, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” (Revelation 21:23)
The fact that there will be no darkness or night
there in heaven will rule out a lot of fears.
6. Revelation 21:24 says “the nations of them which are __________ shall walk in the light” of the heavenly city.
7. According to Revelation 22:14,15, “______________ (the city) are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”
8. Where these unsaved people are kept without the city is told in Revelation 20:15 — in the ________________________.
9. No one who is not written in the Lamb’s _______________________ can enter into the heavenly city. (Revelation 21:27)
10. Once again, Revelation 21:8 says the evil group will “have their part in the lake which burneth with ________ and __________________.”
11. This evil group also includes the devil and his helpers, because Revelation 20:10 says they are cast into the lake of ________ and __________________.
Note: Safety is assured in heaven, because there is no darkness there, and no evil people to do wicked deeds.
— What Is It Like In Heaven?
C. It is a place of rewards.
1. Hebrews 9:27 says that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the ________________.”
Note: To the unbelievers, this judgment will be the sentencing to different degrees of punishment. They are “judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their __________.” (Revelation 20:12)
But concerning believers, they will stand before another judgment. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of ____________; that every one may receive the things done in his body.” (II Corinthians 5:10)
2. I Corinthians 3:11-15 tells more about the Christian’s judgment. Please read it and answer the questions below.
a. According to verse 11, our foundation is _______________________.
b. On top of this foundation, verse 12 says it is possible to build a life with several different materials:
1.) 4.)
2.) 5.)
3.) 6.)
c. But verse 13 shows that caution should be used as to which material we use, because “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by ________; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”
You will quickly notice that the most important matter
at this judgment is not the amount of a person’s works,
but the sort or quality of them.
1.) What does fire do to “wood, hay, and stubble?” _____________________
2.) What does fire do to precious metals? ____________________________
(Psalm 12:6 gives you a clue: “The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, _________________ seven times.”) So the believer’s works face the test of fire to see how pure they are.
d. If any believer’s works make it through the fire without being consumed, “he shall receive a ____________,” according to verse 14.
e. If his work is consumed by the fire, “he shall suffer ________” (the loss of rewards). (vs.15)
3. II Timothy 2:12 says if we suffer (for Jesus’ sake here on earth) then “we shall also __________ with him.”
4. The story given in Matthew 25:14-23 is given to illustrate the kingdom of ____________. (vs.14)
a. The first servant received ____ talents. (vs.15a)
b. The second servant received ____ talents. (vs.15b)
c. The third servant received ____ talent. (vs.15c)
d. After a long time, “the lord of those servants ____________,” and reckoned with them. (vs.19)
e. The servant with 5 talents traded with them to gain ____ more talents. (vs.16)
f. The servant with 2 talents used them to gain ____ more talents. (vs.17)
g. The servant with 1 talent dug in the ground and ______ the money. (vs.18)
h. “After a _______ time,” the lord of those servants returned, and settled up accounts with his servants. (vs.19)
i. Because the servant with 5 talents had gained 5 more, he was rewarded by being made “__________ over many things.” (vss.20,21)
j. The servant with 2 talents who had also gained 2 more, was also rewarded by being made “__________ over many things.” (vss.22,23)
k. The servant who had 1 talent, and who went and hid it was cast “into outer _________________: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (vss.24-30)
Note: This parable is given to illustrate the “kingdom of heaven,” according to verse 14. God has given each of us certain abilities to use for His glory. Two out of the three people did, and they were richly rewarded for it. They had been faithful in a few things; but in each case, they were made ruler over many things when the Lord returned. Even so will it be with us when the Lord returns, if we are faithful in serving Him now.
The people who fear the Lord, but never bother to serve Him, may very well be like the man with one talent. He ended up being cast into “outer darkness,” where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (vs.30) It is clear that he was cast into hell. He was just a pretender, and not really a possessor of eternal life. The man was never really saved.
5. II Timothy 2:5 reminds us that a man is not crowned, “except he strive ________________.”
Note: This tells us again that the things done in the wrong way will receive no heavenly reward. We must do the right things — in the right ways!
6. According to Matthew 19:30, “many that are first shall be ________; and the last shall be __________.”
This tells us that many people who seem to be first
in serving God right now, are not going to be first concerning
rewards in heaven. The reason is that they either have the wrong
motives, or the wrong methods in serving the Lord.
REVIEW:
1. The beauty of the heavenly city is likened unto a __________ adorned for her husband.
2. The wall of the heavenly city is made of ____________, which is as clear as crystal.
3. When gold, silver, or some other precious metal is placed smoothly on the backside of a piece of glass, that glass becomes a ____________. The heavenly city will be like a huge one, causing the city to “disappear in the sky” as it reflects the glory of God.
4. Each gate of the heavenly city is made up of one big __________.
5. The street of the city is pure ________.
6. The gates of the city will never need to be shut, because there will be no __________ there.
7. There will be no need of the sun, moon, or stars in the heavenly city, because the glory of God and the ________ will lighten it.
8. Lost people are not allowed to enter the heavenly city, so where will they be kept? ________________________________
9. All believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of ____________.
10. Our foundation is _______________________.
11. What will try our works to see of what sort they are? ________
12. The most important matter at the Judgment Seat of Christ is not the amount of a person’s works, but the sort or ______________ of them.
13. If your works can make it through the fire, then you will receive a _____________.
14. If your works are consumed by the fire, then you will suffer the ________ of rewards.
15. Being faithful in a few things here on earth, will result in being made ruler over _________ things in heaven.
16. Many that are first right now, will be ________ in obtaining heavenly rewards someday, because they have the wrong motives or methods in serving the Lord.
Chapter 4
IV. Who Will Go to Heaven?
A. Only those who realize that they are sinners.
1. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned, and come __________ of the glory of God.”
Illustration: Does it matter how close you come to the finish line in a race if you do not actually make it across? No. If you do not actually make it across, then you are considered not to have even finished the race. You are thus technically disqualified for being short of the finish line.
If a race car crashes just a few feet from the finish line, it is disqualified from the race. If a runner stumbles and falls just a few feet from the finish line and gets hurt, he does not officially finish the race, unless he can get across the finish line.
No matter how good a person might be, he has still come
short of God’s glory. What is the standard for God’s glory?
2. According to Matthew 5:48, we are to be ______________, even as our Father in heaven is perfect.
Note: You may know some people that you would call good, but you have never met a perfect person. If you think you have, your problem is that you have not yet spent enough time with him/her!
3. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says that “there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth ________, and sinneth not.”
— Who Will Go to Heaven?
B. Only those who repent of their sin.
1. Jesus tells us in Luke 5:32 that He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to ____________________.
2. He also said in Matthew 9:12 that they who are whole do not need a physician, “but they that are ________.”
Repentance means “a change of mind.” You change your
mind about sin, and you have the desire for
the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse you and transform your life.
3. The Bible says, “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise ____________.” (Luke 13:3)
4. Acts 3:19 tells us to ____________ and be converted that our sins may be blotted out.
— Who Will Go to Heaven?
C. Only those who are related to God.
1. I Corinthians 6:9,10 tells us twice that the unrighteous shall not “____________ the kingdom of God.”
Note: Heaven is not something you can inherit through your parents. In fact, you inherit something from them that keeps you out of heaven — a sin nature!
a. Romans 5:12 tells us, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death ____________ upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
b. According to Psalm 51:5, “I was shapen in iniquity, and in ______ did my mother conceive me.”
You may inherit some earthly possessions from your
parents, but you have to inherit heaven from God Himself!
The question is, “How do you get related to God?”
2. John 4:24 says that, “God is a __________: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
3. I Corinthians 15:50 tells us that “__________ and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.”
Question: How can we get related to God when He is a Spirit, and we are flesh and blood — and spiritually dead on top of that?
A person was needed who is both God, and yet man. How
else could you bridge the gulf? This was the only possible way
that man could ever get in line to inherit the kingdom of God.
4. Luke 1:26-38 describes how Jesus fulfilled both of those requirements, because the ____________________ came upon Mary, and the power of the Highest would overshadow her; therefore, she would give birth to the Son of God.
5. According to I Timothy 2:5, Jesus is the ________________ between God and men.
Note: Jesus is the Mediator, the go-between between God and man. It took a miraculous birth to produce such a person. He is fully God, and yet fully man — just exactly what was needed to allow man to get related to God, and thus be able to inherit heaven.
So there is now only one problem left. How can you, personally, get related to Jesus Christ so you can inherit the kingdom of God through Him?
6. John 1:12 tells us that “as many as ________________ him (Jesus), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
7. Speaking of Jesus, II Corinthians 5:21 says that although He knew no sin, He was made sin for us (on the cross when He suffered and died for our sins), “that we might be made the __________________________ of God in him.”
All of the barriers that keep us out of heaven are
overcome through Jesus Christ. By receiving Him,
we are related to God. By receiving Him, we are
declared perfectly righteous before God.
REVIEW:
1. All people have come __________ of the glory of God.
2. The standard of God’s glory is to be ______________, even as our Father in heaven.
3. Jesus did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to ____________________.
4. Repentance means “a change of mind.” You change your mind about ______, and you have the desire for the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse you and transform your life.
5. Heaven is not something you can inherit through your parents; in fact, you inherit something from them that keeps you out of heaven — a ______ nature.
6. Flesh and blood cannot ______________ the kingdom of God.
7. To get us related to God, someone was needed who is both ______, and yet man.
8. Jesus fulfilled that requirement when He was miraculously born of the virgin ________.
9. Jesus is the ________________ between God and men.
10. Those who ______________ Jesus are given the power to become the sons of God.
11. Jesus never sinned, but He was made sin for us on the cross, that we might be made the __________________________ of God in Him.
Chapter 5
V. How Long Will People Be In Heaven?
A. Heaven as it is right now.
1. In Luke 23:43, Jesus told the repentant thief on the cross, “To day shalt thou be with me in ________________.”
2. According to II Corinthians 12:2, Paul was “caught up to the __________ heaven,” and in verse 4 he describes that as being “caught up into paradise.”
3. Jesus told Peter in John 13:36, “Whither I go, thou canst not follow me ______; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.”
4. II Corinthians 5:8 says, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be ______________ with the Lord.”
5. I Thessalonians 4:17 closes by saying, “so shall we ever be ________ the Lord.”
What we have seen, thus far, is that Jesus went to the “third heaven”
or “paradise” after His death on the cross. The repentant thief would join Him
there that same day, and the disciples would also follow Him there when they died.
We, too, are given the promise of being with the Lord when we leave these bodies through death.
That means that we will spend time in that third heaven or paradise with Jesus.
But much to the surprise of many, the Bible does not promise an eternity in that third heaven. The promise of II Corinthians 5:8 is “to be PRESENT WITH THE LORD,” and the promise of I Thessalonians 4:17 is, “so shall we ever be WITH THE LORD.” The promise is clearly that we will always be with Jesus throughout all of eternity. The question now becomes, “Where is Jesus going to be at different times in eternity? Right now, Jesus is in that third heaven, so all believers who have died are there right now (notice II Corinthians 5:8 again).
B. Heaven after the Rapture.
1. Jesus told His disciples in John 14:1,2, “I go to ______________ a place for you.”
2. In verse 3 of that same chapter He says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and ______________ you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
3. I Thessalonians 4:13-18 describes how He will come again to receive us.
a. Verse 14 of this passage says, “even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring ________ him.”
b. Verse 16 says, “the dead in Christ shall rise __________.”
Note: Believers who have died and gone to be with Jesus will come back with Him, and will receive their new glorified bodies first.
c. Then verse 17 says, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the ________ in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Note: All believers still alive upon earth at the rapture will instantly “be ______________, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…” (I Corinthians 15:51,52)
4. After the rapture, we will then be with Jesus in the third heaven for 7 years, which is the length of the Tribulation Period then taking place upon earth.
a. According to Revelation 11:3, God’s two witnesses will prophesy for how long? __________ days or ____ years
b. When their job is finished, Revelation 11:7 says the beast “shall overcome them, and ________ them.”
c. According to Revelation 12:1-6, the “woman” (Israel) will need protection for how long? __________ days or ____ years
Note: So the Tribulation Period is 3½ years plus 3½ years, which equals 7 years.
Christians who have died and are in the third heaven right now with Jesus, will leave there and come back with Jesus at the Rapture to get us and to receive their glorified bodies. Then we will all return to the third heaven with Jesus, to spend the next 7 years there.
C. Heaven after the Tribulation Period.
1. Zechariah 14:5 says, “and the Lord my God shall come, and all the ____________ with thee.”
2. Revelation 19:11-21 describes the Lord’s return at that time in more detail, and says, “the ____________ which were in heaven followed him…” (verse 14)
Note: The Tribulation Period ends when Jesus comes with the armies of heaven to be the victor of the Battle of Armageddon.
If all the saints come with Him, then we will leave the
third heaven and come to earth for a period of time.
The question is, “How long do we then stay upon earth?”
The next section will answer that question.
D. Heaven during the Millennium.
1. According to Revelation 20:2, Satan is bound for a ________________ years (during the Millennium).
2. Then we see in verses 4-6 of that same chapter, that believers “shall reign with him (Christ) a ________________ years.”
Note: The word millennium is a Latin word meaning “one thousand.” It is used in Christian literature to refer to the thousand year reign of Christ upon earth. This is what the Jews are still waiting for — the Messiah to rule upon earth.
Remember the promise of I Thessalonians 4:17, “So shall we ever be ________ the Lord.”? If Jesus is going to rule and reign upon earth for a thousand years; and if we are always going to be with the Lord; then we must leave the third heaven and be with Him upon earth for a thousand years.
Where do we go from there? The next section will answer that question.
E. Heaven in eternity.
1. According to Revelation 20:2,3, after the thousand years are fulfilled, Satan is loosed for “a ____________ season.”
2. After Satan is loosed, he goes “out to ______________ the nations.” (Revelation 20:7,8)
3. Verse 8 tells how successful he is at getting people to rebel against God. He gathers them together to battle, “the number of whom is as the ________ of the sea.”
4. Verse 9 of that same chapter tells the outcome of that battle — “________ came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”
5. The devil is then “________ into the lake of fire and brimstone.” (Revelation 20:10)
Note: The earth faces another great and terrible battle, and a great amount of blood is shed. What does God now do?
6. Revelation 21:1,2 says that God then makes a “new ____________ and a new __________.”
7. Verse 2 also states that “the holy city, new Jerusalem” comes down from God ______ of heaven.
8. According to verse 22 of that same chapter, there is no temple in the holy city, because “the Lord God Almighty and the ________ are the temple of it.”
At this point, God creates a brand new heaven and earth.
He brings the heavenly city which He has prepared down to the new earth.
God dwells in the city, because the Father and the Son are the temple of it.
At this point, time is not referred to any more. There is no event left on the
Bible calendar after this. As far as we know, this is the setup for all of eternity.
Note: Remember once again the promise of I Thessalonians 4:17? “So shall we ________ be WITH THE LORD.”
If the Lord is upon the new earth in the heavenly city for all of eternity, then that is where we will be. But does the Scripture agree with that teaching, that we end up back here in a situation we would describe as “heaven (the heavenly city) upon earth?”
a. Psalm 37:9 says those who wait upon the Lord “shall inherit the __________.”
b. Verse 11 of that same chapter says “the meek shall inherit the __________.”
c. Matthew 5:5 also says the meek “shall inherit the __________.”
Note: At death, we who are saved immediately go to be with the Lord in paradise (the third heaven). We will be there until the end of the Tribulation Period. At that point, we will come back to earth with Christ as He wins the Battle of Armageddon. He then sets up the Millennium, which is His thousand year reign upon earth. We will rule and reign with Him upon earth. At the end of the Millennium, Satan is loosed and leads a rebellion against God; Satan is defeated and is cast into the lake of fire. God then creates a new heaven and earth, and brings down the heavenly city, New Jerusalem, to earth. So in the sense we normally think of heaven, heaven will then be upon earth for all eternity — for we will spend eternity “with the Lord.”
REVIEW:
1. Jesus told the repentant thief, “To day shalt thou be with me in ________________.”
2. We are confident, “and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be _____________ with the Lord.”
3. Right now, Jesus is in the third ___________, so all believers who have died are there with Him.
4. After the rapture, we will then be with Jesus in the _______________________ for 7 years.
5. At the end of the Tribulation Period, Jesus will come back to earth, “and all the ____________ with thee.”
6. The Lord stays upon earth at that point for a ________________ years, and we will be ruling and reigning with Him here.
7. What Latin word is used as a name for that period of time? ____________________
8. After Satan is put down for his final revolt, God creates a new ____________ and a new _________.
9. What does God then bring down upon that new earth? _________________________________________________
10. Those who wait upon the Lord shall inherit the ___________.
11. The meek shall inherit the __________.
12. We will spend eternity “_______ the Lord.”
Final Test
Heaven
Please study your notes carefully before taking this test. When you are finished, please return this entire booklet to us for grading. We will return this booklet back to you, along with the next available Bible Course booklet. May God richly guide and bless you!
1. In the first heaven, you find birds, clouds, rain, and snow. We commonly call this area the ______________________.
2. The second heaven is where the sun, moon, stars, and planets are. We usually call this area __________.
3. Another name the Scripture gives to the third heaven is _______________.
4. The thief on the cross was promised a place in ______________ with Jesus that very same day.
5. The Lord’s throne is in _____________.
6. Although God is everywhere at all times, he chooses to have one member for the Trinity come for a ______________ ministry at times.
7. One reason there is a heaven is to _______________ good from evil.
8. Between heaven and hell there is a great ________ fixed.
9. Another reason there is a heaven is to give comfort and ________.
10. The beauty of heaven is likened unto a __________ adorned for her husband.
11. The wall of the heavenly city is made of ____________, which is as clear as crystal.
12. Each gate of the city is made of one big _________.
13. The street of that city is made of pure ________.
14. The gates of the city will never need to be shut, because there will be no __________ there.
15. All believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of _____________.
16. The most important matter there, will not be the amount of a person’s works, but the sort or ______________ of them.
17. If your works make it through the fire without being consumed, then you will receive a ____________.
18. Many that are first right now, will be ________ in obtaining heavenly rewards someday, because they have the wrong motives or methods in serving the Lord.
19. Heaven is not something you can inherit from your parents; in fact, you inherit something from them that keeps you out of heaven — a ______ nature.
20. To get us related to God, someone was needed who was both ______, and yet man.
21. __________ fulfilled that requirement when He was miraculously born of the virgin Mary.
22. Those who receive __________ are given the power to become the sons of God.
23. Right now, Jesus is in the third ____________, so all believers who have died are there with Him.
24. After the Rapture, we will be with Jesus in the ________________________ for 7 years.
25. At the end of the Tribulation Period, Jesus will come back to earth, and all the ____________ with Him.
26. At that point, we will rule and reign with Jesus upon the earth for a ________________ years.
27. What Latin word is used to describe that reign of Christ upon earth? ____________________
28. After Satan is put down for his final revolt, God creates a new ____________ and a new __________.
29. What does God then bring down upon earth? _______________________________________________
30. The meek shall inherit the __________.
31. We will spend eternity “________ the Lord.”
How The Bible Says You Can Be Saved
1. Do you realize that you have sinned? (Rom. 3:23) (I John 1:8)
2. Do you realize the penalty for your sin? (Rom. 6:23)
3. Do you realize that if you die in your sin, you will go to hell? (Psa. 9:17) (Prov. 15:24) (Luke 12:4,5)
4. Do you realize that the Lord Jesus Christ paid that death penalty for you? (Rom. 5:8) (I Pet. 3:18) (I Pet. 2:24)
5. Do you realize that it is only through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that you can be saved, and not through any good works of your own? (I John 1:7) (I Pet. 1:18,19) (Eph. 2:8,9) (Titus 3:5-7)
6. Do you realize that after Jesus died for your sins, He arose victorious from the grave the third day, proving that His sacrifice was sufficient to pay for all of the sins of the whole world? (I Cor. 15:1-4)
7. Do you realize that to be saved you must repent (you must have the desire to turn from your sin and false beliefs, and for the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse you from all your sin)? (Luke 13:3) (Acts 3:19) (Acts 26:20)
8. Do you realize that after you get saved, God’s first command for you is for you to get baptized and then to live for Him? (Acts 2:41) (II Cor. 5:17)
9. Are you ready to now pray and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of all your sins, and to save you? (John 1:12) (Rom. 10:13) (I John 5:13)
* If you are, then bow your head right now and confess to God that you are a sinner deserving judgment. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of all your sins, and to save you. Ask Him to cleanse your life, and to give you the power to live for Him. Ask Him to lead you to a good, Bible-preaching church, where you can follow the first command after salvation — that of getting baptized and publicly confessing your faith in Him. Ask Him to help you find some good Christian friends to encourage you in the faith and to help you grow.
q — I have just asked the Lord Jesus Christ to save me.
________________________________________________
(sign name here)
________________________________________________
(date)
* If you have just received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please write to us at the address below,
or copy this page and send it to us via email, so that we may rejoice with you.
#BC-E-105 @ 1991, 2003 LIBERTY GOSPEL TRACTS
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