Visitations to Heaven or Hell

by Jannie

Introduction

Please read this short meditation to the end – and study the Scripture references with your Bible and Holy Spirit (not catechists of human institutions and especially not the novels of man); and if you consider this very meditation as a mere commentary, then be fair and give this author at least as good a chance as your other “teachers” and authors?

Ponder, for a start, Jn 14:6; 2 Cor 5:7; Eph 2:8-9; 1 Tim 2:5 and Heb 11:1,6.

Now, let’s examine this idea [claim] of attempting to lead people to Jesus Christ by scare tactics where they first have to see the horror [catastrophic demise] in hell or to be enticed by the splendour of heaven, as perceived by these prognosticators acting as agents for Jesus Christ, as if Jesus failed, despite His words in even just Jn 3:15-21; 14:23-26; and Jn 19:30.  The fundamental error in this tactic is that these people then are not saved by [their] faith, but by selfish considerations, contradicting The Gospel of Jesus Christ (Gal 1:6-9), and more than sixty Scriptures such as Hab 2:4; Lk 7:50; Rom 1:17; 4:5; 10:9-10; 2 Cor 5:7; Gal 3:11; Eph 2:8; Phil 2:17; Heb 10:38-39; 11:1,6. There is of course, also 1 Thess 1:8-9 (note the liars in Rev 21:8)…

On this website you’ll find short meditations on heaven and hell.  But let’s start with the typical “church” idea that so many “Christians” run amok with, that is actually centered on fear [self and distrust in God’s Word; and a false teaching in “church” about the words of Jesus in Jn 14:1-2.].  You might be shocked  to, just for now, read Jn 14 on to verses 23-26 and at the end (Rev 21:3), you’ll perhaps better understand  that heaven is real [a “waiting place” for the spirit and soul who has lost the body], but (a) is not our final destination and (b) is not visited by people to return with a report – this is very clear from even just Dt 30:11-12; Mt 23:15,33 (Mt 7:15-23; 10:28; 15:8-11); Jn 3:12-13 and Rom 10:6-8.  Jesus needs no more saviours as explained in Lk 16:22-31 (Heb 10:12-14; Jn 19:30; Rev 16:17).  So, let’s go through the Scriptures again, shall we?

Discussion

Yes, the Bible [Jesus] teaches that Jesus will give bodies back to those saved souls and spirits (Rom 10:9-10) who have lost their bodies, here on earth (1 Cor 15:51-54; 1 Thess 4:13-18), and that this is where we will rule over our thoughts and all in and on the earth [except other man – Mk 10:42-45;  hear Jesus addressing the religious manipulators in Mt 23…], as He obviously has meant for us to function from the beginning.  He is Life, so we should live for Him, not die for Him.  Jesus died for us so that we can live for Him and remain with Him right here (Mt 5:5)! And yes, as a spirit with a soul in a body!  A physical body as His lasting temple right here on earth, but glorified [not liable to death; unlike you know now]!  1 Thess 5:23 to you!

There seems to be an increasing number of testimonies of people who claim to have visited heaven or hell and in offering their alleged testimonies, they supposedly help to provide extra motivation for others to better serve the lord.  Some even claim that Jesus Christ Himself escorted them there on a personal tour, and then brought them back.  But what do Scriptures such as Lk 16:31 (Lk 24:25-27); Jn 3:3,13-15 (Lk 17:21); Rom 10:1-3,6-10 or even Dt 30:11-12 teach us? Moreover, bear in mind 1 Tim 2:5; 1 Jn 2:4 and Gal 1:6-9, and let’s think about this rationally, shall we?

The message of these visitations then, is actually that Jesus failed [is failing] to adequately draw people to Himself through His open demonstration of His Love with His offer on His cross over 2 000 years ago[1], and so need more saviors to help Him to convince people.  This has nothing or little to do with a personal relationship with our Savior, but instead propagates nothing more than the self.  It is selling the idea that your whole purpose is to go to a lovely fantastical floating city called heaven one day – without a body – to enjoy yourself [and is thus Ok now] and that the other retirement village, called hell, is a very scary place.  So they offer the self-indulgence of a blissful place against the prospect of being badly burnt.  A city with one street of gold, and a house as a reward for every one where they all will spend eternity on their lonesome [each soul in their own mansion]?  One street that access all those houses, joined in a huge cube measuring about 1 500 miles square?  Or could it be that the equal cubical dimensions just resembles perfection, and that the one “street” [way like gold, life-giving water – Christ in us] is running through all of the many places [our hearts] in His house [we, the body of Christ, His church], that He prepared by taking guilt away.  Try 1 Jn 3:20-24.  Remember that “My commands” is not “The Law given unto Moses”[2].  For now, consider Jn 1:17; 9:28; 14:14-17,21.

The Bible teaches clearly that Jesus in Jn 14:16,26 said that His Helper would be the Holy Spirit. It is not people with teachings opposing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

For a sober, and obvious Biblical view on this [His] heavenly City (called Jerusalem – Gal 4:24-31; Is 60:14b; Mt 5:14), the true Israel, read the following Scriptures carefully – again:

Amos 8:2; Mt 21:43-45; Acts 10:35; Rom 2:28-29; 3:19-28; 6:14-17; 7:4,6,9,10; 9:7-9, 25,26; 10:1-4,12,13,17-21; Gal 2:4-6,13,14,16-19; 3:7-13; 4:21,30,31; 5:4,18,25; Eph 1:22-3:6,18-21; Rev 21; 1 Cor 3:9,16; and so on). You are already a citizen of heaven if you are in Christ -Eph 2:19; Heb 12:23; 1 Cor 2:13-16; 2 Cor 4:4-7; 6:14-18; 1 Jn 4:17; 5:4-5; Jn 16:33!  Gen 11:4-7; Acts 2:1-6; Rev 21:1,2,24; Heb 11:10,13,16; 12:22; 11:39,40 (Is 60:14; Mt 5:14;  1 Pet 2:4-10).  Note that any practicing falsehood, will not be [enter] this city of Life-light on earth that He wants for now [Rom 10:9-11; Heb 9:16-17] – Jn 1:4, 4:14,24; 11:26; 14:23 (Rev 21:27, 2 Cor 10:5; 11:12-15; 1 Jn 2:4).  Those who were not His people are now His people [believers, true Christians]!…

God [Love] never uses scare tactics or manipulation!  He is a Perfect Father that chooses to have a lasting, living, genuine relationship with any human who chooses to love Him back – and not for their selfish [false] reasons.  If you have dreamt something and it clashes with His Gospel, see Rom 3:4… (Remember Num 23:19; Jn 8:44; Is 55:8-13; Jer 1:12; 1 Sam 15:22,23 to better grasp Heb 6:17-20).

Before quoting a few Scriptures on this subject and then considering this city, consider the following:

The Scriptural way of assessing all that is said (Mt 12:35-37), is to measure it to:-

  1. What did Jesus Christ say about it? What does the Bible say about it (2 Tim 3:16,17)?  In other words, say what Jesus says, as Holy Spirit counsels or teaches or reveals, not thieves [false teachers].  We will do well to trust the Word of God (2 Tim 3:16-17; Gal 1:6-12).
  2. How does Jesus’ obedience to His death, His resurrection, and His present position as Lord [maximum authority], relate to what we say or believe?
  3. What did Jesus demonstrate about it? NB. Contemplate Heb 4:14-16; Eph 4:7- (Jn 3:34) -25.

Now contemplate every word carefully in just the following few Scriptures, if you will:

“… For this commandment which I command you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is it far off.  It is not in heaven, that you should say, Who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it to us, that we may hear and do it?  Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, Who shall go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear and do it?  But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your mind and in your heart, so that you can do it…  I call heaven and earth to witness this day that I have set before you life and death, the blessings, and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live…” – Dt 30:11-14, 19.  (Have you seen the “… may live”? Rom 8:6,11)…

“…  For Christ is the end of the Law as the means of righteousness for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him… But the righteousness based on faith [imputed by God and bringing right relationship with Him] says, Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into Heaven?  That is, to bring Christ down; Or who will descend into the abyss?  That is, to bring Christ up from the dead  [as if we could be saved by our own efforts].  But what does it say?  The Word  (God’s message in Christ) is near you, on your lips and in your heart; that is, the Word (the message, the basis and object) of faith which we preach, because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…” – Rom 10:4,6-10

Luke 16:19-31; and note that the section Lk 17:20,21 is not a parable, but facts given by Jesus Christ.  Read Lk 11:26-31; also Is 8:19-22.  It is clear that Jesus teaches that there is no real communication between the living and the dead.  There is no Biblical evidence of contact between the living and the dead – Lk 16:23-31. Refer to 1 Chron 10:13-14, expanded on in the meditation “Visitations to heaven and hell” The rationale is that (i) if God did not council Saul there (1 Sam 28:6 and 1 Sam 14:37 with Prov 1:25-33), why would God talk to him via demonic activity (imagination and trickery that He forbids – Dt 18:10-14; 2 Cor 11:12-25)?  (ii) Note that Saul perceived it was Samuel (1 Sam 28:14), it was not a real confirmed observation; for (iii) the medium slipped in her act, with her announcement that Samuel was seen by her to have “come up out of the earth”, i.e. hell, (1 Sam 28:13,15), for Samuel would rather have  “come down from heaven” and not “up from hell” (Dt 30:11-14; Rom 10:6-8); and (iv) would furthermore have been unlikely to be summoned by a medium [Dt 18:9-13; 2 Cor 6:14-16; 11:12-15]. Hence other Scriptures like Rev 21:6-8.  Check  2 Cor 11:12-15 and Paul’s warning in Gal 1:6-12 again?  And while at it, consider 1 Cor 1:17-2:21; 3:16-21!  Ponder carefully, 1 Cor 15:22-23 and 1 Thess 4:13-18. Paul also did not want us ignorant concerning the return of Jesus Christ and souls departed. Selah, and ask Holy Spirit’s help.

Even those Babylonian rulers in Is 14:12-15 were condemned to hell through their own haughtiness by having had a claim to go up to heaven [to bring God down].  Study the meditation “Lucifer” to see that these passages are all about [human] Babylonian rulers and a merchant prince (Ez 28:2,9,16) that tried to exalt himself and not an [arch] angel that fell from heaven .  Contemplate the omniscient God of Ps 139:8 with just verse 7 and selah.

Note at 1 Sam 28:14. Saul had to ask “… what form is he of?” (Probably an attempt to verify authenticity by checking on his age and apparel); and she said, “… an old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle”; and because it was what priests or judges wore, and Samuel did in his lifetime, Saul perceived that it was Samuel by the description she gave of him and his apparel.  It is not certain that Saul himself in fact really saw Samuel, even if some claim it seems so by what follows in the original, “that it was Samuel himself”. A problem here remains why Samuel would have “ascended out of the earth” and not rather “come down from heaven”? It cannot reasonably be supposed that it was in the power of the witch, by the assistance of the devil, to fetch it from heaven (Dt 30:10-14; Rom 10:6-8; nor be thought that God would send it on such an errand, to give Saul an answer, when He would not answer him by any prophet on earth, nor in any other way; and especially it seems quite incredible that He should send it at the motion of a witch, and through her enchantments (Dt 18:10-13; Rev 21:8). The true Samuel would not have admitted such worship and homage to be paid him, as is expressed in this last clause, which angelic spirits have refused (Rev 19:10). No, its more probable that the woman pretended, possibly even arranged an act, and Saul upon her suggestion believed that it was Samuel. But that it was not Samuel, but the devil representing Samuel, is sufficiently evident. God detest and contemn these practices and would not so council Saul. At any rate, are there various passages which plainly discover that good spirits would not allow such homage as in 1 Sam 28:14 (Rev 19:10; 22:8-9). 1 Chron 10:13-14 expressly confirms this notion. Furthermore, do other Scriptures, such as Eccl 12:7, Is 57:2 ; Lk 16:22 and Rev 14:13 strongly suggest that those who had lost their bodies (died), that their souls have departed this earth. The only reasonable argument to the contrary is that the devil could not so particularly and punctually discover Saul’s future events as this Samuel would (1 Sam 28:19); but this also has little weight in it, for these were none the less, if any, evil spirits, not deceased humans, revealing them.  We have to bear 2 Cor 10:5 in mind; for nowhere in the Bible will we find that God ever gave (a) vague prophecies like the psychics of the world do (Nostradamus and Da Vinci included that were just too often wrong), always rationalizing [by prognosticators] in hindsight how “detail” were predicted correctly; or (b) un-fulfilled prophecies like false [worldly] men have done ad nausea (and repeatedly get away with it, capitalizing on ignorance and fear, when “Christians” keep buying their novels).  All Biblical period-prophecies were fulfilled exactly as God foretold in His Word, never was there any gap of undetermined length; it is therefore highly unlikely that Daniel 9:24-27 has such a gap.  The reader may be astonished to realize that those critical 7 years can be perfectly explained as having happened between Jn 1:50-51; Mt 3:16-17 [+ 3.5 years to]  Jn 3:15-20 [+ 3.5 years to] Acts 7:54-59. Then, in 70 A.D. Jerusalem was destroyed just as Jesus foretold, while those people that heard/saw Him speak it were still alive (Mt 24:34).

As far as dreams [dreaming] go, do we have references such as Gen 20:3; 28:12; 31:11; 37:5; 40:5; 41:7; Num 12:6; Dt 13:1; Job 33:12-16.  But reading Job 33 in context on to vs 33, we will see that it points to the [then] coming Jesus Christ.  Now this is the point (Heb 2:1-8-17):  look at Eccl 5:2-7.  God will not be mocked, urgently contemplate the whole of Jer 23 and bear in mind that Jesus Christ is mentioned (as in v 5); but carefully note vs 9 onward…  Again consider Heb 8:13; 9:8-15-28…  We see then, that what was valid in the Old, is different [better] in the New [Testament].  Study the meditation by this author entitled “Mixing the Old and the New”, if you will.  Check it out with Jesus Himself.

This author believes many dreams are probably nothing more than heightened subconscious thoughts that were sufficiently uninhibited to become entangled into the conscious perception of reality.  Still, yes, of course Holy Spirit (Jn 4:24; Rom 8:14) can communicate with us as NT believers in any way He wants [need to]… without manipulating…  We have as reference in this context Scriptures such as Acts 8:26; 10:3,10 (Heb 1:14).

Consider Jesus’ words in Jn 14:23-27 concerning what He provided for all of us through His cross – His Spirit [anointing, Christ] dwelling in us permanently as His City whose Light should shine to all the world.  This is not heaven as a city in space somewhere, this is for us here on earth as living sacrifices…  we [on earth] are supposed to be [remain, 1 Thess 4:13-15; 5:23] partakers[3] of the heavenly calling [not us without bodies in heaven-away] here on earth until Jesus Christ returns!!!  Contemplate Heb 2:1-8-18; 2:1-19; but continue – verse for verse – reading and see what He is saying!  Hear 1 Pet 2:1-10; Rev 21:3; Jn 14:18-23-26 as well.  Bare in mind that the book John was written after book of Revelation (“The Revelation[4] of Jesus Christ”, Rev 1:1) by the same author [Author]!

So then, as for the city “not build by human hands” (Acts 7:44-55), in whom God dwells, study the meditations such as “Church”, “Genesis to Revelation”, etc. by the author.  Isaiah 60:14 leads to Mt 5:14; 1 Cor 3:16,17; Eph 2:19-20; 3:2-7; and so on.  We should all take heed not to be dull and fast asleep (Mt 25:1-13).

May we all wake up to what God Himself provided fully over 2 000 years ago!  Think about it, we are 2 000 years into the future of what our Creator and Savior claimed in Jn 19:30 (Rev 16:17)!  Consider what they had 2 000 years ago, and where are we today, so far into the future (Mt 10:8; 1 Pet 2:24; Acts 5:14-16).  Are we further advanced, are we [spiritually] at all where we are supposed to be?  Just say that we, the “de-nominations” (of what God nominated, the factions in Gal 5:19-21), that we are still the adversary of Jesus Christ (Heb 10:13)?  And that this is why He is still waiting to return…

Have you also noticed that Paul (Saul the Pharisee) stopped seeing himself as a Jew, but rather a Christian [someone in Christ and Christ in him]?[5]

Conclusion

Remember that the NT only started – at the soonest – at the cross of Jesus Christ (Heb 9:16-18)!  Jesus was ministering and teaching and explaining to OT people what shortly would happen on His cross for a NT Life in Christ and with Christ – permanently – in us!  The Old system had fleeting [passing, temporarily] glories only; while the New is supposed to show a lasting glory (2 Cor 3:18).  Most people carelessly and superficially shrug this with “we all know that!” but then fail to get out of the ignorant mindsets that this is exactly the point where most of the “denominational” doctrines fall!  Because they preach teachings of Jesus Christ about what would happen at/after His cross and burial as if they must still happen for us!  Hence false doctrines of infant baptism, a city floating in space (Jn 14:2 not read up to verses 23-27); “rapture-teachings” and so on…  But these subjects are all discussed in the short meditations by this author named by the appropriate subjects. Read them if you will and please correct this author if he is wrong by referencing the Bible and Jesus Christ (Acts 16:7)…

1 Thess 5:23 to you!  (If you are interested in hell (?), read the meditation with that title on this same website – www.gospel-truth.co.za).   It has nothing to do with us in Christ and Christ in us!

Peace [God’s grace] to you…

And sweet dreams…

… in Jesus’ name!

[1] Jn 3:13-21; 8:28; 12:32-33 (…  Jesus lifted on the cross would/will draw men unto Himself…)

[2] See the meditation by the author entitled “The Covenant and the Law”, if you will.

[3] Eph 2:4-10; Heb 9:16-17; Rom 8:14-17,29-39; Heb 11:40…

[4] “Revelation” here means to unveil divine mysteries.  Jesus is the Light of men and this Light is the Life of men (Jn 1:1-5)

[5] Acts 26:18; Rom 9:1-26 (note the reference to “them” and “they”, the Jews/Israelites); 10:9-13; Gal 3:16,27-29; 4:21-31.