A HEAVENLY
STUDY
By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)
II. Scriptures related to heaven
III. Heaven in the Nazarean Codicil
V. The righteous will dwell on earth forever
VI. "Paradise" is the abode of the righteous
Question: Where do we
go when we die?
To answer this question, we will need to discard some old
ideas and begin to be oriented towards what the Torah really teaches. This will
be an eye opening exercise for those who have never studied this subject from a
Jewish perspective.
Definition of
"heaven" according to Strong’s:
8064 shamayim, shaw-mah'-yim; dual of an unused singular shameh, shaw-meh'; from an unused root mean. to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perh. alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):-air, X astrologer, heaven (-s).
Note that this definition tells us that Shamayim, heaven, is PLURAL. There is more than one! The Talmud (Chagigah 12b) teach us that there were seven heavens, namely:
Wilon, Rakia, Shehakim, Zebul, Ma'on, Makon, Araboth.
We shall explore these heavens a bit later in this paper. The Sages teach us that Shamayim is a combination of two words:
Aish (fire) and
mayim (water)
So, “heaven” = “fire and water”. If you are accustomed to the concept that heaven is a place of fluffy clouds, then this might be a bit of a different perspective. This concept is extremely important if we are to understand several aspects of how His Majesty King Yeshua obeyed the commands of Torah.
It is also intructive to know that Our Sages teach that Shamayim comes from the Hebrew words sham which mean There. This suggests that when the righteous reach the Olam HaBa, the renewed earth, they will finally be There. Thus we see that heaven has the connotation as the place where HaShem dwells.
Bereshit (Genesis) 14:17-24 After Abram returned from defeating
Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet
him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). Then Melchizedek king of
Heaven was created by G-d Most High:
Bereshit
(Genesis) 21:14-18 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set
them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way
and wandered in the
The angel of God can call to earth from heaven.
Bereshit
(Genesis) 22:6-18 Abraham took the wood for the burnt
offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he
himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to
his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham
replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is
the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will
provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went
on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built
an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his
son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached
out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the HaShem called out to him from heaven, "Abraham!
Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on
the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you
fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He
went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his
son. So Abraham called that place The HaShem Will Provide. And to this day it
is said, "On the mountain of the HaShem it will be provided." The
angel of the HaShem called to Abraham from heaven a second time And said, "I swear by myself, declares the
HaShem, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your
only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the
stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take
possession of the cities of their enemies, And through your offspring all
nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
To study more about
the binding of Isaac, please see the study titled MERIT.
The Angel of the Lord can call from heaven and be heard by men on earth.
Bereshit
(Genesis) 24:5-8 The servant asked him, "What if the woman is
unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to
the country you came from?" "Make sure that you do not take my son
back there," Abraham said. "The HaShem, the God of heaven, who
brought me out of my father's household and my
native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your
offspring I will give this land'--he will send his angel before you so that you
can get a wife for my son from there. If the woman is unwilling to come back
with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my
son back there."
Abraham served the God of heaven
Bereshit
(Genesis) 28:10-18 Jacob left
Heaven has gates and stairways.
Shemot
(Exodus) 16:2-5 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses
and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, "If
only we had died by the HaShem’s hand in
The Israelites ate bread from heaven.
Devarim
(Deuteronomy) 26:8-15 So the HaShem brought us out
of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and
with miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this
land, a land flowing with milk and honey; And now I bring the firstfruits of
the soil that you, O HaShem, have given me." Place the basket before the
HaShem your God and bow down before him. And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things
the HaShem your God has given to you and your household.
When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third
year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the
fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.
Then say to the HaShem your God: "I have removed from my house the sacred
portion and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the
widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your
commands nor have I forgotten any of them. I have not eaten any of the sacred
portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed
any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have
obeyed the HaShem my God; I have done everything you commanded me. Look down
from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and
bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath
to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and
honey."
HaShem's holy dwelling place is heaven.
I
Melachim (Kings) 8:22-28 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the HaShem
in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven
And said: "O HaShem, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven
above or on earth below--you who keep your covenant
of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have
kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have
promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it--as it is today. "Now HaShem, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my
father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to
have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are
careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.' And now, O God of
The highest heaven cannot contain HaShem.
II
Melachim (Kings) 2:1-15 When the HaShem was about to take Elijah up to
heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the HaShem has sent me to
Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
Nehemiah
9:5-6 And the Levites--Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah,
Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah--said: "Stand up and praise the HaShem
your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting." "Blessed be your
glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing
and praise. You alone are the HaShem. You made the heavens, even the highest
heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas
and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of
heaven worship you.
There are multitudes in heaven. Angels!
Tehillim (Psalms) 148:1-5 Praise the HaShem.
Praise the HaShem from the heavens, praise him in the heights above. Praise
him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon, praise him,
all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the
skies. Let them praise the name of the HaShem, for he commanded and they were
created.
Tehillim (Psalms) 123:1-4 {A song of ascents.} I lift up my eyes to
you, to you whose throne is in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the
hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the HaShem our God, till he shows us his mercy. Have mercy
on us, O HaShem, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt. We have
endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant.
HaShem's throne is in heaven.
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 66:1-2 This is what the HaShem says: "Heaven
is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will
build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these
things, and so they came into being?" declares the HaShem. "This is
the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my
word.
Heaven is HaShem's throne.
Zechariah 6:1-7 I looked up again--and there before me were four
chariots coming out from between two
mountains--mountains of bronze! The first chariot had red horses, the second
black, The third white, and the fourth dappled--all of them powerful. I asked
the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these, my lord?" The
angel answered me, "These are the four spirits of heaven, going out
from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. The one with
the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white
horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the
south." When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go
throughout the earth. And he said, "Go throughout the earth!" So they
went throughout the earth.
There are spirits/angels in heaven.
Matityahu (Matthew) 6:9-11 "This, then, is how you should pray:
'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Your
kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us
today our daily bread.
HaShem's will is done in heaven.
Matityahu (Matthew) 19:21-26 Yeshua answered,
"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Then Yeshua said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard
for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to
enter the
We can store up treasure in heaven. It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matityahu (Matthew) 24:32-35 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its
leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these
things, you know that it is near, right at the
door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until
all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my
words will never pass away.
Heaven will pass away.
Marqos (Mark)
Yeshua was taken up into heaven.
Luqas (Luke) 2:8-15 And there were shepherds living out in the
fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared
to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of
great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of
Angels can come from and go to heaven.
Luqas (Luke) 6:20-23 Looking at his disciples, he said:
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
We can have a reward in heaven.
Luqas (Luke) 10:17-20 The seventy-two returned with joy and said,
"Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." He replied,
"I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority
to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy;
nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but
rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Some names are written in heaven.
Yochanan (John) 3:1-21 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named
Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Yeshua at night
and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no
one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with
him." In reply Yeshua declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see
the
No one has ever gone into heaven - except Yeshua.
Yochanan (John)
Where is "My Father's house"?
II Corinthians
We have an immortal body in heaven.
Philippians 3:7 - 4:1 But whatever was to my profit I now
consider loss for the sake of Mashiach. What is
more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of
knowing Mashiach Yeshua
my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may
gain Mashiach And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that
comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Mashiach--the
righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Mashiach and
the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of
sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, And so, somehow, to
attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all
this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that
for which Mashiach Yeshua took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself
yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for
which God has called me heavenward in Mashiach Yeshua. All of us who are mature
should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently,
that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have
already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take
note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have
often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies
of the cross of Mashiach. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their
stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But
our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the
Lord Yeshua Mashiach, Who, by the power that enables him to bring everything
under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like
his glorious body. Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy
and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
Our citizenship is in heaven.
I Tzefet (Peter) 1:1-7 Peter, an apostle of Yeshua Mashiach, To
God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to
Yeshua Mashiach and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and
peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua
Mashiach! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Yeshua Mashiach from the dead, And into an
inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you,
Who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation
that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this
you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer
grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater
worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may
be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Yeshua Mashiach
is revealed.
Our inheritance is in heaven.
Revelation 4:1-2 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in
heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said,
"Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."
At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with
someone sitting on it.
Human spirits have visited heaven.
Revelation 11:3-13 And I will give power to my two witnesses,
and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." These are
the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand
before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from
their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm
them must die. These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain
during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters
into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague
as often as they want. Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast
that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.
Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called
The two witnesses went bodily to heaven.
Ephesians 2:4-10 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, Made
us alive with Mashiach even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Mashiach and seated us with him in the heavenly realms
in Mashiach Yeshua, In order that in the coming ages
he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness
to us in Mashiach Yeshua. For it is by grace you have been saved, through
faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- Not by works, so
that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Mashiach Yeshua
to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We are seated with Mashiach in the heavenly realms.
Yochanan (John) 17:24-26 "Father, I want those you have
given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have
given me because you loved me before the creation of
the world. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know
you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and
will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be
in them and that I myself may be in them."
Those who belong to the Lord will be with Him where He is.
Revelation 7:9-17 After this I looked and there before me was
a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and
language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were
wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they
cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs
to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." All the angels were
standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, Saying:
"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and
strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" Then one of the elders
asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come
from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These
are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their
robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are
before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who
sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they
hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will
not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the
throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their
eyes."
The tribulation saints are before HaShem's throne.
Matityahu (Matthew) 5:34-35 But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either
by heaven, for it is God's throne; Or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or
by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
Heaven is HaShem’s throne.
Matityahu (Matthew) 19:17-30 "Why do you ask me about what is
good?" Yeshua replied. "There is only One
who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." "Which ones?" the man
inquired. Yeshua replied," 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not
steal, do not give false testimony, Honor your father and mother,' and 'love
your neighbor as yourself.'" "All these I have kept," the young
man said. "What do I still lack?" Yeshua answered, "If you want
to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard
this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Yeshua said to his
disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter
the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
If you want to enter life, keep the commandments. It is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven. At the renewal of all things, the apostles will sit on thrones. The people who left family and things for Yeshua will inherit eternal life.
Matityahu (Matthew) 24:29-31 "Immediately after the distress of
those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the
stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly
bodies will be shaken.' "At that time the sign of
the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the
clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with
a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his
elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens
to the other.
The elect shall be gathered from the ends of the heavens.
Luqas (Luke) 10:26-28 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He
answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your
neighbor as yourself.' " "You have answered correctly," Yeshua
replied. "Do this and you will live."
If you love God and your neighbor, you will live.
I Thessalonians 4:13-17 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant
about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no
hope. We believe that Yeshua died and rose again and so we believe that God
will bring with Yeshua those who have fallen asleep
in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still
alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede
those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,
with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Mashiach will rise first. After that, we who are
still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
If the dead are raised first; where are they now?
When we talk about the British kingdom of yesteryear, we
are not necessarily talking about
This concept of a
kingdom is very important. It helps us to understand the following passages:
Daniel 2:37-45 You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you
dominion and power and might and glory; In your hands he has placed mankind and
the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has
made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. "After you,
another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of
bronze, will rule over the whole earth. Finally, there will be a fourth
kingdom, strong as iron--for iron breaks and smashes everything--and as iron
breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. Just as you
saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so
this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron
in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and
partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just
as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and
will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. "In the
time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be
destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those
kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is
the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human
hands--a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the
gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in
the future. The dream is true and the interpretation
is trustworthy."
The kingdom of the HaShem of heaven will be set up in the time of the last kings.
Matityahu (Matthew) 3:1-3 In those days Yochanan (John) the Baptist
came, preaching in the
The kingdom of heaven is near.
Matityahu (Matthew) 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matityahu (Matthew)
The poor in spirit and those who are persecuted because of righteousness receive the kingdom of heaven.
Matityahu (Matthew) 5:17-20 "Do not think that I have come to
abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to
abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth
disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least
stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law
until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of
these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in
the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be
called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your
righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you
will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Breaking the law and teaching others to do so makes you least in the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever practices and teaches the law will be called great in the Kingdom of heaven. You will not enter the Kingdom of heaven unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees.
Matityahu (Matthew) 7:15-23 "Watch out for false prophets. They
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By
their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes,
or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad
tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot
bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will
recognize them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in
heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy
in your name, and in your name drive out demons and
perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away
from me, you evildoers!'
The one who does the will of God will enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matityahu (Matthew) 8:7-13 Yeshua said to
him, "I will go and heal him." The centurion replied, "Lord, I
do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my
servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority,
with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one,
'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Yeshua heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him,
"I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are in the kingdom of heaven. There will be a feast in the Kingdom of heaven.
Matityahu (Matthew) 13:45-50 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like
a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went
away and sold everything he had and bought it. "Once again, the kingdom of
heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of
fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat
down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is
how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the
wicked from the righteous And throw them into the fiery furnace, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Kingdom of heaven seems to happen at the end of the age.
Matityahu (Matthew) 18:1-10 At that time the
disciples came to Yeshua and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he
said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little
children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever
humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But
if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone
hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. "Woe to
the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must
come, but woe to the man through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It
is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or
two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to
sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with
one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire
of hell. "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I
tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in
heaven.
To enter the kingdom of heaven you must become like little children. The greatest in the kingdom of heaven must humble himself like a child. There are angels in heaven. We enter life as we are. Consider also:
Yochanan (John) 20:24-29 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Yeshua came. So the other disciples told him, "We
have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail
marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into
his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the
house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Yeshua
came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said
to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put
it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My
Lord and my God!" Then Yeshua told him, "Because you have seen me,
you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed."
Does this mean that we will not have perfect bodies, initially, after we are resurrected?
The Tanakh[1] and
the Nazarean Codicil[2] are
replete with references to the fact that the righteous will dwell on earth
forever. It does not contain any references to suggest that they will “inherit heaven”.
Here are a few of those references:
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 60:20-21 Thy sun shall no more go down, Neither shall thy
moon withdraw itself; for HaShem shall be thine
everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning
shall be ended. 21 Thy people also shall
be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever; the branch of My
planting, the work of My hands, wherein I glory.
Tehillim (Psalms) 37:28-29 For the HaShem loves the just and will not
forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of
the wicked will be cut off; The righteous will inherit the land and dwell
in it forever.
II Tzefet (Peter) 3:1-17 Dear friends, this is now my second letter
to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome
thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy
prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come,
scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is
this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers
died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."
But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed
and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the
world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present
heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for
the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one
thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow
in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you,
not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day
of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the
elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and
everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this
way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly
lives As you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will
bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt
in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new
heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends,
since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless,
blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote
you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his
letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things
that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as
they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear
friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be
carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.
The new earth is the home of righteousness.
Tehillim (Psalms) 115:1 Not to us, O HaShem,
not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.
Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?" Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the
hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see;
They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; They have hands,
but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can
they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them. O house of Israel,
trust in the HaShem--he is their help and shield. O house of Aaron, trust in
the HaShem--he is their help and shield. You who fear him, trust in the
HaShem--he is their help and shield. The HaShem remembers us and will bless us:
He will bless the house of
The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but, the earth belongs to man.
Luqas (Luke) 16:19-31 "There was a rich man who was dressed
in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a
beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores And longing to eat what fell from the
rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. "The time came
when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The
rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked
up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him,
'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger
in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But
Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good
things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you
are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been
fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone
cross over from there to us.' "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send
Lazarus to my father's house, For I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so
that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham replied,
'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' "'No, father
Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will
repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the
Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the
dead.'"
The angels carried Lazarus to Abraham's side. This still seems to be more of a description of the place rather than the name of the place.
Revelation 21:1-6 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no
longer any sea. I saw the
God will dwell with men on earth.
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 65:13-25 Therefore this is what the Sovereign HaShem
says: "My servants will eat, but you will go
hungry; my servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; my servants will
rejoice, but you will be put to shame. My servants will sing out of the joy of
their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness
of spirit. You will leave your name to my chosen ones
as a curse; the Sovereign HaShem will put you to death, but to his servants he
will give another name. Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by
the God of truth; he who takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of
truth. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes. "Behold,
I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be
remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what
I will create, for I will create
the people will live on the new (renewed) earth in the city
of
The Greek word for “
G3857 paradeisos, par-ad'-i-sos; of Oriental or. [comp. 6508]; a park, i.e. (spec.) an Eden (place of future happiness, "paradise"):-paradise.
This Greek word, Paradeisos, is used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew: Gan Eden.
Gan Eden is normally translated into English as: The Garden
of Eden. So
Luqas (Luke) 23:33-45 When they came to the place called the
Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals--one on his right,
the other on his left. Yeshua said, "Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided
up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even
sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is
the Mashiach of God, the
The thief went to paradise when he died.
II Corinthians 12:1-5 I must go on boasting. Although there is
nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I
know a man in Mashiach 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. And I know that this
man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-- Was
caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is
not permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast
about myself, except about my weaknesses.
Seems to indicate either two different places or two names for the same place.
Revelation 2:1-7 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus
write: These are the words of him who holds the seven
stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lamp stands: I know
your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot
tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who
claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have
persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and
have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first
love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things
you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp
stand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices
of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I
will give the right to eat from the tree of life,
which is in the paradise of God.
The Tree of Life started out in the Garden in
Shemot (Exodus) 15:13-18 "In your unfailing love you will lead
the people you have redeemed. In your strength
you will guide them to your holy dwelling. The nations will hear and tremble;
anguish will grip the people of
If this passage is viewed prophetically, then the
inheritance that God will give His people will be at
Shemot (Exodus) 32:11-13 But Moses sought the favor of the HaShem
his God. "O HaShem," he said, "why should your anger burn
against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt
with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with
evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe
them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not
bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom
you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the
stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised
them, and it will be their inheritance forever.'"
The land that we inherit will be an eternal inheritance!
Leviticus 20:22-24 "'Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing
you to live may not vomit you out. You must not live according to the customs
of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these
things, I abhorred them. But I said to you, "You will possess their land;
I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and
honey." I am the HaShem your God, who has set you apart from the nations.
Our inheritance is the possession of land.
Jeremiah 12:14-17 This is what the HaShem says: "As for
all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I
gave my people
HaShem will bring us back to our inheritance.
Ezekiel 36:8-12 "'But you, O mountains of
The people who inherit are called
Ezekiel 47:21-23 "You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to
the tribes of
The alien (ger) will have an inheritance with the tribes of Jacob.
Daniel 12:9-13 He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up
and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and
refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked.
None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
"From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination
that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one
who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. "As for you, go your
way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will
rise to receive your allotted inheritance."
We receive our inheritance at the end of the days. This inheritance is referred to many times in the Nazarean Codicil:
Matityahu (Matthew) 25:34 "Then the King will say to those on
his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the
kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the
world.
II Luqas (Acts)
Galatians 3:18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then
it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham
through a promise.
Galatians
Ephesians 1:12-14 In order that we, who were the first to
hope in Mashiach, might be for the praise of his
glory. And you also were included in Mashiach when you heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a
seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
until the redemption of those who are God's
possession--to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 5:5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such
a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the
Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the
inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
Colossians
Bereans (Hebrews) 9:15 For this reason Mashiach is the mediator of
a new covenant, that those who are called may
receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to
set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
I Tzefet (Peter) 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord
Yeshua Mashiach! In his great mercy he has given us
new birth into a living hope through the resurrection
of Yeshua Mashiach from the dead, And into an inheritance
that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you,
In the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy), Moshe tells the Jewish
people, "You have been shown in order to know that HaShem,
He is the G-d! There is none beside Him" (
The Tanakh implies the existence of multiple heavens
(Devarim (Deuteronomy)
The Tanakh has seven different designations for heaven; therefore there must be Seven heavens.[3]
Midrash
Rabbah - Bereshit (Genesis) XIX:7
AND THEY HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LORD GOD TRAVELLING IN THE GARDEN TOWARD THE
COOL OF THE DAY (III, 7). R. Halapay said: We know [from here] that a voice may
travel, but we do not yet know that ‘traveling’ can apply to fire; and whence
do we know that? From a verse elsewhere: And the fire traveled down upon the
earth (Shemot IX, 23). R. Abba b. Kahana said: Not mehallek but mith-hallek is
written here, which means that it [repeatedly] leaped and ascended. The real
home of the Shechinah was in the nether sphere; when Adam
sinned it departed to the first rakia’ [firmament]; when Cain sinned, it
ascended to the second rakia’; when the generation of Enosh sinned, it ascended
to the third; when the generation of the Flood sinned, to the fourth; with the
generation of the separation [of tongues], to the
fifth; with the Sodomites, to the sixth, with the Egyptians in the days of
Abraham, to the seventh. But as against these there arose seven righteous men:
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Moses, and they brought it down again to earth.
Abraham [brought it down] from the seventh to the sixth, Isaac from the sixth
to the fifth, Jacob from the fifth to the fourth, Levi from the fourth to the
third, Kohath from the third to the second, Amram from the second to the first,
while Moses brought it right down below. R. Isaac said: It is written, The
righteous shall inherit the land and dwell
(wayyishkenu) therein forever (Tehilim XXXVII, 29): then what are the wicked to do-are they to range in the air! What it means
is that the wicked did not permit the Shechinah to dwell on earth.
Midrash
Rabbah - Leviticus XXIX:11 All
sevenths are favourites in the world. The seventh is a favourite above, for
there are shamayim, sheme HaShamayim, rakia’, shehakim, zebul, ma'on, and
‘araboth, and of the last-named it is written, Extol Him that rideth upon the
‘araboth, whose name is the Lord (Tehilim LXVIII, 5)
Midrash
Rabbah - Devarim (Deuteronomy) II:32
Another explanation: HEAR, O ISRAEL. This bears out what Scripture says, Whom
have I in heaven but Thee? And beside Thee I desire none upon earth (Tehilim
LXXIII, 25). Rab said: There are two firmaments, the heaven and the heavens of
heavens. R. Eleazar said: There are seven firmaments: Heaven (shamayim), the
Heavens of Heavens (sheme shamayim), Firmament (raki'ah), Sky (shehakim),
Habitation (ma'on), Residence (zebul), Thick Cloud (’arafel); and God opened
them all unto Israel in order to show them that there is no God but He. The
Assembly of Israel said before God: ' Master of the Universe, whom have I in
heaven but Thy glory? As in heaven I have none but Thee, so too upon earth I
desire no other; as I have not associated another God with Thee in heaven, so
upon earth, too, I have not associated with Thee any other God; but daily I
enter the synagogues and testify concerning Thee
that there is no other God but Thou, and I exclaim, HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD
OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.’
Pesachim
94b Now from earth to heaven is a
five hundred years journey, the thickness of heaven Is a five
hundred years’ journey, and between the first heaven and the next lies a five
hundred years’ journey, and similarly between each heaven.
Chagigah
12b R. Judah said: There are two
firmaments, for it is said: Behold, unto the Lord thy God belongeth heaven, and
the heaven of heavens. Resh Lakish said: [There are] seven, namely,
Wilon, [I.e., ‘Curtain’, from Lat. Velum.] -
Wilon serves no purpose except that it enters in the morning and goes forth in
the evening
[According
to Rashi, Wilon (‘Curtain’) draws in every morning, and thus causes the light
of day to become visible; in the evening it draws out and hides the daylight.
This process constitutes the renewal of the work of creation.
But Tosafot. explains that Wilon produces the light of day, and when it
withdraws at night darkness prevails.]
and
renews every day the work of creation, for it is said: That stretcheth out the
heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.[Yeshiyahu
XL, 22.]
Several
heavens were created, seven in fact, each to serve a
purpose of its own. The first, the one visible to man, has no function except
that of covering up the light during the night time; therefore it disappears
every morning.
Midrash
Rabbah - Bereshit (Genesis) VI:6
Where are the spheres of the sun and the moon set?
In the second heaven (raki'a), as it says, AND GOD SET THEM IN THE RAKI'A OF
THE HEAVEN. R. Phinehas said in R. Abbahu's name: This verse is explicit, and
the men of the Great Assembly further explained, Thou art the Lord, even Thou
alone; Thou hast made the heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host
(Neh. IX, 6): thus where are all their hosts set? In the second ‘ raki'a ‘,
which is above the heaven. From the earth to the ' raki'a ‘
Rakia’, [I.e., ‘Expanse, firmament’.] - Rakia’ is
that in which sun and moon, stars and constellations
are set, for it is said: And God set them in the firmament [Rakia’] of the
heaven.[Gen. I, 17]
The
planets are fastened to the second of the heavens;
Shehakim, [Lit., ‘Clouds’, from eja, ‘dust’ (cf. Yeshiyahu
XL, 15).] - Shehakim is that in which millstones stand and grind manna for the
righteous for it is said: And He commanded the skies [Shehakim] above, and
opened the doors of heaven; and He caused manna to rain upon them for food
etc.[Tehilim LXXVIII, 23, 24.]
Why
are they [the clouds] called shehakim? Resh Lakish said: Because they break up
(shohakim) the [mass of] water [into rain drops].
in
the third the manna is made for the pious in the hereafter;
Zebul, [B.D.B.:
‘Elevation, height, lofty abode’; N.H., ‘Temple’.
Jastrow: ‘(place of offering or entertainment) residence, especially Temple’.]
- Zebul is that in which [the heavenly] Jerusalem
[Cf.
Ta’anith. 5a: ‘The Holy One blessed be He, said: I shall not enter the
Jerusalem which is above, until I enter the Jerusalem which is below’.]
and
the Temple and the Altar are built, and Michael, the great Prince, [Michael is
Israel's Guardian Angel; cf. Dan. XII, 1 and Yoma 77a. Num. Rab. s. 2, Hul.
40a.] stands and offers up thereon an offering, for it is said: I have surely
built Thee a house of habitation [Zebul], a place for Thee to dwell in for ever.
[I
Melachim (Kings) VIII, 13; the earthly Temple corresponds to the heavenly
Sanctuary.]
And
whence do we derive that it is called heaven? For it is written: Look down from
heaven, and see, even from Thy holy and glorious habitation.[Yeshiyahu LXIII,
15]
the
fourth contains the celestial Jerusalem together with the Temple, in which
Michael ministers as high priest, and offers the souls
of the pious as sacrifices.
Ma'on, [I.e., ‘Dwelling, habitation’.] - Ma'on is
that in which there are companies of Ministering Angels, who utter [divine]
song by night, and are silent by day for the sake of Israel's glory, for it is
said: By day the Lord doth command His lovingkindness, and in the night His
song is with me.
[Tehilim
XLII, 9. I.e., by night the song of the angels joins mine (says Israel), which
I uttered by day (Rashi).]
In
the fifth heaven, the angel hosts reside, and sing the praise of God, though
only during the night, for by day it is the task of Israel on earth to give
glory to God on high.
Makon, [I.e., ‘Fixed or established place,
foundation, residence’.] - Makon is that in which there are the stores of snow
[For
these stores cf. Job XXXVIII, 22f also Yeshiyahu XXIX, 6.]
and
stores of hail, and the loft of harmful dews and the loft of raindrops, the
chamber of the whirlwind and storm, and the cave of vapour, and their doors are
of fire, for it is said: The Lord will open unto thee His good treasure,
[Devarim (Deuteronomy), XXVIII, 12; implying also the existence of a bad store,
i.e., of punishments; but the "Ein Jacob’ reads here Yermiyahu L, 25.] But
are these to be found in the firmament? Surely, they are to be found on the
earth, for it is written: Praise the Lord from the earth, ye sea-monsters, and
all deeps; fire and hail, snow and vapour, stormy wind,
fulfilling his word! [Tehilim CXLVIII, 7, 8.] — Rab Judah said in the name of
Rab: David entreated concerning them, and caused them to come down to the
earth. He said before Him: Lord of the universe, Thou art not a God that hath
pleasure in wickedness; let not evil sojourn with
Thee; righteous art Thou, O Lord, let not evil sojourn in Thy abode. And whence
do we derive that it is called heaven? For it is written: Then hear Thou in
heaven, Thy dwelling place [Makon]. [I Melachim (Kings) VIII, 39]
The
sixth heaven is an uncanny spot; there originate most of the trials and
visitations ordained for the earth and its inhabitants. Snow lies heaped up
there and hail; there are lofts full of noxious dew, magazines stocked with
storms, and cellars holding reserves of smoke. Doors of fire
separate these celestial chambers, which are under the supervision of the
archangel Metatron. Their pernicious contents defiled the heavens until David's
time. The pious king prayed
God to purge His exalted dwelling of whatever was
pregnant with evil; it was not becoming that such things should exist near the
Merciful One. Only then they were removed to the earth.
Araboth. [V. Tehilim LXVIII, 5. Levy: Perhaps from
crg, ‘to be dark’ (cf. crg evening) and syn. with kprg: (thick darkness, heavy
cloud, in which God dwells; cf. Shemot XX, 18).] - ‘Araboth is that in which there are Right and Judgment and
Righteousness, the treasures of life and the treasures of peace and the
treasures of blessing, the souls of the righteous and the spirits and the souls
[Rashi explains that either ‘spirits’ and ‘souls’ are synonymous, or else
‘spirit’ means the soul that has bodily form (ectoplasm?).] which are yet to be
born, and dew wherewith the Holy One, blessed be He, will hereafter revive the
dead. Right and Judgment, for it is written: Right and judgment are the foundations
of Thy throne. [Tehilim LXXXIX, 15.] Righteousness, for it is written: And He
put on righteousness as a coat of mail.[Yeshiyahu LIX, 17] The treasures of
life, for it is written: For with Thee is the fountain of life.[Tehilim XXXVI,
10] And the treasures of peace, for it is written: And called it, ‘The Lord is
peace’.
[Shoftim
VI, 24. Rashi renders: He (the Lord) called it (peace) unto Him.]
And
the treasures of blessing, for it is written: he shall receive a blessing from
the Lord. [Tehilim XXIV, 5.] The souls of the righteous, for it is written: Yet
the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord thy
God.[1 Sam. XXV, 29] The spirits and the souls which are yet to be born, for it
is written: For the spirit that enwrappeth itself is from Me, and the souls
which I have made.[Yeshiyahu LVII, 1] And the dew wherewith the Holy One,
blessed be He, will hereafter revive the dead, for it is written: A bounteous rain didst Thou pour down, O God; when Thine inheritance was weary, Thou didst confirm it.
[Tehilim
LXVIII, 10. The verse refers to the Revelation at Sinai, when, according to the
Midrash, the souls of the children of Israel
momentarily left their bodies, but God with His
bounteous rain or dew of resurrection revived them.
Cf. Cant. Rab. to Cant. V, 6.]
There [too] are the Ofanim and the Seraphim,
[V. Yeshiyahu VI, 2; in Rabbinic literature they are understood to be angels of
fire, cf. Devarim (Deuteronomy) Rab.11] and the Holy Living Creatures,[V. Ezek.
I, 5f.] and the Ministering Angels, [Apparently distinct from those dwelling in
Ma'on] and the Throne of God; and the King, the Living God, high and exalted,
dwells over them in ‘Araboth, for it is said: Extol Him that rideth upon
Araboth whose name is the Lord. [Tehilim LXVIII, 5] And whence do we derive
that it is called heaven? From the word ‘riding’, which occurs in two Biblical passages.
Here it is written: ‘Extol Him that rideth upon Araboth’. And elsewhere it is
written: Who rideth upon the heaven as thy help. [Devarim (Deuteronomy) XXXIII,
26] And darkness and cloud and thick darkness surround Him, for it is said: He
made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him, darkness of
waters, thick clouds of skies.[Tehilim XVIII, 12] But is there any darkness
before Heaven? For behold it is written: He revealeth the deep and secret
things; He knoweth, what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with
Him.[Dan. II, 22] — There is no contradiction: the one [verse] ‘The seventh
heaven’, on the other hand, contains naught but what is good and beautiful:
right, justice, and mercy, the storehouses of life, peace, and blessing, the
souls of the pious, the souls and spirits of unborn generations, the dew with
which God will revive the dead on the resurrection
day, and, above all, the Divine Throne, surrounded by the seraphim, the ofanim,
the holy Hayyot, and the ministering angels.
Is Hades the same as heaven? To answer this question, lets first look at the Strong’s definition:
86 hades, hah'-dace; from 1 (as a neg. particle) and 1492; prop. unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls:-grave, hell.
Related word:
7585 she'owl, sheh-ole'; or she'ol, sheh-ole; from 7592; hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), includ. its accessories and inmates:-grave, hell, pit.
At first blush, heaven and Hades are not the same place, but, lets examine the Scriptures to see how they speak of this place:
Matityahu (Matthew)
Matityahu (Matthew)
Luqas (Luke) 16:22-23 "The time came when the beggar died
and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was
buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham
far away, with Lazarus by his side.
II Luqas (Acts) 2:25-27 David said about him: "'I saw the Lord
always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my
body also will live in hope, Because you will not
abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
I Corinthians
Revelation 1:18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and
ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Revelation 6:8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named
Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a
fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and
plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Revelation 20:13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up
the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had
done.
Revelation
ANSWER: I don't think that Heaven and Hades are the same place!
Jewish women in oriental countries took pride in baking for Shavuot a seven-layer cake called Siete Cielos (Seven Heavens), symbolic of the traditional seven
celestial spheres God traversed to present the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai.[8]
Fashioned in seven circular tiers, one smaller than the other with the smallest
on top, it was decorated with various symbols such as a star of David, the rod
of Moses, the two tablets of the Law,
manna, Jacob's ladder, and the ark of the covenant. Others topped the cake with
a seven-rung ladder to recall Moses ascending
* * *
There were many different ways to tie tzitzith in the Talmudic period. The Talmud relates:
What is the minimum length of a joint? It was taught: Rabbi says [In a joint] the thread must be wound once, twice and a third time. It was taught: If a man wishes to make few, he should not make less than seven, and if many, he should not make more than thirteen. If few, he should not make less than seven [joints], to correspond to the seven heavens; and if many, he should not make more than thirteen, to correspond to the seven heavens plus the six intervening spaces. [Menachot 39a]
Heaven appears to be HaShem's abode and not men's
abode. Further, we see that even though Elijah went up to heaven, we see in
Yochanan (John)
The
It appears that HaShem has designed the Garden
of Eden to be the dwelling place for men. This garden was on the earth at
one time. It was probably over the area that is known
today as
This “garden”, PaRDeS in Hebrew, is a place of sublime reward. This PaRDeS, though, is a very big subject. Therefore, we will have to wait till another time to examine this in greater depth.
Some one once asked, “What is the difference between what the wicked will do versus what the righteous will do?”
The wicked will HAVE TO study Torah all day long and they will never GET TO stop to eat or sleep.
The Righteous will GET TO study Torah all day long and will never HAVE TO stop to eat or sleep!
There is one final concept that is worth understanding. The Sages (Sanhedrin 97a) teach that the ages of this world are divided into four groups, namely:
After these periods, there will be a 1000 year period when Mashiach will rule with a rod of iron. After this final millennium, the righteous will enter the Olam HaBa. The Olam HaBa is a time when we are no longer physical, we will become real.
To understand this state of reality, consider: Does HaShem have an arm? How is His arm different from ours? The answer is that His arm is REAL while ours is merely PHYSICAL.
After Messiah rose, He told the woman not to touch Him for He had not yet ascended to His Father. When He Ascended, He went through the seven heavens. He was sprinkled with fire and water seven times.
The Torah teaches us that when a person comes in contact with a grave or with the dead, he must be sprinkled with the water and ashes of the red heifer, on the third and on the seventh day. The red heifer is also a picture of fire and water.
We can conclude, therefore, that Mashiach ascended on the third day and descended on the seventh day. By doing this He was sprinkled with fire and water.
* * *
This study was written by Hillel ben David
(Greg Killian).
Comments may be submitted to:
Greg Killian
7104 Inlay St SE
Lacey, WA 98513
Internet address: gkilli@aol.com
Web page:
http://www.betemunah.org/
(360) 584-9352
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