THE CURRENT HEAVEN

[Sue D.]

I'd say After the rapture when all believers will be taken up to meet Christ in the air. Because then we'll be united with Christ as His Bride. That will be during the 7 yr tribulation period. And , yes, this is way off topic.

Christ's actual second coming will be after those 7 yrs. of tribulation. And I already know that lots' of people don't agree with that.

And I'm really Not trying to detail the thread subject.

Will be listening,

 

[Hekuran]

I can think of a few ways life after death and before the final resurrection is described in the new testament.

Abraham's bosom
Paradise
My father's house.
Away from the body and at home with the lord.

 

[Brother-Paul]

Sorry no comments today, I have been fishing with the Lord.

My relaxation, the place is disabled friendly and I have help setting up and putting away,

It is wonderful to get into nature in the country and relax, it is extra special to sit at the water side and talk with our Lord, he's a good listener ;o)

Back on here tomorrow.

 

[Brother-Paul]

I'd say After the rapture when all believers will be taken up to meet Christ in the air. Because then we'll be united with Christ as His Bride. That will be during the 7 yr tribulation period. And , yes, this is way off topic.

Christ's actual second coming will be after those 7 yrs. of tribulation. And I already know that lots' of people don't agree with that. :smile:

And I'm really Not trying to detail the thread subject.

Will be listening, :smile:

Greetings Sue,

Thank you for your post, which is not off topic, we are looking at 'The Current Heaven' and what you have included is within that period.

There are two periods to consider, the first is from now and up to the Rapture, (we will call this, Christ's first coming) and the second is from the time of the Rapture up to when God commands Jesus to Return in Glory and defeat the devil and make all things new, (we will call this Christ's Second coming).

Do not worry to much about the timing of the Rapture, or other peoples views regarding this, the main focus here is The Current Heaven and what it is like, then we will move on.

Bless you sister.

 

[Brother-Paul]

I can think of a few ways life after death and before the final resurrection is described in the new testament.

Abraham's bosom
Paradise
My father's house.
Away from the body and at home with the lord.

Greetings Hekuran,

Thank you for your post, all these things relate to the Current Heaven, thank you.

We are looking firstly at what the Current Heaven is like, then we will move on.

Bless you.

 

[Brother-Paul]

What is the Current Heave like?

As we know God rules from His Throne, His Throne is in Heaven.

Psalm 103:19 (NKJV)
19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.

Paul is so convinced that to be in Heaven, current or resurrected he does not say, but to be in heaven is gain.

He sees heaven as a very special place, where we will be with the Lord forever.

Philippians 1:21-23 (NKJV)
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

Isaiah gives us another picture of heaven. He tells us 'I saw the Lord' imagine, 'I saw the Lord sitting on the throne, high and lifted up'

He then told us more of what he saw, no wonder he felt so unworthy, Holy, Holy, Holy, followed by 'woe to me I am undone, I a man of unclean lips'

Notice also what he saw, the posts of the door, smoke, seraphim, altar.

Isaiah 6:1-13 (NKJV)
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts."
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.
7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged."
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
9 And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'
10 "Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed."
11 Then I said, "Lord, how long?" And He answered: "Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate,
12 The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13 But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump."

Here we see the altar, martyrs under the alter, white robes,

Revelation 6:9-11 (NKJV)
9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"
11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

These are verses that give us a picture of the Current Heaven.

We are looking for scripture that gives us a picture in the current heaven, the items that were seen whether spiritual or physical.

Can you list more?

 

[Hekuran]

The Isaiah passage is set in the temple, not in heaven, surely?

 

[Brother-Paul]

The Isaiah passage is set in the temple, not in heaven, surely?

Very true Hekuran, my apologies, I was getting carried away I thing. It was in the Temple but Isaiah saw the Glory of the Lord, as John saw the Glory of the Lord in his Revelation.

There are similarities in these passages, Isaiah 6:1-13 & Rev 4 but John goes further, both mentioning the door or the door posts, Jesus is the door, He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Both saw smoke, Isaiah in the Temple and John in Heaven.

Revelation 15:8 (NKJV)
8 The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power.

 

[Hekuran]

So given all those links it would be reasonable to say that the temple was the place where heavenly reality and earthly reality came together?

Btw. Very much appreciate that you can graciously row back from saying something inaccurate without it causing a problem.

 

[Brother-Paul]

@Hekuran

It sure is, and this verse was in mind when I added the previous one.

Hebrews 8:1-6 (NKJV)
1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.
4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;
5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

All these snippets of information, in 'God's Word', all help give us a picture of heaven.

I think sometimes, because we 'look up' to heaven, we sometimes fail to see the picture provided, we are in effect comparing heaven with earthly things, when we should see things as God sees them, as He wants us to see them, from Heaven downwards.

I am sure we all say from time to time that the world is upside down, God through Jesus, turns it the right way up, it is the world that is upside down. We should look at earth the same way, from heaven.

Regarding your last statement brother, anyone who says something incorrect and doesn't acknowledge the fact, is basically showing that Pride has a hold on them.

Pride always come before a fall. The LGBTQ+ should seriously take note of this fact. Sin leads to death. (Sorry off topic)

Bless you

 

[Brother-Paul]

What is Heaven like?

Scripture tells us to constantly search for what heaven is like, why? Because scripture also says 'we will rejoice'

Here are a some scripture verses confirming this, there are many more.

Luke 15:1-10 (NKJV)
1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."
3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

8 "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?
9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'
10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Why do so many not search the scriptures for the Truth in The Word, regarding heaven and the different stages of heaven, The Current Heaven we are discussing now and the New Heaven/New Earth we will later discuss in a new thread.

Here are a couple of commonly used verses that are used by those who don't search the scriptures for The Truth regarding heaven.

Deuteronomy 29:29 (NKJV)
29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (NKJV)
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--
4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

They think because God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours there is no point trying.
Isaiah 55:9 (NKJV)
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

How sad that they do not search the scriptures for the Truth about heaven, they miss so much.

Surly if God has taken time to include details of heaven in His Word for us, we should want to search for them, surely if we are to be in heaven for all eternity we should want to know, as stated at the beginning, if we go on holiday to another country we have never been to we would search out as much as we could before we went, we would have an idea what to expect, we would be prepared. As the parables above confirm 'We should want to search for those hidden treasures' and we will Rejoice when we find them.

So often when people and commentators talk about heaven they talk about the New Heaven/New Earth. Rarely do we see comments regarding the 'Current Heaven' which is where the saved will go if we die before the Rapture, before Christ Returns in Glory.

It is the 'Current Heaven' we are looking at and I think we are ready to move forward and 'search the scriptures for the hidden treasures.

Colossians 3:1-4 (NKJV)
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above

Colossians 3:1-2 (CJB - Complete Jewish Bible)
1 So if you were raised along with the Messiah, then seek the things above, where the Messiah is sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Focus your minds on the things above


Here are a few thoughts/questions regarding the Current Heaven

a) - Is the Current Heaven spiritual?

b) - Is the Current Heaven Physical?

c) - are there physical and spiritual beings and items in the Current Heaven?


Luke 23:41-43 (NKJV) - The thief on the cross next to our Lord
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

 

[Br. Bear]

Greetings,

Hekuran said.wrote:

The Isaiah passage is set in the temple, not in heaven, surely?

and while a sound observation also acknowledged by Brother-Paul, may i add one or two bits?

First, I thank the Lord for always going before us, which by the way is what 'prevents us' means, also, in that i was reading about Isaiah talking of the Glory of the LORD only a day ago, quite independently of this thread. We do have a loving and gracious Lord, a good Lord, Praise His Name!

Regarding the passage being set in the Temple, we have before us in the Bible mention of one or two poignant points that we may do well to consider in discussion of this particular 'topic'.
Immanuel - God with us.
Jesus said, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21
If we also look at 1Corinthians 3:16 & 17 we see about the Temple:
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, Him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
and i think you will find this is referring to a collective 'you', not an individual.
Also,
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; In Whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In Whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22

and the thought i have to share here is that as we know the Lord's words, "may your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven" , we are that 'current heaven' and the Glory of the Lord is in us and with us, Who are His.... even if we can not see that Glory for whatever reason that may be. Surely we know at least in principal that where He is is also His Glory but also that He is Glorified in His possession, of whom we are, that if we are filled with His Spirit [as the Bible testifies - and so ought the Spirit] then it stands to reason that we are that Temple, not made with hands and as in the times of Isaiah, the temple is and was as good as heaven on earth would ever be.

Do we spend too much time looking everywhere for this Heaven that we overlook and forget that He has made us to be that Heaven to reveal His Glory until He comes again?

If this is too far 'out there' please tell me and i can remove this post as i do not want to distract from your dialogue.

Perhaps it is a bit too 'spiritual' and not at all real? Any thoughts welcome.

I suppose, before i post this, it is a bit like:
before, Heaven was 'up there'
now, Heaven is down here, mingled in as a stage of re-creation (? making all things new)
then, Heaven is Heaven and all things will be new?


Bless you all ....><>

 

[Brother-Paul]

@Br. Bear

Many thanks for your post, interesting comments brother.

May I add comments for discussion also, there will be items in this topic that some may accept, some may not, but we are told to search the scriptures, the Truth is there for us, hidden treasure, which will make us 'Rejoice'.

I am considering here now three different items although are closely relates and closely interlinked.

Heaven (The Current Heaven), The Temple and the Church.

The Temple of God is as you kindly put in the Saved believer, Christ's Spirit within, each Saved believer is part of the One True Church worldwide, we are spiritual rocks with Christ as the corner stone, He is the Head of His Church.

Jesus is in Heaven, The Current Heaven, sat at the right hand of the Father. John gives us a fantastic picture as he enters heaven in the spirit. What he saw is of prime importance, although parts of Revelation is Apocalyptic, it isn't all so, Isaiah and Hebrews gives parallels to the picture in Heaven.

Heaven was on earth as we know, Adam and Eve was in Paradise, until they sinned and were banished from the garden, never to be able to re-enter due to sin and God's curse. God now lives in the highest heaven, scripture confirms this as the third heaven and Jesus is at His right hand.

Thank you for quoting the Lord's Prayer brother, but I read as follows.

Our Father which art in Heaven
Hallowed, Holy be His Name

Thy Kingdom COME, Thy will be done

On earth, as in Heaven

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, is in the Holy Temple within every Saved believer, whose name is in the Book of Life and the Lamb.

So a portion of the 'Current Heaven' is within saved believers, Thy Kingdom comes to us o earth from heaven, a taste of heaven, we are purchased by Christ to worship and do His work on earth until He, the bride Returns in Glory.

Your post was valid brother, it shows clear a portion of the 'Current Heaven' given to us, within us, so that together as The True Church it is continually built up, with Jesus as the Head, the Groom preparing to return to His precious, loving bride.

But the Current Heaven is still what scripture says is the third heaven. It is the place saved believers go when we die on earth, prior to Christ's first Return, the Rapture, what about those who are martyred in the Great Tribulation Period, after the Rapture, who have repented and accepted Christ before His second Coming in Glory.

After Christ's Return in Glory Heaven and Earth will be as we know restored, brought back together, made new. We will discuss that in another thread after this thread for the Current Heaven. It will be exciting I am sure, if we can rejoice now how much more we will rejoice then as we discuss our new home with our resurrected bodies with our Lord.

I have added some further considerations in my last post.

Bless you brother

 

[B-A-C]

I have heard many people (Christians and unbelievers a like) say if this earth is the current heaven, I'm not sure I want to go there.

I tend to agree.

Also if there is no sin, no pain, no sickness, no tears, and no more sorrow in heaven. Why do we have those things here?

 

[Brother-Paul]

I have heard many people (Christians and unbelievers a like) say if this earth is the current heaven, I'm not sure I want to go there.

I tend to agree.

Also if there is no sin, no pain, no sickness, no tears, and no more sorrow in heaven. Why do we have those things here?

Sin and the curse brother.

Man thought he knew best, still thinks he knows best. The wages of death is sin, God can punish numerous generations, I thing it is 3rd/4th generation.

If we didn't suffer in this life we would never accept God, we would have a cushy life. Suffering and death should bring us to our senses, bring us to our knees, bringing us to God through Jesus.

Would you agree brother?

Heaven cannot be on earth till sin and the curse are removed and all things made new.

But a portion is given to saved believers, they kingdom come, thine will be done on earth as in heaven.

Done AS IN heaven, a taste for now. That taster is to give us hope, it is to allow Jesus to shine through us, it is to bring Glory to God through Jesus.

Thanks be to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in Jesus Name, Amen.

 

[B-A-C]

But a portion is given to saved believers, they kingdom come, thine will be done on earth as in heaven.

Perhaps the difference between the "kingdom of heaven" and the "literal physical" heaven might be in order.

 

[Brother-Paul]

But we must ask, based on scripture, is the Current Heaven, spiritual, physical or both?

Jesus returned to the Current Heaven, with a resurrected body.

May the Lord guide us by the Power of the Holy Spirit and reveal to us the Truth in His Word regarding the Current Heaven. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Brother-Paul]

Whilst on earth, we are told God is in Heaven, and God is Spirit.

John 4:23-24 (NKJV)
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

Jesus said to Mary, do not cling to me, do not touch me 'or I have not yet ascended to My Father'

John 20:17 (NKJV)
17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "

But soon after said to Thomas,,,

John 20:24-31 (NKJV)
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!"
27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."
28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Jesus had a physical body after He rose from the dead. He also ate fish and honeycombe in their presence.

Luke 24:36-43 (NKJV)
36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."
37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.
38 And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."
40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.
41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?"
42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.
43 And He took it and ate in their presence.

Jesus was not a spirit, He ascended into Heaven with His physical body.

Angels are ministering spirits, but they can also take on human form.

Hebrews 13:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

The Temple in Heaven had smoke

Revelation 15:8 (NKJV)
8 The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

There are palm branches in heaven, they were clothed in white

Revelation 7:9 (NKJV)
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

We can say some of Revelation is apocalyptic, some maybe not all, which brings us back to Hebrews discussed earlier

Hebrews 8:1-6 (NKJV)
1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.
4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;
5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

Already we are getting a better picture of the Current Heaven, there are lots more scripture to consider.

Please do not conclude your thoughts, but keep an open mind as we together add scripture verses relating to the Current Heaven and then we can consider them together.

Are items and people in the current heaven spiritual or physical or both.

The Garden of Eden is in the current heaven, so is the New Jerusalem John saw it descend on the New Heaven/New Earth so it is already in the current heaven.

Consider up to the Rapture, then consider after the Rapture up to Christ's Return in Glory, as there will be a multitude more in heaven then, those who met with Jesus in the sky, and will return with Him at His second coming to defeat the devil and make all things new.

God Bless you and keep you, may His light shine upon you, and may the Spirit of the Living God reveal these Truth's to us, so that together we may Rejoice and give God the Glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen

 

[Brother-Paul]

How wonderful and reassuring are the words of our Lord. the repentant criminal on the cross next to Jesus was told by Him...

Luke 23:43 (NKJV)
43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

Today, the day he was to die he would be with Jesus in the Current Heaven, in Paradise.

What is Paradise?

Paradise means a walled garden, a walled park an enclosed garden.

Here we are not just taking in the words of our Lord, we are seeing Eden, a garden protected by God Himself.

Eden is in the Current heaven, in the New Jerusalem, in the walled city, the Holy city where God dwells. When Christ Returns, the second time, to defeat the devil and make all things new, as John states so clearly...

Revelation 21:2 (NKJV)
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

We will discuss this later in a new thread for the Eternal Heaven, but for now it is important, I feel, to see the image coming together of the Current Heaven and note the differences between the two stages.

Does it not make us want to REJOICE, and bring Glory to God through Jesus Christ our Saviour?

Revelation 2:7 (NKJV)
7 ... To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." '

The Tree of Life, is in the Garden of Eden, in the Current Heaven, in Paradise, it will return when the Holy City comes down from Heaven.

What a lot we have to look forward to, the Current Heaven, called Paradise, the Garden with the Tree of Life, God, Jesus, Angels, Seraphims, etc, all this and more if we die before the Rapture, that means those who have died before us also, all those Saved whose names are in the Book of Life and the Lamb.

No wonder Paul said...

Philippians 3:8-11 (NKJV)
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Philippians 1:21-23 (NKJV)
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

 

[Brother-Paul]

I have heard many people (Christians and unbelievers a like) say if this earth is the current heaven, I'm not sure I want to go there.

I tend to agree.

If I may say brother, you surprise me.

Earth when sin, the curse and the devil are removed will be Paradise.

When Jesus Returns in Glory, He defeats the devil as prophesied, He then MAKES ALL THINGS NEW, the new Jerusalem will come down from heaven, which will include the garden of Eden, the Tree of Life, God will come down and Heaven and Earth will be one again. Totally restored.

Paul said...

Philippians 1:21-23 (NKJV)
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

How can we imagine it will be bad, unless we look at the world now and think that is heaven! How far from the truth that is brother.

I laugh when I see the statement you put as I have heard it also, the last sentence, 'I am not sure I want to go there'. They are already here, not there, there is far better because it comes here, if you see what I meant LOL. When all things are made new and sin, the curse and the devil are removed earth will be Paradise again. Let us Rejoice and give thanks brother.

Peace be with you my friend.