This topic has been brought up before here on TalkJesus, but recent conversions have brought it to mind again.
For the purpose of this thread, I'm only concerned with saved believers.. "Christians". Not the =unsaved. That's been discussed frequently and recently.
Whenever I ask this question, usually I get a standard answer "heaven". Don't all Christians go to heaven when they die?
Some people say "I'm not worried about it.. I'll cross that bridge when I get there". When you get there, it will too late to do anything about it.
So what does the Bible say?
There are seemingly three (maybe four) people who went to heaven in the Bible. (Six if you count visions)
First we have Enoch... but none of these verses specifically say he went to heaven.
Gen 5:24; Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Heb 11:5; By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.
It seems Enoch never died. "he would not see death". But he was "taken up". Taken up where? Wherever God is. Which would seem to be heaven.
Then we have Elijah... these verses specifically say "heaven".
2Kings 2:1; And it came about when the LORD was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2Kings 2:11; As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.
It seems Elijah went up to heaven in a chariot of fire (and horses of fire) in a whirlwind. Did Elijah die? I don't know.
Then we have Jesus of course.
John 3:13; "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
...more about this particular verse later.
Then there is Paul... this one is tricky because Paul doesn't know if was actually physically in heaven, or just spiritually there in a vision.
2Cor 12:2; I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.
2Cor 12:3; And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—
2Cor 12:4; was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
Depending on which Bible translation you have, some say "Paradise" in verse 4. But it says "third heaven" in verse 2. Paul says he wasn't permitted to speak of some things there.
Then we have Isaiah's vision. It seems Isaiah "saw" heaven, but didn't actually go there quite yet.
Isa 6:1; In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
Isa 6:2; Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
Isa 6:3; And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."
Isa 6:4; And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.
Isa 6:5; Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
Isa 6:6; Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
Isa 6:7; He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven."
Isa 6:8; Then 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!"
Isa 6:9; He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.'
Finally we have John, which is also a vision, not actually going to heaven.
Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet,
Rev 1:11 saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
Rev 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;
Rev 1:13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.
Rev 1:14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.
Rev 1:15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.
Rev 1:16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
Rev 1:17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
Rev 1:18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
After reading all these verses... it seems that really only Enoch, Elijah and Jesus actually went to heaven. (possibly Paul, but if he did, he didn't stay).
... to be continued ...
For the purpose of this thread, I'm only concerned with saved believers.. "Christians". Not the =unsaved. That's been discussed frequently and recently.
Whenever I ask this question, usually I get a standard answer "heaven". Don't all Christians go to heaven when they die?
Some people say "I'm not worried about it.. I'll cross that bridge when I get there". When you get there, it will too late to do anything about it.
So what does the Bible say?
There are seemingly three (maybe four) people who went to heaven in the Bible. (Six if you count visions)
First we have Enoch... but none of these verses specifically say he went to heaven.
Gen 5:24; Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Heb 11:5; By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.
It seems Enoch never died. "he would not see death". But he was "taken up". Taken up where? Wherever God is. Which would seem to be heaven.
Then we have Elijah... these verses specifically say "heaven".
2Kings 2:1; And it came about when the LORD was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2Kings 2:11; As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.
It seems Elijah went up to heaven in a chariot of fire (and horses of fire) in a whirlwind. Did Elijah die? I don't know.
Then we have Jesus of course.
John 3:13; "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
...more about this particular verse later.
Then there is Paul... this one is tricky because Paul doesn't know if was actually physically in heaven, or just spiritually there in a vision.
2Cor 12:2; I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.
2Cor 12:3; And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—
2Cor 12:4; was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
Depending on which Bible translation you have, some say "Paradise" in verse 4. But it says "third heaven" in verse 2. Paul says he wasn't permitted to speak of some things there.
Then we have Isaiah's vision. It seems Isaiah "saw" heaven, but didn't actually go there quite yet.
Isa 6:1; In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
Isa 6:2; Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
Isa 6:3; And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."
Isa 6:4; And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.
Isa 6:5; Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
Isa 6:6; Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
Isa 6:7; He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven."
Isa 6:8; Then 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!"
Isa 6:9; He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.'
Finally we have John, which is also a vision, not actually going to heaven.
Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet,
Rev 1:11 saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
Rev 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;
Rev 1:13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.
Rev 1:14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.
Rev 1:15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.
Rev 1:16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
Rev 1:17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
Rev 1:18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
After reading all these verses... it seems that really only Enoch, Elijah and Jesus actually went to heaven. (possibly Paul, but if he did, he didn't stay).
... to be continued ...