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Does Anyone Go
Directly
to
Heaven?
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Before I start, I would like to say that
this study on heaven is by
no means comprehensive. The subject of heaven is a
complicated one and it would be too cumbersome to
discuss in detail. For
example, according to the ancient Hebrew teachings,
there are seven
levels
of heaven
and levels of angels who abide there. The levels
progress as they get closer to God going from
matter
to heat
to light
and then to
pure
thought. For
the purposes of this study, I will not
explore details about the levels, however, it is an
important point to remember, because the third
level of heaven will be mentioned in the next
study.
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In this short study, I will attempt to answer the question,
"Does Anyone Go Directly to
Heaven?" as well as the following questions:
When Jesus' died and his spirit
preached to the spirits in prison, where was he?
What is Hades?
When we die, where do we
go?
To answer these questions, we must first define the
words.
Acts 1:11 ...why stand ye
gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up
from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye
have seen him go into heaven.
The Definition of Heaven
In this passage, the Greek word for heaven is
"ouranos" which means elevation to air, sky, the
abode of God, heaven. It comes from
the root word "oros" which means to rise or lift up as in a
mountain lifting itself above the plains. This definition
makes allot of sense in this scripture because after his
resurrection from the dead, Jesus' body ascended, was lifted
up into the sky into heaven, the abode of God.
One of the characteristics of heaven is that it is
enveloped in light -
the light of God. Acts 9:3 ...there
shined round about him a light from heaven. Jesus, now in
heaven, abides in that light... verse 5 ...
from the light Jesus
identified himself saying, ...I am
Jesus... Revelations 21:23 shows us that God's
presence will give us light, and we will have no need of the
sun or moon to shine because God's glory will provide the
light.
Jesus, who is God the Son, now
abides with God, God the Father, in
heaven. But, is anyone else in heaven right now? We know
from the scriptures that David is not in heaven:
Acts 2:34 ....For
David is
not
ascended into the heavens...
Most christians believe that when their loved one dies,
their spirit ascends into heaven. How many times have we
heard someone say, "They are at peace in heaven now" or
"they are looking down on us from heaven?"
Hold it right there! Jesus said that
NO man has ascended into heaven, except He HIMSELF who came
down from heaven:
John 3:13 And
no
man hath ascended up to
heaven, but he that came
down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in
heaven.
What?
No one is in
heaven - except Jesus?
Now, if NO man has ascended into heaven, then where
are the all the dead? Where
did their spirits go? The answer is that there is an
unseen realm of departed
spirits. It is a place and/or a state of
existence referred to in the bible as
Hades. All of my study on this
subject leads me to believe that
spirits in Hades are awaiting the
great day of judgment. On that day, some will be
accepted into heaven...
John 14:2 In my Father's
house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
But, for now, Jesus is the
only one who has ascended into heaven. Until
the judgment, the spirits go to a waiting place.
Jesus statement was very clear - NO ONE has ascended into
heaven. Not David, Moses, not Abraham, not Lazarus, not your
loved one, and when the time comes, not you! They are all in
a place, whether good or bad, an
unseen realm.
Why do they go there instead of to
heaven? Because heaven is reserved for the
judgment day. Because Hades (also referred to as hell) is a
waiting place. Even the fallen angels are awaiting the
judgment...
2 Peter 2:4-5 For God
spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down
into hell (also
translated Hades and definition is
"the world of the
dead"), and delivered
them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto
judgment.
The day of judgment is a separate study, so for now we
should focus on the unseen realm, the place called
Hades.
The Old Testament Definition
First, let's define the terms. In the Old
Testament, the word "hell" and
"Hades" are used interchangeably.
They are derived from the Hebrew word
"Sheol" which means:
Hades or
the
world of the
dead. Here is another example...
Psalms 9:17 The wicked
shall be turned into hell
(also translated
Hades or the world of the
dead), and all the
nations that forget God.
The New Testament Definition
In the New Testament Greek, the word "Hades" is
used to describe this unseen realm. The definition is
"the unseen place of departed
souls, grave, hell."
There is an unseen realm where all spirits go when their
bodies die. Their body "sleeps" in the grave while their
spirit goes to an unseen realm. This place is referred to in
the bible as Hades. The confusing part is that the
English word "hell" is often used interchangeably with the
word "Hades." There is another Greek word "gehenah"
that is also translated as "hell" and it comes from the name
of a valley and is used to describe a PLACE or STATE of
everlasting punishment. An example of this word is found in
Matthew...
Matthew 5:29 ...thy
whole body should be cast into hell.
If the wicked go to Hades, then
where do the righteous go?
The answer is the
righteous also go to
Hades! - - - Get ready for this... There are two
parts in Hades, one is a place of torment and one is
a place of comfort. In my second study on "Are the
Dead Asleep?" we looked at the story of the rich man and
Lazarus.
The Rich
Man and Lazarus
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According to the scriptures, Lazarus died and
his spirit was taken up by angels to Abraham.
...And it came to pass, that
the beggar died, and was carried by the
angels into Abraham's bosom...
Notice that this story does
not say that
Lazarus went to "heaven" or that he was carried to
the abode of God. Remember that Jesus said that
no man has
ascended to heaven.
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The angels took him somewhere, but it does not say that it
was heaven, nor does it say that he was in God's presence.
No, he was taken to a place of comfort and was met by
Abraham. Abraham is not in
heaven either, because Jesus tells us that
NO
man has ascended into heaven - except himself -
Jesus. In a later study, you will see that heaven is
reserved until the Judgment Day. We will look at the book of
Revelations which describes the second coming of Jesus and
the new heaven and new earth. Until then, I think that the
scriptures show us that spirits go to a place called Hades.
Hades has two parts, the spirits of Abraham
and Lazarus are alive in a place of comfort and
the rich man is alive in a place of
torment.
Luke 16:19-31 There was a
certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine
linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a
certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate,
full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs
which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs
came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the
beggar died, and was carried by the angels
into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and
was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in
torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus
in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have
mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of
his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am
tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember
that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and
likewise Lazarus evil things:
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but now he is
comforted,
and thou art
tormented.
And beside all this, between us and you there is a
great gulf fixed: so that they which would
pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they
pass to us, that would come from thence.
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From this story, whether the characters are real
people or whether it is a parable, we learn that Hades has
two parts, and the two parts are separated from each other
by a gulf. The spirits cannot pass through the gulf to get
to the other side.
Let's look at another example. In the previous study, we
discussed 1 Peter 3:19 where it says that after Jesus died,
...he went and preached unto the
spirits in prison...
Yes, Jesus' spirit went to the
unseen realm and
preached to spirits in
prison. The word "prison" here comes from the Greek word
"phulake" which means guarding the place or condition for a
time, hold, cage, imprison.
At this point, I think it is necessary toexplain the
difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
A "testament" is a Will. If you write up your Will, your
Last
Will
and
Testament, it is meant to take effect
when you die. If your
Last Will and Testament specifies that your neighbor should
receive all of your belongings, your wealth, your property,
upon your demise, that Will does
not take effect
until you in fact DIE!!! Your neighbor cannot legally take
possession of your property while you are still alive. Your
Will takes effect when you die. Likewise, the New Testament,
the new covenant, did not take effect until
Jesus died....
Hebrews 9:17 For a
testament is of force after men are
dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while
the testator liveth.
How does that relate to the Old Testament? Or the spirits
in prison?
People that lived BEFORE the death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus were under the OLD covenant, the OLD
Will - the Law - the blood of sacrificial animals. You and I
are alive now, so we live AFTER the death burial and
resurrection of Jesus, so we are under the New Testament -
grace by the blood of Jesus. The new covenant, our
inheritance, did not become in effect UNTIL Jesus' death.
Therefore, the disobedient people who died in Noah's flood
lived BEFORE the
New Will took effect. In
fact, in their lifetime, there was no Law at all! Noah lived
BEFORE Moses received The Law, the Ten Commandments, from
God. At that time, there was an unspoken law... there was
only righteousness and unrighteousness. Noah was righteous
and found favor in God's eyes and he was saved by the flood
- lifted up in the ark. The disobedient were destroyed in
the flood. Why am I going on and on about Noah? Because
Jesus went to the unseen realm and preached to the spirits
who died in Noah's flood.
1 Peter 3:18-20 For Christ
also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to
death in the flesh, but quickened by the
Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto
the spirits in prison; Which sometime were
disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in
the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing...
Okay, okay, you got the point.
Now, are you ready
for the next point?
'Cause it is
a
shocker!!!!
Go ahead, keep on reading that
scripture...
...wherein few, that is,
eight souls were saved by water.
Eight souls were saved by water. Noah and seven other
were lifted up out of the water in the ark. Conversely, all
of the sins of the world were buried by the water.
How does that relate to us who are
now under the New Testament? Continue reading the same
passage..
1 Peter 3: 21 The
like figure whereunto even
baptism doth
also now save us (not
the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven,
and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities
and powers being made subject unto him.
What? Yes, Noah's
flood was a foreshadow of things to come --- of water
baptism. How can the water of baptism now
save us? This scripture makes it clear that baptism
is not a superficial thing, like washing dirt
off of our skin, rather it is our answer to
God - in our conscience! What is our conscience?
Answer: our mind. What is our mind? Answer: Our spirit. We
covered the definition of these terms in my study on the
Body, Soul, and Spirit. If you have not read the first
study, please start over and read that lesson.
Let's get back to that scripture...verse 21 -
Likewise baptism now saves
us... Water baptism now saves
us because it is our answer to God, but the event is not a
physical thing like taking a shower, it is not of the flesh,
but of the spirit... of the conscience, of the mind. We will
explore this subject in a later study on
Eternal Life: How Can I Get
It?
For now, this scripture shows us that Jesus went and
preached to spirits whose bodies died in Noah's flood. They
lived in a time before they could know Jesus Christ. So, he
went to them and preached. While on earth, their sins were
covered by water (the flood). This event corresponds to us
now because when we are buried in water by baptism, so too
are our sins destroyed. verse 20...
Noah was saved by water, and so
too WE are saved by baptism, verse 21...
baptism
doth also now
save
us.
This scripture took us a bit off track, but I had to deal
with it here because it started with Jesus, who died for our
sins, then it says his spirit went to a prison and preached
to other spirits, they had lived in the days of Noah, then
the scripture took a turn and told us that water baptism
corresponds to Noah's flood. Then it continued to say that
baptism now saves us!
Why did Jesus go to them and preach?
In my
opinion,
(just an opinion) Jesus went to them to tell them about the
new covenant and the hope of eternal life in heaven. They
were in a "prison" and Jesus told them that they could be
"set free" from the bondage of their sins. Some may have
believed - some not. I think that they are still awaiting
the judgment. But, none of us
know what exactly happened when Jesus preached to the
spirits in prison. Did some of them accept Jesus? Did
they go into the place of comfort with Lazarus and Abraham?
We just don't know! All that we know is that the
spirits are still alive in
an unseen realm, Jesus went to them in the spirit and
preached, and that Noah's
flood corresponds to water baptism.
One final
thought about Noah's
flood. There is another interesting point I should
make here. I am merely going to mention this and I did not
include all of the scriptural references to support this
point. --- But, here it is anyway... At the very
beginning of the bible,
in Genesis, the scriptures tell us that God destroyed the
sins of earth by water (Noah's flood). At the
end of the bible, the
book of Revelations tells us that someday (the end of the
world as we know it) God will destroy the sins of earth by
fire. So, the sins of the world are destroyed, first by
water, then by
fire. We already know from the
passage in 1st Peter, that Noah's flood corresponds to water
baptism. The fire corresponds to the destruction of earth by
fire. The destruction of sin by water and fire corresponds
to the
baptism
of
water
and
Spirit.
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The book of Acts has an
account of the baptism of the Holy Spirit:
And there appeared
unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them. And they were all
filled with the Holy Ghost... Acts 2:3
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The next question discusses the thief on the cross. Please
go the next study
What
About the Thief on the Cross?
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