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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Going to Heaven, #7
The word heaven is employed profusely throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. The problem is, neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament distinguishes between heaven as the space above the earth, and Heaven as the spiritual paradise, the abode of Christ and His angels. The one word, heaven, is applied with equal force to the space above the earth and to the spiritual abode of holy and righteous spirits.
It is true also that there are several spiritual heavens. The Lord's prayer actually reads, "Our Father who are in the heavens." Paul was caught up to the third heaven. It appears that God, the saints, and the holy angels dwell in the highest heaven.
It is our point of view, therefore, that the spiritual Heaven of God and Jesus is not in a dimension that includes the earth. The earth is in the physical dimension; the spiritual Paradise, or Heaven, is in the spiritual dimension.
The location of the spiritual Heaven is not as significant as it would be if the spiritual Heaven were in the same dimension as the earth. It is true, rather, that Heaven is all around us.
But the Scriptures consistently refer to the spiritual Heaven as being above us. The Lord Jesus "lifted up His eyes to heaven." The disciples saw Jesus ascend into Heaven (or into the heaven, perhaps referring to the area of the clouds—Acts 1:11).
We would suggest that the entire spirit realm, or dimension, coincides and coexists with the earth, with the lower atmosphere, and with outer space.
The spiritual prisons are located within the earth.
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40)
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (Philippians 2:10)
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. (Revelation 13:11)
The spirit realm of Satan and his angels is located in the air, the lower atmosphere.
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (Ephesians 2:2)
The spiritual Paradise, the abode of God, is in the heavens above the atmosphere of the earth and may extend into outer space. Perhaps the clouds are the point of division.
The spiritual Paradise was on the earth in the beginning. Adam and Eve did not have to pray to God in Heaven. God was accustomed to walking in the garden in the cool of the day.
As soon as Adam and Eve disobeyed God, Paradise (Heaven) disappeared from the surface of the earth. God walked no more in visible Presence with men.
Now it appears that Heaven is in the sky, so to speak, awaiting the day when it once again will be visible to people.
And the heaven [the sky] departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (Revelation 6:14)
To be continued.