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Claims of going to heaven It was God who brought Paul and then John to heaven, we cannot initiate this on our own. The Bible teaches us that only the apostles communicated a revelation of heaven, not regular Christians. The reason it was given to them is because they were the ones commissioned to teach the church doctrine and write the word for us today. Yet today there are those who say the opposite, and call it an “open heaven.” This is a dangerous precedent, offering counterfeit experiences to others as being what the Bible teaches. The reason one can say they are counterfeit is because Biblically what they say is foreign to how Scripture describes heaven and interaction with these beings and what they say. This is not a biblical teaching, it actually puts people in the position of being visited by angels of light. Fallen angels who come to deliver new revelation and deceive by experience. As believers we go to heaven when we die. We are not brought there for a tour or to receive new teachings that become bestselling books or movies for the church. What of Stephen? He was being targeted by the Jewish unbelievers and was met head on a number of times where they were shut down by his wisdom (Acts 6:8-15) and even lied to the Sanhedrin tot rid of him. In his response to them he gave a long history sermon from Abrahams calling to Moses, to their day and states that a prophet like Moses would be raised up in Acts 7:49. Peter in his lengthy sermon reminds them 'Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest? He then rebukes them scolding their unbelief with numerous examples prompting them to become an angry mob “I Saw heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" Acts 7:55-57) Jesus who knew that he was about to be stoned stood up to receive him as a martyr and allowed him for a moment to see this vision and then they stoned him. Thus we find it impacted Saul who was there, (Acts 22:20), there were multi purposes for this event. It is clear that Stephen had a handle on the word of God unlike those who claim to go to heaven today. So when we read of Paul taken to the third heaven in 2 Cor.12 he speaks in the second person and tells them it is not lawful to repeat what he heard. Because of this experience he explains in 2 Cor. 12:7-8 “ lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. “ John describes his experience of which he is allowed to convey to the church what he sees and hears. Rev 4:1 “a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." As the last living apostle God specifically gave John the future of mankind by calling him to himself in heaven who then was commissioned to write what he saw to all the churches (Rev.1:11,19). Any other person who makes this claim today is a liar under deception of a fallen spirit. Apart from actually dying, only the rapture of the Church (corporately) will bring us to heaven. Phil 3:20- 21our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (1 thess.4:16) It is then we receive “our inheritance to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”(1 Peter 1:4) 1 John 5:7 “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” Only God bears witness, he is the greater witness of things in heaven, not travelers to the place of paradise for believers. And God has conveyed what we need to know written from the Holy Spirit through his chosen apostles which is the eternal truth. He does not need to give us who walk by faith, not sight to need more. |
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