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Deutsche Version | Wiki Start | Topics Collection ii

Heaven 2 - Reality of Heaven ...

Friday, May 28, 2010. Is heaven just a nice dream? Is it just a goal? Is it like some ethical ideal? What is the biblical idea of heaven and what is reality?

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Heaven in the bible

We have already looked into the vision of heaven in Isaiah. Mankind and animals are reconciled in a way we could not imagine. But in particular the New Testament knows a lot about heaven. Jesus talks about it. The apostles talk about it in a particular way. Heaven is strongly present in the New Testament texts! What is heaven?

Jesus sees heaven realized in his presence. He points the people around him to the miracles, to his power, to his words, to his mission and role. “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” (Luke 11, 20). He sends his disciples to tell people: the kingdom of heaven is near! The kingdom of heaven is driven by forgiveness …

There are a lot of discussions between the apostles and his contemporaries about the validity of the biblical message. The confirm many times: we believe in the resurrection of the dead! Heaven is coming, time is close. The events around Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit, is a sign of heaven on earth. Heaven has come already, but has not been completed. Heaven has started in and among us, but its full power is still not finished with its work.

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The Reality of Heaven

How real is heaven? We might even like Jesus, think he is a good guy, and still be far from heaven. Heaven is much more than just a state in the future. It is not only something which will come. It is not just an external power. Heaven concerns the full range of human feelings, goals, experiences - our whole existence.

Heaven has started already. It is a reality today. In this time, it starts in our hearts, it is the force which governs our spirit. Heaven starts with the reconciliation between you and God. It starts with the forgiveness which you receive and which changes your life. It starts with the power which governs your goals, your emotions, your days.

But heaven is more than that. It is a “hard” reality. The world will change, in the way the visions tell us. There will be no tears any more, no violence. There will be joy and trust, in a world which is even richer than our current wonderful environment. For us the resurrection of the dead is a hope, for God is is already like a fact. We need to enter faith, to see what is! The bible invites us: Open your heart and your mind and realize: heaven is real. ... more texts

jn_en_2010_05_28.txt · Last modified: 2017/06/18 16:48 by 127.0.0.1