THE NATURE OF DECEPTION

 

Recently we discussed the root of deception. Today we will look into the nature of deception. Deception is meant to deceive. It is fraud disguised as truth. It is corruption made to look like true opportunity. It is illusion. It is a trap. It is meant to get the victim to change course and get off track. It preys on our human weakness and desires--greed, jealousy, and all our character flaws. It is Hasatan’s most powerful tool.

 

It begins with Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter three when the adversary twists God’s instruction which he gave Adam and Eve. “Did God really say that? He didn’t really mean that. He is hiding something from you which you deserve.”

 

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Gen 3.6

 

The tree appealed to their senses. It was good for food, pleasant to the eye, and desirable to make one wise. It appealed to their fleshly desires. They listened to the adversary’s broadcast and disinformation and Eve allowed herself to be deceived. She gave the fruit to Adam, who knew better and should have corrected her--he ate it too.

 

We husbands like to please our wives whether we want to admit it or not. Adam wanted to please her and he joined her in her disobedience without giving the situation much thought. Their eyes were opened to things God would have preferred they did not know or see. Their age of innocence was over.

 

Eve had left the covering of her husband and was deceived by the lie. She should have checked with Adam first before she ate of the fruit. Adam should have refused the fruit but did not want to have a family argument. Instead of following God’s word he went along with Eve.

 

Deception sows doubt in our minds. That was what the adversary created in Adam and Eve’s minds. He questioned Eve on the truth of God’s word. Eve didn’t take the time to go back to her husband and ask him exactly what God had told him. She didn’t take time to do her Bible study but listened to what sounded good to her. How often we do this without researching on our own.

 

Adam was downright negligent. He knew better. He let his guard down.

 

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

 

Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3.7-13

 

Adam blamed Eve. At least he was honest when he admitted he ate without questioning. Eve admitted that she had been deceived. The two innocents didn’t get to enjoy life very long before they where introduced to life’s hard reality. Hasatan once again was attacking God’s eternal plans. He had been cast down to earth and was broadcasting his selfish way of life into all of God’s earthly creation. Man had chosen to disobey God and sinned against God’s word--His instruction (commandments).

 

Now Adam and Eve would know death:

 

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

 

They knew nothing of sin and death until they chose to go against God’s law. Hasatan deceived them. He told Eve the truth--they would know good and evil--with a subtle questioning of God. He put doubt into Eve’s mind and rather than going back and seek truth she took the bait.

 

The nature of deception is too create doubt in our minds. Hasatan constantly broadcasts this doubt through the air and into our minds. He subtly twists God’s truth in order to create doubt in our minds. Once we act upon that doubt we fall into sin. Doubt, in effect, is temptation. Doubt creates confusion and we are tempted to take impulsive action. The temptation appeals to our soulish or self nature. The lust of the eyes and flesh. Immediate self gratification.

 

The first defense against deception is to have a thorough knowledge of God’s word as written in the entire Bible--both Old and New Testaments. When in doubt, refer back to the Bible. Search for an answer. Let it be ingrained in the mind. “Bind them on our foreheads” as it says in Deuteronomy 6.8.

 

Our soulish or self nature is where the conflict of the lust of the flesh takes place. We desire to satisfy ourselves in all things. That is our soulish nature. We were created this way. We hunger, we eat. We want to be warm, we build a fire and warm ourselves. We want things, we work for the money to purchase them. This is natural.

 

Our soulish nature and desire of the flesh become sinful when we begin to fall into self gratification. When we begin to covet what our neighbor has rather than work for it ourselves. When we become jealous of what our neighbor has and steal or kill for it. This is what God’s law or Torah focuses on--righteous living--self sacrifice.

 

When our soulish desires become corrupted by lust, jealously, envy, etc, then we are breaking God’s law. If we go about living righteously and work honestly to provide for ourselves and families we are in effect obeying God’s Torah.

 

Nations steal, kill, and destroy for natural resources. Nations go to war because they jealously watch another nation prosper. This is sin on a national scale. This is how Hasatan operates in this present world. It is his domain until all things are put under Yeshua’s feet.

 

To achieve his ends, Hasatan will use deception to prey upon our soulish nature. He will broadcast lies into our minds in the form of gossip, slander, jealousies, envies, and the like, until we act upon these deceptions and lies.

 

God’s written word warns and prepares our minds for these attacks. The more we meditate on God’s instruction, law, and Torah the safer we are. Our minds begin to tune into God’s broadcasting station. We begin to discern between the lies and deception of the enemy and the truth of God’s word. We begin to have “the mind of Christ.”

 

The Lord told us to become as little children because little children will happily obey their parents. God’s commands are really very basic and simple. Our sinful nature and soulish desires rise up and we satisfy them in a sinful, rather than righteous way, of taking up our cross and crucifying these “evil” desires.

 

Again, desire itself is not evil. Soulish desire is natural. God wants us to discern the righteous way of living verses the soulish sinful and self gratifying way of living. We are to lay down our lives and wrongful desires at the cross.

 

As we learn to do this in a spiritual way we will find ourselves becoming stewards of all that God has blessed us with. We no longer want to follow Hasatan’s way of stealing, killing, and destroying in order to satisfy our desires. We are now walking in the spirit and the chances of being deceived by the evil one become neutralized as we abide in Yeshua and follow His commands.

THE POWER OF DECEPTION

 

The power of deception is the ability to deceive. It is the ability to disguise that which you are really trying to accomplish. It is trickery, the means of deceiving to achieve a particular end. It is the ability to get some organization, competitor, or the masses to be manipulated and tricked into doing what you want them to do--or to believe.

 

A great example of this is found in the game of football. On both sides of the ball--on offense and on defense--the plays are designed to deceive the opposing team into thinking they know what the other team is doing. As the play develops the true nature of the play becomes evident. If the deception is well played the opposing team will be fooled  resulting in a “big play” that can change the outcome of the game.

 

Coaches get paid big money to design offensive and defensive schemes to outwit the opposing team. Teams practice these plays over and over until these plays become convincing to the opponent. Some quarterbacks are expert at handing off the football and feigning that they still have the ball. Payton Manning in his younger days was very good at it along with Tom Brady.

 

Even the motion or direction of designed plays in football are designed to deceive the opponent. Some teams will run or pass the ball in the opposite direction in which it seems the play is supposed to go. The best teams have the best schemes and the best players to execute these plays.

 

In war, generals attempt to deceive the enemy into thinking the opposite of what they think they see. In corporate competition there are many deceptions. Corporations will try to get the competition to think they are working on a particular design when in reality they are working on something entirely different. The world we live in is rife with deception of every kind. It is the power of the spirit of the air of this present world!

 

Lucifer was cast down from heaven because he chose to live this way. He became full of himself and rebelled from his Creator Yehovah. See Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 for all the details. Lucifer will do whatever he can to deceive mankind into disobedience towards God.

 

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8.44

 

No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11.14

 

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11.3

 

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Rev 12.9

 

…that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 2 Thess 2.9-10

 

As we have discussed in recent postings, our natural desires can lead us into sin if we allow ourselves to be deceived. Sadly the church has been infiltrated by new age, Wicca, and eastern religions to the point that many believers cannot discern the difference between what God requires and what are pagan practices. This can be a very contentious issue among believers and can cause serious conflicts.

 

A perfect example of this is the pagan religion of Marion which is embedded in the Roman Catholic Church. Mary is not a perpetual virgin, she is not sinless, did not ascend to heaven, and is not a mediator between mankind and Jesus. A thorough study of the Bible will prove this.

 

Jesus had brothers and sisters: "behold, His (Jesus') mother and His brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak with Him." Matthew 12:46

 

Mary was in need of salvation: And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Luke 146-47

 

Therefore she died and is awaiting her resurrection from the dead: “For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." John 6.40

Mary is not our mediator: For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
1 Timothy 2.5

 

Not only is the Marion doctrine false, it is one of the great deceptions of our adversary, Hasatan. There are millions, if not billions of people, who believe in her and believe she has appeared at various places and times. See this link:

http://theopenscroll.com/queenHeavenMary.htm 

 

Her cult is the classic angel of light Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 11.14. Her influence is great on the earth. She is the Queen of Heaven--in the spirit of Jezebel--deceiving the world. She is a real deceiving spirit that has misled countless millions of people. This is a real spirit--a demonic spirit of deception. She never tells her admirers not to worship her, in fact, she encourages her believers to worship her.

In the Bible angels of God never permit anyone to worship them. This is one way to determine the true from the counterfeit!

 

Search the scriptures for yourself. Don’t listen to me. Future deceptions coming upon this world will be similar in nature to the Marion Deception. Since many millions worship and pray to her what if at some future date she should appear and endorse a man as being her son? Endorse a man as being the Messiah we have been waiting for. These millions will be deceived into believing in an Antichrist false figure!

 

She has the power of deception in her bosom. She is the manifestation of many ancient goddesses. Isis, Asherah, Ishtar, Diana, Minerva, Juno, Columbia. Her roots are in all these manifestations we have seen down through the centuries. She is an angel of light--a false prophet--but millions swear by her and will never leave her tradition. They will keep the “traditions of men” rather than follow the true God Yehovah.

 

Here is an example of the power of deception. Signs and symbols have significant meaning. Many who have come to the Lord in the past were into the new age. It becomes easy to identify these believers because they unwittingly bring the signs and symbols from new age and mingle it with their faith in the Lord. They still have mixture that the Lord does not approve of in their walk.

 

Feminism is really a great part of new age beliefs. In reality the roots of feminism go back to Wicca and goddess worship. The female becomes the goddess of wisdom and understanding. The female becomes the defacto leader, without the lawful authority of God. The spirit of Jezebel is behind feminism. How does this line up with God’s chain of command as outlined in His word?

 

I don’t have a problem with women leaders. When men refuse to lead God will often raise up a woman to light a fire under the men as in Judges 4. Debra had to prod Barak to do what God wanted him to do. Debra got the credit for the victory but God balanced out the situation with Barak’s presence and participation. She did not go by herself.

 

We need to be careful to understand God’s chain of command. We will avoid many problems if we are doing things as outlined in the word. It is very easy for us to be deceived. A major problem in the church today is a misunderstanding of the roots of paganism--the spirit of the world--and how we have allowed the enemy to infiltrate our assemblies with pagan beliefs, signs, and symbols. Most blow it off and refuse to see the pagan mixture. Be careful! God gives those people over to deception: 2 Thessalonians 2.7-12

 

When I began to understand the Bible with a Hebraic understanding these things began to become clear. Many have relegated the Old Testament to the dusty book shelf. The key is to understand paganism as described in the O.T. so that we are able to identify these “spirits” in our assemblies today.

 

Many bemoan the fact that there is no power in the church. Until we have a clear understanding of paganism, and how it is active in our churches today, we will not be seeing God’s true power in action. God is not going to use a vessel that is full of mixture to reveal His healing and miraculous power to the world. He is looking for vessels that have allowed Him to search their hearts and cleanse them of any SELF serving agenda or foreign “gods”.

 

That how we will be able to discern true prophets of God verses false prophets performing signs and wonders. We will be able to discern those who have a SELF serving agenda and who are in it for SELF glory and not the glory of Yehovah. “Ye shall know them by their fruits.”

 

Marionism is a powerful deception that glorifies the goddess and takes our eyes off of Yeshua. It is a “form of godliness without the power thereof.” God is searching for those who will yield to Him in a much deeper way as we approach the end of this age. All SELF must die.

 

I close with a part of a poem by the English poet Rudyard Kipling. It is a condemnation of paganism in our modern world:

 

No doubt but ye are the People; who shall make you afraid?

Also your gods are many; no doubt but your gods shall aid.

Idols of greasy altars built for the body’s ease;

Proud little brazen Baals and talking fetishes;

Teraphs of sept and party and wise wood-pavement gods—

These shall come down to the battle and snatch you from under the rods? Rudyard Kipling.

If you apply yourself and study BOTH the Old and New Testaments you will know God's mind!

 

THE ROOT OF DECEPTION

 

 

Back in 2009 I began to seek the Lord in earnest about the end times and the true interpretation of His word. I asked two things. The first was to understand the end of the age in the context of the Book Revelation. The second was to learn to understand the truth presented in the Bible. This meant to allow the entire body of scripture interpret itself rather than follow the traditions of men and church.

 

The Lord told me it was necessary to first understand history as written in the Bible. That took some time as I had to reacquaint myself with the history of the children of Israel from Genesis through 2 Chronicles (including the books of the prophets).

 

During that process I began to understand the concept of chastisement. I saw it on a national scale in God’s dealings with His rebellious people. Then I began to understand it on a personal level. God works with nations and individuals through chastisement or discipline. He establishes the rules, and we are to follow those rules, or face His discipline.

 

On a higher level, God has given us His written laws and we, as good citizens, are to follow and obey His those laws. The written Torah is still in force in the world today. It is based on the ten commandments and gives examples of how we are to treat one another in following those commandments. Really quite simple!

 

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Torah (first five books of Moses) and the rest of the Bible I began to see how nations and individuals were living lawlessly. A simple concept but I never really thought about it on a national scale. The world is lawless in the context of obeying the commandments written in the Bible. The world is lawless because we as individuals are lawless in context to the Biblical commands. It is incredibly simple!

 

We all do whatever seems right in our own eyes (Judges 21.25). Take marriage as an example. Modern courtship is practice for divorce. We go window shopping, pick someone we like, try it out for awhile, take it home, and when we get tired of it we go window shopping for another one!

 

Sometimes we make a mistake and get the someone pregnant. Then we marry some one for the wrong reason--or maybe we just don’t bother to marry so the breakup will be easier later. Before long we have dysfunctional families and relationships. We have totally ignored God’s written way of courting and waiting to get to know someone before committing to marriage. Lawlessness. Each small disobedience leads to dysfunction until we can’t cope with the compounding problems.

 

When we have our initial “born again” experience the first thing the Lord does is begin to get our disorderly house in order. He leads us back to becoming law abiding citizens of the Kingdom. Being “born again” opens our eyes to our former lawlessness. If it doesn’t then you better get on your knees and start asking God why your life is so out of order and full of problems.

 

Christians love to say, “We’re not under the law anymore.” That is the first great deception of our enemy Hasatan the adversary. If you believe that you are being deceived and are headed for believing the other deceptions which are coming upon the world.

 

Yeshua has saved us from the curse of the law. The law merely points out how incapable we are of totally obeying the law. We need a redeemer--a savior from the curse of the law--that law which points out our sinful nature.

 

The enemy would deceive us into believing we are “not under the law” in order that we continue to sin. Yeshua not only saves us from the curse of the law but He becomes our teacher of the law (Torah). If you are living in sin you are not living in the Kingdom of God.

 

The deceptions which are coming upon the church and the world are going to be very smooth and fraudulent. Deception is the act or state of deceiving. It is a trick, stratagem, ruse, hoax, subterfuge. It is never what it seems.

 

The primary deception in this world is that we are not “under the law” and can live anyway we want. After all, we have Jesus and He will forgive us. It is true He will forgive us, but if we are lawless we cannot experience the Kingdom of God in this present life.

 

If we love Him we will obey His commands (1 John 2.3-5). Yeshua taught the Torah. The sermon on the mount was instruction in Torah. We are to respect and treat one another the way we would like to be treated. There is a right way and a wrong way to live. The WORD of God has complete instructions.

 

Deception begins with lawlessness and a spirit of lawlessness. In Genesis 3 the serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say you shouldn’t eat the fruit of EVERY tree in the garden?” He twisted the word of God and created doubt in Eve’s mind. He deceived her by appealing to her senses. She saw it was good, pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired.

 

Eve, having free will, decided to disobey God’s simple command to avoid the one tree. She allowed herself to commit an act of lawlessness in direct conflict with God’s law. She allowed herself to be deceived by Hasatan’s smooth and twisted words. He took God’s command and twisted it.

 

Eve was not a student of the law. If she was, she would have recognized the deception put before her. She sinned against the creator because she was not sure of what God’s command was. She had not paid attention to what Adam had told her. She had not meditated on God’s word (instruction).

 

God had made Hasatan the most beautiful and powerful angel in His government. He was a covering cherub over the ark of God (Ezekiel 28). He was perfect in his ways until he decided to become lawless. Just as God has given mankind a free will, so he gave the angels free will. God cannot create robots that simply obey Him. He desires we obey from a heart of love. Therefore he gave his created beings free will to choose.

 

Hasatan became full of himself and full of rebelliousness towards his creator. He had the highest place in God’s government until he rebelled and became lawless. “I can run this government better then God” he said. I know better than the founder of this company, then my boss, etc, etc. He became lawless and insane with jealousy towards God.

 

He was cast out of heaven to this earth and has been wreaking havoc ever since. He has deceived the whole world (Rev 12.9) into following his lawless way. Ephesians 6.12 and forward explains that we are in spiritual warfare. He is the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2.2).

 

Hasatan is a broadcaster. He broadcasts his lawless through the air into our thoughts just like listening to the radio! Just as we are led by the Spirit of God, the world is led by the spirit of the power of the air.

 

We must protect ourselves from his lies and deceptions by having a thorough understanding of God’s written word. That is the whole body of scriptures--not just the New Testament--the whole body of scripture is for our instruction (2 Tim 3.16). We will then understand what God is broadcasting and discern which broadcast is true.

 

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,  from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

 

But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine…1 Timothy 1.5-10

 

The law protects us from criminals and crime. Are we criminals or law abiding citizens of the kingdom? Know and understand the law. This will protect us from deception. The root of deception is lawlessness. Those who are lawless will believe the lie. Those who are lawless will be used and manipulated by the enemy. Romans chapter one is a good place to begin to understand lawlessness. If we insist on sinning God will give us over to sin.

 

When we read the word we must consider the entire body of scripture before coming to conclusions. We must search for consensus in the word, for confirmation, and example. The church believes in many false doctrines of men. Many of us believe in things that are unscriptural. God wants us to get rid of these traditions of men and follow His ways.

 

Once you know the truth, the truth will set you free. If you are exposed to truth, and resist and deny that truth, you will become a slave to the lie and the deception. In the days ahead those who walk in power and truth will have allowed the Spirit of Truth, God’s Holy Spirit, gently teach and woo them back to God’s truth. They will shed the traditions of men and walk in God’s truth.

 

This small end time remnant will not be in it for themselves or for personal glory and recognition. They will be in it because of their great love for God and His truth. They will have allowed themselves to be taught in the disciplined school of the Spirit and will know their God and he will know them. They are called “Overcomers” and have overcome all the sin that besets them. They will have laid down their lives for God’s glory and purposes.

 

The root of all deception is our lawlessness. Until we fully lay down our lives at His cross and obey Him we are susceptible to deception. In upcoming postings we will discuss and dissect deceptions based on traditions of men and Hasatan’s false broadcasting network. Once you hear the truth you become responsible for what you have heard. Read at your own risk!

 

 

 

 

GOD’S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS

 

You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord. Lev 18.4-5

 

Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments. Ps 119.164

 

I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. Ps 119.7

 

We are to understand that all God’s judgments are righteous. Psalm 119 is all about the Torah and God’s righteous judgments.

 

My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path. Proverbs 2.1-9

 

God’s judgment and righteousness are always connected. That is what these verses in Proverbs are showing us. All of God’s judgments are righteous--sometimes we do not understand and are mistaken in thinking the judgment is not righteous. The big picture is expressed in Ps 9.8...He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

 

We should not become angry with God if we do not understand what He is doing.

 

And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.” And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” Rev 16.5-7

 

All judgment was not nailed to the cross--there is still some to come. All God’s judgments are righteous and have a purpose. God’s judgments have deep meaning in the course of eternity.

 

The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. Ps 119.160

 

God’s judgments have deep meaning in the course of eternity.

 

Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

 

HOW DO RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS BENEFIT US?

They are designed to help us govern our ways. The judgment/chastisement brings blessing or cursing. God wants us to do things His way--the righteous way--and to stop blaming others:

 

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they then gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Psalm 19.9-10

 

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Hebrews 12.5-7

 

We are warned and taught through the chastisements of the Lord. Often we want to blame the Adversary for our troubles, but often the Lord is chastening us for our attitude. We need to understand the difference! God chastens us as individuals and as a nation. When the nation turns away from God He will chasten the nation through nature and through other nations.

 

God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength. He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. Job 37.5-7

 

From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north. By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen. Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them. On the face of the whole earth. He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy. Job 37.9-13

 

Katrina, Sandy, and Athena were God’s chastening to our nation and specific areas. His desire is that people will turn back to Him and repent. It is His way of getting our attention. Sometimes Christians will be hurt by these destructive storms. God may be telling them to relocate because this area is not where He wants them. See Lot as an example.

 

THREE TYPES OF JUDGMENT

 

1. Eternal Judgment - John 3.14-16...And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

Grace and salvation. Jesus saves us from eternal judgment. Acts 4.12...Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

 

God wants us to practice righteousness by right living, but this eternal righteousness and salvation is imputed by Jesus--it is not earned!

 

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Rev 20.11-15 Only Jesus blood and salvation gets us written in the book of life. The wicked dead rejected God’s word. Eternal judgment is “heaven or hell.”

 

2. Wrath Judgment - Gen 6.5-9...Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

 

These wrath judgments are unto death. Noah obeyed God’s word or law and was saved. The others experienced God’s end-time wrath--death. The same happened with Lot in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Gen 19.23-29

 

God delivers the righteous from wrath:

 

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries….2 Peter 2.4-10

 

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ…1 Thess 5.9

 

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Reaping the Grapes of Wrath

Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Rev 14.14-19

 

3. Temporal Judgment - This is a judgment that leads or should lead to repentance. 1 Cor 11.32...But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

 

God disciplines us in order that we should not be condemned! It is God’s loving parental way of moving us in the direction we should go. This is God’s way. Remember the children of Israel knew His acts, but Moses knew His ways! God wants us to know Him in a deeper way.

 

He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. Ps 103.7

 

It takes time for God to work His character into us because we are slow to learn and understand. The bottom line is that we trust Him to work His character in us. That means He will often use other people to point out areas in our lives that are not in line with His purpose in us.

 

When we understand this we can yield to the working of the spirit and allow this, rather than trying to escape. It is not always pleasant when we allow God to show us our short comings. The purpose is to create Godly character in us—a trait the world truly lacks in this day.

For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?  But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 

Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?  For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.  Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12.6-11

 

A SHORT STUDY ON HEAVEN AND WHERE WE GO WHEN WE DIE

Here is more scripture supporting that Heaven is God's place of government and that when we die we sleep, awaiting our resurrection from the dead. Here is an earlier study: http://burningbush647.blogspot.com/2016/02/rev-20-eternal-life-is-based-upon.html

Definition of "heaven" according to Strong’s: 8064 shamayim, shaw-mah'-yim; dual of an unused singular shameh, shaw-meh'; from an unused root mean. to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perh. alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):-air, X astrologer, heaven (-s).  Note that this definition tells us that Shamayim, heaven, is PLURAL. There is more than one!

Shamayim comes from the Hebrew word sham which mean There. This suggests that when the righteous reach the Olam HaBa (the world to come), the renewed earth, they will finally be There. Thus we see that heaven has the connotation as the place where Lord dwells.

Scriptures related to heaven

The Angel of the Lord can call from heaven and be heard by men on earth…Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, And he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself." But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth….Gen 14.18-22

But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided." The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time….Gen 22.11-15

Abraham served the God of heaven…"The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land'--he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. Gen 24.6-7

Heaven has gates and stairways… Angels can come from and go to heaven… Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

God's holy dwelling place is heaven... I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me. Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey." Gen 26.18

Heaven is God's throne…This is what the Lord says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Isaiah 66.1

But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; Or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. Matt 5.34-35

There are spirits/angels in heaven… I looked up again--and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains--mountains of bronze! The first chariot had red horses, the second black, The third white, and the fourth dappled--all of them powerful. I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these, my lord?" The angel answered me, "These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. Zechariah 6.1-5

God's will is done in heaven…"This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Matt 6.9-11

We can store up treasure in heaven. It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven…Yeshua answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Matt 19.21

Heaven will pass away…"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Matt 24.32-35

Yeshua was taken up into heaven…After the Lord Yeshua had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Mark 16.19

We can have a reward in heaven…Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. Luke 6.20-23

Some names are written in heaven...The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Luke 10.17-20

No one has ever gone into heaven - except Yeshua… No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, That everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3.13-14

Our citizenship is written in heaven… But our citizenship (4175 Strong’s) is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Yeshua Mashiach, Who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! Philippians 3.20; 4.1

We will have an immortal body from heaven…Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, Because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2Chronicles 5.1-6…Carefully read 1 Corinthians 15 concerning our resurrection bodies.

Our inheritance is kept (recorded) in heaven… Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua Mashiach! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Yeshua Mashiach from the dead, And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, Who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1.4-5

If you want to enter life, keep the commandments. It is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven. At the renewal of all things, the apostles will sit on thrones. The people who left family and things for Yeshua will inherit eternal life… "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Yeshua replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." "Which ones?" the man inquired. Yeshua replied," 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, Honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself...Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Yeshua said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life….Matt 19.17-30

If the dead are raised first; where are they now?... Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Yeshua died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Yeshua those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Mashiach will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thess 4.13-17

Breaking the law and teaching others to do so makes you least in the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever practices and teaches the law will be called great in the Kingdom of heaven. You will not enter the Kingdom of heaven unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees… "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt 5.17-20

The one who does the will of God will enter the kingdom of heaven… "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matt 7.15-23

The righteous will dwell on earth forever in the MK…Thy sun shall no more go down, Neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for Yahweh shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever; the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, wherein I glory. Isaiah 60:20-21

For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. Ps 37.28-29

 

The kingdom of heaven:

When we talk about the British kingdom of yesteryear, we are not necessarily talking about Great Britain. We are talking about many places, including: Australia, Canada, India, and many other place. It was said that the sun never set on this kingdom.This concept of a kingdom is very important. It helps us to understand the following passages:

The kingdom of heaven will be set up in the time of the last kings…And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands--a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy." Daniel 2.43-45

The Kingdom of heaven happens at the end of the age…"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous And throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matt 13.45-50

The righteous will dwell on earth forever…The Tanakh and the New Testament are replete with references to the fact that the righteous will dwell on earth forever. It does not contain any references to suggest that they will “inherit heaven”. Here are a few of those references: Thy sun shall no more go down, Neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for Yahweh shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever; the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, wherein I glory. Isaiah 66.1-2

For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. Ps 37.28-29

God will dwell with men on earth…Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. Revelation 21:1-6

In the Millennial Kingdom (MK) the people will live on the new (renewed) earth in the city of Jerusalem…But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. "Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. Isaiah 65.13-25

VI. "Paradise" is the abode of the righteous… The Greek word for “Paradise” is: G3857 paradeisos, par-ad'-i-sos; of Oriental or. [comp. 6508]; a park, i.e. (spec.) an Eden (place of future happiness, "paradise"):-paradise.

This Greek word, Paradeisos, is used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew: Gan Eden. Gan Eden is normally translated into English as: The Garden of Eden. So Paradise = The Garden of Eden! Armed with this concept, let us examine this “Paradise”:

The thief was promised he would go to paradise when he died… One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Mashiach? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Yeshua, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Yeshua answered him, "I tell you the truth today, you will be with me in paradise." It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, For the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. The thief was told today, in the future tense, he would be in paradise with Yeshua, who was talking about the coming Kingdom of God or the Millennial Kingdom (MK).

Seems to indicate either two different places or two names for the same place… "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lamp stands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Rev 2.1-7 The Tree of Life started out in the Garden in Eden and it will be there when we get to eat of it. Paradise is not Heaven…this passage is talking about future life in the MK.

Our inheritance is the possession of land on this earth in the MK and beyond…

“Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them. But I said to you, "You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.           Lev 20.22-24

This is what the Lord says: "As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them. But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to his own inheritance and his own country. And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, 'As surely as the Lord lives'--even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal--then they will be established among my people. But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it," declares the Lord. Jeremiah 12:14-17

A key verse: "You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance," declares the Sovereign God. Ezekiel 47:21-23 The alien (ger) will have an inheritance with the tribes of Jacob. We are grafted into Israel.

We receive our inheritance at the end of the days.  This inheritance is referred to many times in the New Testament… Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua Mashiach! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Yeshua Mashiach from the dead, And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 1 Peter 1.3-4

For this reason Mashiach is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. Hebrews 9.15

Conclusion …Heaven is Yahweh’s abode and not men's abode. Further, we see that even though Elijah went up to heaven, we see in Yochanan (John) 3:13 that he did not go to the place where God dwells. When we die we do NOT go to Heaven!

The Kingdom of Heaven is not the same as the place called Heaven…Yahweh designed the Garden of Eden to be the dwelling place for men. This garden was on the earth at one time. 2 Corinthians 12:4 seems to indicate that the Garden of Eden is "up". This “up” is our coming up out of the grave upon resurrection. Since we will be living on the earth in the Garden of Eden, I would expect the Garden of Eden to be part of the New Jerusalem which comes down to earth. When we die and are resurrected from the dead we go to the Garden of Eden which will be on Earth, which is the thousand year Millennial Kingdom, the MK.