Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Do we go to heaven at death?

Do you believe you will go to heaven when you die one day? Have you been taught by your parents and ministers of religion that good people go to heaven, whilst the wicked go to an eternal hell fire at death? Is that a ‘truth’ to be found in the word of Elohim, the Scriptures, or is it derived from the other religions of the world? Let’s examine this very important question in our own Scriptures, to determine the truth of the matter. To begin with, if righteous people go to heaven at death, why did Peter (Rav Kepha) tell us in Acts 2: 29 – 34 that King David, a man after Elohim’s own heart, as confirmed by Paul (Rav Shaul) in Acts 13: 22 (quoting from 2 Samuel 15: 25), is still dead and buried in His grave, saying: “Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. (30) And so, because he was a prophet, and knew that ELOHIM HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS UPON HIS THRONE, (31) he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY, (32) This Yahshua Elohim raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. (33) Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of Elohim, and having received from the Father the promise of the Set-apart Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. (34) For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘YHVH SAID TO MY MASTER, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, (35) UNTIL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR THY FEET.”’

What about our fathers in the faith, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Surely they qualified for the ultimate reward after death? We will find out what happened to them during the course of this lesson, but let’s at this point determine what Yahshua told His disciples regarding going to heaven? Yahshua’s disciple John (Yochanan) recorded Yahshua’s own word’s in John 3: 13, saying: “And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man.” What an inconsistency! Millions today believe that the ‘saved’ go to heaven when they die. Yet, David did not. If the saved go to heaven when they die, why is there a need for the resurrection from the dead? Why must people be resurrected, if they have already received their reward? What very few people are aware of is that the belief in heaven after death is not limited to Christianity. People throughout the world have always believed in some sort of afterlife; a reward after death. Christians, Hindus, Muslins and pagans all believe the reward of the righteous after death, is to spend eternity in heaven. History tells us that many ideas of professing Christianity comes from the ancient Egyptians. But surprisingly as it may sound, neither Yahshua nor His apostles taught that the righteous go to heaven. In fact the early congregation of Nazarene believers in Messiah did not teach the concept of going to heaven at all. Such teachings only became popular long after the death of the apostles. Nevertheless, largely under the influence of Greek thought, ancient Egyptian mythology began to replace the teachings found in the Scriptures, as a source of doctrine. Prevailing concepts such as the immortality of the soul came directly from ancient pagan mythology. Today the idea of heaven being the ‘reward of the saved’ is universal among Protestant churches. The majority of professing Christians look forward to going to ‘heaven’ where the righteous sit on clouds, plucking harps and beholding the face of the Master for all eternity!

However, what is the basic truth about heaven and what do the Scriptures teach about the ‘reward of the saved’? King Solomon who ruled the united nation of Israel after his father King David, wrote about the reward of both the upright and the wicked in Proverbs 2: 21 & 22, saying: ‘For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; (22) But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted from it.’ This agrees with what Yahshua Messiah taught in Matthew 5: 5, saying: “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” We need to understand that YHVH made a two-fold promise to Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, namely that he and his descendants after him will inherit the Promised Land eternally (as spiritual children of Elohim), provided they remain loyal to Him and His Torah, including to circumcise their male children at eight days old, as a sign of this everlasting covenant. The second part of the promise to Abraham was that YHVH would bring a remnant of the children of Abraham known as the lost ten tribes, who lost their inheritance to the Promised Land because of idolatry, back to the covenant they made with Him, together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai, through Abraham’s One seed, Yahshua (as per Galatians 3: 16), through whom He will also eventually save the rest of mankind after the second resurrection during the 100 year period of Judgment to follow Messiah’s millennium rule. A returning Israelite’s hope depends totally on the subject covered in that greatly misunderstood passage in Galatians 3. While speaking to the Galatians, Rav Shaul was inspired to say in Galatians 3: 16, 26 – 29: ‘Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Messiah. (26) For you are all sons of Elohim through faith in Messiah Yahshua. (27) for all of you who were immersed into Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Yahshua. (29) And if you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.’ In fact this informs us that the relatively small number of real Gentiles among the Israelites, who are returning to the covenant we made with Elohim, together with the house of Judah made at Mount Sinai, also become Abraham’s offspring through faith in Yahshua the Messiah.

What believers shall inherit if ‘saved’ - wherever they shall spend eternity, is a definite promise of Elohim. That promise was made to Abraham, called the ‘father of the faithful’ in Galatians 3: 7. If a member of the lost ten tribes (including some real Gentiles) comes to believe in Yahshua the Messiah as his/her personal savior, then he/she becomes an heir of the promises made to Abraham, similar to the way the house of Judah are heirs of Abraham, as confirmed in Romans 11: 25 – 29, as follows: ‘For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to (Jewish) Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles (Members of the lost ten tribes who came to believe they are Gentiles, including a number of real Gentiles) has come in; (26) and thus all Israel (from both houses) will be saved; just as it is written. “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” (27) “AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” (28) From the stand point of the gospel they (the house of Judah) are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of Elohim’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; (29) for the gifts and the calling of Elohim are irrevocable.’ We see from Genesis 12: 2 - 3 & 6 – 7 that YHVH promised Abraham and his children through Isaac and Jacob the land of Canaan, eternally. The word ‘seed’ in the Scriptures mean descendants. Abraham went to Egypt for a short time (Genesis 12: 10) and when he returned to Canaan, Elohim repeated His promises to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 13: 14 – 15, saying: “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; (15) for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.” We are given the boundaries of the Promised Land in Genesis 15: 18, as follows: ‘On that day YHVH made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.” The land of Canaan, much of which is occupied by the Jews of today, was promised to Abraham and his descendants. That is why it is called the ‘Promised Land’. Notice that the Promised Land is on earth and not in heaven. In addition, notice that Elohim promised Abraham that he and his seed would possess the land for ever. Since the inheritance is to be an eternal inheritance, it of necessity involves and includes everlasting life. There is not a single word about heaven in this promise. Through Abraham, all true believers in Yahshua Messiah are promised the earth! Later YHVH made the same promise to Isaac in Genesis 26: 1 – 5 and also to Jacob in Genesis 35: 9 – 12. Jacob whose name was changed to Israel, had 12 sons and they became known collectively as Israel.

When YHVH made the promise with Abraham it was conditional upon his obedience to Elohim, and as a result he became known as the father of the faithful, as we read from James 2: 21 – 23, in this way: ‘Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? (22) You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of his works, faith was perfected; (23) and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED ELOHIM, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of Elohim.’ We read further about Abraham’s obedience in Hebrews 11: 8, as follows: ‘By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.’ Elohim called Abram, as he was named at that time, to come out of Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth. At that time the land where Abram and his family resided, was severely influenced by the political system that started at Babel, symbolic of the spiritual ‘Babylon’ in which we live today, and are also commanded to leave in the vision given John (Yochanan), Yahshua’s disciple, by Yahshua in a vision in Revelation 18: 1 – 4, in this way: ‘After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. (2) And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! And she has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit and the prison of every unclean and hateful bird. (3) For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.” (4) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues.”’ We need to understand that Abraham was fully obedient to YHVH; first, he left his native land, his friends and relatives, his old ways of life, and followed where Elohim led.

Then he obeyed Elohim again in Genesis 17: 24, when he was circumcised as a sign of Elohim’s covenant with him, as follows: ‘Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.’ However, Elohim further tested Abraham, by instructing him to offer up Isaac, the son through whom YHVH told Abraham He will bless his descendants in Genesis 22: 1 & 2. Again Abraham obeyed YHVH as instructed and took his son Isaac up the mountain and eventually bound him on an altar, but when Abraham fully convinced to kill his son, lifted up his hand to slaughter Isaac, an angel of YHVH called to him from heaven in verse 11 of Genesis 22, saying, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” The angel continued in verse 12, saying: “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear Elohim, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Elohim did not really want Isaac’s life, but wanted to see if Abraham was willing to obey Him in faith. Once Elohim was certain of Abraham’s willingness to obey Him no matter what, the angel of YHVH called to Abraham a second time in verses 16 – 18 of Genesis 22, saying: “By Myself I have sworn, declares YHVH, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, (17) indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. (18) And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” The promise was now unconditional, since Abraham had performed his part of the agreement with Elohim. We are given an additional reason why the nations on earth will be blessed by Abraham’s descendant in Genesis 26: 4 & 5 where YHVH told Isaac, saying: “And I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; (5) because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”

Yahshua Messiah’s main purpose was to bring the lost sheep of the house of Jacob back to the covenant relationship we had together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai, as He also confirmed in Matthew 15: 24, saying to the woman who asked Him to heal her daughter: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” We from the lost sheep of the house of Israel are identified by James (Yaa’cov) in Acts 15: 15 – 18, as the Gentiles who are called by Elohim’s name Israel – the covenant people of Elohim. Let’s notice how we, the people who used to be the covenant people of Elohim, are able to become heirs of the promises made to righteous Abraham and his descendants, once again. Since YHVH our Elohim does not lie, we as the lost ten tribes are able to return to the covenant made with Him, together with Brother Judah at Mount Sinai, through Yahshua, Abraham’s one seed, as mentioned in Galatians 3: 16 & 26 – 29 quoted previously. Luke’s record of the genealogy of Yahshua through His mother Miriam in Luke 3: 23 & 34 prove that she was descended from Abraham as is confirmed in John 4: 22 when Yahshua told the woman at the well, saying: “You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation (the meaning of the name Yahshua) is from the Jews.” We read a second witness to this from Hebrews 7: 14, as follows: ‘For it is evident that our Master was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.’ Luke records Yahshua’s genealogy through His mother Miriam, and Joseph mentioned in Luke 3: 23, was actually the son-in-law of Eli (or Heli), Miriam’s father.

Rav Shaul tells those of us from the lost sheep of the house of Israel how Yahshua the Messiah actually reconciled us back to the Father as well as to the house of Judah, to once again become members of the commonwealth of Israel in one body with the house of Judah, as the body and future bride of Messiah (as confirmed in Jeremiah 31: 31 – 331) in Ephesians 2: 11 – 16, saying: ‘Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Un-circumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— (12) remember that you were at that time separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants (made with Abraham and David) of promise, having no hope and without Elohim in the world. (13) But now in Messiah Yahshua you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. (14) For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (15) by abolishing in His flesh the enmity (the punishment of the Law due to us for breaking Elohim’s commandments), which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances (or judgments payable for breaking the commandments and statutes), that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, (16) and might reconcile them both in one body (the congregation of YHVH or body of Messiah) to Elohim through the cross, by having put to death the enmity.’ As people who believed they were mere Gentiles, the lost sheep of the house of Israel had no chance of becoming part of the promise YHVH made to Abraham, that his seed will dwell in the Promised Land eternally as Elohim’s spiritual children, but through Yahshua, we are able to become Abraham’s heirs again.

If after our immersion into Yahshua’s saving name we as the house Israel who are ‘far off’ receive the Set-apart Spirit (as per Acts 2: 36 – 392) and if we remain faithful to YHVH and His Torah teachings until Messiah returns or when we die, we will again enter the Promised Land or the kingdom of Elohim over the commonwealth of Israel, with King David as our King again, as witnessed in the prophecy in Ezekiel 37: 19 – 24, in this way: “Say to them, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.’ (20) And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.’ (21) And say to them, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; (22) and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms. (23) And they will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their Elohim. (24) And My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes, and observe them.” We are again able to become heirs of the promise Elohim made to Abraham, but so will real Gentiles who come to believe in the true Messiah and are immersed in His saving name, as recorded in Galatians 3: 7, ‘Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.’ It is clear therefore that all true believers are heirs with Abraham to inherit Eternal life in the Promised Land, to rule under Yahshua as kings and priest as first fruit believers, provided we qualify to be in the first resurrection, as recorded in Revelation 20: 6, as follows: ‘Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of Elohim and of Messiah and will reign with Him for a thousand years.’

But we see from Hebrews 11: 9 – 11 & 32 – 39 that our father Abraham, like king David and many other who qualified to be in the Promised land with him, did not inherit Eternal live in the Promised Land yet, in this way: ‘By faith he lived as an alien in a foreign land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; (10) for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is Elohim. (11) By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. (32) And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, (33) who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, (34) quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. (35) Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection; (36) and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. (37) They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (38) (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. (39) And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised.’ But, when will Abraham and his ‘children’ receive their inheritance? We read the answer from Hebrews 11: 40, as follows: ‘Because Elohim had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.’ These inspired Scriptures of Elohim are clearly telling us that every faithful believer who died up to now did so without having received the promises made to Abraham! They, and all Torah observant Jews and returning Nazarene believers who become Abraham’s children through Messiah, are now only heirs to the promises and has not received their inheritance yet.

After Messiah’s immersion by Yochanan the Immerser, He revealed the true gospel in Mark 1: 14 & 15, saying: ‘And after John had been taken into custody, Yahshua came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of Elohim, (15) and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of Elohim is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Continuing in Matthew 9: 35, we see that He carried on proclaiming the gospel, in this way: ‘And Yahshua was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.’ In confirming the promises of eternal inheritance Elohim made to the ‘fathers’ in the faith, namely Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Messiah always preached the good news of the coming Kingdom of Elohim which is to occupy and govern the earth. Yahshua confirmed that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and other righteous people will be in the kingdom of Elohim, in Luke 13: 28 & 29, saying: “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of Elohim, but yourselves being cast out. (29) And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of Elohim.” The promises Elohim made to our fathers in the faith, included entry into the Kingdom of Elohim and their inheritance will include eternal life in the kingdom of Elohim that is coming to earth when Messiah comes to rule the world from Jerusalem. This is also what every Torah observant Jew and returning Israelite (including a number of Gentiles), who remains faithful to the end will receive through Messiah. Matthew’s Gospel always uses the term ‘kingdom of heaven’ to express exactly the same thing that Mark, Luke and John express as ‘Kingdom of Elohim.’ It does not mean a kingdom in heaven, any more than it means a kingdom in Elohim. But it does mean a kingdom owned and ruled by Elohim whose throne and dwelling place is in heaven.

 

In Matthew 5: 5 Yahshua, in His ‘sermon on the Mount,’ said the ‘gentle’ shall inherit the earth, but in Matthew 5: 3, He said the ‘poor in spirit’ will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Is this a contradiction? No, it is not. The ‘gentle’ and ‘the poor in spirit’ are those believers from the lost ten tribes, who like the prodigal son, had become humble and gentle through the way they had to live among the Gentiles. Now that they are returning through Abraham’s one seed, Yahshua, they who once did not have the Set-apart Spirit like their Torah obedient Jewish Brothers have, are now able to receive it once again, when they are immersed into Yahshua’s saving name provided they remain faithful from that time forward. Such humble believers shall inherit the earth for an everlasting possession, and shall enter the ‘Kingdom of heaven’ which will be established on earth! Many people today have no idea of what is in store for the obedient and the inheritance that awaits every true believer surpasses anything ever dreamed about. It is as we read from 1 Corinthians 2: 9, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT ELOHIM HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” The full extent of the inheritance Elohim has promised the righteous cannot even be remotely imagined by the natural mind of man, but Elohim does reveal it to us ‘by His Spirit” (verse 10). But, no one can inherit the Kingdom of Elohim while still a mortal flesh and blood human as Rav Shaul confirms in 1 Corinthians 15: 50, saying: ‘Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of Elohim; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.’ However, Rav Shaul also explained what must happen to our mortal bodies in order to inherit and actually become part of that Kingdom in verses 51 – 53, saying: ‘Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (53) For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.’ At the second coming of Yahshua Messiah on the Feast of Trumpets one day, all the dead in Messiah will be raised with new spirit bodies and those mortal believers still alive at His return will also be instantly changed into new spirit bodies which can inherit the Kingdom of Elohim. Without a resurrection, the dead would never live again and unless Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all deceased believers are resurrected from the grave at Messiah’s coming, they cannot inherit the promises! When Messiah comes to set up His Kingdom, Abraham and his spiritual children in Messiah shall be given immortality and inherit the Kingdom of Elohim – a world-ruling government headed and ruled by Messiah, occupying the very land promised to Abraham – the land stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates River. This Kingdom or government composed of immortal spiritual children of Elohim shall rule over all the nations of the earth composed of flesh and blood mortals!

 

Yahshua become the forerunner of our salvation through His suffering, death and subsequent resurrection to glory, as is confirmed in Hebrews 2: 9 & 10, saying: ‘But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Yahshua, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of Elohim He might taste death for everyone. (10) For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.’ We see from Hebrews 1: 1- 2 what Yahshua has been appointed heir of by the Father, as follows: ‘Elohim, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, (2) in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.’ However, we also see witnessed from Romans 8: 14 – 17 that all who are being led by the Set-apart Spirit of Elohim will be co-heirs with Messiah, in this way: ‘For all who are being led by the Spirit of Elohim, these are sons of Elohim. (15) For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Avinu! Father!” (16) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of Elohim, (17) and if children, heirs also, heirs of Elohim and fellow heirs with Messiah, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.’ Yahshua Messiah inherited all the promises made to Abraham at His resurrection and by living a sinless life He made it possible for those who accept His sacrifice to become co-heirs of the same promises with Him!

There is not a single verse in the entire Scriptures that promises heaven as the reward of the saved. Yet most people seem to be ignorant of the plain teaching of the Word of Elohim and have carelessly taken for granted, without question, the false idea of ‘going to heaven’ taught them by their parents and teachers of religion. Let’s notice a few more scriptures which have been either overlooked or carelessly interpreted by those who want to believe in this false doctrine. Revelation 5: 9 & 10 tells us clearly where resurrected believers will be and what they will be doing after Messiah’s return, as follows: ‘And they sang a new song saying, “Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for Elohim with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. (10) And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our Elohim; and they will reign upon the earth.” But some insist that this is contradicting what Yahshua taught His disciples in John 14: 2 & 3, saying: “In My Father’s house are many dwellings places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” In this case the dwelling places refer to rooms in the Father’s house or Elohim’s Temple. In the Renewed Covenant times the rooms in the temple were occupied by Elohim’s priests. These rooms represent positions of authority, which true believers will be given as kings and priests ruling under Messiah in the coming Kingdom of Elohim. These positions will not be in heaven, Messiah plainly said that He was going to heaven to ‘prepare’ a position of authority for each true believer. But it is only when He comes to earth again that these positions will be awarded and the Scriptures declare that they will rule all nations here on earth, having positions of authority in Elohim’s Kingdom.

John 3: 13 state clearly that no one has gone to heaven, except Him who came from heaven. What about the ‘thief on the cross’? Did he not go to heaven with Yahshua that very day? Let’s read Luke 23: 43 with understanding to find the answer, as follows: ‘And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” Before jumping to conclusions, we need to understand, in the first place, Messiah Himself did not go to heaven that day. But, He was placed in the grave – in ‘hell’ – where He remained dead for the next three whole days and nights. Secondly, the word ‘paradise’ does not mean heaven at all. The word actually describes the earth when Elohim will dwell on it. “Paradise’ simply means the beautiful condition the earth was in during the time Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. Thirdly, in many versions of the Scriptures, this verse is miss-punctuated. There were no commas in the Greek when the Renewed Covenant was translated into Greek. So when the translators supplied the commas in English, they were placed where the translators thought they should be. Actually, Messiah did not say, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in paradise,” but rather, ‘Truly I say to you today, you shall be with Me in Paradise.” By using the word ‘today’, Yahshua was stressing the time of His promise, not the time He would be in paradise. Yahshua discerned the man’s repentant attitude and was able to tell him that he would actually live again, with Messiah, in a beautiful world. That paradise has not yet come to this earth and the repented thief is still dead.

In our lesson about the coming kingdom of Elohim we taught that Messiah is soon coming to earth to rule the world from Jerusalem for a thousand years. During Messiah’s rule on the earth, the earth will be changed into a garden similar to Garden of Eden or paradise. However, when the millennium is over, when all the righteous will have been given immortality and eternal life, and all the wicked will have been burned to ashes, we see that there will be a new earth and a new heaven after the present earth’s surface will have been destroyed as per 2 Peter 3: 73 and Revelation 21: 14. Next we read from verse 2 & 3: ‘And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Elohim, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. (3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of Elohim is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall be among them.’ Understanding the plans Elohim has made for the earth, and seeing that the Father Himself will ultimately move His headquarters to earth, why should anyone desire to go to heaven? To be with Elohim? Why, Elohim will be right here on earth. When Yahshua Messiah returns, will He say the words recorded in Matthew 25: 34 to you, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ Will you be among those who will inherit the Kingdom of Elohim, along with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?

1Jeremiah 31: 31 – 33: “Behold, days are coming,” declares YHVH, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares YHVH. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares YHVH, “I will put My law within them, and in their heart I will write it; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.”’

2 Acts 2: 36 – 39: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that Elohim has made Him both Master and Messiah—this Yahshua whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Kepha and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” And Kepha said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be immersed in the name of Yahshua Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit. For the promise (to return to YHVH through Messiah Yahshua) is for you and your children, and for all who are far off (a phase used by Daniel to describe the lost ten tribes in Daniel 9: 7), as many as YHVH our Elohim shall call to Himself.” The last part of verse 39 shows that we should only immerse returnees from the house of Israel whom Elohim shall call during this age, and not Jews.

3 2 Peter 3: 7, ‘But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.’

4 Revelation 21: 1, ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.’