I do not believe that people who are in heaven are looking down on us, seeing everything that is going on in our lives. Having said that, there are scriptures that show that those in heaven do know at least some of what is happening on earth.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
The great cloud of witnesses that the writer of Hebrews is speaking of is the saints of God that have gone on before us and are in heaven now. Are they in heaven watching us and cheering us on?
Throughout the Old Testament you will see a reference to “the angel of the Lord”. Who is the angel of the Lord? The angel seems to be not only of the Lord, but the Lord himself.
The first time we read about the angel of the Lord is in Genesis 16:7-13. In verse 10, the angel tells Hagar that he will increase her descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count. Could an angel do that? In verse 11 He refers to himself as Lord, and in verse 13, Hagar refers to Him as God.
“You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me”
In Genesis 22:11 we see the angel of the Lord stopped Abraham from killing his son. In verse 12 He refers to Himself as God.
“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.” (Genesis 22:11-12)
Then in verses 15, the angel of the Lord again speaks to Abraham.
“The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” (Genesis 22:15-17).
When the angel of the Lord appears to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2-6), He leaves no doubt about who He is, with His many references to being God.
“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
“When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”
“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. (Exodus 3:2-6)
We see the angel of the Lord again in Numbers 22:21-38, when He confronts Balaam and his donkey. Here He reproofs Balaam and instructs him. In verse 38 Balaam refers to the angel of the Lord as God.
In Judges13, the angel of the Lord tells Manoah and his wife that they will have a son, (Samson), and gives them instructions for raising him. Later Manoah said to his wife, “We are doomed to die….We have seen God.”
In John 6:46, Jesus says that: “No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God”.
So who is “the angel of the Lord”? Obviously, it was not the Father who came as the Angel of the Lord. If it were God and it was not the Father, then it must have been the Son, our Lord. The Angel of the Lord is no ordinary angel.
What do we know about “the angel of the Lord”?
1. He is not an Angel.
2. He is not God the Father, because no man has seen the Father.
3. He is God, because the scriptures say He is.
4. He appears to be God, but separate from God (the Father) as Christ (the Son) and the Holy Spirit are.
5. He forgave sin, which only God can do.
Is this Christ? Did Christ walk upon the earth centuries before He was born a baby in Bethlehem? Not all Bible scholars are willing to say it is the Lord, but it certainly could have been, He was with Father from the beginning.
J. M. Wilson writes that while identifying him with God the Son is most tempting, “..it must be remembered that at best these are only conjectures that touch on a great mystery……The appearances of the angel of the Lord…..culminated in the coming of the Savior, and are thus a foreshadowing of, and preparation for, the full revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Further than this it is not safe to go.”
Most Bible scholars and students don’t hesitate to make that claim however. Calvin wrote:
“I am rather inclined however, to agree with the ancient writers, that in those passages wherein it is stated that the angel of the Lord appeared to Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, Christ was that angel.”
C. F. Dickason stated that the angel of the Lord “According to all evidence……seems to be the preincarnate Son.”
Billy Graham writes: “There are no grounds for questioning the very early and traditional Christian interpretation that in these cases there is a preincarnation manifestation of the second person of the Trinity.”
We know that Christ was here from the beginning, (John 1:1-4), and we can assume that “the angel of the Lord” was most likely Jesus.
Daniel was truly a man of God. We first read about Daniel shortly after Judah was captured by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Daniel, along with other young men, was taken from Judah to Babylon to be trained for the king’s service.
We are probably more familiar with the story of Daniel being thrown into the lion’s den, than we are of his prophecies, which predicted the future. Be that as it may, his predictions of the future are much more important to us. They were so accurate, that critics of the Bible claimed they had to be written after the fact. They claimed the book of Daniel was a book of history rather than prophecy. However, the discovery of ancient manuscripts, some dating back to 250 BC, have quieted those critics.
Everyone wants to go to heaven. The joy and peace that we will have when in heaven will be far greater than anything we can imagine. Being with family and friends who have gone before us and spending eternity with them. Living in a place of perfect love.
But if we miss heaven — well, it’s not something we want to think about — an eternity in hell.
Thankfully, God has made it easy for us to go to heaven. He sent His Son to die on the cross and redeem our sins with His blood (John 3:16). Jesus paid the price for our sins and redeemed us from the death that we deserve. He made it possible to someday stand before God.
Life’s most important question should be, “Are you going to heaven when you die?” If Jesus returns tomorrow, will you be ready?
The lack of forgiveness among Christians is, without doubt, the biggest reason that so many Christians are living a life of ineffectiveness. This is certainly true in their prayer lives.
D. L. Moody said: “I believe this (forgiveness) keeps more people from having power with God than any other thing; they are not willing to cultivate a spirit of forgiveness. If we allow the root of bitterness to spring up in our hearts against someone, our prayers will not be answered. It may not be an easy thing to live in sweet fellowship with all those with whom we come in contact, but that is why the grace of God is given to us.”
The “Lord’s Prayer” says that God will not forgive us if we don’t forgive others. This is the only part of the Lord’s prayer that Jesus explained.
As Christians, we want to pattern our lives after the life of Christ. We pray to be more like Him. We sing songs about being more like Him. There is nowhere where we should emulate Christ more than His prayer life.
Christ prayed to His Father for everything. Prayer preceded every great event in His life on earth. He prayed at His baptism (Luke 3:21-22). He prayed on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29). He prayed all night long before choosing the twelve disciples, whom He deemed apostles (Luke 6:12-16). And of course, He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, the night He was arrested before being crucified (Luke 22:39-44).
Is not praying a sin, or is it just a weakness? We have so many excuses for not praying. We are so busy, there just isn’t time, and then there are so many distractions in our lives, not to mention the interruptions that happen. We can come up with all kinds of reasons for neglecting fellowship with our Lord.
When you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you will be sealed by the Holy Spirit. You can be sure you will spend eternity with the Lord.
As believers in Christ, we are sealed from the moment we become Christians until the rapture and resurrection. God’s seal is our guarantee of Heaven.
“The Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).
“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
“God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come…..For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:5,7).
“When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
We have God’s word that He has sealed us until the day of redemption. This means that God has put His personal seal upon us through the Holy Spirit. We have His protection until the day Christ returns. The devil cannot touch us, for we belong to God. He can tempt us and he can make our lives miserable at times, but he cannot take our salvation from us. We can have that assurance that we will share eternity with Jesus.(more…)
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14: 2-3).
Many people wonder if we will recognize our friends and family when we get to heaven. We will not only recognize our loved ones and friends, but it appears that we will know everyone in heaven. We will enjoy fellowship with people from all walks of life and from the time of Adam to the present time. Can you imagine meeting the saints of the Old and New Testaments or of the generations before us?
At the mount of transfiguration, Peter, James, and John recognized Elijah and Moses even though they had never seen them before and they were separated by hundreds of years (Luke 9:30-32). This is how it will be in heaven. We will recognize everyone else and will feel like one with them.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12).
We will leave our sinful nature behind, and we will instead be filled with the spirit of God. Therefore we will love each other as God intended us to. We will be like one big family in heaven. Parents, Grandparents, children, and babies will be reunited and will all recognize each other. It will be a family reunion like no other!
What will it be like When we get to Heaven?
The most glorious thing is that God will be there, and Christ will be there. Tens of thousands of angels will be there praising God and serving Him. The experience will be beyond our present understanding.
“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly” (Hebrews 12:22).
While this scripture was not meant to describe heaven, the writer of Hebrews does give us a glimpse into heaven. The singing and music will be far beyond anything we have experienced before. Can you imagine singing with the angels? Our joy in the Lord will be complete.
“They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion…They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more…I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow” (Jeremiah 31:12-13).
Those that suffered bad things on earth will be comforted (Luke 16:25). The tired and weary will find rest. To the thief on the cross Jesus called Heaven Paradise (Luke 23:43).
“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” (Revelation 21:4).
Discouragement, despair, and heartache will be a thing of the past. No more sickness or pain. No more sadness, no more sorrow. We will be filled with the peace and joy of being in the presence of God.
The Old Testament saints will be there. Saints such as Moses, Samuel, Daniel, Noah, and all the others. There will be people from every denomination, ethnic group, and continent in heaven, anyone who was a true believer and trusted Christ as Lord and Savior of their life. Children who died before the “age of accountability” will be there, as will those with mental limitations that made them unable to understand the gospel. Also, the millions of aborted babies will be in heaven. Our family and friends who accepted Christ as their Saviour and went before us will be there to welcome us home. It will be the greatest homecoming we have ever experienced. Wow!
Sharing Jesus 