Thursday, January 7, 2021

Speculations about Heaven: What will Heaven be like according to NDE/Visions/Testimonies?

Read a similar post called "Speculations about Hell" 

This is not a typical post I’d make, as we won’t be addressing the scriptures directly, so please take these considerations as speculations, or suppositions, but not as rock-solid scriptural truths.  We’ll be speculating about heaven, in particular the new city of God on the New Earth.

We’ll be making use of sources I’ve studied from those who have claimed to have been shown heaven by God in visions, or near death experiences.  The word of God says we should not despise prophecies. I find little value in doctrinally rigid types who disregard all prophecy as lies. To me, they seem to be having a form of righteousness but are denying it’s power.  Prophecy is a reality of the Christian church. Yes, it’s messy. And we should always test it against the scriptures for accuracy.  But we can’t deny it outright either.  That is pride, and rejecting the spiritual nature of our faith. The word of God says, "Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. (1st Thessalonians 5:20-21)

Rant over, let’s get into speculations about heaven.

Apparently, heaven seems to be a rather solid place, some of us envision clouds and harps and wonder if we’ll even have bodies.  That is not a biblical position. These accounts tell us that we will certainly have bodies, perfected bodies, holy renewed bodies, but bodies they remain. 

Cross-referenced accounts of heavenly visitations indicate that there is a great deal of foliage, trees, flowers, and plants of various kinds. But apparently the entire environment vibrates with life. Everything is alive and vibrantly so, from trees to flowers, to doors and walls. They all vibrate with life.  Some have indicated that as you walk by flowers will sing to you.  

The New Jerusalem is the city in which we will inhabit in the new heavens and new Earth. This city is cube-shaped, 1500 miles long and wide and high (Revelation 21:16-18)

It's been indicated that in heaven they keep very good records. There are apparently books where everything you do on the Earth is written. And before you have Jesus as your savior, your sins are recorded in that book. But once you receive Christ, those recordings are washed away and no longer written at all. Quite amazing. This tends to line up with scripture with makes mentions to book being opened, and the book of lives. (Revelation 20:11-15)

 The grass in heaven is said to be like diamonds, shining and beautiful. The flowers open their buds and sing to those who pass. Music apparently comes from various places throughout heaven, described like chimes or bells at times.  There are various fruit trees throughout heaven, and when they are picked by the saints they eat and no juice squirts onto their faces. As if the fruit doesn't create a mess at all. Very interesting.

There is apparently no law of death in heaven. This certainly lines up with scripture when it says "there will be no death or crying or pain" from Revelation.  If you pick a flower and drop it, it simply reattaches to the ground where it lands.  Animals don't grow old and die. Obviously people there, the saints, don't grow old and die. Everyone has the appearance of being about 25-28 years old, right around the time when we stop growing on the Earth. Everything is alive in heaven. This makes a certain amount of sense, given that on the Earth if you are walking through a garden or a forest, everything is alive. The trees, the plants, the insects among the plants, the animals, even the grass and dirt is alive in a sense.  It would make sense then that this "life" function goes even further in heaven to extend to everything, with no death or decay.

There are numerous rewards in heaven, as we know from the word of God. Colossians 3:23-24, Luke 12:33-34). And the servants of God have houses and/or mansions in heaven, given in proportion to their good works they did on the Earth. Some have indicated that many will have very small rewards, unfortunately they didn't do a lot for God on the Earth, so they have very small places to live in heaven. Others have huge mansions, which were built and decorated based on the good works they did for God on the Earth. And Jesus is the builder, he personally creates each home. Apparently Jesus is excited for each of us to see our mansions in heaven, he watches closely to see how we react to the house when we arrive. This fits with the word of God that says God delights in giving good gifts to his people (Matthew 7:11).

 There are babies in heaven. Apparently God doesn't send babies or children to hell, not at all. I've also read reports that indicate God does not send severely mentally ill individuals to hell either. Unborn babies who die in miscarriages, or by intended abortion, their soul is collected by angels, and taken to heaven. God then gives the baby a new heavenly body.  And they are raised in heaven. They are even taught to forgive those who killed them in abortions, and ask God to forgive those who aborted them.  Another interesting tidbit, apparently unborn babies that die and go to heaven, they are given the name "beloved." But if the parent on the Earth wants to name the child, they still can, and when they do, the named is changed from beloved to what name they were given by the parent. So if you've lost a child, you can name them and they'll have that name when you come to heaven to meet them. They are apparently cared for by angels, and by the redeemed who desire to help care for them, and they are taught in heavenly schools, and raised until they reach full maturity.  Very cool if you ask me.  

There are of course many, many angels in heaven. They look somewhat like humans, but they have no apparent gender, since they don't reproduce as humans do. They seem to conduct the various business activities of heaven, from escorting the redeemed to God's presence, to recording and documenting events, to going from heaven to Earth and back again doing various work for God.  This lines up with scripture, since we see that angels are God's servants, conducting various "messenger" activities of God. They also apparently fight on behalf of God in the heavenly realms and on Earth, particularly we hear about the arch-angel Michael fighting for Israel in the book of Daniel.  We also hear of an angel headed to Sodom and Gomorrah to fight against it in Genesis. 

The throne of God is in heaven, a place where we see various creatures worshiping God, angels praising and shouting glory to God, and there is a great bright cloud, and a rainbow over the throne.  I won't try to describe anymore of it to you. Obviously, beyond our comprehension.


Sources:

A Message from God by Retha & Aldo Mcpherson

Vision of the End Times by Maurice Sklar

A Divine Revelation of Heaven by Mary K. Baxter

Heaven is so Real by Choo Thomas

Divine Visitation of Heaven by Sarah Boyanga

Testimony of Heaven: Inside of the Holy City by Oden Hetrick

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

Beautiful Near Death Experience by John Calvert

Howard Pittman's Testimony by Howard Pittman