I am a Christian so of course I believe in heaven. I believe the only people who will be in heaven are those who have accepted Jesus' gift of forgiveness. I know I will see my Mom there. But still, I wonder...
Is Mom there NOW? Can she see me? She's been gone for a week; has it been a week for her? Who has she met? What has she done? Does she know everything now? Will she be my Mom in heaven? Or a sister in Christ?
I think about the realness of it more than I used to. I asked Eric for his opinion about some of my questions because he is infinitely smarter than me. He understands, as best as a human can I think, the concept of time/space and being removed from time. He has explained to me how he believes time was created for man. I listened hopefully to his answer but in the end I don't think he was right, and I told him so. I agree with him about time being created for man, but as far as how things progress after life, outside of time, I disagreed.
I have a fairly good knowledge of the Bible, though no where near as good as Mom. I am aware of places in the Bible where some of my questions are sort of addressed but, at least today, I can think of no place where there are hard and fast, black and white answers.
Does anyone have any thoughts they would be willing to share?
One thing I have done is prayed to God and asked him to pass something along to Mom. I think he would do that, although I can't prove it of course.
ReplyDeleteI mean to read the Bible on this subject, but the verses that have been coming to me are:
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.
2 Cor.12
You may find this helpful Laura:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gty.org/Resources/Questions/Christian+Living/Heaven
Westminster Confession of Faith
ReplyDeleteChapter XXXII - Of the State of Man After Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead.
i. The bodies of men, after death, return to dust, and see corruption:(1) but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them:(2) the souls of the righteous, being then made perfect of holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God, in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies.(3) And the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day.(4) Beside these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none.
(1) Ge 3:19; Ac 13:36
(2) Lk 23:43; Ecc 12:7
(3) Heb 12:23; 2Co 5:1,6,8; Php 1:23 with Ac 3:21; Eph 4:10
(4) Lk 16:23,24; Ac 1:25; Jude 6,7; 1Pe 3:19
ii. At the last day, such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed:(1) and all the dead shall be raised up, with the self-same bodies, and none other (although with different qualities), which shall be united again to their souls for ever.(2)
(1) 1Th 4:17; 1Co 15:51,52
(2) Job 19:26,27; 1Co 15:42-44
iii. The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonour: the bodies of the just, by His Spirit, unto honour; and be made conformable to His own glorious body.(1)
(1) Ac 24:15; Jn 5:28,29; 1Co 15:43; Php 3:21
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ReplyDeleteTW - I got your FB message so will look at the link. Thank you for all of the information. I will be reading it all as time permits.
ReplyDeleteReference your question of whether we will know all in heaven. I have heard numerous teachers say we will not ever know all there is to know about God, who is infinite. Our mental capabilities will be greatly enhanced, but to know everything would put us on par with God who is omniscient. What follows is a quote from the book "To All The Saints of God: Addresses To The Church" by Jonathan Edwards. In the chapter titled "The Importance of a Thorough Knowledge of Truth" he writes:
ReplyDelete"However diligent we apply ourselves, there is room enough to increase our knowledge in divine truth. None have the excuse for not diligently applying themselves to gain knowledge in divinity that they already know all. Nor can they make the excuse that they have no need to apply themselves diligently in order to know all that is to be known. None can excuse themselves for want of business in which to employ themselves. There is room enough to employ ourselves forever in this divine science with the utmost application. Those who have applied themselves most closely, have studied the longest, and have made the greatest attainments in this knowledge, know but little of what is to be known. The subject is inexhaustible. That Divine Being, who is the main subject of of this science, is infinite, and there is no end to the glory of His perfections. HIs works are at the same time wonderful, and cannot be found out to perfection, especially the work of redemption, about which the science of divinity is chiefly conversant. It is full of unsearchable wonders.
The Word of God, which is given for our instruction in divinity, contains enough in it to employ us to the end of our lives, and then we shall leave enough uninvestigated to employ the heads of the ablest divines to the end of the world. The psalmist found an end to the things that are human, but he could never find an end to what is contained in the Word of God. Psalm 119:96: "I have seen an end to all perfection, but thy command is exceeding broad." There is enough in this divine science to employ the understandings of saints and angels to all eternity."
I agree with Joel, in that, we can ask the Lord to pass something along to those who have died. I think that the reason we want to communicate with people who are gone is largely for our own comfort, not for theirs; they don't need comfort. God is so into the business of comforting His people that He calls Himself, the Comforter. He was jealous when Saul wanted to speak to Samuel's spirit because it circumvented coming to God Himself. - msw
ReplyDeleteSuch a sad time to lose one's Mother. My prayers and heart go out to you. Even when we know they have gone to be with their Saviour it still leaves a large hole in our lives, even if we have not seem them often.
ReplyDeleteI believe everyone grieves in their own way and in their own time. I was away in the States for a while when my Father died and it was a year before I grieved, it happened out of the blue standing at the kitchen sink alone one day. With my Mother I could just burst into tears right from the beginning when walking the street. I was not that close to either and for me it became a grief for what could never now be. It does eventually heal though.
As for time they are no longer living in the sphere of time and space and of course we will not know if they are living now in this moment or some time in the future until we get there ourselves.