Scripturally, Do believers go to heaven?

[dorcas3000]

yay for E-sword!!!

 

[wmam]

yay for E-sword!!!

LOLLOL

 

[jeffrey]

No disrespect to Dawny but I can't help it. It is taking me a while to stop laughing at this Squirt. My ribs hurt. :biglaugh:

Isn't that just a tad disrespectful? In fact, leaning on the arrogant side? I might not agree with squirt, for my path at least, but if that's the path God has chosen squirt to follow, by you mocking him, you're mocking God. :tsk:

 

[Buttercup]

You asked for scripture to back up my beliefs....there you go! I had a feeling you would mock me though. Nothing will be good enough for you I am guessing. Do you have that much scripture just sitting in your brain ready to go? I know I don't. I'm not great with memorizing scripture but i know where to look.

The talk of one heaven is in the Bible a multitude more times than the one reference in 1 Corinthians to the third heaven. I say you go with the preponderence of evidence. Heaven in the singular is mentioned much, much more often in the bible.

And I amnot understanding your reference to 2 Corinthians 12:2 I. This passage doesn't say anything about heaven.

 

[Aqualung]

Ok, I'm outta here. I've heard enough.

Hmmm... Okay, so you believe that only those who accept christ will go to heaven. I believe that only those who accept christ will go to the celestial kingdom, but that pretty much everybody will inheret some degree of glory... And you're leaving?

 

[Buttercup]

yay for E-sword!!!

Best thing to come along in years!

 

[wmam]

Isn't that just a tad disrespectful? In fact, leaning on the arrogant side? I might not agree with squirt, for my path at least, but if that's the path God has chosen squirt to follow, by you mocking him, you're mocking God. :tsk:

I'm not mocking Squirt......... LOL ..... I am laughing at what he said. LOL............ I'm still laughing. What are you the joke police? LOLOLOLOL

 

[Aqualung]

Where in the bible, does it state that there are separate "levels" of heaven?

Is this scripture supposed to support this claim?

I'm not trying to flame...just trying to understand.

We're told that each will be rewarded according to his/her works. Rewards my differ from soul to soul...but where biblically, do you find scripture which supports 199 "rooms"?

The 199 rooms was just an illustration that they're all marvelous beyond your wildest dreams, but that there are degrees. I saw squirt had a big answer. I'm going to read it before I answer something and risk repeting everything for nothing.

 

[Mister_T]

I'm not mocking Squirt......... LOL ..... I am laughing at what he said. LOL............ I'm still laughing. What are you the joke police? LOLOLOLOL

Um....I think Squirt is a she..........

 

[Aqualung]

Squirt,

Very good explanation and no, you didn't ramble. Nicely thought out and well put. But, the one question that kept ringing through my mind while I was reading is is this.....if everyone gets this second chance, aren't they going to 'choose' it? In other words, if Jesus is standing right before you and lets you know that your actions on earth weren't the best but here's another chance....where's the choice in that? Of course everyone will say "Sure, I'll take it!". And by adding a second chance in there you diminish his work on the cross. His blood atonement on the cross was THE LAST SACRIFICE....nothing else is needed. Not in this life or the one hereafter. Shall I find scripture since everyone thinks I'm not capable of showing scripture?

Jesus won't be "standing right next to you." If you don't already believe in Christ, you'll go to a place where you are still open to temptations from the devil. Plus, you'll still have the same character traits you have now. If now you won't accept mormons because they're weird or whatever, you're not going to just suddenly lose that stubborn side of you and accept them.

 

[Buttercup]

Aqua, I will be in Heaven...of that I am certain. I have accepted Christ and his sacrifice for us.

As far as not accepting Mormons....when did I say that? I happen to think Mormons are Christians....you just teach some very different stuff!

 

[jeffrey]

I'm not mocking Squirt......... LOL ..... I am laughing at what he said. LOL............ I'm still laughing. What are you the joke police? LOLOLOLOL

Actually, I'm thinking back at some of... well most of your posts.... But I guess when you have very limited arguement for anything, the best you can do is mock others. Most of the people in this forum can see this about your posts. funny, no. Sad, yes.

 

[Squirt]

Where in the bible, does it state that there are separate "levels" of heaven?

Is this scripture supposed to support this claim?

Well, in 2 Corinthians 12:2, we read: "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven."

If there is a third heaven, it would certainly stand to reason that there is also a first and a second heaven. We don't believe them to be so much different heavens as different "degrees of glory" within the same heaven.

As to where we get our doctrine on different "degrees of glory," 1 Corinthians 15:40-42 states, "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead."

We interpret these verses as describing the differing degrees of God's glory that will be given to all of us in the resurrection. Three are mentioned in the verses I just quoted, the greatest being the Celestial (or glory of the sun), the next being the Terrestrial (or glory of the moon) and the last (unnamed in this passage), having the glory of the stars (we know it as the Telestial glory). We don't, incidentally, just interpret these verses in this way. The foundation for this belief comes from modern-day revelation. These scriptures just support the doctrine.

We're told that each will be rewarded according to his/her works. Rewards my differ from soul to soul...but where biblically, do you find scripture which supports 199 "rooms"?

Sorry, I couldn't find anything about 199 rooms. I don't believe that the difference between the reward given to one person and the reward given to another person will be material in nature. I'm not anticipating that gold, silver and bronze halos will be distributed. I believe that the various degrees of glory will be primarily a difference in our eternal potential to progess. The idea of a heaven where we sit around on clouds, strumming a harp doesn't appeal much to me. I'm sure there could be far worse things, but I personally hope for much more than that. I believe that God has much more in store for those who, through their obedience, are granted eternal life in the Celestial Kingdom.

 

[Squirt]

She made some great points in quite a few posts that I agreed with.

Yes, she did. Dawny's one in a million. She's going to be giving Feathers a run for her money. I don't know which of them is the sweetest!

 

[Squirt]

Aqua, I will be in Heaven...of that I am certain. I have accepted Christ and his sacrifice for us.

See ya there, Buttercup!

 

[wmam]

You asked for scripture to back up my beliefs....there you go!

Well thank ya, thank ya very much.

I had a feeling you would mock me though.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh................ I so sorry. Did I hurt your little Buttercup feelings?

Nothing will be good enough for you I am guessing.

Your probably right when it comes from those with their nose up so high.

Do you have that much scripture just sitting in your brain ready to go? I know I don't. I'm not great with memorizing scripture but i know where to look.

Yep.............. Like I said "E-SWORD".

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The talk of one heaven is in the Bible a multitude more times than the one reference in 1 Corinthians to the third heaven. I say you go with the preponderence of evidence. Heaven in the singular is mentioned much, much more often in the bible.

By what you are saying here is something that the Scripture plainly states isn't possible........

Joh 10:35 “If He called them elohim, to whom the word of Elohim came – and it is impossible for the Scripture to be broken –

For what you say to be true the Scripture would have to be broken and I for one will not believe that.

And I amnot understanding your reference to 2 Corinthians 12:2 I. This passage doesn't say anything about heaven.

The evils of copy and pasting...... 2 Corinthians 12:2

 

[Buttercup]

Ahhh, I see Squirt. It's 2 Corinthians 12:2, I thought wmam meant 21.

I have heard some people think this passage is about a dream or something similar. Because there is so little written about a third heaven ( I don't know of any other passages) and much more is written of heaven in the singular, I come to the conclusion myself that there is one heaven....and I'm going! If when I get there there happens to be more than one...Jesus will let me know. But I don't think it matters....as long as I get to go to heaven period!

 

[Squirt]

Ahhh, I see Squirt. It's 2 Corinthians 12:2, I thought wmam meant 21.

I have heard some people think this passage is about a dream or something similar. Because there is so little written about a third heaven ( I don't know of any other passages) and much more is written of heaven in the singular, I come to the conclusion myself that there is one heaven....and I'm going! If when I get there there happens to be more than one...Jesus will let me know. But I don't think it matters....as long as I get to go to heaven period!

I personally believe that there is only one heaven, but with differing degrees of glory. So the singular works fine for me.

 

[wmam]

Um....I think Squirt is a she..........

LOL ........... Sorry if dat be true. Hard to tell what is what on here.

 

[Aqualung]

You asked for scripture to back up my beliefs....there you go! I had a feeling you would mock me though. Nothing will be good enough for you I am guessing. Do you have that much scripture just sitting in your brain ready to go? I know I don't. I'm not great with memorizing scripture but i know where to look.

The talk of one heaven is in the Bible a multitude more times than the one reference in 1 Corinthians to the third heaven. I say you go with the preponderence of evidence. Heaven in the singular is mentioned much, much more often in the bible.

And I amnot understanding your reference to 2 Corinthians 12:2 I. This passage doesn't say anything about heaven.

So can you just throw out the one reference to the third heaven because it isn't as prolific as the other references? Don't you think it's wiser to try to interpret the verses with respect to each other? How can there only be one heaven if the Cor quote has there being at least three? In spanish, they refer to heaven as "los cielos" or "the skies." I think it's a mistake of translation to assume that when it says "heaven" it is referring to something more than just the skies, and that it is referring to a place that doesn't even exist yet (as we have not been judged by the final judgement, and therefore could not have gone either to heaven or hell yet).

Aqua, I will be in Heaven...of that I am certain. I have accepted Christ and his sacrifice for us.

why are you so certain you will be in Heaven? Why are you so certain that accepting christ is the one criterium to get into heaven? ONce again, I find myself wondering what scripture you back this up with. Perhaps you would be so kind as to share that with me?

Sorry, I couldn't find anything about 199 rooms

I tried to make an illustration. eVerybody tried to take it literally.