Heaven Isn't Our Destination

May you be blessed by the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; But the earth He has given to the children of men.

(Psalms 115:15-16)

Heaven is not the domain of mankind, for God created man to live on the earth. In the above passage of Scripture, the Holy Spirit confirms this truth. Although all saints and children who have fallen asleep currently reside in heaven, it is not their final destination; all will ultimately dwell on God’s new earth. This is why Scripture reveals almost nothing about what heaven is like, as heaven is the domain of angels, not men.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."

(Luke 2:13-15)

The above passage is one of many in Scripture that teach that heaven is the domain of angels. Here, we see a multitude of angels appearing on earth at the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, but the passage concludes with those angels ascending back to heaven after Christ’s birth. Billions of angels live in heaven, far outnumbering the men on earth. As previously mentioned, the Bible is largely silent about what heaven is like, particularly where God’s angels dwell. We know angels eat food in heaven (Psalm 78:25), but beyond that, little is revealed. The books of Isaiah and Revelation provide some insight into the tabernacle of God in heaven and the heavenly city of Jerusalem, as men will have access to both in the ages to come. However, because heaven is not our domain, God, in His wisdom, has not disclosed its nature, whether it be the first, second, or third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2). It is remarkable that countless books describe what heaven is like when God Himself has revealed nothing on the subject. The authors of such books are either deceived or deceivers. Even the apostle Paul, who was taken to heaven on two occasions, was not permitted to reveal what he saw (2 Corinthians 12:2-4), except to say it was far better than this life (Philippians 1:23).

Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.

(Psalms 102:25-26)

In the previous section, we saw that God will completely destroy the current earth. Many of the Scriptures we examined also indicated that God will destroy the current heavens at the same time. In the above passage of Scripture, the Holy Spirit confirms that when God destroys the earth, He will also destroy the current heavens. Why will God destroy the existing heavens? As noted earlier, one reason for destroying the current earth is its defilement by mankind’s sin.

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord God: "You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. "By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendour; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you. "You defiled the sanctuary By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you.

(Ezekiel 28:11-18)

The current heavens have also been defiled by sin, which is why God will destroy them. The difference is that while a man defiled the earth, an angel—specifically Lucifer, the anointed cherub—defiled the heavens. In the above passage of Scripture, the Holy Spirit reveals that Lucifer defiled the sanctuary. Although some translations suggest Lucifer defiled his own sanctuaries, this passage refers to God’s sanctuary in heaven. This is evident from God’s statement that He cast Lucifer out as a profane thing from the mountain of God, which is the temple of God in heaven. Recall that our Lord said He saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven (Luke 10:18).

For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, "this is the blood of the covenant which god has commanded you." Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

(Hebrews 9:19-24)

In the above passage of Scripture, the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, confirms that the tabernacle of God in heaven was defiled and required cleansing. Moses purified the earthly copy of the heavenly tabernacle with animal blood, but the heavenly tabernacle itself was cleansed with a better sacrifice—the blood of Jesus Christ. God’s temple is located above all the heavens. When Lucifer sinned, he passed through the heavens to enter God’s tabernacle, defiling those heavens with his sin. Although Satan was cast out, the defilement remained.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

(Hebrews 6:19-20)

As a result of Lucifer’s sin, God placed a veil between Himself and His creation, as all of God’s creation, including His tabernacle, had been defiled. As revealed in the above passage of Scripture, only Jesus can currently enter the presence behind the veil. This explains why no one has ever seen God (1 John 4:12).

But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience--concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

(Hebrews 9:7-11)

The above passage of Scripture reaffirms that a veil remains between God and His creation at present. It states that the way into the Holiest of All has not yet been made manifest while the first tabernacle stands. Note that the first tabernacle was still standing when the Holy Spirit wrote this letter through His apostle. Some mistakenly believe the first tabernacle was destroyed in 70 AD by Rome, but this is incorrect. That tabernacle will be rebuilt and remain until the end of our Lord’s millennial reign, as Jesus will reign from that temple. Only at the end of Christ’s thousand-year reign will the first tabernacle be removed, and only then will the way into the Holiest of All be made manifest for mankind, allowing us to see God the Father face to face for the first time. Thus, God will remove the veil and reveal His face only after destroying the current heavens and earth, which is why Scripture says the earth and heaven fled from the “face” of Him who is seated on the throne (Revelation 20:11). Because of His holiness, God cannot be in the presence of anything defiled, necessitating the destruction of the current heavens. As an aside, the veil before God’s presence in heaven should not be confused with the veil on the hearts of unbelievers, which is removed in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:16), as they are distinct veils.

Michael E.B. Maher

The End of the Age

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