It is often associated in Christianity, especially with the help of Hollywood through humorous television shows. Shows such as Sanford and Sons, expressed that once a man dies he is going to heaven to be with the Lord. He would join his preceding loved ones. He’d say, This is the big one, I’m going to Heaven.

Fred Sanford Fake Heart Attack

This is the Big One, I’m Going to Heaven…

This is a good thought because it is very comforting for those who lose a loved one and it helps those of us living get over the fatal reality of one happens after life.  Because we have been fearful of death, stories have been made to ease that fear.

Stories such as going to a bright heaven where we will be with God, the Creator, or to live in paradise have been rampant across the globe. Fred G. Sanford of the hit 70s Show, Sanford and Sons, use to say all the time, “this is the big one, I’m going to heaven” referring to one of his many fake heart-attacks.

He would follow that up with saying, “here I come Elizabeth,” and this referred to going to meet his wife in Heaven. This does not meet out with what’s written in the scripture. The main source where we get that we’re going to heaven are found in a few misrepresented scriptures in the Bible.

1 Thessalonians chapter 4

17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

If you simply take that verse alone, you’d think you were going to Heaven – but even in this verse there is a big word that very few Bible readers will pay attention to. It’s the word “meet.”  To meet someone (unless specifically said) is to leave your place and they leave theirs and you meet at a neutral location.

If I say John meet me at my house; that is one thing.  Then the verse should have said, ‘to meet the Lord in Heaven’ not in the air.  Now with certainty, those that do meet the Lord will be with Him forever but not in Heaven.

Is This the Big One… ?

Luke chapter 1 verse 31-33 this is the prophecy that Gabriel brought to Mary regarding Jesus; that He will be great…called the son of the Highest…will reign on the throne of David…forever. So where was David’s throne? David was the second king of Israel and he reigned in Jerusalem.

That is where the God of the Bible will be…forever.

In Psalm 132 David prayed to learn where God will set up His throne and live.  And the Lord made a promise to David as to where he’d be – 11The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.

Jesus was the fruit of David’s body.  Let’s see what the Lord desires:

13 For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.

14 This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

Zion is not Heaven as in beyond the clouds and stars.  Zion is Jerusalem. This coincides with Gabriel’s message to Mary.  One last place for it to really hit home for us…

Revelation 21

This is after the 1,000 years of peace on earth and finally the Father is ready to come down because Jesus has subdued everything and put away all enemies, even death.  Now the Father is bringing down the house of many mansions that Jesus spoke about.

New Jerusalem is (still has the same name, except it’s new) coming DOWN out of Heaven. How about that for a prefab home on an oversized truck. The house or tabernacle of God is with men and He will dwell with them – God Himself shall be with them.

So friends, we’ve have had it wrong, all wrong all along.  We are not going to the Lord’s place; He is coming to our place, which really is His place we are simply renting it from Him (Leviticus 25 v23).

See Studies on Life after Death

In reality this is His place that He gave to husband men who have utterly ran the place into the ground; but He is coming back to put some worthy people in place to co-run the earth with Him.  This information is really the big one, going to heaven is a great misconception.

 

God bless you in Jesus name Amen! biblestudyministry.com – an Online Bible Study Supplement Source 🙂