ASCENDING INTO
HEAVEN
The “Sons of
Alahim”, or “Angels” (Hebrew, malakim)
are spatial beings that can move freely throughout all of creation.
Currently, the Throne of Yahuah is not on Earth, although Yahuah
certainly fills all of the universe. In
fact, He fills all of the “space-time continuum”:
Jer (YirmeYahu)
23:24
“‘If anyone is hidden in secret places, would I not see him?’ declares Yahuah.
‘Do I not fill the heavens and earth?’
declares Yahuah.”
Yahuah is
both “in Heaven”, as well as “on Earth”, at the
same time.
We are consigned to Earth:
Ecc 5:2
“Do not be hasty with your mouth, and
let not your heart hurry to bring forth a word before Alahim.
For Alahim is
in the heavens, and you on earth, therefore let your words be few.”
The Hebrew
word for “Heaven” is Shamayim, and literally refers to “skies” (note the “im”
ending in the Hebrew, which makes the word plural).
The “1st Heaven” is usually understood to be the atmosphere
of our planet, and beyond this lies what is called the “2nd Heaven”,
or “outer space”, where there is no atmosphere.
There are expanses above these, which would be higher levels of “Heaven”.
The “Heavens” (Shamayim) contain the sun, moon, planets, stars, and
beyond these are endless expanses filled with other galaxies of stars, along
with other objects. The Babylonian
teachings which have come down through the ages (through the beast governmental
systems of the past) were mixed into the background understandings of early
Catholicism, since Catholicism was the Roman solar religion re-named.
They didn’t change clothes, festivals, symbols, or their address;
this
Roman mystery religion (Magical
Mystery Tour) is the “woman” controlling the 4th beast (world
governments) of the whole Earth.
The world system reflects the original Babylonian model, metaphorically
portrayed in the vision of Nebuchadnezzar, the great image of a man with five
components (gold, silver, brass, iron, clay).
Throughout the existence of these world rulers, or “heads” of the beast
system, the
Babylonian teachings will
continue until Yahusha returns to destroy the human governments, and the woman
(false prophet) riding or controlling the beast.
Opening a newspaper, we can easily find the daily “horoscope” (meaning
“look at the hour”; horo,
hour; and scopus,
look).
This Babylonian religious practice was
condemned by Yahuah:
Jer (YirmeYahu) 10:1,2:
“Hear the word which Yahuah
speaks to you, O house of Yisrael.
Thus said
Yahuah,
‘Do not learn the way of the gentiles, and do not be awed by the
signs of the heavens,
for the gentiles are awed by them.’
See also:
Lev. 18:3, Dt. 12:30 & 18:9, Ezek. 11:12 & 20:32, Eph. 4:17, 1 Peter 4:3. 2Dt.
4:19 & 17:3.
The Gentiles
inherited these patterns now called “Astrology” which they use to guide their
behavior in every aspect of living.
The
Heavens in the above text is
referred to in the phrase “signs of the
heavens”, and these would be the
luminous objects mentioned earlier.
The interpretation of these “signs
in the heavens” involves what they call
“constellations” (the Hebrew word
“mazel” or “mazal”). Jewish
mysticism (through the Talmud) embraces a great deal of this Babylonian
practice. This definition comes
from chabad.org:
Mazal:
a): A
medium that conveys spiritual influence to worldly beings; in its Talmudic
usage, the
celestial constellations
that serve this purpose.
b): The root or main part of the
soul, which is not experienced consciously.
(emphasis mine)
The realm of
“Heaven” was considered to be the abode of the deities by Pagans, and they
believed they could
see them in the
arrangement of lights in the skies.
The common people were taught to believe they would one day pass into the
Heavens to live with the deities if they served them well during their life on
Earth. Earth was not their
destination, Heaven was. This
belief continues because it is so strongly held – it is a “stronghold” of
belief.
In contrast,
we see from studying Scripture that the
Throne of Heaven (which is the
Throne of Yahuah) will one day be coming to
Earth, never to depart.
This Throne is also called the “Throne of David (Da’ud)”.
The New Yerushalayim is coming from Heaven to Earth to remain forever,
and the Throne of Yahuah will be established within the city, giving light
-- (read full context):
Rev 22:1-5:
“And he showed me a river of water of
life, clear as crystal, coming from the
throne
of Alahim and of the Lamb.
In the middle
of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore
twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the
tree were for the healing of the nations. And
no longer shall there be any curse, and the throne of Alahim and of the Lamb
shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
And they shall
see His face, and His Name shall be
upon their foreheads.
And night shall
be no more, and they shall have no need of a lamp or the light of the sun,
because Yahuah
Alahim shall give them light. And they
shall reign forever and ever.”
There are
many other indications from Scripture that verify that we will reign with
Yahusha on Earth. The meek will
inherit the Earth, not Heaven.
It is the phrase, “reign
of the Heavens”, which we find in the texts of Scripture, never “going to
heaven” for the qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones, those in His Covenant).
Daniel was
not told he was going to Heaven, but
rather:
Dan 12:1,2:
“Now at that time Miḵa’el
shall stand up, the great head who is standing over the sons of your people.
And there shall be a time of distress
(the Great Tribulation),
such as never was since there was a nation, until that time.
And at that time your people shall be
delivered, every one who is found written in the book, and many of those who
sleep in the dust of the earth
wake up,
some to everlasting life, and some to reproaches, everlasting abhorrence.”
Those
“waking-up” who are in the dust have been there since their “first death”.
We see Daniel is told he would rest (in sheol, the grave) until the day
of the resurrection, at Yahusha’s coming (at the end of the Great Trib):
Dan 12:13:
“But you, go your way till the end.
And rest, and
arise
to your lot at the end of the days.”
David
(Da’ud) has not “ascended” into Heaven, neither has he been resurrected yet:
Act 2:29:
“Men and brothers, let me speak boldly
to you of the ancestor Dawiḏ,
that he
died and
was
buried,
and his tomb is with us to this day.”
Act 2:34,35:
“For Dawiḏ
did not
ascend into the heavens,
but he himself said, ‘Yahuah
said to my Master, ‘Sit at My right hand,
until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’”
(So, Da’ud
is still awaiting his resurrection also, in his grave).
The only ONE
who has ever “ascended” into the Heavens is Yahusha, the first-born from the
dead (meaning He is the FIRST to have lived as a human and then to be “changed”
into the immortal “clothing” we will all put on one day.
Being with Yahusha will be what people refer to as being “in Heaven”, but
it will literally be being in the “reign” of Heaven, the Kingdom we pray
will one day come to Earth.
He is “in Heaven”, but no person has ascended there.
Nicodemus (Nakdimon)
was a teacher of
Joh (Yahuchanon, or “Elazar”, the “disciple whom Yahusha loved) 3:10-13:
“Yahusha
answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Yisrael, and do not know this?
Truly, truly, I say to you, We speak
what We know and witness what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
If you do not believe when I spoke to
you about earthly matters, how
are you going to believe when I speak to you about the heavenly
matters?
And no one has gone up into the heaven except He who came down from the heaven –
the Son of Aḏam.”
One day, at
Yahusha’s return, we will be caught-up to meet Him “in the air” (the 1st
Heaven). This will be when the dead
are resurrected from their graves. Then, we who are still alive, will be changed
in the twinkling of an eye. This
will be at the END of the Great Trib (distress), not as the false teachers say.
Our “protection” during the Great Trib will be because we are sealed with
the Name of the Father, so there will be a distinction made for those that will
receive the plagues, and we who do not.
We will do our most important work during the Great Trib, and Yahusha
said He would shorten the days
for the sake of the elect (chosen
ones: those obeying Yahuah’s Commandments, and holding to the Testimony of
Yahusha).
If we were not here “enduring to the
end” of the Great Trib, why would He have said He would shorten the days for our
sakes?
brother Lew
TORAH INSTITUTE
phone: 502-261-9833
google: BYNV
