Answer:
The phrase "in seventh heaven" means to experience great joy or
contentment. The expression also implies that there are seven heavens to
be had, which is a common teaching among several religions.
Two of the oldest religions that teach seven heavens are Hinduism
and the ancient Babylonian cult. In Hinduism, there are seven higher
worlds and seven lower worlds; the earth is the lowest higher world. The
six higher worlds above us are places of increasing wonder and delight
where people who have accumulated good karma
go after they die. When the dead have spent all the time their good
deeds have earned them, they are reincarnated and return to earth. Those
who live extraordinarily pious lives can break out of this cycle and
experience Nirvana, a state of eternal existence.
The ancient Babylonians did not teach that the seven heavens were for
humans. Rather, they divided the different heavens into seven levels of
space between the earth’s atmosphere and the spirit of the heavens;
beyond was the Zodiac. Each of the seven heavens was associated with a
particular god and a celestial body: the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, the
sun, Jupiter, and Saturn.
Historians aren’t sure when the Jews first learned of Babylon’s seven
heavens; Abraham might have been exposed to such a belief before he left
Ur, or Hebrew scholars may have learned of it while exiled to Babylon.
Either way, rabbis adapted the myth, integrating it into the Talmud—their
extra-scriptural writings. The Jewish “heavens,” associated with the
same celestial bodies, contain a mix of people, angels, demons,
Nephilim, and natural phenomenon, the specifics changing with the
teacher. As the astronomical and meteorological sciences have advanced,
Jews have rejected a literal seven heavens and now see them as
metaphorical—there’s no way hail could come to earth from Jupiter, after
all.
Islam combines the seven heavens of Judaism with a story from Zoroastrianism.
Hadith literature tells how Muhammad was taken on a journey through all
seven heavens. In each heaven he met a character from the Bible or
another prophet of Islam. Centuries before, the Zoroastrian priest Arta
Viraf supposedly made a similar trip to heaven. In Islam and
Zoroastrianism both, the heavens are levels of paradise reserved for
increasingly devout worshipers.
Dante Alighieri combined Babylonian mythology with Christian metaphor when he wrote The Divine Comedy.
In Dante’s epic poem, the seven celestial bodies represent ever more
virtuous natures. Above these heavens, in which the righteous are
rewarded after death, are four more levels. The last is Empyrean, the
immaterial dwelling place of God.
The Bible says nothing that would validate a belief in seven heavens, but the word heaven itself has several meanings. The Hebrew for “heaven,” shamayim, only appears in the plural form and can mean “sky” (Genesis 1:8–9), “outer space” (Genesis 22:17), or “the place where God dwells” (Joshua 2:11). In the New Testament, the Greek ouranos can mean “the dwelling place of God” (Matthew 12:50) or “the sky” (Acts 10:11). And paradeisos (“paradise” or “garden”) can refer to the place where dead believers await resurrection (Luke 23:43), to where God dwells now (2 Corinthians 12:4), or to our eternal home (Revelation 2:7).
In 2 Corinthians 12:2 Paul says he knew a man (assumed to be himself—he is speaking in the third person) who went to the “third heaven.”
The “third heaven” here simply means the spiritual dwelling of God, as
opposed to the other two “heavens,” the atmosphere and outer space. The
three “heavens” implied in 2 Corinthians 12:2 would be the terrestrial, telestial, and celestial.
In our vernacular, “seventh heaven” means “the best, happiest place to
be,” but the Bible doesn’t give any indication that a seventh heaven
actually exists. God promises He will not always live above us, but He
will live with us in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21). And although we will receive rewards according to our works (Revelation 22:12), the Bible never suggests that we’ll be segregated from each other.
Answer:
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1–2, emphasis added). In this text the apostle Paul describes Satan first as a “prince” with power, because he has authentic power in the world (1 John 5:19). This power has been given him by God (Luke 4:6). Satan has power over some illnesses (Luke 13:16; see also 2 Corinthians 12:7—it’s
unknown if Paul’s “thorn” was an illness or something else). In some
sense, Satan has power over death (Hebrew 2:14). The reason Satan is
called a prince rather than a king is because there is only one
King—Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 6:15).
Satan also has power over some people. The “sons of disobedience” referred to in Ephesians 2:2 are those who have not trusted Christ as Lord and Savior (cf. Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 13:12). The demons are also under the rule of Satan (Matthew 12:24), and one of his titles is “prince of demons” (Matthew 9:34). Satan has a kingdom (Matthew 12:26) and a throne (Revelation 2:13).
Satan is called a prince because he is a ruler and possesses power to
manifest evil in the world through influencing people and commanding demons.
“The air” in Ephesians 2:2
may refer to the invisible realm above the earth where Satan and his
demons move and exist. This space, of course, is the location of the
earth’s atmosphere or “air.” In Ephesians 6:12,
Paul writes, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this
present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
places.” This evil realm called the “air” could be an actual locality,
but it could also be synonymous with the “world” of John 12:31. This whole world is Satan’s domain (Matthew 4:8–9).
Although Satan has power and authority in the current world system in
which we exist, his power is limited, always under the sovereign control
of God (Job 1:12), and it is temporary (Romans 16:20).
God has not revealed all of the why’s and when’s concerning Satan’s
rule, but He has made it clear that there is only one way to escape the
power of Satan’s dominion, and that is through His Son, Jesus (Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13–14). It is Jesus who, speaking of the impending cross, declared victory: “Now the prince of this world will be driven out” (John 12:31).
Answer:
The phrase “heavenly places” or “heavenly realms” is used several times
in the book of Ephesians (1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12). This phrase is
translated from the Greek word epouranios, meaning “the sphere of spiritual activities.” “Heavenly realms” can refer to both angelic and demonic activity. Ephesians 1:20 says that God “raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.” But Ephesians 6:12
speaks of evil forces in the same realm: “Our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against . . . the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms.”
As flesh-and-blood humans, we have very little understanding of the
spirit world. We cannot see, hear, or touch it. However, the Bible
assumes it, and we can glean insight into a world we cannot see by
studying what God tells us about it. First of all, God is spirit (John 4:24). He exists outside the bounds of time, space, and matter. His home is called heaven (Acts 7:55; Isaiah 63:15), but this is a distinct place, not to be confused with “the heavens,” referring to the atmosphere (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 148:4), or the “heavenly realms,” which encompass all spirit beings. In God’s heaven, He sits on a throne (Matthew 23:22; Hebrews 4:16), surrounded by adoring angels (Revelation 7:11; Psalm 99:1) who exist to serve God and minister to His saints (Hebrews 1:14; Matthew 4:11; Genesis 19:1). Angels also have the ability to appear as men when sent to deliver messages from God (Genesis 18:2, 16–17; 19:1–2; Daniel 10:5–6).
However, the dark side of the heavenly realms belongs to Satan
and his evil spirits. Satan is not the counterpart to God. God has no
challenger. Satan is a created being who has only the power God allows
him to have for only as long as God allows it (Isaiah 14:12; Luke 22:31; Revelation 12:12).
Yet, for reasons known only to God, Satan and his minions are allowed
to wreak havoc upon the earth and the servants of God—if unchecked by
spiritual warfare and the holy angels. Daniel 10
gives us the best glimpse into what happens in this world we cannot
see. An angel was dispatched by God to deliver a message to Daniel
as he prayed, but the messenger was detained for three weeks by “the
prince of Persia,” a demon (verse 13). The angel later told Daniel that
he had to have help from Michael the archangel in order to prevail and continue on the assignment God had given him.
This glimpse into the heavenly realms helps us understand a few things.
First, we learn that there is fierce warfare taking place at all times.
Satan and his demons are actively working to thwart the plans of God and destroy whatever they can (see John 10:10).
If a mighty angel on a mission from God could be detained by demonic
forces, then demons must have great power. Second, God does not leave
His children defenseless against this evil army. Second Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” Ephesians 6:11–17
tells us exactly what armor we need to stand firm against the
temptations and schemes of the devil. In ourselves, we are no match for
Satan’s devices. We need spiritual armor
to fight spiritual battles. The third truth we can learn from the
Daniel passage is that prayer gets God’s attention and that His answer
is on the way. There are forces unknown to us that may interfere with
God’s desire to aid us, and we must continue to persevere in prayer
until the answer comes (see Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18).
The heavenly realms are as real as the earthly realms. We will spend most of our lives living in the heavenly realms (2 Corinthians 5:1; 1 John 5:11). In contrast, our earthly existence is only a “vapor that appears for a little while and is gone” (James 4:14).
Physical battles may seem intense, but the results are temporary.
However, spiritual battles have eternal consequences. When we live our
earthly lives in recognition of the unseen battles that rage all around
us, we will be more careful about what we say and do (Ephesians 5:15–16; 2 Corinthians 2:11).
We will be faithful to utilize our weapons of prayer and the armor of
God, knowing that the real battles are fought and won in the heavenly
realms.
Answer:
Where is the real Mount Sinai? For centuries, scholars, explorers and
pilgrims have sought the location of the real Mount Sinai—the mountain
of God from the biblical story of Moses and the Exodus. Today, most
people are unaware that little or no evidence has surfaced that supports
the traditional site called “Mount Sinai” in the south central Sinai
Peninsula. In fact, it seems the only reason that the traditional site
is designated “Mount Sinai” is that Helena, mother of Constantine I,
decreed it as such in the early 300s AD.
Several other proposed sites for the real Mount Sinai have been
suggested over the years, but no hard evidence has been produced by
scholars or archaeologists to date. Robert Cornuke, an investigative
explorer for BASE Institute, has said, “If we are ever to discern a
correct location for the historical events recorded in the biblical Book
of Exodus, it’s important to use the Scriptures as a guide, just as we
would use any ancient documents that have proven reliable in the past.”
The Scriptures can help us discover the general location for the real Mount Sinai. Exodus 3:1
plainly identifies Mount Horeb (Sinai) as being in Midian: “Now Moses
was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian.
And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the
mountain of God.” Scripture reveals here that the region of “Midian” is
undeniably the same as present-day Saudi Arabia. This has been
established by numerous sources. Second, the traditional site for Mount
Sinai on the Sinai Peninsula has nothing to do geographically with the
“back” of a desert. By contrast, certain mountains in Saudi Arabia are
on the far side or margin of a vast desert in ancient Midian.
Exodus 2:15
reveals more. After killing an Egyptian, Moses fled Egypt for safer
ground: “When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses
fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian.” Egypt and its holdings
would not have been safe for Moses under any circumstances. He would not
have fled to the Sinai Peninsula, where archaeology shows that Pharaoh
had multiple mining interests and military outposts. The Bible is clear
that Moses went out of Egypt, to the land of Midian east of the Gulf of
Aqaba.
The Bible makes several references to Moses returning to Egypt from Midian, including Exodus 4:19,
where we read, “Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, ‘Go back to
Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.’” All passages
associated with Moses’ stay in Midian point toward present-day Saudi
Arabia as the area to which Moses fled, subsequently met God at the
burning bush, and then returned to with the children of Israel.
In the New Testament, Paul wrote in Galatians 4:25,
“Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia . . .” As a “Hebrew of
Hebrews,” Paul’s understanding of Arabia would have been one that was
consistent with Old Testament passages like 1 Kings 10:15; 2 Chronicles 9:14; Isaiah 21:13; Jeremiah 25:24; and Ezekiel 27:21,
in which Arabia is clearly identified with the region east of the Gulf
of Aqaba, where “kings” ruled and the “Dedanites” co-dwelt with other
nomadic peoples.
So, where is the real Mount Sinai? Many Bible references seem to point
away from the traditional Mount Sinai in the Sinai Peninsula and toward
the mountains of Saudi Arabia. However, is there evidence to support
this theory? We suggest that you check out the expeditions and
discoveries of Robert Cornuke in the DVD listed below. He’s an
investigator and explorer who’s put the theory to the test by
documenting the evidence for the real Mount Sinai at Jabal al lawz in
Saudi Arabia. Robert Cornuke's evidence is credible and compelling.
Answer:
In Judges 13:5
an angel gives a promise and command to Manoah’s wife: “You will become
pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor
because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Her son was Samson. As an adult, Samson’s strength allowed him to tear apart a lion with his bare hands and to defeat many Philistines with supernatural acts of strength.
The Philistines, of course, saw Samson as their mortal enemy. In an
attempt to defeat him, some of the Philistine leaders plotted with a
woman named Delilah
to discover the source of his strength. They said to her, “See if you
can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how
we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us
will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver” (Judges 16:5).
Delilah tried three times to pry from Samson the secret of his strength.
Three times she failed, as Samson misled her with various stories. Then
we read, “With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was
sick to death of it. So he told her everything. ‘No razor has ever been
used on my head,’ he said, ‘because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to
God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would
leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man’” (Judges 16:16–17).
Verse 19 records Samson’s defeat: “After putting him to sleep on her
lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair,
and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.” The Philistines,
who had been waiting to pounce, bound Samson, gouged out his eyes, and
put him in prison where he was forced to work at a mill (Judges 16:21).
After a time, the Philistines chose to bring Samson out of prison to
make sport of him. He was brought into the arena during a festival where
about 3,000 men and women were in attendance (Judges 16:27). Samson rested against the pillars and prayed for God to give him strength one more time to defeat the Philistines.
God answered his prayer. Verse 30 notes, “Then he pushed with all his
might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it.
Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.”
It seems as though Samson’s hair was his human source of power, but it
is clear from this final event that God was the true, ultimate source of
his strength. Samson’s uncut hair was simply the sign that he was
obeying God’s command for him to be a Nazarite. God’s strength was the
power behind each of the judges, including Samson.
Answer:
There are two separate judgments. Believers are judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10-12).
Every believer will give an account of himself, and the Lord will judge
the decisions he made—including those concerning issues of conscience.
This judgment does not determine salvation, which is by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9),
but rather is the time when believers must give an account of their
lives in service to Christ. Our position in Christ is the “foundation”
spoken of in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.
That which we build upon the foundation can be the “gold, silver, and
precious stones” of good works in Christ’s name, obedience and
fruitfulness—dedicated spiritual service to glorify God and build the
church. Or what we build on the foundation may be the “wood, hay and
stubble” of worthless, frivolous, shallow activity with no spiritual
value. The Judgment Seat of Christ will reveal this.
The gold, silver and precious stones in the lives of believers will
survive God’s refining fire (v. 13), and believers will be rewarded
based on those good works—how faithfully we served Christ (1 Corinthians 9:4-27), how well we obeyed the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), how victorious we were over sin (Romans 6:1-4), how well we controlled our tongues (James 3:1-9),
etc. We will have to give an account for our actions, whether they were
truly indicative of our position in Christ. The fire of God’s judgment
will completely burn up the “wood, hay and stubble” of the words we
spoke and things we did which had no eternal value. “So then, each of us
will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12 ).
The second judgment is that of unbelievers who will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).
This judgment does not determine salvation, either. Everyone at the
Great White Throne is an unbeliever who has rejected Christ in life and
is therefore already doomed to the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12
says that unbelievers will be “judged out of those things which were
written in the books, according to their works.” Those who have rejected
Christ as Lord and Savior will be judged based on their works alone,
and because the Bible tells us that “by the works of the Law no flesh
will be justified” (Galatians 2:16),
they will be condemned. No amount of good works and the keeping of
God’s laws can be sufficient to atone for sin. All their thoughts, words
and actions will be judged against God’s perfect standard and found
wanting. There will be no reward for them, only eternal condemnation and
punishment.
Answer:
Jesus told us to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). He linked this command to the desire of our hearts: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21; see also verses 10–20).
The Bible mentions rewards that await the believer who serves the Lord faithfully in this world (Matthew 10:41). A “great” reward is promised to those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake. Various crowns are mentioned (in 2 Timothy 4:8, e.g.). Jesus says that He will bring rewards with Him when He returns (Revelation 22:12).
We are to treasure the Lord Jesus most of all. When Jesus is our
treasure, we will commit our resources—our money, our time, our
talents—to His work in this world. Our motivation for what we do is
important (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Paul encourages servants that God has an eternal reward for those who
are motivated to serve Christ: “Whatever you do, work at it with all
your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you
know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It
is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23–24).
When we live sacrificially for Jesus’ sake or serve Him by serving the
body of Christ, we store up treasure in heaven. Even seemingly small
acts of service do not go unnoticed by God. “If anyone gives even a cup
of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I
tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward” (Matthew 10:42).
Some with more visible gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12)
such as teaching, singing, or playing a musical instrument might be
tempted to use their gift for their own glory. Those who use their
talents or spiritual gifts coveting the praise of men rather than
seeking God’s glory receive their “payment” in full here and now. The
applause of men was the extent of the Pharisees’ reward (Matthew 6:16). Why should we work for worldly plaudits, however, when we can have so much more in heaven?
The Lord will be faithful to reward us for the service we give Him (Hebrews 6:10).
Our ministries may differ, but the Lord we serve is the same. “The man
who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be
rewarded according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:8).
The rich young man loved his money more than God in Matthew 19:16–30,
a fact that Jesus incisively pointed out. The issue wasn’t that the
young man was rich but that he “treasured” his riches and did not
“treasure” what he could have in Christ. Jesus told the man to sell his
possessions and give to the poor, “and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me” (verse 21). The young man left Jesus sad, because
he was very rich. He chose this world’s treasure and so did not lay up
treasure in heaven. He was unwilling to make Jesus his treasure. The
young man was very religious, but Jesus exposed his heart of greed.
We are warned not to lose our full reward by following after false teachers (2 John 1:8). This is why it is so important to be in God’s Word daily (2 Timothy 2:15). That way we can recognize false teaching when we hear it.
The treasures that await the child of God will far outweigh any trouble, inconvenience, or persecution we may face (Romans 8:18).
We can serve the Lord wholeheartedly, knowing that God is the One
keeping score, and His reward will be abundantly gracious. “Always give
yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your
labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
