Heaven – an overview

Heaven – an overview                            August 8, 2015

 

What is Heaven?  What does the Scriptures say. 

There are three specific places mention as Heaven. 

1.   “First Heaven” – sky, clouds, our immediate atmosphere

2.   “Second Heaven” – stars, galaxies, is outer space as far as it stretches

3.   “Third Heaven”  - is the place where God himself dwells   

Let’s look at  

The First Heaven – sky, clouds, our immediate atmosphere  

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 

Genesis 1:8-9 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.  (9)  Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. 

Heaven:  Hebrew is shaw-mah'-yim, shaw-meh', means to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve): - air, heaven (-s). 

2 Kings 2:1 And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 

2 Kings 2:11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 

Remember, we covered before Elijah wrote a letter. 

Second Heaven” – stars, galaxies, is outer space as far as it stretches 

The second heaven is the starry heavens, where our atmosphere ends. It is the heavens in which the sun, moon, and stars are fixed in orbit. The stars are seemingly endless and the distance between all of them is staggering 

Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of  God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 

Psalms 19:6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. 

Isaiah 40:22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

 

Jeremiah 8:2 They shall spread them before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served and after which they have walked, which they have sought and which they have worshiped. They shall not be gathered nor buried; they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth. 

Third Heaven - is the place where God himself dwells.   

The heaven of heavens 

Deuteronomy 10:14 Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it.

1 Kings 8:27 NKJV  "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! 

Psalms 115:16 NKJV  The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's; But the earth He has given to the children of men. 

Psalms 148:4 NKJV  Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! 

Referring to the idea that there is one heaven rising above another 

Now we come to a place where most could agree on so far.  From this point on, it depends on your hermeneutics, what you believe.  If you believe you will go to heaven when you die, heaven will be totally different from someone who does not.  If we take the Word Seriously then we would not have a problem with the visions that individuals in the Scriptures had. 

Let’s just see what the Scriptures tells us, remember, it is just a glimpse of what Heaven is like. 

Where is Heaven located?  The Scriptures does not really tells where Heaven is located, but is kind of gives us a hint. 

Isaiah 14:12-13 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!  (13)  For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 

Is this a hint, I really do not know.  Preachers in the past said yes and they told us that there are fewer stars in the north because of the great star wars battle between Lucifer/Satan and Michael, who serves as the Warrior for God. 

We know Jesus passed through the heavens gives evidence there is more than one heaven. 

Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 

Why do we call it the third heaven?

The Apostle Paul tells us he had a vision and revelations from the Lord: 

2 Corinthians 12:1-4 NKJV  It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:  (2)  I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.  (3)  And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— (4)  how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 

If Paul said, 3^rd Heaven, then there must be two more. 

·      Visions and revelations

·      Caught up to the third heaven.

·      Caught up into Paradise 

Let’s look at The Throne Room of the Universe 

Who is in Heaven and the place where God resides. 

We know the Father and Jesus our Lord are in Heaven. 

Hebrews 8:1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 

Jesus is seated on a throne at the right hand of the Father.  Both have thrones. 

Stephen saw a vision right before he was killed. 

Acts 7:55-56 But he (Stephen), being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,  (56)  and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

The Throne room of God 

Revelation 4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 

Revelation 4:3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 

From the seven Spirits who are before His throne 

John was in Spirit, a vision of the Throne Room. 

Angels and 7 Spirits of God, 

The seven Spirits of God are mentioned four times in the Book of Revelation, 

Revelation 1:4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 

Revelation 3:1 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

Revelation 4:5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 

Revelation 5:6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 

Does the book of Isaiah name each Spirit.  

Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. 

Zechariah 4:2  And he said to me, "What do you see?" So I said, "I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 

Zechariah 4:10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth." 

Seven Horns--Prophecy, horns represent spiritual authority (power). Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Again, the number seven indicates complete authority 

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 

In the Old Testament in the tabernacle of God, the Lord told Moses to make things that were a "copy and shadow of the heavenly things" 

Hebrews 8:5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "SEE THAT YOU MAKE ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN." 

Hebrews 9:23 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. 

One of those things Moses was instructed to make was a lampstand with seven lamps (Exodus 25:31-37; 37:17-23).  

Moses made the instructed man-made copy (shadow). John saw the heavenly reality. 

Sea of Glass, 4 living creatures 

Revelation 4:6  Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 

Revelation 4:7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 

These creatures were on the 4 banners that Israel had when they travel and rested in the wilderness. Three tribes per banner. 

Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" 

Revelation 4:9-11 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,  (10)  the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:  (11)  "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." 

Strong or powerful Angel 

Revelation 5:2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" 

Powerful Angel:  Gabriel (who speaks for God) or Michael (the Warrior) 

Revelation 5:6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 

Little more information, 7 Spirits sent out into all the earth. 

24 Elders on 24 thrones 

Revelation 4:4  Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 

Revelation 5:8  Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 

Revelation 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,  (10)  And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." 

Revelation 5:11-12 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,  (12)  saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" 

4 living creatures  

Revelation 5:14 Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. 

All angels, and also elders, 4 living creatures 

Revelation 7:11-12 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, (12) saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen." 

Zechariah 6:5 And the angel answered and said to me, "These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. 

Revelation 11:19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. 

Revelation 21:22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 

Exciting to think about Heaven is also the Temple of God. 

What we have just covered, are hints what we would find at the Throne of God, in Heaven – an overview.

Tola Worm, "But I am a worm"

 

Tola Worm                                             July 25, 2015

I am constantly amazed at the hidden things that come from passages that in the past I would read right over or skip, say "What in the world is that all about?"  

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. 

This is what we like to do.   Search out the matter. 

Deuteronomy 29:29 NKJV  "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. 

Let’s look at just one of those passages. 

Psalms 22, (sometimes called the Psalm of the Cross)  

Psalm 22 tells about the suffering, death and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus 1,000 years before He actually gave His life for our sins upon the tree: 

He will say, vs 1 

Psalms 22:1 to the Chief Musician. Set to "The Deer of the Dawn." a Psalm of David.  My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?   

Matthew said 

Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" 

These famous verses we know by heart as this is the only time Jesus felt so distant (or separated) from His Father that He refers to Him as God. 

Psalms 22: 6 But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.  (tola) 

Why would Jesus say He was a worm?  Chapter 22 is about Jesus life and crucifixion. 

Is there a remezim (has a deeper meaning, a hint) “I am a worm” 

Job 25:4-6 How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?  (5)  If even the moon does not shine, And the stars are not pure in His sight,  (6)  How much less man, who is a maggot, And a son of man, who is a worm?"  (tola) 

Isaiah 1:18  "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.  (tola) 

We just looked at three major Scriptures and what do they all have in common.   

Worm, Crimson, scarlet 

Usually in the Bible, the Hebrew name for ‘worm’ is ‘rimmah’ which is a maggot.   

But in these verses, the word used is: “tola’ which means crimson worm or scarlet worm. Both scarlet and crimson are the colors of blood – deep red.  

This particular worm has some interesting characteristics which relate to our crucified savior.  

Worm:  tôlâ‛    to-law,  Hebrew; a maggot; specifically the crimson grub, but used only (in this connection) of the color from it, and cloths dyed therewith: - crimson, scarlet, worm.

Occurs 43 times in the KJV and used  as Crimson 38 times. 

This Scarlet dye was made from a particular worm, Cermes vermilio.  

This Crimson worm is common to the area of Israel.  

The dead bodies of the female Crimson worms were scraped from the tree, dried and then ground into a powder that was used to dye their cloth and garments a scarlet or red color.  

Let’s look at the worm 

When the female tola worm is ready to reproduce, she prepares to lay her clutch of eggs.  She climbs to a branch of a tree, burrows into the tree, attaches itself to a branch, makes a hard crimson shell.  She is so stuck to the wood that the shell can never be removed without tearing her body apart and killing her. 

This Worm pierces the thin bark of twigs to suck the sap, from which it prepares a waxy scale to protect its soft body.   

The red dye is in this scale. When reproducing, the female climbs a tree (usually the holm oak), where it bears its eggs; the larvae hatch and feed on the body of the worm.  

The Crimson worm deposits or lay her eggs underneath her body and the protective shell.  The eggs stay under her body and the protective shell.

After just a few days, when the young worms are hatch, they grow to the point that they are able to take care of themselves, the mother dies. 

She sacrifices herself for her ‘children’.  As she dies, the red crimson color leaks out of her body onto the tree she is attached to but also her young. They are colored scarlet red for the rest of their lives.   

After the eggs hatch, the larva feeds upon the body of the tola in order to live. The worm gives its life in the process and only a crimson spot remains on the branch of the tree.

It gives its life…  The worm gives birth only once in her life, for it is fatal, and when the worm dies, a crimson spot is left on the branch; then the scarlet spot dries out. 

After three days, the dead mother, Crimson worm’s body, the red dye dries out and loses its crimson color and turns white, into a white wax which falls or flakes off to the ground “as pure snow.”  

The dead bodies of the female Crimson worms were scraped from the tree, dried and then ground into a powder that was used to dye their cloth and garments a scarlet or red color. 

Interesting, what comes to mind. 

They were harvested by the Israelites for the worm's brilliant crimson blood to be used in the Temple service. It was a potent dye for wool, because of its crimson, scarlet or blood color, is how it got its name,

This comparison used here is striking on how it relates to Jesus. 

The significance I see of Jesus saying “I am a worm” is: 

Psalms 22: 6 But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.  (tola) 

There are a lot of different ideas what Jesus might have meant, but nobody really knows for sure.  But when we look at Scriptures, we know what the worm means, Crimson worm or Scarlet worm,  

Jesus sacrificed his life on a tree so that those who are the children of the Father (us) might be washed with his crimson or scarlet blood and our sins cleaned white as snow. He died for us, that we might live through him. 

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 

Jesus through the sacrifice of His body on the cross and covered our sins with his Blood as we celebrate each Passover. 

Jesus life blood poured out and became a tola, or crimson sacrifice for us all.  

John 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 

Jesus died on a tree 

Acts 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 

And then three days later arose in glory and brightness.   

John 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 

Hebrews 1:1-3 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,  (2)  has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;  (3)  who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 

Our sins were red like crimson and by His blood made them as white as if they never happened.   

John 6:53-57 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  (54)  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  (55)  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  (56)  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  (57)  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 

When we come to realize that the tola became a protective covering that sacrifices itself for its babies in nature, what Christ did for each of us, sacrificed Himself for each of us to live,  yes, personally for you and me. 

The red and white phase characteristic of the tola worm is a foreshadow of what Jesus Christ went through. 

When Jesus died on the cross, His own blood was spilled out.  After 3 days, Jesus was resurrected from the dead. 

Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 

Psalms 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 

Some very encouraging words by Jesus about every true believe.  Our sins are covered by the pouring out of Jesus blood. 

Some other interesting facts for the tola or Crimson worm. 

·      The crushed tola worm was also used to make medicine that helps the heart beat smoothly, contains a chemical that is an anti-bacterial agent which is why it was used in two types of purification ceremonies. 

·      The white wax body was used to make shellac, a preservative of wood 

·      They are round, about the size of a pea.  Because they don’t look a worm, some people thought they were part of a plant. 

·      Looks more like a grub than a worm 

·      The scarlet worm was also used in the formula with the ashes of the red heifer. Num 19:6 NKJV  And the priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet, and cast them into the midst of the fire burning the heifer.  These ashes were used to cleanse a person when they came into contact with a dead body (a host for bacteria). This crimson worm was necessary to make one clean, which is symbolic of the blood of Jesus removing the sin of disease and death from us. 

·      When there was a plague, scarlet was included in the purification of the house. Purification of the house - Lev 14:52 NKJV  And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and the running water and the living bird, with the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet. 

The Temple Institute (a Jerusalem organization) is in the process of preparing for the re-starting of the Temple Services.  They want to be ready to restart the sacrifices when the Temple is rebuilt. 

The Temple Institute is trying to rediscover how things were done.  They have been working on the Temple vessels and priestly garments that require a working knowledge of the materials and methods commanded by Torah.  

The process has been lost over the many years and must be relearned. 

On the afternoon of July 16, this year, the Temple Institute organized an historic event:  the first harvest of the tola, crimson worm in the land of Israel in perhaps 2000 years. 

They need to educate and learn how to harvest, produce and make the crimson dye prescribed in the Torah for a number of Temple related purposes, including the 120 wool priests belts of the garments, the scarlet wool tied onto the scapegoat on Atonement, and one of the essential ingredients for producing the ashes of the red heifer.  They found that a favorite nesting ground in Israel is the common Israel Oak tree. 

Some examples: 

Exodus 26:1  "Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them  (tola) 

Exodus 26:31 "You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim. (tola) 

Exodus 26:36 "You shall make a screen for the door of the tabernacle, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver.  (tola) 

Exodus 39:1 Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread they made garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses. (tola) 

Now, lets go back and read those 3 verses, maybe they will have a little more meaning for us now. 

Psalms 22: 6  But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. 

Job 25:4-6 How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?  (5)  If even the moon does not shine, And the stars are not pure in His sight,  (6)  How much less man, who is a maggot, And a son of man, who is a worm?" 

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 

Now, we know a little more and a deeper understanding when Jesus said,  

“but I am a worm.”