Heaven. It's not the final destination.

[Lamb]

Revelation 21:1-2 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Do you consider heaven and the New Jerusalem to be one and the same? When you speak of dying and going to heaven, are you thinking of the New Jerusalem, the holy city that comes down out of heaven?

 

[MoreCoffee]

Revelation 21:1-2 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Do you consider heaven and the New Jerusalem to be one and the same? When you speak of dying and going to heaven, are you thinking of the New Jerusalem, the holy city that comes down out of heaven?

Yes, they differ yet are the same in the most essential detail. The New Jerusalem is where God is. Heaven too is where God is. In both cases I am speaking of that state in which the face of God may be beheld by human beings.

 

[Tigger]

I see heaven as primarily a spiritual place preresurrection. Other than Jesus, Enoch, Elijah and possibly Moses & Mary (Theotokos). The new heaven and new Jerusalem are the eternal dwelling place of translated believers after the resurrection.

 

[visionary]

I see the new heaven and new earth having a New Jerusalem where God will dwell. Where in heaven God dwells now, He is moving His Holy City to earth when it is made new.

When the telescope in Hawaii was being set up, there was a decision as to what part of the heavenly bodies do they want to focus on first. It was decided that they were going to focus in on the horn of plenty, better known as the birth place of the stars, in the Orion Nebula. The reason being was that it was going to turn and they could look down into the horn because it was going to turn towards earth. It did and the astronomer who was on duty that night got to look down the horn. He says that it was like looking into another room. He says that He saw a crystal city. Then it was like a curtain was drawn and he saw no more.

So I am inclined to think that maybe we are a micro in God's macro world. While we are a speck, God can roll up our Universe like a scroll and start over making a new heaven and a new earth. How is that for making us think about how minute we are in comparison to His world, He did say that His world day is like our world of a thousand years.

I do not know, just throwing some thoughts out there.

 

[Josiah]

Revelation 21:1-2 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Do you consider heaven and the New Jerusalem to be one and the same? When you speak of dying and going to heaven, are you thinking of the New Jerusalem, the holy city that comes down out of heaven?

Yup.

"Christianity does not require more work but more trust." Pr. Jonathan Fisk

Ahha.



Pax Soli Christi



- Josiah

 

[Lamb]

I see the new heaven and new earth having a New Jerusalem where God will dwell. Where in heaven God dwells now, He is moving His Holy City to earth when it is made new.

When the telescope in Hawaii was being set up, there was a decision as to what part of the heavenly bodies do they want to focus on first. It was decided that they were going to focus in on the horn of plenty, better known as the birth place of the stars, in the Orion Nebula. The reason being was that it was going to turn and they could look down into the horn because it was going to turn towards earth. It did and the astronomer who was on duty that night got to look down the horn. He says that it was like looking into another room. He says that He saw a crystal city. Then it was like a curtain was drawn and he saw no more.

So I am inclined to think that maybe we are a micro in God's macro world. While we are a speck, God can roll up our Universe like a scroll and start over making a new heaven and a new earth. How is that for making us think about how minute we are in comparison to His world, He did say that His world day is like our world of a thousand years.

I do not know, just throwing some thoughts out there.

It shows His awesome omniscience even more when you consider the entire universe!

To answer my own OP, I suppose when I say heaven that I don't always think about the New Jerusalem. I just think about being connected with God on a closer level than I am here on earth. Not that I'm not close, because I've been connected since I was a child. I just yearn for even more since I know his protection and guidance.