Doubt Busters

It seems that all the books and movies tell us about heaven with its winged angels and robed saints lounging on cloudy cushions strumming harps forever. This picture is unbelievably wrong. Christians will live forever on earth. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

In Revelation chapter 21 we find that the city of God comes down out of heaven to earth, and there God will dwell with his people. People who die and go to heaven are there only temporarily. Jesus will come again and reign on the earth with certain of his people for a thousand years. Afterward, he will remake heaven and earth, and we’ll all continue to live on earth.

What Do You Think?

a. Do you think that all Christians who died go to heaven? Why?

b. Why do so few know about the kingdom of God on earth? I think we learned easy-to-understand facts when we were young. We were expected to read the Bible to learn the full details. Why not make a list of spiritual truths you believe, then look up key verses in a concordance, and see what they have to say?

Here are the very words in the Bible regarding the 144,000:

‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’ And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed (Revelation 7:3-4).

The verse clearly tells us that those who were sealed were Jews. They were sealed so the wrath of God would not come upon them in the end times.

Here is another group of 144,000:

Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads (Revelation 14:1).

This group is noted as the “first-fruits to God and to the Lamb” (Revelation 14:4). That is, they are the best of the best, but not the only ones, in the kingdom. “First-fruits” implies the best of the crop. The crop remaining is still good.

So, how many people go to the kingdom of heaven? Here is exactly what the Bible says:

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ (Revelation 7:9-10).

So, how many make it to heaven?

What Do You Think?

a. Is it true that you are going to heaven? What scriptures do you use to prove it?

The question is perplexing. Does this mean that people think angels are microscopic?

So before we can answer it, we need to determine an angel’s size. Hebrews 13:2 tells us, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” Therefore angels are about our height. If you are unable to remain on a pin while you dance, then you already know the answer to this one!

What Do You Think?

a. You might ask, “Can God create a rock so heavy that he can’t lift it?” Would an answer of Yes or No make any difference to you?

b. Are theses types of questions based on real life situations? Why do people ask these questions?

There is time in heaven. In Revelation 6:9-11, we find people who have been martyred for their faith. They asked how long until their deaths are avenged. They were told to wait a little longer. So they are aware of the passage of time, must have patience, and still must wait some more.

Revelation 8:1 tells us, “there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” Again, people in heaven were aware of the time.

Revelation 11:18 tells about the twenty-four elders in heaven saying that the “time” of the dead, that they should be judged, is coming. In heaven, people acknowledge that there is an order of expected events to occur, and that each event will take time to transpire.

Elsewhere in Revelation there was silence in heaven for about an hour. Consciousness of the passage of time is present in heaven.

Don’t forget that when Christ returns to Earth, the saints will return with him. God will dwell with his people on Earth (Revelation 21:3). The heavenly Jerusalem will come to Earth (Revelation 21:1-2). God will transform the Earth and we will live on it.

There is nothing wrong with time on Earth now, and there will be nothing wrong with using time to schedule things in the new Earth, either.

What Do You Think?

a. Some people have theorized that since heaven is for ever, there must not be any sense of time there. The Bible has flatly shown us that the inhabitants of heaven experience the passage of time. Do you have any other ideas of the Bible that are based on theories that were not first checked against the Bible? How can you find out?

The Bible assures us that Jesus is more excellent than any angel, and deserves all of our honor and worship. Look at these fascinating facts found in Hebrews 1-2:

Jesus has inherited a more excellent name that they – no angel is called a Son, only Jesus.

No commandment is given to worship angels, but the angels are pointedly commanded to worship the Son.

Angels are spirits created to minister, but Jesus has been exalted to reign on the throne. No angel has been told to sit at the right hand of God, only Jesus has that place.

When angels carried words of warning to the ancient Israelites, God followed through on their words. He will follow through in a greater way over the words of Jesus – especially if we neglect “so great salvation.” In that case, our judgment will be severe.

The world to come will not be subject to angels, but to the Son. It is Jesus who suffered and died for our sins, not angels. Jesus became like us, flesh and blood, and tasted death for every man, not angels.

We were created to have fellowship with God and be given as gifts to his Son, not to angels.

Jesus does not give aid to angels but to us who are of the seed of Abraham, of those who believe.

Jesus is superior to angels in every way. When Jesus healed a blind man, he worshiped Jesus (John 9:38). Jesus did not refuse the worship. But when John tried to worship an angel, he was rebuked when the angel told him, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10b).

The Bible’s theme is Jesus. To worship the angels is to pervert the testimony of God and of angels.

What Do You Think?

a. If God is greater than his creation, and has all power to help us, then why would someone worship angels?

b. When Jesus tells his followers to pray to God (Matthew 6:9-13, John 16:23) and not angels, is it still okay to talk to angels? Why or why not?

From time to time God has sent an angel to bear specific messages or perform timely works for certain people, but we seldom read of angels that remain for long periods of time with an individual. For instance, we find God sending an angel to speak to Mary. Evidently Mary did not have an angel on hand to speak to her immediately: “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:26-27).

Repeatedly we find in the OT God sending angels to speak to his prophets. God sent an angel to guide Moses through the desert (Exodus 23:20). God sent an angel to hold the mouths of the lions lest they eat Daniel (Daniel 6:22). He sent another angel when Daniel prayed fervently. Several times angels were sent to punish Israel with death (1 Chronicles 21:15). Angels were sent to Mary, Joseph, and Zacharias to tell them about the coming of the Christ child (Luke 1:30, Matthew 1:20, Luke 1:11). Their being sent implies that Mary and the others were not already accompanied by any angels.

Based on the earlier verses, what doctrines of a guardian angel does the Bible develop? None. None of the angel visits were for the purpose of lifelong companionship with humans. Yet people usually claim the following verse supports the idea of guardian angels: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). Yet there are no doctrines about guardian angels in that verse. We know only that certain angels are looking at God. If they are looking at God, then they are in heaven, not on earth. Perhaps they are looking to God in a state of alertness, ready to act on his orders. We don’t have enough scriptural support to develop this further.

(Some Christians think they have a good angel on one shoulder and a bad angel on the other. Scripture does not support this view, but it does support the idea of internal fighting between the flesh and the Spirit.)

Hebrews 1:14 tells us that angels are to minister to us, although it stops short of telling us that they are always with us: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” If the OT is any guide, any angels who minister to us would be sent by God at special times to do their work, then depart.

Many have taken comfort in the idea of angels taking care of them: “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” (Psalms 34:7). Frequently, the phrase “the angel of the LORD” is speaking of the presence of God on earth. Scriptural teaches the idea of God dwelling in those who obey him (John 14:20-23), and the Holy Spirit dwelling in us (John 14:17).

Do we have a guardian angel? Scripture does not tell us that a particular angel has been assigned to us. However, we do know that God has sent angels to help his people in particularly trying times. Even better yet, we have the Holy Spirit, a member of the Godhead himself, dwelling in his people at all times!

What Do You Think?

a. Do you still believe in guardian angels after reading the above? If yes, why?

b. Why do people believe in guardian angels?

Here is a description of the cherubim as seen by Ezekiel the prophet:

And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures.

And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.

And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies (Ezekiel 1:4-11).

The cherubim (plural for cherub) are always seen around the figure of God. Many people call them angels, but a cherub and an angel have distinct differences. Here are several reasons why they are not angels.

Cherubim are never called angels in the Bible.

Angels are messengers. They have delivered messages to men and women on behalf of God. Cherubim seldom have spoken to people.

Angels are called out from heaven to earth to do God’s work. Cherubim never go out from the presence of God.

Cherubim have wings. Angels are never described as having wings. Perhaps the early artists painted angels with wings because they figured cherubim were angels. Yet cherubim have four or six wings, not two.

These are some of the ways cherubim are different from angels.

What Do You Think?

a. We’ve all seen the cute images and statues of cherub figures. Do those images match up with the description of Ezekiel, who actually saw a cherub? Are those baby-like cherub figures real?