“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.  And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.” (Phil. 3:14-15)

 

The old covenant was a mere shadow of things to come.  The entire book of Hebrews is written to emphasise the difference between the two covenants.  At the beginning of chapter three, we read, “Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.  He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.  Jesus has been found worthy of greater honour than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honour than the house itself.  For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.  Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future.  But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house.  And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.” (Heb. 3:1-6) 

Moses testified to what would be said in the future, under the new covenant.  We are now told that we “share in the heavenly calling”.  It is “the hope in which we boast”.   We do not hope for what we already have, or for what we can see, but for what we do not have and what we cannot see.  “For in this hope we were saved.  But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what he already has?  But if we hope for what we do not have, we wait for it patiently.” (Rom. 8:24-25)  

 

Unlike the old covenant, the new covenant is the revelation of truth to all of God’s people, rather than a set of laws given through prophets.  It is superior to the old one.  In the old covenant, God’s people had an earthly priesthood and an earthly promise; we now have a heavenly priesthood and a heavenly promise. 

 “For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary, that was only a copy of the true one, He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.” (Heb. 9:24)  

 

The J.W’s make much of the fact that the Lord Jesus once told the people the meek would inherit the earth.  He said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matt. 5:5)  Because of what they have been told by their elders, the rank and file J.W’s simply add this verse to their ‘old covenant’ thinking, and tell people that it reinforces what they teach about the promise made in Psalm 37:29.  They take no notice of the surrounding verses, because anything that doesn’t fit in with their earthly pattern of thinking is simply ignored.  However, we know that the old covenant is obsolete and that the new covenant is based on better (heavenly) promises.  When we read the surrounding verses in Matthew 5, we find there is much more:  

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.   Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven”. (Matt. 5:4-12)  

In this short passage, the Lord tells us that the meek "will inherit the earth", we are also told "theirs is the kingdom of heaven" and that the faithful have a “reward in heaven”.  Should we ignore one because of the other - or do all these verses speak of the same inheritance? 

When Jesus spoke to people about the resurrection, he told us that we will have heavenly bodies, as angels do.  In the above passage, the Lord says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”.  Just as it is written of angels - “angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” (Matt. 18:10)  It is also written, for our benefit; "Now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Cor 13:12)  

The Lord Jesus also tells us, “At the resurrection people with neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like angels in heaven.” (Matt. 22:30)  So the pure in heart will see the face of God in heaven just as angels do because “they will be like angels in heaven”.  The only qualification that people need to “share in the heavenly calling” is to be part of the "resurrection". 

Will we still inherit the earth, as it is written?  Of course!  The earth is suspended in the heavens.  It is part of the kingdom that we will inherit.  We will be as the “angels in heaven”, who come and go at their will.   It is written, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Rom. 8:17)   Is Christ’s inheritance limited to the earth?  We are told that we will share his inheritance and his glory.  We are clearly told about this again in Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church.  “But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised?  With what kind of body will they come?” (1 Cor. 15:35)  He then goes on to explain the difference between what dies and what is raised – between natural and spiritual – between earthly and heavenly.  We then read, “And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.  I declare to you brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor. 15:49-50)   It would benefit us all to read this entire passage more than once.  Our inheritance is far more than we see on earth – it is the entirety of God’s heavenly kingdom.

 

Even during the time of the old covenant, people of true faith realised that they had something better to look forward to - something in heaven.  This is also pointed out in the book of Hebrews.  We are told about the faith of people such as Noah, Enoch and Abraham, so that we know where to set our sights.  It says, “All these people were still living by faith when they died.  They did not receive the things promised, they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.  And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.   If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country- a heavenly one.  Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” (Heb. 11:13-16)  Clearly, their hearts were set on things above.  We also are “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world” (1 Peter 2:11).  

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:26-29)  We share in the heavenly calling.  We are co-heirs of the promise and we will share in Christ’s glory:  “The Spirit himself testifies that we are God’s children.  Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:16-17)

 

Over and over, the scriptures tell us of our eternal reward in the kingdom of the heavens, while over and over, the J.W’s continue to teach that paradise is on earth.

Clearly, they are wrong!

 “I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.  I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven.  Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know- God knows.  And I know that this man- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows- was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.”  (2 Cor. 12:1-4)  

Contrary to J.W. teaching, “paradise”; is in “the third heaven”.  The J.W’s dismiss all such scripture by telling people that it does not mean what it seems to say.  They tell people that it is merely ‘symbolic’.  But Paul says it was a revelation from the Lord.  He does not “boast” about his own knowledge, but only what he has received form the Lord.  He says, “I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.”   It is clearly a revelation from the Lord, yet the J.W’s deny it! 

This is true of all scripture- “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.  I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” (Gal. 1:12)  No one should dismiss scripture, yet the worldly (including the J.W’s) do exactly that.  They scoff at it.  As it is written, “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.’ (2 Peter 3:3) 

Paradise is in heaven, and that is where we are told to store our treasures! 

The Lord Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:19-20)  Jesus has told us to store up treasures in heaven for a reason - because that’s where he has promised that those who believe him will spend eternity.  The J.W’s cannot accept this, because, “Their mind is on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that allows him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body”.  (Phil. 3:19-20).   As in all Scripture, those of us who belong to the kingdom of God are separated from those who do not believe.  It is the J.W’s, in this case, who do not believe, because “their mind is on earthly things - But our citizenship is in heaven.”   

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The Lord Jesus told his true witnesses (the apostles), “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”  (John 14:2-3)

The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, to remind them of how they should live, while waiting for Christ’s return:  “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.  We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore, encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thess. 4: 13-18)

We are clearly told, “and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him”.  The only qualification those who have fallen asleep need to be taken to heaven with Christ is that they are “in him”. 

“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds”.  Who else goes to heaven?   “We who are still alive and are left.” -  “And so we will be with the Lord forever.”  Paul then writes, “Therefore, encourage one another with these words.”   He writes, “according to the Lord’s own word”, because this is what the Lord Jesus himself said:  “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.  And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”  (Matt.24:30-31)  

 

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.” (Eph. 113-14)  We do not need to belong to in a special ‘ruling class’ as the J.W’s claim.  We just need to be in Christ. 

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“We will not all sleep - but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” (1Cor. 15:55)  And again in 2 Cor. 5:1-2  “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.  Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling”

“We know” because God has made it clear to us:  “He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Cor. 1:21-22)

It is written clearly, “we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven”.