Bible Studies

Part One

Last night, when I was dreaming, an angel came to me and told me my time had come. There were no questions asked, and no opportunity to make any final arrangements or last minute preparations. Without any delay, he immediately began to escort me to the 3rd Heaven.

As we passed through the astonishing beauty of the stellar universe, there was no further conversation, but I began to feel the effects of this out of body experience.

There was no need for protection or life supporting air to breathe. All the energy I needed was being supplied, requiring no effort from me. It appeared that all I had to do was relax and enjoy the ride.

I no longer had the eyes or ears of the body that I left behind, but my vision was perfect, my hearing was sharp, and there were no longer any of the aches, pains, or physical limitations that had become to play such a significant part of what had been my more recent earthly experience.

My soul was at perfect peace, even beyond any of the few mountain-top spiritual experiences when I had sensed the presence of the Lord during my time here, on Earth.

I did not have “a care in the world,” because I was no longer to be a part of it.

As we approached the gates of glory, there was an increasingly greater light shining all around us.

Then, much to my disappointment, I woke up and realized it was only a dream, probably induced by an ever-increasing recent desire I’ve had to go home and be with the Lord.

My body began to ache with the same old morning aches and pains that had become the norm for me. I struggled to find my glasses and to focus my declining eyesight, and strained to identify whatever that disturbing noise was that had awakened me out of my amazing dream that seemed so real at the time.

It was the beeping of my alarm clock, telling me it was time to begin another day of injections and bottles of pills, adhering to a strict diet, monitoring my blood sugar, blood pressure, and heart rate. With the help of my walker, I managed to successfully make it to the bathroom without falling down, in order to use a catheter to relieve myself.

Same old stuff, different day.

Recalling my dream, I began my morning Bible-reading, wishing there had been a passage that the gave more detailed information about what exactly would take place when we do, in fact, depart this world.

I had heard of the many different accounts and the scientific-medical explanations about individuals who claimed to have had an out-of-body experience, only to find themselves being returned to their bodies and back to life here on Earth.

Scripture tells us that the Apostle Paul had a similar experience, but he tells us that he was not certain if it had been a vision or an actual out-of-body event (1). Whichever it was, some Biblical scholars link the timing of this event to the time Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city of Lystra, and left for dead (2).

Paul was forbidden to tell us many of the details of what he had seen and experienced.

He was given a tormenting thorn in the flesh to keep him humble (3). Three times Paul prayed, begging for relief from this tormenting thorn, but the requests were denied (4). It was apparently going to remain with him for the rest of his earthly life.

From that point on, Heaven was not just something he hoped existed, or accepted by faith. The reality of the 3rd heaven had become a part of his personal experience. It becomes a lot easier to finish the course once you have been given a taste of what is waiting on the other side.

No wonder he was later able to say, “To live is (for) Christ and to die is gain (Phil.1: 21 NASB02020 parenthesis mine.”

The Bible does not record the details of what Lazarus saw or heard during the three days after he died and before the Lord Jesus Christ raised him from the dead (5).

The Bible does not tell us what those people had seen or heard that were later raised from the dead and returned to this life at the time of the crucifixion (6).

It appears that such details are among the many Deut. 29: 29 “secret things” of God.

Via a parable (7), Jesus spoke of Old Testament departed souls either being comforted in the PARADISE section of Hades, or suffering in the TORMENT section of HADES.

This Paradise was the same one that Jesus referenced in His conversation with the man on the cross on the side of Him (8).

This Paradise was spoken of by David, referring to the location of his infant son, that died as part of the discipline David suffered for his adultery and murder of the man whose wife he impregnated. It was there that he (David) would be reunited with his departed son when David’s time came (9).

Since the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, departed believers no longer go to this Paradise in Hades, but go to the 3rd Heaven to be with the Lord (10).

The torments of Hades continues to be the “holding cell” for all departing unbelievers, until the Rev. 20: 13-15 event takes place, when all unbelievers will be thrown into the Lake of Fire where they will spend all of eternity future.

With the Heb. 4: 16 boldness that God provides, I dared to ask the Lord about this.

I have found that He does not get upset with me when I ask Him probing questions. Such conversations in prayer can be a part of developing an intimate walk with the Lord. Our desire to know, however, does not always line up with His willingness or timing to disclose what we want to know, challenging us to leave the unknown things in the hands of the One who does know, and is in control.

The response I sensed was that He has already told me all that I need to know, and that right now, I needed to continue to focus on my 1Cor. 12 spiritual gift and accompanying ministry, and to leave the details of my inevitable departure in His hands.

The aches, pains, physical limitations, and other challenges associated with growing old are there to remind us of the need to do what we are here to do while we are still able, and there is still time to do it, before the window of opportunity closes.

If we have not learned it already, there are many things that can happen with or to our body that can change, limit, or cancel the plans that we make for ourselves, but there is nothing that can happen that can change His plans.

It is often what happens to our bodies throughout the course of our lifetime that God uses to place us where He wants us to be on any given day or period of time, in order to accomplish His plans for ourselves and the people with whom we interact with, as His ambassador.

To be in the place and to be given the opportunity to do His will (and not necessarily our own) at THAT moment is WHY advancing disciples find themselves WHERE they end up being on any given day.

In short, for many of us, we have our plans, and He has His. For the advancing disciple, His plans are our plans.

End of Part One

(1) 2Cor. 12: 2-4 (2) Acts. 14: 19-20 (3) 2Cor. 12: 7 (4) 2Cor. 12: 9 (5) John 11: 39, 43-44 (6) Matt. 27: 51-53 (7) Luke 16: 19-31 (8) Luke 23: 42-43 (9) 2Sam 12: 1-23 (10) 2Cor. 5: 8