Everlasting Good News of Yahweh

Will Any Saints Go to Heaven?

The last point concerning why the temple in heaven was opened in Rev 11:19 concerns allowing the saints to enter the heavenly sanctuary. There are many people who would consider this a false doctrine. They do not believe that any saints will ever go to heaven because the Kingdom will be on earth. Therefore a wealth of proof will be offered to support my belief and the clear words of Scripture.

For hundreds of years Christians have believed that saints go to heaven immediately upon their death. When Seventh Day Adventism arose, the truth that saints sleep in the grave until the resurrection began to be taught. It was also believed that, upon their resurrection, they would spend the next one thousand years in heaven. Many years later the truth about the “Kingdom on Earth” was revealed. This doctrine taught that the millennial kingdom would reign on earth, not in heaven. As a result, many believers forsook the belief that saints go to heaven. “Since the kingdom will be on earth it would make no sense to go to heaven,” they reasoned. From that point on, Scriptures began to be misunderstood and deliberately twisted to support that belief. The following is the correct Scriptural teaching concerning this subject.

Perhaps one of the clearest references to support the belief that at least some saints will go to heaven is found in John 14:2-4.

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And where I go ye know, and the way ye know.”

To understand these verses you must view them in context which includes John 13:33;

 “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Where I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.”

It is very important to know what Yeshua meant by this. He says he said the same thing to the Jews in the past. Let’s go back to that statement to the Jews.

John 7:32-36 – ” The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. Then said Yeshua unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, there ye cannot come. Then said the Jews among themselves, Where will he go, that we shall not find him? Will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, there ye cannot come?”

Yeshua told the Jews that he was going to the Father in heaven (vs.33) in a short time and that they could not go where he was going. He repeated similar words in John 8:21-27.

Yeshua made the same statement to the disciples in John 13:33 which means he told them that they could not go to the Father in heaven. But let’s read on.

John 13:36-38 – “Simon Peter said unto him, Master, where goest thou? Yeshua answered him, Where I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards . Peter said unto him, Master, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Yeshua answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.”

Peter didn’t know where Yeshua was going but it didn’t matter to him. No matter where he went Peter was willing to follow even if it meant losing his life. But notice Yeshua’s response to Peter’s question (vs.36). In other words Yeshua was saying, ” you cannot follow me to heaven now, but you will follow me to heaven later.”

The conversation continues in chapter 14. In verse 2 Yeshua says he is going to his Father’s house (in heaven) to prepare a place for his disciples. It doesn’t matter whether “house” means “kingdom” or “place” means “position.” What is important is that Yeshua was literally going somewhere. Based on the context of John 13 & 14 we can see that he was literally going to the Father in heaven. And so in verse 3 it says he will return (from heaven) and receive them so that they will be where Yeshua will be. Since he will be in heaven after the resurrection, that is where he will take the disciples.

Verses 4-6 confirm the fact that Yeshua was not speaking about the kingdom on earth. He was going to heaven and the disciples knew the way. In verse 6 Yeshua says, ” I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.” Yeshua was the first to go unto the Father in heaven. He paved the way and his disciples will follow him at their appointed time.

This truth is made evident in Hebrews 6:19-20.

 “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Yeshua, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”

 “Forerunner” in Greek is “prodromos” meaning, “one who comes to a place where the rest are to follow.” This is the only time it was used in the New Testament. It was also used in the Septuagint in Isa 28:4 where it talks about the first fig that appears on a fig tree. Eventually many figs appear on the fig tree. So it is with Heb 6:20. Yeshua is the firstfruit that has entered the heavenly temple. We must follow him, after we are harvested or after we are resurrected, into the heavenly temple.

Eph 2:4-6 – “But [Yahweh], who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Messiah, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Messiah Yeshua:”

In Yahweh’s eyes we are already resurrected with Yeshua even though we haven’t literally been resurrected yet. So too, in Yahweh’s eyes we are already seated with Yeshua in heavenly places even though it literally hasn’t happened yet. But it will!

1 Cor 15:42-50 teach us about receiving a spiritual, heavenly body. There is absolutely no sense in receiving a heavenly body if we are going to be tied down to this earth. There must be a reason why we are going to be given heavenly bodies. One reason is so that we can appear before the throne of Yahweh in heaven. We must all become like Yeshua, incorruptible, heavenly, born again from above, to inherit the kingdom of heaven.

In 2 Cor 12:2-4, Paul mentions a man that was caught up to the third heaven. The first heaven is earth’s atmosphere; the second heaven is outer space; and the third heaven is where Yahweh dwells, also known as paradise. The question is, what does “in the body” or “out of the body” mean? It means Paul did not know if he went to the third heaven physically as Yeshua did or if he went in a vision as John did in Revelation. This shows that the Apostle Paul thought that it was possible to ascend to heaven even while yet mortal. How much more would it be possible to ascend into heaven after ones resurrection and transformation?

Some will quote Yeshua’s statement in John 3:13 as proof against going to heaven. It is true that, at the time Yeshua said this, no man had ascended to heaven. That does not preclude the possibility of saints going to heaven in the future. The same is true of Acts 2:34 concerning David.

Now let’s look at some prophetic scriptures that clearly show saints in heaven. One of the main reasons why there is confusion concerning this subject is because people do not understand that the book of Revelation must be read in consecutive order. You cannot place various chapters in any time order you want. Reading Revelation correctly will reveal the truth about future events.

Rev 7:9-17 – “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our Elohim which sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped [Yahweh], Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our Elohim for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of [Yahweh], and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and [Yahweh] shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

First, we know that this scene takes place after the resurrection of the tribulation saints (vs.14). Secondly, they are standing before Yahweh’s throne (vss.9,15) and before Yeshua who is also seated on a throne (vss.9,17). This cannot be a vision of Yeshua on the throne of the kingdom on earth during the millennium because Yahweh is not on earth during that 1,000 years. He is still in heaven (Rev 21:2). It cannot be a vision of New Jerusalem after the millennium because there is no temple in New Jerusalem (Rev 21:22). Yet these saints are said to serve Yahweh day and night in his temple (Rev 7:15). Therefore, This seen must take place in heaven sometime between the resurrection and the end of the millennium.

Notice also, in Rev 7:9, that these saints are called a “great multitude.” The Greek word for “multitude” is “ochlos” which is also used in Rev 19:1 & 6.

Rev 19:1 – “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Halleluyah; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto [Yahweh] our Elohim:”

Rev 19:6 – “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude , and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Halleluyah: for [Yahweh] Elohim omnipotent reigns.”

Many people say that “ochlos,” underlined in these verses, refers to angels. First, the word “ochlos” is never used throughout all Scripture in reference to angels. It was translated as; company, multitude, number, people, and press. If you check each verse where these words are used you will find that it always refers to people, not angels. When the Scriptures talk about angels it uses the Greek word “playthos” as in Luke 2:13, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising [Yahweh].”

Secondly, in verse 6, John heard this great multitude sounding like “the voice of many waters.” Rev 17:1,15 tell us that “waters,” in prophetic scripture, means people, not angels. Rev 19:8 shows this multitude dressed in fine linen which represents the righteousness of the saints. Then, verse 14 shows these same saints dressed in fine, white linen coming out of heaven with Yeshua to fight at Armageddon. Verses 8 & 14 certainly do not represent the angels dressed in the righteousness of the saints.

Rev 4:2-6 – “And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of [Yahweh]. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.”

This is a description of the heavenly temple with an empty sea of glass. This sea of glass is the transparent floor in front of Yahweh’s throne in heaven. The scene takes place before the resurrection that occurs at the seventh and last trumpet of Rev 11:15.

Now let’s see that same sea of glass after the resurrection.

Rev 15:1-3 – “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of [Yahweh]. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of [Yahweh]. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of [Yahweh], and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, [Yahweh] Elohim Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”

We now see the saints standing on the sea of glass before Yahweh’s throne in heaven. This scene will literally take place between the resurrection and the first of the seven last plagues of Rev 16.

Rev 14:1-3 – “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his name and his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.”

This scene also takes place after the resurrection of Rev 11:15. And what do we hear in verse 2? The voice of many waters that were shown to mean “people.” Verse 1 is a picture of the 144,000 standing on Mt. Zion with Yeshua. Is this the earthly Mt. Zion that the city of Jerusalem is built upon? Or is it the heavenly Mt. Zion spoken of in Heb 12:22 where the heavenly Jerusalem sits? It must be the heavenly Zion because the 144,000 are singing their song before Yahweh’s throne in heaven (vs.3).

The Scriptures clearly show certain saints in heaven. That does not mean all saints will go to heaven. However, we certainly cannot dismiss these clear visions, nor can we ignore the words of Yeshua and Paul on this subject.

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6