"josh" <jillywoodsabc@jillywoods.karoo.co.uk>
Re: Investigating God part Three: where is heaven?

Hello,

I will try to straighten out any Scriptural misconceptions I find.

Part two concluded that God, if he existed, would be composed of data
about
every atom of the universe multiplied by every (say) millionth of a
second
in time. That would be the only way God would know everything.

Actually, the Bible shows that at times, God chooses not to know
everything. (see the account at Ge 18:20,21)

But such a
huge database seems highly unlikely.

But "highly unlikely" still leaves the option of 'likely'. And with
God He has a way to make the "unlikely" become 'likely'. (Mt 19:26)

Further, God, if he did exist, seems
to have no detectable way in which to communicate with beings on Earth, or
they with him.

Yes, the actual 'physics' on how God communicates is not revealed in
the Bible. But He did set up a 'communication station' for all humans,
called PRAYER. (1 Th 5:17)

Or he actually doesn't want to communicate, which suggests
that he doesn't care much, or of course doesn't even exist.

On the contrary, God does hear prayers. (Ps 65:2)

I've asked the news group where I post these messages to give me some
desctriptions of heaven as given in the Bible. Guess what? No-one
replied.
Reasons:

* They couldn't be bothered - why help an atheist?

* There are so many detailed references that they are still typing

* References exist, but they are so few and unspecific that they provide
little evidence of a heaven.

The Bible mainly focuses on the earth, since that is the place God
originally designed humans to live forever. (Isa 45:18) And Jesus
confirmed that they will. (Mt 5:5)

But if you are looking for physical descriptions of Heaven, Heaven is
not a 'physical' place, thus any descriptions in the Bible are in
symbolism so that we can get some idea of what it is talking about.

(try to explain a beautiful sunset at the beach, to someone born
blind)

For example, the Bible tells of two kinds of people. Flesh and blood
(like humans), and SPIRIT beings (like God and the angels- Joh 4:24)

The Bible does not give the physics behind those "spirit" beings, so
we have not idea how they are constructed. And they live in a place
that only spirit beings can live in, Heaven. (1 Co 15:50)

So, with no data to go on, let's enjoy ourselves looking at heaven anyway.
Well, the point is that we can't look at it can we, as it is clearly not
in
the known universe. I believe old pictures show heaven, up somewhere
behind
the stars, but that was before we realised that the stars are rather a
long
way off, off the dial in fact. I suppose heaven could be somewhere behind
even that, but it all seems a bit incredible.

See above on why Heaven is not located in our physical universe.

How people get there is another mystery. Being raised into the clouds as
I
believe Jesus was won't satisfy the modern, scientifically educated
person.
Astronauts don't pass heaven on the way into space. Surely they would
notice the bright glow.

See above on why Heaven is not located in our physical universe.

But what I really wanted to know from believers was what happens where you
get there. Fiction comes up with some pretty preposterous if entertaining
answers: Sitting in rows singing, strumming harps on clouds, worshipping
God in all his glory... What? Does this God need all that worship?

The Bible does not go into details on the everyday life in Heaven.

However, it does show that the few humans that will make it to Heaven
(the vast majority will live right here on earth--- more Scriptural
discussions on this if you wish) will at first rule as "kings and
priests" over those here on earth. (Re 5:10)

And what about meeting your relatives? Are they much older than you? It
would be a feast for those researching their family history, except of
course that some members of their family may not be present...

Even on earth when the general resurrection from the dead occurs,
there will obviously be some rather large family reunions! (see Ac
24:15)

One very odd thing about heaven would be the complete niceness of it all.
I assume that you wouldn't be able to do anything wrong however hard you
tried. You would automatically be nice to everyone. So nice, perhaps,
that
some people would spend eternity saying 'No, after you.' But I ask: would
that nice character actually be a sort of unrecognisable whitewashed you,
unlike the real and imperfect you that people knew and loved? Gracious,
there would be no-on to gossip about!

All of God's intelligent beings have free will, even those in Heaven.
Satan and his demon angels used to live there, but they sinned. (Re
12:7-9)

Thus those in Heaven are not robots, but free-willed beings.

Eternity. There's a word. Endless basking in the love of God, like being
on a beach in a deckchair for ever. No adventure, no risk... Well, if you
did cast yourself down an unlikely mountain in heaven you would certainly
survive, as the character in Groundhog Day continually did.

No one knows what 'daily' life in Heaven is like. Thus any answers are
only speculation.

As for an eternity of living under good conditions, what sane person
would not strive after such a thing?

Actually, the Bible shows that at times, God chooses not to know
everything. (see the account at Ge 18:20,21)