Get a Widget for this title
RSS FeedIs Heaven a real place or a state of being?
Results so far:
| Being | 44% | 573 votes | Total: 1307 votes | |
| Place | 56% | 734 votes |
Being
Write now
Print
Invite a writer™
Add to FavoritesThis question, based on my experience, is both a state of being and a place. We are standing in the Kingdom of Heaven right now here's how. When the universe was created it was created it the current location it is in now. Heaven is nowhere but now here. My soul has come to understand and experience this through deep meditation and through the practice of the noble eight fold path; the right beliefs, right aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, the right mindfulness, and the right meditational attainment. Here is how one can best describe my un-ending joy within my location of heaven. Hopefully you will find some joy too, because it's tough using just words in cyber-space.
Having come to know great love, un-ending peace, and pure satisfaction though the universal-SELF there comes an understanding of heaven's being and location. The Buddha said, " its the end of suffering." He used this negative context to entice the listener into the question what comes after that? Indeed it is so much more than the end of suffering, but the problem in attempting to explain "it" or "heaven" is the fact that words are such poor symbols of feelings and experiences. This is mostly due to the fact that words are open to misinterpretation.
The only way for me to explain my current experience now is to call it the Kingdom of Heaven. Witch is an interpretation described in the Bible. The largest problem with the Bible and many other spiritual books and/or teachings is that they are often interpreted by un- enlightened people.
Where else in the universe is there to go than inside the universe? Nowhere but now here. Science has even proven that the universe is not even solid even though the experience seems entirely real. Science cannot even location where consciousness is even located and have come to understand that it must be universal. The universal-SELF is the only solid location in the universe even though the entire thing is moving at a high rate of speed. Einstein even said that reality is nothing more than an illusion. A persistent one at that.
Where else is the universe observed other than the mind? Nowhere but now here. Now about heaven being a state of being is entirely correct because your being is the universal-SELF and it is entirely good. Lets flip that around and call it a place. Where would that place be other than inside the entire universe? It took the whole universe for consciousness to achieve human experience and if a person had eye balls that could experience the universe on the quantum level, one would see that nothing is separate from any thing.
To make a long experience short the matter of heaven becomes a state of being and it's place is held within the universe and the soul. It's just a matter of what a person chooses to observe and experience. The experience being that of suffering or pure JOY. Pure joy is my best description of the location experienced here, right at this very moment. And that goes to say for every other moment choosen to experience in the apparent future. which does not exist because the only time there is is right at this very moment. So the matter of suffering becomes a matter of the body that is experiencing the said Now. Heaven is both a state of being and a location which happens to be now here at this moment. We can be nothing more than entirely grateful for right now and all of it's potential joy. Thank You so much for reading of my experience.
Learn more about this author, iAndrew.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Place
There is no doubt in my mind that Heaven is a real place. According to the Bible, Heaven is where God (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) reigns and controls the universe. Revelation describes Heaven as a city, the New Jerusalem. The twelve layers of the foundation around the city are precious stones and each side has three gates of pearl. John the Revelator says the length, width and height are equal. Scholars estimate each side is approximately 344 miles. Perhaps there are layers with the height being the same dimension. Imagine the space if each level was one mile high. It's mind boggling.
I'm sure it's not a crowded city as here on earth. John describes the streets as pure gold and the River of Life flowing from throne of God and the Lamb. The Tree of Life arches over the River of Life and bears twelve most glorious fruits every month. The leaves of it are for the healing of the nations. There will be no need of the sun, because God's presence lights the city. The lion will play with the lamb. Peace and tranquility dwell in every living creature.
We are told that eye has not seen, ear hasn't heard, nor entered into the heart of any human, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. Our wildest dreams may be fulfilled as we develop our talents over the millenniums.
Travel will be safe, free of accidents, sickness, death and fear as we visit the billions of planets throughout the endless universe.
Every Sabbath we meet. Isaiah tells us that we will come together every new moon and Sabbath to worship God. What a family gathering that will be. Every kindred, tongue and people will live together in harmony and love. Families will never be separated again.
The study of God's character will be the joy of every living soul. Understanding His matchless love will never be exhausted as we study deeper and deeper.
When Jesus comes the second time, He take those who gave their lives to Him to Heaven for a thousand years. That's known as the millennium. There is one unpleasant issue that must take place after the thousand years. That is to destroy sin. After the Judgment, where Satan, his evil angels and those who rejected God's saving grace, have their sentence pronounced from God. They all agree that God is fair and just. He then destroys everything connected to sin by fire. Revelation then tells us that after sin is totally destroyed, Jesus recreates the earth in all its splendor and glory. God will reign from here. That affirms that sinners will not burn or be tortured in hell for eternity. What kind of a loving God would do that? What the Bible means is that they will be totally destroyed and eternally lost.
We have the assurance that after the recreation by Jesus, sin will not rise the second time. Not that we are robots, but those who had the victory through Jesus, will hate sin along with those in numberless worlds who have seen its horrible results.
According to prophecy, we are on the boarders of Canaan. In other words, Jesus is soon coming. What a glorious day that will be. He's pleading and calling for all to come to repentance. Won't you accept His calling and be saved?
Learn more about this author, Ivan Fraser.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Difference of opinion? Debate now.
- Heaven, Hell & Afterlife
- Can you get to heaven by being good?
- Is Hell a real place or a metaphor to deter evil-doers?
