Yes

This afternoon I asked myself, do I need to keep writing this blog?

Yes, I do still learn more and more about heaven as the days and weeks go by. Yes, the Lord still humors my curiosity and answers my specific questions. Occasionally he just tells me something without my first asking a question.

Yes, the more I learn, the more… confident? sure? settled? … I am in my own mind about the future. Not sure of events, their order or their time-table, just sure of the eventual outcome.

Yes, my amazement and thirst for more information has increased over these months. That probably won’t change.

Yes, my humility has also increased. Who am I to receive this kind of information? Well, the Lord just says I’m his daughter and that’s reason enough. I asked for it, didn’t I? He didn’t mind my asking and he didn’t mind my knowing, he says.

So, the answer is yes. Yes, I should keep writing, yes, I should keep asking and listening, yes, I should stay interested, curious, excited, watchful, prayerful, about heaven. Its descriptions, activities, inhabitants, purpose, position, location, physicality, everything. And so I will.

I don’t think I’ve written much about the societal and cultural communities that I’ve seen. Some people who lived and died in one century, say 200 BC, congregate together in a community, like a village. Their architecture, furnishings, clothing, music, etc. resemble what they experienced in 200 BC to a degree. Likewise with people from 500 BC, or 1200 AD. (And others don’t, preferring to experiment with something totally different from what they knew on earth.)

Some people from one part of the world may congregate with some others from that part of the world. North Americans with North Americans, Pacific Islanders with Pacific Islanders, for example.

It’s not a matter of segregation, it’s a matter of taste. Familiarity. Comfort. Interests. However, people move around all the time. They move from one dwelling and cultural habitat to another, sometimes many miles away. They may even trade houses with someone else.

That doesn’t mean these homes aren’t fully “modern,” technologically speaking. They are, but sometimes it’s more or less invisible.

The people of heaven are continually meeting newcomers, keeping up-to-date with the world and current events, technology and scientific advances in every area, as well as learning what they need to know about the future. God doesn’t want people here to be ignorant and he doesn’t want people there to be ignorant either.

(Some sort of training or educational classes are going on all the time. There are multitudes of schools, colleges, universities, workshops, libraries, museums, galleries, and laboratories.)

Thinking about the different housing styles just in my own lifetime and location, one evening I was “taken on a little tour” of various residential areas in heaven.

I saw one compound where the house had no exterior walls at all, just a roof. The grounds were spacious but sparsely planted, not landscaped like a southern house might be. There were a number of rooms under the roof, each with a specific focus and each one opening into another. It was airy and light, happy and cheerful.

How do you keep sand and dust out? Since there was no actual lawn, there was what looked like ordinary dirt surrounding the house. And while there is no destructive weather there are breezes.

Here is where some of the more modern conveniences are put to work. There is a transparent air barrier around the perimeter of the house. I think I’ve mentioned it before, sometimes used instead of glass in windows. You can walk right through it but sand or grit can’t blow into the rooms unless you track it in on your feet.

Another structure I saw was several stories tall with very distinctive rooms, elaborate furnishings and draperies. It looked somewhat like an English manor house with a real yard, bushes and flowers. It looked comfortable and inviting.

Then there was the building underground where many people lived. From the outside it seemed only one story tall but it went down many, many levels. The housing units were different sizes, shapes and configurations.

Residents came and went by way of vertical shafts, like elevator shafts without the elevator cars. You stepped into “thin air” and went up or down, whichever way you needed, similar to what I had seen earlier in a downtown building.

Wide hallways, well lighted and well decorated, went every direction. Large lobbies with seating areas broke up the hallways.

Who lives here, I wondered? People who don’t feel a need to have open spaces, gardens or verandas, was the answer. Some were babies or young children when they arrived and have no memories of their earth homes. They have no sentimental attachments to above-ground locales, so once they are ready to live on their own, they chose to live here. (Where they lived in heaven before that point is another fascinating story.)

These residents do travel above ground, visit relatives and friends, go to work, worship or shop (that’s an odd term, considering you don’t actually purchase anything), but when it’s time to be at home, this is where they are.

There are so many varieties of homes, ranging from small cottages to sprawling compounds and everything in between!

One thing I know. There is always something interesting to see, interesting to learn, interesting to ask and explore and investigate about heaven.

Like all the museums and art galleries… libraries and universities… concert halls… worship centers… laboratories studying the properties and uses of light and sound for travel and transport…

Think about this: If you could travel around the world, ask and explore and investigate all the interesting things that exist right now here on earth, how long would that take? Hmmm.

Immortal – why I like the Twilight saga

During the 1000 year period when Jesus is governing the planet, will heaven still exist? Will it be occupied by anyone or anything? If everyone in heaven up to that point returns to earth with Jesus, that is. That point hasn’t been cleared up for me yet, because some people in heaven might still be young children and bringing them back to a war zone doesn’t seem logical to me.

While thinking about that several other questions came up.

Who will be alive on earth when Jesus returns? Unchanged, mortal human beings. Men, women and children. Believers and non-believers.

What will happen to them when they die? And die they will, surely. The new heaven and new earth don’t merge into one until after that 1000 years, the way I read Revelation. The laws of physics that operate here on earth now, will no doubt operate here on earth during that time span. So, people will be born into physical bodies which eventually die. Since the present heaven was created for body-less believers, I think it will be necessary for a while yet.

When the believers in heaven return to earth with Jesus, what will they be like? Well, the mortals will have put on immortality; their bodies will be changed as Jesus’ earthly body was changed. Their new immortal physical abilities will be like his abilities.

When I read the Twilight books for the first time, what I liked the most wasn’t the good-guy vampires versus the bad-guy vampires story line, or the romance story line. It was the vampires’ physical transformation from mortal to immortal, with the resulting new abilities permitting them to survive in a hostile environment.

I’ve read many vampire stories this year and watched several television series, since getting interested in Twilight. I noted major and minor differences in the authors’ concepts, vampire abilities and weaknesses, even transformation methods. I’ve read opinion pieces on why most Christians don’t like the stories. And what people have believed or not believed throughout history — do these creatures exist? Are they totally myth, imaginary, or not?

One thing I know from personal experience, the supernatural isn’t fiction. This planet we inhabit has more than human inhabitants, and I don’t mean plants and animals that are visible to the eye. I’ve met a few of them and they are not pleasant. They are hostile. They don’t like the fact that we’re here and that Jesus plans to set up his headquarters here, permanently. And one really important fact about them: they are immortal, already.

I like Twilight because the stories give me a glimpse of what being an immortal good guy in a hostile environment might be like in the future. Training goes on in heaven today, training of immortal human beings to fight and defeat non-human immortals one future day here on earth. As I read about special gifts of individual vampires and about the unique ability that Bella had to train in using, I saw a similarity.

Of course these books have been somewhat sanitized. Vicious, inhuman, horrible combat and torture is not described graphically, yet it does go on in the world and will in the future. I don’t need to have it described in bloody detail to know about it and I’m glad the author didn’t include those details. There’s enough about the conflict, mortal versus immortal, immortal versus immortal, to earn my interest and my appreciation.

No More Night – Yes!

Are you converted? Other?

Image of the galaxy M83, taken by the European Southern Observatory’s Wide Field Imager on the ESO/MPG 2.2-meter telescope at La Silla, Chile.

What’s on the other side of space?

Why is there so much of it? Space, that is. Why so many galaxies? Solar systems? Planets?

I have spent a fair amount of time in two-way conversations with the Holy Spirit about these questions, and even asked him why he bothers to answer me.

“Because you asked,” he said.

So, I said, you would answer anybody who asked odd questions like these?

“Yes, if they were mine, and they really wanted to know.”

Some of the answers were long and detailed, some quite technically-oriented. Some answers were simply common sense, logical, after he laid some groundwork for me.

Eternity is a concept we have trouble understanding. It’s a long time. Distance is another hard concept. Light years. Not to mention dimensions.

But companionship is not hard to understand. Fellowship. Friendship. Parent-child relationship. Desire, and desire to share knowledge, understanding, creation, achievements. We sometimes don’t attribute those to God, but we should.

And as I meditated on those answers, I began to slowly realize and understand why conversion is necessary. We believers think of that word conversion as having a purely spiritual definition. Changing a person’s allegiance, his behavior, his character. His essential nature – from what he is naturally, to something other.

But the word also has a physics application and definition. Converting an engine to run on diesel fuel instead of gasoline, a simple example we can visualize.

A more “elemental” example of conversion, however, would be that which occurs when uranium becomes plutonium in a nuclear energy plant. Here the physical atomic structure has been fundamentally changed.

That’s more like what happens to a human being when God changes him.

Why does a human being need to be fundamentally changed in the first place? Accepting Jesus as both rescuer and manager could have just resulted in a more likable demeanor. An infusion of know-how in some field or other. Some practical talent, acquisition of money or influence, something useful for the duration of a life spent here on planet earth.

And it might do one or more of those things, but they would be in addition to the molecular change that takes place, the one that will allow human beings to survive in an off-world environment… will allow them to survive, adapt, thrive, explore and discover for many times the normal earth lifespan.

Surviving as a human being after this planet has undergone major geologic stressors will be challenging. Surviving a thousand years and a global insurrection following that will be more challenging. Conversion to something other will come in very handy, no doubt.

Throne room

It wasn’t the throne room. I thought it was at first, because of the raised platform with several large throne-like chairs in the center. The platform stretched across the rear of the building, resembling a theater in its structure.

As the focal point of my vision was changed, however, I realized that the huge auditorium was more like a cathedral; a sanctuary. Broad and deep, a multitude of rows filled the room, arranged stadium style in an arc facing the platform.

On the platform were seated the recipients of the worship about to begin. Father. Jesus. Holy Spirit.

Worshipers soon took their seats in the sanctuary: musicians of many instruments, enough to fill a multitude of orchestras; singers and dancers. Men and women and children, every race and culture were represented.

So many different instruments! Some I had never seen before. Trying to take it all in, I was an observer on this occasion, a worshiper but not a member of that congregation.

As the service began and I listened, I soon realized I wasn’t hearing only one song.

Many different songs were being sung at the same time. Some people were reading poems of adoration, not songs set to any melody. Some were simply standing, silent with arms raised. Some were swaying, some were clapping, some were swirling in intricate dance steps. Some were shouting words of love, honor and praise. I recognized several languages, certainly not all.

The result was joyous and glorious. The amazing sound filled my soul and spirit with Life as I participated with saints from hundreds, even thousands of years ago down to the present. I didn’t want it to end.

In every church service I’ve attended, the musicians are on the platform facing out with the congregation facing them. Watching them. Following their lead. But the center of attention is on those human beings, praise team singers or worship leaders, not on the Lord.

Here in one of heaven’s sanctuaries, the worshipers were facing the Lord, offering to him their hymns and songs, adoration and praise.

It seems to me that the praise team and song leader should face the same way the rest of the worshipers do, turn their faces towards the Lord and lead by example in worship that is focused only on him.

Over the last couple of years the Lord has let me see other worship services in heaven. This was the first one, in this magnificent cathedral-like setting with countless worshipers. Others have been in small, intimate gatherings, or in more rustic settings, some indoors and some outdoors. Maybe I’ll describe one of those another time.

The one common denominator I have found is this: Worship doesn’t strengthen God. It doesn’t gratify him – he doesn’t need gratification. It doesn’t reward him. What can you give him? He created everything.

Worship is for the benefit of the worshiper. It brings strength, joy, energy, fulfillment. Life. Zoe life. God’s life. We need it.

What about worship

One of the very first things I wanted to know about heaven was worship. One sermon I’d heard in the past said that we will worship God 24-7, meaning all the time. Somehow when I heard that, I wasn’t sure that meant what the preacher thought it meant. He seemed to think it meant sitting in a church service, singing hymns or choruses or other religious songs.

But God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit have a definite idea of what worship is, and that’s not it. As I meditated on the question, what is worship like in heaven, here’s what they told me.

Worship comes from an Old English word meaning “worth-ship.”  The worth of someone. Worth what? Money? Respect? Power? Position? Fear? Treat that person accordingly.

In the New Testament, however, one primary word translated worship means to be in submission; to serve as a slave serves his master.

The Greek word “proskuneo” is translated worship in John chapter 4, throughout the section where Jesus talks to the woman at the well. Strong’s Concordance defines proskuneo as kissing the hand, but in practical daily use the word meant much,  much more. It meant kneeling as a slave in submission, respecting the position and authority of the master, waiting for instructions before rising to perform those instructions.

We get a better idea of God’s idea of worship by substituting the concept of  submission for the word worship in these verses:  “But an hour is coming and now is, when those who show true submission will show submission to the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is also seeking such ones who are showing submission to him. God is spirit, and those who are showing submission must show submission in spirit and in truth.”

This is not just serving like a waitress serves a cup of coffee. It’s the service of a slave, taking instructions and orders for the day, doing what you’re told, when and where and how you’re told. Not planning your own agenda and carrying it out, but receiving your master’s agenda and carrying that out.

So God’s idea of me worshiping him means me waiting for his instructions and doing them. All the time. Come here, go there, do that. If that’s singing, then singing is worship. If that’s writing, then writing is worship. If it’s researching the physics property of carrier waves (that was one of my assignments a couple of months ago), then that’s worship.

Obedience is worship; it’s recognizing who and what Father God is and acting accordingly. That is why heaven is such a busy place, not just a church service with singing.

Oh, there is plenty of singing, praising, joy, playing music on many types of instruments, by all ages of heaven’s citizens. Lots of places for it, too, indoors and outdoors. Great cathedrals, small chapels, massive amphitheaters, mountain tops. At all times of the day, somewhere, some group small or large is gathering to praise God with old and new compositions.

I’ll try to describe some of those another time. That was truly fascinating, and fulfilling. But the lesson I am still absorbing is, worship means obedience.

The inside was a — different story

Okay, I’ll try to remember features of that house that were definitely not usual in my earthly neighborhood. I probably won’t remember them all, or in the same order they were showed to me, but here goes.

Lighting. No lamps, no light fixtures, but plenty of light. Oh, right. The Lamb is the light. Well, he wasn’t in the room, at least not visibly, but the effects certainly were.

Colors. The main entry door from the front of the house led into what I would call the living room. The walls here were muted colors, calming, soothing, relaxing shades of blues and greens. The walls were textured slightly, almost like fabric instead of just paint, and felt really good to the touch. Soft, velvety.

Then as I focused on one wall, it began to change color. The color seemed to slowly flow into a different shade, while I looked at it. Not a totally different color, just a different shade of the same color. When a restful teal (blue-green, like my eyes) shade came into view, which I especially liked, the change stopped. The wall seemed to settle, almost like water on a pond settles after a stone has been skipped across it.

There was a knob on one wall like a dimmer switch. By turning the knob, the entire color palette of that room could be changed. From blue to pink or yellow, for instance. Or green, or orange. Or brown, or purple, or whatever I liked. Now, that was neat.

The furniture? I simply don’t remember much, except that it had some. Chairs, sofas, something.

There was another room adjacent to the living room with only a grand piano in it. No other furniture there, but I liked the idea of the piano.

Next came what I’d call the kitchen, except that it had no appliances that I recognized. No stove, no refrigerator, no microwave, no coffee maker, but a small table, cabinets and shelves with dishes. Okay, no cooking? No food? Yes, food, but it wasn’t cooked the way I cook food, or else it wasn’t in need of cooking. Not sure at that time which it was. I was still observing, not so much asking, but some questions I wasn’t asking were being answered anyway.

Then came the dining room or meeting room, or whatever it was used for.  One long table, lots of chairs both around the table and around the walls, but not much else. Used for visiting friends and relatives, discussing events of the day, things learned, catching up on activities of each other, sharing news and information and meals.

Are there any bedrooms, I asked? And suddenly I was in what could have been a bedroom, except that it didn’t really have a bed, just a chaise longue. Not much sleeping goes on there, just occasional lying down for thinking, meditating and absorbing.

There’s more, much more – later.

Other tech

Residential areas… hmmm. KJV speaks of mansions, but the original language doesn’t describe what we 21st Century Americans think of as mansions. You know, Biltmore in Asheville, NC. Or palaces either, like Buckingham Palace in Great Britain.

It’s more of a generic word for residence. That includes a lot of leeway, doesn’t it? So one night I prayed and requested a glimpse of a typical residence in heaven for an individual.

What I got was way more than a glimpse – it was more like an encyclopedia! Here’s sort of how that conversation went.

Q: What time period would you like to see?

A: Huh?

Q: You know, people have been coming here since Adam and Eve and they all have different tastes, likes and dislikes. So, can you be a little more specific?

A: How about contemporary, say the last couple of years?

Q: Urban, suburban, or rural?

A: I didn’t know it was going to be this complicated… let’s go with suburban for now.

Q: Right. Culture?

A: Sure, why not, throw in some culture.

Q: I meant, European, Middle Eastern, Far Eastern, African, Island, North American, like that.

A: How about plain old American. North American, that’s what I’m most familiar with.

Q: Understandable. Why don’t I walk you through an area that has several styles? I think  you’ll be – pleased –

From there things improved a bit, and I began seeing in my mind’s eye some houses in a neighborhood.  Some were fairly compact, some sprawling. Some seemed to be made of what looked like wood, others made of what looked like stone. Now, I was not seeing them from up close, but it looked like every single one was different. No two alike.

And the yards were all different, too. Some had lots of grassy lawn, plants and trees and blooming flowers, some had very little. Some yards looked manicured, some looked “natural.” They all seemed to be fairly familiar, like I might see in my own town. But they all looked to be only one-story, which I thought was odd. So I asked about that.

Q: What you see is what you get, on the outside. Want a peek inside?

A: Oh, can I? That would be neat.

I sensed a little humor in that tone of voice, but grateful to be given this opportunity I sure wasn’t going to pass it up. Like a zoom lens on a video camera, my mental image suddenly switched to the inside of one particular house. No-one was home, at least for the moment, and as I looked around, all I could think was, Wow. Double Wow.

I’ll get my thoughts together and write about what I saw inside that house later, but I’ll say this for now – I sure would like to live in a house like that here!

Think high-tech

Think New York City plus Tokyo plus Sydney plus London, minus crime minus disease minus decay. Think imagination, creativity, ingenuity, outside-the-box design and function.

Think extra super high-tech skyscrapers in a very large city.

Then think historical, fifth century BC or 18th century AD, also without the ramifications or results of degradation.

Think farms and plantations and ranches and estates and villages and hamlets. Think research facilities and laboratories and archives and museums and libraries.

Let your mind listen as you pray and ask the questions, what  is it like, heaven?

I did that the other night and saw a long city block where each tall building was different. One in particular was very different indeed. The support structure centralized, it had no exterior walls, only panels of “heavy air” to keep interior objects from falling out.

The designers, architects, builders and decorators of it all worked in that building, and they liked it that way… it was a fascinating structure to visit and explore.

Why

Why write a blog about heaven?

Why not.

I have some thoughts on the subject, some mental images, opinions, conjectures. Some from scripture, some from meditation, some from two-way prayer. Some are scattered through my other blogs but this particular blog will  be dedicated to the subject of heaven.

What is it. How is it. Where is it. Why is it. When is it. Who is it for. Who is in it. Those kinds of things, maybe others, we’ll see.

As for who this blog is for, it’s for anyone who finds it by accident, and for the very few who will find it on purpose. Ask questions if you like, make comments, agree or disagree.

It would be interesting to know if I’m the only one who has distinct impressions and opinions about contemporary heaven…