By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
Heaven is where God dwells and where no sin, corruption and death can enter. It is a place of purity, love, peace and joy. It is where Jesus came from when HE DESCENDED to this earth to be incarnated (God in human flesh) so that He could fulfill God's plan of eternal salvation for a lost, sick and dying world.
Through His all atoning death on Calvary's Cross and glorious resurrection from the dead, our precious Saviour met the demands of divine justice on our behalf.
Heaven is the future abode of all the REDEEMED who in faith and by God's grace have received the eternal salvation provided for us in Jesus Christ's holy blood which was shed for the sins of the whole world. (Eph.1: 7; 2: 8, 9)
Heaven is a REAL place located above this earth and situated above the atmosphere, stratosphere, the stars and other planets in the northernmost area of the sky. It is the Heaven of heavens.
Jesus stated: "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 that where I am ye may be also. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, ye may be also." (John 14: 2,3)
"And when He had spoken these things, He was taken UP, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And when they looked steadfastly toward HEAVEN as He went UP, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee: Why stand ye gazing UP into Heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken UP from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven." (Acts 1: 9-11)
"After this I looked and a door was opened in Heaven; and the first voice ...said, Come UP hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit; and behold a throne was set in HEAVEN, and One sat on the throne.(Rev.4: 1,2)
"Behold, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is." (1 John 1: 2)
"How art thou FALLEN from HEAVEN, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ASCEND into Heaven, I wilt exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the NORTH.
In the sides of the NORTH.!!!
Lucifer, the fallen archangel boasted: "I will ASCEND above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high." (Isaiah 14: 12-14)
Moses said: "And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar." (Leviticus 1:11)
Without doubt, this Scripture implies that the Lord is in the north: "Northward before the Lord."
"For promotion (blessing) cometh neither from the EAST, nor from the WEST, nor from the SOUTH. But God is the Judge; He putteth down one, and setteth up another." (Psalms 75: 6,7)
It is obvious, then, that it comes from the NORTH where Heaven is located!
"He stretcheth out the NORTH over the EMPTY place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing." (Job 26: 70
Thirty five hundred years ago, the Prophet JOB stated that GOD had stretched out the NORTH over the EMPTY place and hung the earth on NOTHING.
Scientists tell us: "The earth is held up by the force of GRAVITY". And when we ask them to define gravity, they state with great pomposity: "Gravity is that which holds up the earth." Job got the answer from Almighty God, the Creator of all things including gravity!
"And I looked and behold, a whirlwind came out of the NORTH, a great cloud, and a fire enfolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire....This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when saw it I fell upon my face, and I heard the voice of one that spake to me." Ezekiel 1: 4, 28)
"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the City of our God, in the MOUNTAIN of His holiness. Beautiful for situation, the Joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the NORTH, the city of the great KING. (Psalm 48: 1, 2)
With their powerful telescopes, astronomers have discovered a LARGE EMPTY PLACE in the NORTH where there are no stars. In my humble opinion, and that of many great scholars, that is where Heaven is located. Regardless, where one lives, NORTH is always UP. It is the same on every continent, when you point towards the North you are pointing up!
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth: and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming DOWN from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride for her husband.
"And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be His people and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." (Rev. 21: 1-4; 22: 1-5)
"Nevertheless, we according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless." (2 Peter 3: 12-14)
One day God will create new heavenly bodies and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, and the New Jerusalem that St. John saw coming down from God out of Heaven will enter earth orbit and we will see it and enter our Eternal heavenly Home forever!
Dear Friend: Call upon the Lord today and He will save, heal, bless and deliver you from sin, fear, torment, disease and Satan's evil power! Amen.
