HEAVEN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13394, 30 May 1914, Page 4

HEAVEN

(To the Editor of the Herald.)

SiV.— As' Homo correspondence lias appeared in several papers lately about the teaching of, "Heaven," which rather mystifies the readers on that subject th*aai ,enli.ghteus ihem, . permit inn to place a little, of the teacl^jig of the Bible on tho matter before your mulers, as against, mans teaching, winch leads people to think., it a state instead of a place, and still leaves them in the dark «is to what it really is, for, according to the statements made by the si veral speakers, ,it is self-evident an. i:<lmission of the greatest ignorance on a subject of great importance by those whom the people look to to teach them truth. Nowhere in the Bible are we taught : or :'■. asked to believe or know anything about Hea,v en. God's dwi'llifcg place.! Neither aa'o. there any promises to mankind of ever going thei'e in any shapd or form or at any time, 'l^irst, let in e state that God' the Creator is a personal being, because we see in everything created, architectural skill in design,: all-kjiowing wisdom' to devise, almighty power to. produce, and tlien tlie power, seed, or, organ, of everything to reproduce its own species, 'which shows "intent," and as a Jioii-personal po\rcr cahnot form an intention. We have, a combination of powers which prove personality. Not only so, but the Bible teaches that ,God hears, sees, and speaks (Deuteronomy 4— 30),. and as God the great- Creator exists he surely dwells somewhere. Where is' the place — for place, it must be? What saith the" Bible? ■ Solomon's declaration at the dedication of the Temple (2nd Chronicles 6— 30,' 33, 39), says, ! 'Hear Thou in Heaven. Thy dwelling place," ; and 3esus (in Luke'Ml-^-2) rays. "Our Father who art in Heaven." .Again in Ecclesiaßtics 5 — 2, wo read "God is in Heaven." On these very few references, which pan be multiplied a hundred- fold, surely no, one can mistake Heaven for a state and not a place. Jesus said (John 20-T-17) "I ascend to my. ..Father." ■ .Bid He not go to a. place, or did He go nowhere? Acts l-r-10. Now as to the teacliing, according to .. some of. the Bishops lately, that tlie ..Kingdom of Heaven is at present on the earth, such teaching is contrary to tho Bible, for we are told distinctly that "Florh and blood cannot inherit the- Kingdom." (and everyone • is flesh and blood), how then can. the clergy or others say it already exists? Again -the -latest expouent iin Auckland states ■ that the Kingdom is at present in existence on the, '.earth, waiting- to be : manifested.: Yet ■we are taught to pi"ay for it to come. Why pi'a-y for anything to come tJiat v alTeady -is here? That- the earth i& the future (Heaven) inheritance of the righteous is plainly taught- in the scriptures,- !to • any on© of ordinary intelli-' gence ■ who wiajies to know. By a little study it .can>be seen- by a reference to Ghrist's: teaoning, viz, Revelation- 21— 3; Matthew 5 — 5, Isaiah 9— 7> Luke 1— 32, Psajm 2—6, Matthew 19-^2B, Acts 1-^ll, B^velJEition s—lo. Jesus preached the Gospel oi the Kingdom- and His own Kingshop. He is going to r return to the earth to reign as a personal King (Zachariah 14 — 9, Zachariah 14 — 4): When the law' shall go forth, from Ziori- and the Word of .the Lord from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2 — 3. Zachariah, 2 — 12, Micah , 4—l, 2,). Then the earth will be as it is declared in Numbers 14—21, filled with the Glory of. the Lord, and on the earth will be 'established 1 a Heavenly Kingdom. ' When the Lord inherits His portion in the Holy Land (Zachariah 2— 12), and is returned to Zion and dwells there (Zachariah 8 —3). This? is the Heaven we are asked to understand, and believe in, because^ it is plaiiily v taught in the Bible, without any ambiguity or man's reasoning. — I am. etc. . ' PSALM 119. 130.