Hey LWS please follow this post very carefully and prayerfully as I believe it will be very helpful for you. You are correct that there is no NT verse that uses the word heaven. You may want to consider though where the fathers house is (
John 14:1-4) where God has prepared a place for His people and where Jesus is and were he is taking His saints as shown through the scriptures in already shared with you in
post # 1807 linked and
post # 1820 linked is indeed referring to heaven but lets show why according to the scriptures.
Lets look at some more scripture detail......
I think we can agree that God the father and Jesus are in heaven now right?
- Deuteronomy 26:15 Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the ground which You have given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers.’
- Genesis 28:17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
- 2 Chronicles 6:21 Listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; hear and forgive.
- Revelation 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
- Matthew 6:9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
- Isaiah 66:1 Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?
- Matthew 5:34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
- 1 Peter 3:22 Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
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I can post more scripture here but I think we can agree here that Jesus and Gods house or dwelling place are in heaven. This is key for the next verses I will show you...
FROM THE SCRIPTURES ABOVE.
1. Gods dwelling place is in heaven *Deuteronomy 26:15; Chronicles 6:21; Revelation 13:6; Matthew 6:9
2. Gods house is in heaven *Genesis 28:17
3. Gods throne is in heaven *Matthew 5:34; Isaiah 66:1
4. Jesus is in heaven *1 Peter 3:22; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
From the scriptures above we can clearly see that Gods dwelling place is in heaven,
Gods house is in heaven, Gods throne is in heaven and
Jesus is in heaven. Now note very carefully what Jesus says here to his disciples (His saints) in the following passages of scripture from the very words of Jesus...
- John 14:1-4 1, Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. 2, In my Father's house are many rooms (the scriptures above state that Gods dwelling place is in heaven): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (Jesus says he is Gods' to prepare a place for us in Gods' house - heaven) 3, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (again Jesus is saying that he will bring His people to heaven where he has prepared a place for us) 4, And where I go you know, and the way you know.
FROM THE SCRIPTURES ABOVE.
1. In my fathers house which is in heaven are many rooms *John 14:2 compare Genesis 28:17
2. Jesus is going to prepare a place for us in the fathers house which is in heaven *John 14:2 compare Genesis 28:17
3. After Jesus prepares a place for us in the fathers house in heaven he will come again so that where he is we can be with him *John 14:2-4; compare Genesis 28:17; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Peter 3:22
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As shown from the scriptures above at the second coming we are going to be with Jesus in heaven. The other scripture provided in the linked posts show that it will be for 1000 years until the new heavens and the new earth will be made at which time we will all live in the new earth.
Hope this is more helpful.
Take Care.