GM
I’m thinking about a passage I read in Ecclesiastes 1:4
"A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever."
If the earth remains forever where would heaven be?
In all places I'm familiar with in the bible, heaven refers to the sky. Jesus uses the word 'Paradise' on the cross.
Most of the doctrine of heaven as where you go when you die is later church dogma, a lot of which hinges on that 'today you will be with me in Paradise' line.
Revelation talks much more of a new heaven and a new Earth, and the doctrine of judgement day, which was a lot more in line with apocalyptic Judaism. The notion of immediate heaven upon death seems far more a product of syncretism with some of the other religious groups present at the time (gnostics, star worshippers, Zoroastrians).
Not to sterilize and treat anyone's beliefs as mere mythology or anything, but the Book itself doesn't seem to have much to say about it despite all of our pop cultural imaginations. And I'd sure hope afterlife beliefs are the most important aspects of anyone's faith anyway.
In case it's not clear I don't hold the Roman progenitors of the church in the highest regard even if I do find value in the overall doctrines handed down by Christ and His followers.
Most of the doctrine of heaven as where you go when you die is later church dogma, a lot of which hinges on that 'today you will be with me in Paradise' line.
Revelation talks much more of a new heaven and a new Earth, and the doctrine of judgement day, which was a lot more in line with apocalyptic Judaism. The notion of immediate heaven upon death seems far more a product of syncretism with some of the other religious groups present at the time (gnostics, star worshippers, Zoroastrians).
Not to sterilize and treat anyone's beliefs as mere mythology or anything, but the Book itself doesn't seem to have much to say about it despite all of our pop cultural imaginations. And I'd sure hope afterlife beliefs are the most important aspects of anyone's faith anyway.
In case it's not clear I don't hold the Roman progenitors of the church in the highest regard even if I do find value in the overall doctrines handed down by Christ and His followers.
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