Answering the question of where the dead are, we look further into Biblical fragments that can shed further light on the condition of the dead and tell us more about where those Biblical figures of antiquity are today.
Elijah taken up to Heaven
The question is sometimes asked,
“Was not Elijah taken to heaven in the chariot of fire, and so ushered, without dying, into Cod’s presence?” — 2 Kings 2:1-11.
At first sight, this narrative would seem a formidable contradiction of our Lord’s word —
“No man hath ascended up to heaven” (John 3:13),
but the solution of the apparent difficulty is at once made clear when the student remembers the variety of ways in which the word “heaven” is Scripturally used. There are the heaven in which Cod dwells (Isa. 66:1); the heaven in which the stars shine (Gen. 1:14-17) ; the heaven in which the birds fly, that is, the air (Gen. 1:20,26); and “heaven” used symbolically to represent a portion of the “world” or order of things.
From John 3:13, we are obliged to deduce that Elijah did not go up to the first of these heavens, where God dwells; and there is no reason to believe that he was taken to some place in the astronomical heavens; but it is perfectly feasible to believe that he was taken up into the air, where the fowl of heaven fly. Elisha saw Elijah thus taken away into the air, but, as our Lord’s word plainly intimates, he did not enter the Divine Presence. In order to view Elijah’s experience in harmony with other Scriptures, we must consider that he died, while being taken up, and has since been asleep. This experience of Elijah may be taken as illustrative of the taking away of the last of the joint heirs with Christ — “We who are alive and remain.” The fiery chariot and the whirlwind in which Elijah was taken are symbols of the trouble and distress of nations with which this age is closing, and in which the Lord is gathering his own to himself. (More of this in succeeding pages.)
– The New Covenant Advocate June 1909 p. 41-42
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Preceding
The Dead — Where Are They? 1 Universal Inquiry
The Dead — Where Are They? 2 Scientific Answer
The Dead — Where Are They? 3 The Spiritualist’s Answer
The Dead — Where Are They? 4 The Bible’s Answer
The Dead — Where Are They? 6 Death for man and beast
The Dead — Where Are They? 7 Man became a living soul
The Dead — Where Are They? 8 Man in God’s likeness
The Dead — Where Are They? 9 The Resurrection of the Dead
The Dead — Where Are They? 10 Depart and be with Christ
The Dead — Where Are They? 11 Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord
The Dead — Where Are They? 12 The Thief on the Cross
The Dead — Where Are They? 13 The Souls Under the Altar
The Dead — Where Are They? 14 The Spirits in Prison
The Dead — Where Are They? 15 Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration
Next
The Dead — Where Are They? 17 Enoch Translated
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Additional reading
- Isaiah’s Book of the Messenger of Glad Tidings
- Today’s thought “What does the LORD your God require …?” (April 25)
- Our love for Jesus – A Christian Science perspective
- Today’s thought “Everyone whom the Lord calls to himself” (April 26)
- In Coronatime thinking about death
- This month’s survey question: Heaven and Hell
- Today’s thought “They lifted up their voices … and said” (April 27)
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Related
- 2 Kings 2
- 2 Kings 1 – 2
- Run, Elijah, Run!
- Symbolization: Keep Our Eyes Set on Jesus & We Will Cross on Dry Land
- Moses and Elijah on Mount Sinai and Mount Herman
- Getting Our Attention: Sermon on Transfiguration Sunday, Epiphany 6B
- Don’t Leave Me
- Pandemic Prayers for Transfiguration Sunday
- Scriptural Meditation- 2 Kings 2:15
- The Death and Evaluation of Elisha
- The Son of Man
- John 3:13
Hi there and good morning from California. I wanted to thank you for sharing a link to one of my blog articles.
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You are welcome and we are pleased to find you here on this Belgian site.
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After reading this I kept thinking about the scripture where Jesus says that the Kingdom of God (what we know as being Heaven) is “within you.” That’s Luke 17:21 NKJV: nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Interesting enough is when you look up the word translation for “Within you” as well as how it is translated differently in other versions.
It is the Greek Word entos which means: 1) within, inside
1a) within you i.e. in the midst of you
1b) within you i.e. your soul
So some of the other Bible versions use “in the midst of you” since Jesus was speaking with the Pharisees. So in other words, HE is the Kingdom of Heaven. Both translations make sense though: Jesus is the Kingdom of Heaven…Jesus enters into our hearts when we are saved, therefore the Kingdom of Heaven resides within those who are saved.
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Al over the world at all times after Jesus came unto earth people could find the Kingdom of God in their midst. It is up to people to make a blissful and peaceful world around them. People do not have to die first before they can come to find that Kingdom and it means also that people are not going to heaven when they die, because the Kingdom of heaven is here too on earth.
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