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NASB | John 3:13 "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:13 "No one has gone up into heaven, but there is One who came down from heaven, the Son of Man [Himself--whose home is in heaven]. |
Bible Question: In John 3:13 it says that "No noe has ever gone into heaven except the one who came form heaven -- the Son of Man." Does this hold with the idea of Purgatory? What about the belief that people go to heaven when they die? Where do they go? Where are souls at rest until the return of Jesus? |
Bible Answer: Dear Kanchi, Christ is explaining that He alone has the unique position in being able to speak of divine and heavenly things, as He has direct experience. No other human being can make this claim, for none have been to heaven and returned to tell of it. Note that, in this passage, our Lord is not speaking of heaven in a discussion of life after death. Theologians call the period of time after death and before resurrection as the "interim state." "The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness, are received into paradise, where they are with Christ, and behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies; and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell; where they remain in torment and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day; besides these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none. (Genesis 3:19; Acts 13:36; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6,8; Philippians 1:23; Hebrews 12:23; Jude 6, 7; 1 Peter 3:19; Luke 16:23, 24)" --1689 LBCF, chapter 31, paragraph 1 Note that the interim state is an abnormal state. Men were not meant to be beings separate from bodies. Nor were men meant to dwell eternally in heaven. After glorification, when God restores His creation, men will again dwell upon the earth in the state for which they were created. I hope this adequately answers your questions. In Him, Doc |
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Questions and/or Subjects for John 3:13 | Author | ||
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Kanchi | ||
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DocTrinsograce | ||
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thia | ||
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Elder | ||
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00123 |