How Heaven Is Not Promised

Every person has their own idea of what, who or how God is.

If not of 'God', then a concept of 'life', 'the universe', or whatever phrase would allow them to perceive something beyond themselves when considering thoughts about what, if anything, awaits them after death.

Some people do not think anything awaits them after death; that simply the lights will be turned off and they will not 'know' anything else.

Other people perceive a place of light, love and peace eternal...where all that is 'bad' and 'evil' ceased to exist and all that is noble, pure and good is magnified in unimaginable abundance and ways.

Some other people believe they will be met with a harem of virgins, and these virgins would be solely for the sexual enjoyment of the man inheriting such a heaven.

This idea of beautiful and sexy women awaiting the heavenward is found in ancient legends.

Along with the virgins, the man who believes in such a heaven also inherits many slaves, a number of up to 80,000 by some accounts.

Very interesting and quite the saleable offer, don't you think?

According to this particular belief, the ticket to heaven includes dying while on pilgrimage or by suiciding oneself while killing as many people as possible.

Of course, this is done 'in the way of God', so the ends are always justified by the means.

In fact, one of the selling points of such a heaven is not fearing death, for the promise of such extravagance outweighs the fear and current carnal reality.

Read about how this intrigue compels men (and women) to offer themselves up to death, violence and destruction for fanciful dreams was inspired by 7th century poetry called the Quran.

These ideas are some of the details about what is expected after tasting death, justifying violence and a heartless disconnect to the rest of humanity.

The idea of having many women for pleasure, many slaves in attendance, and other sensual and banal desires, already exists on earth.

It is easy to see why such ideas are projected into the idea of heaven and are used as a motivating factor for certain religious zealots who justify the killing of others.

Many men have lived such an earthly life in the past, and continue to do in the present.

The very author of the poetry from which these ideas of a sex-filled heaven with slaves in tow realized such a life, with at least 13 wives and slaves owned personally.

It is a typically desired lifestyle of self-titled kings and princes of the earth.

It is a typically desired lifestyle of the wealthy and powerful of the earth.

But one doesn't have to be either wealthy or powerful to desire, or even 'enjoy', such banalities.

Simply being a power-hungry pauper, like a pimp, gangster or religious zealot would be enough to allure others to follow one's carnal ways.

Some pimps, gangsters and religious zealots have risen to a wealthy status and this lifestyle depicted in 'heaven' is already realized by them on earth.

Of course, there are those with 'legitimate' vocations that 'enjoy' these aims, like certain heads of state and kings of commerce, along with the many people working the apparatus of this world's fixtures.

In contrast, for some people of the world, these so-called 'promises of heaven' are the very things to avoid on earth...and are identified as sinful (more than one wife and lording tyranny over others).

It is quite odd, then, that what is called 'sinful' on earth would be defined as a heavenly place for others.

What is further odd is that the heaven described above, and the source from which such ideas are inspired, claims to follow the teachings previously mentioned in inspired writings, namely the Bible.

With the idea and definition of what and who is 'God', the definition and understanding of 'holy' needs to be mentioned and understood according to the Bible.

It seems the heaven promised by a man's poetry contradicts the manners of the God that man claims to represent as a prophet.

Holy is a foreign concept for most people because seeing or experiencing something holy on earth is almost indescribable, or difficult to realize and identify.

Some would argue there is nothing holy on earth, and perhaps due to the manner they see themselves and the world and their life experiences, they may be right; they have never known or seen anything holy.

For others, their daily experience is from He who is Holy, and they perceive all things as containing good initially or developing eventual good, as the perception is that all things are from God...and God is holy and good.

For some of us, everything has its origin in the holy.

Although some things have lost their shine, and unfortunately other things are forever lost to darkness, yet all things began in holiness.

You are to be holy to Me because I, the Lord, Am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own. 

- Leviticus 20: 26 

What can we find out about the definition of holy according to the Word of God?

But to the wicked person, God says:  

“What right have you to recite My laws 

   or take My covenant on your lips? 

You hate My instruction 

   and cast My words behind you.

When you see a thief, you join with him; 

   you throw in your lot with adulterers. 

You use your mouth for evil 

   and harness your tongue to deceit. 

You sit and testify against your brother 

   and slander your own mother’s son.  

When you did these things and I kept silent, 

   you thought I was exactly like you. 

But I now arraign you 

   and set My accusations before you. 

“Consider this, you who forget God, 

   or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you: 

Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor Me, 

   and to the blameless I will show my Salvation.” 

- Psalm 50: 16-23

Notice that the name “Israel” means 'triumphant with God' besides other similar meanings...and speaks to those 'set apart'.

Notice also the Name “Yeshua” means 'salvation' besides other similar meanings.

Notice further how God corrects the ideas of men in thinking that God is like them.

It should be no surprise to know that Yeshua Christ corrected a misconception that there would be marriage in heaven, but clarified that people will be similar to angels (holy and asexual).

Sorry to those who believe they will have a life of eternity having sex with many virgins and ordering thousands of slaves around, because sex is a physical act, while heaven is a spiritual place of spirit...and God is not like a man, nor has in His heart what men desire in their hearts.

Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” 

Yeshua replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I Am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” 

- Matthew 22: 28-32