Jesus Christ

The author of Luke's Gospel and Acts of the Apostles is the author of the notion that Jesus was taken up bodily to heaven. Luke 24:51 says that Jesus was taken up bodily to heaven on the evening of his resurrection. Acts 1:9, written some time later, says that Jesus was taken bodily to heaven forty days after the resurrection.

The other three gospels said nothing of Jesus physically leaving earth and rising up to heaven. However, the 'Long Ending' of Mark (verses 16:9-20), added long after the Gospel was written, was more or less written around Luke's ending, so that verse 16:19 says that he was taken up bodily to heaven, apparently on the evening of his resurrection. (Mark's Gospel originally ended at verse 16:8.)

God has sent in every age a guide to his people. A prophet, who revealed the right word of God and called the people of his time to take heed and come to the right path so that God could forgive their sins and send them to Heaven. Abraham was one of the greatest prophets of God. He was a righteous man and served God and fulfilled his purpose. Therefore he and the people who listened to him went to Heaven. There have been many prophets before Abraham who had the same mission. And no doubt God sent them all to Heaven. At the time of Jesus, he was the way to reach God. He was the one calling people to the path of righteousness and whoever would listen to Jesus and follow his message that God revealed to him would then most certainly go to Heaven.

Moses to whom God gave the Ten Commandments, who also "served God and fulfilled His purpose," did not go to heaven. Moses was even denied to step into the promised land. And to add insult to injury, he was only allowed to view the promised land from across the river on top of Mount Nebo before he died...

Deuteronomy 34:4 And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

34:10 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,

It is said in the scriptures that it is not for man to understand God and also Jesus said that if you do not humble yourself like a little child you may never enter the kingdom of heaven so that Moses would have to do the same

Technically Abraham did not go straight to heaven as many people think. Abraham and all other righteous people did not go to heaven until Jesus Christ the son of God came to earth in human form to die for our sins. At this time all believers of God ascended into heaven. and no one will go to heaven until Christ returns. as it says in in 1 Corinthians 15:52 it says"...the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed bodies."

All people who accepted God as their Savior before Jesus died, went to a place called Abraham's Bosom. It was considered paradise.

The Kingdom of Heaven before the coming of Christ was not available because of the sin of Adam.

While Jesus was on earth the Kingdom of Heaven was open only to those who were baptised (see John the Baptist). However Jesus promised that "the hour is coming, and now is when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgement." (John Ch 5). Itfollows then that Abraham (along with all those who had "done good") was able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven when "the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many." (Matthew Ch 27). Indeed Scripture says: "I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth." (Matthew Ch 8)

Present day: The route to eternal life in heaven is through the Kingdom of heaven where Christ is King. Since the resurrection of Christ the Kingdom of Heaven is open to those who are baptised, or fulfil certain other conditions e.g. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ....." (Matthew Ch 5), and this will remain the position until the Last Day when "he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power." (1 Corinthians).

As far as I can remember the rich man saw Lazarus in Abraham's bosom. I presume this expression was used to avoid saying that Lazarus and Abraham were in heaven as this would not have been true at that time.

That's why Jesus said that John the baptizer was the greatest of all men, but the lesser of his 11 was greater than him because the promise for heaven works only for those that becomes chosen (apocalypses 14;1) to reign in heaven after Jesus death, so Abraham's reward is everlasting life on earth not in heaven.

God's plan of salvation is simple. Abraham went to heaven. Moses went to heaven. Jesus said if you believe in the Father you would believe in Me also since I and my Father are one. After Abraham and Mose died they saw Jesus in heaven and was glad to know that Jesus died for their sins. Abraham and Mose went to heaven because Jesus died on the cross for their sins not because Abraham and Moses were good enough. No one is good enough to go to heaven except through Jesus' atonement. But many people who lived before, during, and after Jesus time did not hear,did not know about Jesus. They will not all perished in hell(Jesus died on the cross for their sins too) They will have a chance to meet Jesus face to face. And they will know and they will choose for themselves whom they believe. Jesus took the sins of all people not just those who live after His time. All who have not heard will hear. All who did not know will know. All who never understood will understand.

Jesus' sacrifice paid for the sins of the world. All of those from Adam to the last day can have that pardon because of what Jesus did. Those prior to the cross looked forward to the day of Jesus' coming. (Dt. 18:15-19; I Pt 1:10-12) and we now look back at the completed work and rejoice in the Salvation we have in Jesus.

Those who have heard and accepted the word of Christ are baptized into his death and their sins are forgiven. (Ac 2:37-42 (emphasis on 41 :those who had received); Romans 6: 1-6.) They then need to live the same life of faith that those who lived before Christ did. (col 3:1-4; Heb 11-12:3)

God is All Merciful and forgive sins done by those who repent and ask God for forgiveness and intend not to repeat the sin again.

On the day of Judgments, Those believing in the oneness of God and have good deeds will go, per God mercy, to Heaven. The others will go to hell. No one believing in the oneness of God will stay eternally in Hell.

I have read that amazingly, the spirit entities of Jesus, were the same entities in some of the other prophets. If this is true, it would be possible for other faiths to enter Heaven. I've also read as in the Bible it states the "people of Israel", this may mean those who seek God, so again, there is a possibility different paths may be accepted.

"What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (Romans 4:3) [Original cite from Genesis 15:6] Salvation is based on belief. Today, we have to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. In Abraham's day, Jesus' birth was 2000 years in the future. But Abraham was having conversations with God, and he believed what God said, the promises He made and His ability to perform them. Because of his belief and his faith in God, God counted Abraham a righteous man, and it was on the basis of that righteousness that Abraham found entrance into Heaven.

Galatians 3:6-9

6 Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Galatians 3:29

If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

See? It's a faith thing. That's why you need to really know Who you believe and why you believe Him. You have to know that what you believe is really true and the truth. Lies about Jesus that you sincerely believe by faith won't get you to Heaven. Only the truth will save you. That's why Christians hold Bible study in such high regard. They're checking out what people are saying about Jesus to see if it agrees with what the Text says, to see if what they're saying is true or not. If it's true, then they can keep it and apply it. If it's not, they're free to toss it. There is a lot of junk out there about Jesus. Just because they're quoting Scripture doesn't mean their intentions aren't evil and deceptive. Satan can quote Scripture by heart. Watch out.

Lamb of God Perspective:

These men were under covenant law. There were statutes of which the the most holy was the sacrificial statute where the atonement of sin was made once a year called "Yom Kippur" in the Jewish tradition. This statute is declared an everlasting statute by God in Leviticus 16 no less than three times.

In effect, Christ became the Lamb of God that was offered as the sacrifice for the atonement of sin and his sacrifice was the everlasting righteousness in Daniel 9:24 In that sense, Christ's sacrifice was once and for all while the atonement made during the prophets era was not everlasting since it had to be repeated once a year, but it did make atonement of sin because God declared it would.

Be it the church or Israel, the atonement of sin was made through the same "everlasting statute" established by God that hasn't changed at all. The only thing that changed was the blood offered up to God and Christ told us that a new covenant in his blood was being confirmed.

I believe the scriptures show consistency of God's purposes rather than distinct forms salvation for different periods of man's history as many believe.

There seems some possibility that the story in Acts of the trial and execution of Stephen is derivative, inspired by and based on earlier accounts, including the passion of Jesus. St Stephen is portrayed as a saintly deacon of the early church and the first Christian martyr, but the details in the story of his death suggests a literary relationship with the story of Jesus, rather than a personal, spiritual one.

First of all, Robert Eisenman (The Dead Sea Scrolls and the First Christians) draws parallels between the trial, vision and execution of James to the trial, vision and stoning of Stephen, in Acts.

More importantly, Raymond E. Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament) says that the death of Stephen in Actsmatches closely the death of Jesus in Luke. Both accounts speak of the Son of Man at the right hand of God (Luke 22:69; Acts 7:56); both have a prayer for the forgiveness of those who are effecting this execution ( Luke 23:34a; Acts 7:60); both have the dying figure commend his spirit heavenward (L uke 23:46; Acts 7:59). In the figure of Peter, Acts has shown continuity with Jesus' ministry of healing and preaching; in the figure of Stephen Acts has shown continuity with Jesus' death. And just as Jesus' death was not the end because the apostles would receive his Spirit to carry on the work, the death of Stephen is not the end, for observing is a young man named Saul (7:58). He consents to the death ( 8:1a), but in God's providence he will continue the work of Stephen. Brown says that we can never verify the existence and martyrdom of Stephen.

"Trust": 1) Reliance; conficence in and reliance on good qualities, especially Fairness, Truth, Honor and Ability. 2) Hope for Future; hopeful reliance on what will happen in the future. Synonyms: faith, hope, conviction."

One of the greatest emotions man experiences in life is "fear." Our world is a fearful and uncertain place in which we live out our temporary existence.

The upshot of this is, that men tend to seek out something or someone in or upon whom they might quell their fears... to secure some level of inner peace; which this world would deny us.

Something or someone in whom they might seek the fairness and truth that's missing in the world. Something or someone who might offer them a glimmer of a future beyond the terrifying eternal death toward which we're all bound.

Something or someone to which or to whom we might "give our heart"... who might help us acheive the immortality that eludes us.

The God who reveals Himself to man in the Bible is Someone in whom man can place his trust -- with all his heart. If he only would.

"..He is a buckler [shield] to all them that trust in Him." (II Sam.22:29)

And God is not a shield to them who don't trust Him [with all their heart]... whether it's individuals or whole nations. Those who, instead, place their trust in other things:

"...the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have strategy and military strength -- but you speak only empty words. On who are you depending [trusting], that you rebel against me? ... And if you say to me, 'We are depending [trusting] on the Lord our God' -- isn't He the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah [your leaders] removed..." (II Kings 18:22 NIV).

Some men, instead, rely on the things God has made... or that their hands have made... or upon their own deceived selves. A practice of men upon which our Creator frowns, mightily:

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God..." (Ex.20:4-5 NIV).

"'Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker? If God places no trust in His servants, if He charges His angels with error, how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed more readily than a moth!" (Job 4:17-19 NIV)

Placing all of one's heartfelt trust in God [in His Truth, Honor and Ability] is placing it in True Justice, Peace and the Future: Eternal Life through Jesus Christ.

Anything short of that is trusting in vanity -- things that shall pass -- and eternal death.

Another thought:

Reading the entire scripture can help answer your question. "Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."(NIV) If we TRUST God, we will LISTEN to him, and DO what he says. Even if a Bible principle goes against what WE think we should do, we would TRUST God and do things according to his word. Then, because of this obedience to Him, our lives will be more successful and fulfilling.(Matthew 7:21-23) (Psalm 62:8)(Isaiah 26:4)(Jeremiah 17:7) God will give us wisdom to live our lives if we just ask (Psalm 25:9)(James 1:5). In other words, if we 'trust in the Lord', 'he will make our paths straight.'

This quote is part of Jesus' discourse with Martha:"Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world."' (John Ch 11) The statement in the question says unequivocally that the resurrection and eternal life came with Jesus and in Him and it has nothing to do with the Last Day

Through Christ's atonement and His resurrection, all will be resurrected, without exception. (That does not include Satan and his angels). All will have their body and spirit reunited after their resurrection. Before His atonement, this was not possible. It was He who paid the price for Adam's transgression, which fell upon all mankind, all having sinned.

Answer2: The Greek word a·naʹsta·sis literally means "raising up; standing up." It is used frequently in the Christian Greek Scriptures with reference to the resurrection of the dead. The Hebrew Scriptures at Hosea 13:14, quoted by the apostle Paul (1Co 15:54, 55), speak of the abolition of death and the rendering powerless of Sheol (Heb., sheʼohlʹ; Gr., haiʹdes). Sheʼohlʹ is rendered in various versions as "grave" and "pit." The dead are spoken of as going there. (Ge 37:35; 1Ki 2:6; Ec 9:10) Its usage in the Scriptures, along with the usage of its Greek equivalent haiʹdes in the Christian Greek Scriptures, shows that it refers, not to an individual grave, but to the common grave of mankind, gravedom. (Eze 32:21-32; Re 20:13; see HADES; SHEOL.) To render Sheol powerless would mean to loosen its hold on those in it, which would imply the emptying of gravedom. This, of course, would require a resurrection, a raising up from the lifeless condition of death or out of the grave for those there.

For the One with the ability and power to create man in His own image, with a perfect body and with the potential for full expression of the marvelous characteristics implanted in the human personality, it would pose no insurmountable problem to resurrect an individual. If scientific principles established by God can be used by scientists to preserve and later reconstruct a visible and audible scene by means of videotape, how easy it is for the great Universal Sovereign and Creator to resurrect a person by repatterning the same personality in a newly formed body. Concerning the revitalizing of Sarah to have a child in her old age, the angel said: "Is anything too extraordinary for Jehovah?"-Ge 18:14; Jer 32:17, 27.

In the beginning a resurrection was not necessary. It was not a part of God's original purpose for mankind, because death was not the natural, purposed thing for humans. Rather, God indicated that he purposed the earth to be full of living humans, not a deteriorating, dying race. His work was perfect, hence without flaw, imperfection, or sickness. (De 32:4) Jehovah blessed the first human pair, telling them to multiply and fill the earth. (Ge 1:28) Such blessing certainly did not include sickness and death; God set no limited life span for man, but he told Adam that disobedience is what would cause death. This implies that man would otherwise live forever. Disobedience would incur God's disfavor and remove his blessing, bringing a curse.-Ge 2:17; 3:17-19.

Consequently, death was introduced into the human race by the transgression of Adam. (Ro 5:12) Because of their father's sinfulness and resultant imperfection, Adam's offspring could not get a heritage of everlasting life from him; in fact, not even a hope of living forever. "Neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit," said Jesus. (Mt 7:17, 18; Job 14:1, 2) The resurrection was brought in, or added, to overcome this disability for those of Adam's children who would desire to be obedient to God.

The resurrection shows forth not only Jehovah's unlimited power and wisdom but also his love and his mercy and vindicates him as the Preserver of those who serve him. (1Sa 2:6) Having resurrection power, he can go to the extent of showing that his servants will be faithful to him to the very death. He can answer Satan's accusation that asserted that "skin in behalf of skin, and everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul." (Job 2:4) Jehovah can let Satan go the full limit, even to killing some in a vain effort to support his false accusations. (Mt 24:9; Re 2:10; 6:11) The fact that Jehovah's servants are willing to give up life itself in his service proves their service is, not for selfish considerations, but out of love. (Re 12:11) It also proves that they acknowledge Him as the Almighty, the Universal Sovereign, and the God of love, who is able to resurrect them. It proves they render exclusive devotion to Jehovah for his wonderful qualities and not for selfish material reasons. (Consider some of the exclamations of his servants, as recorded at Ro 11:33-36; Re 4:11; 7:12.) The resurrection also is a means by which Jehovah sees that his purpose toward the earth, as stated to Adam, is carried out.-Ge 1:28.

The resurrection of the dead, an undeserved kindness on God's part, is essential to mankind's happiness and to the undoing of all the harm, suffering, and oppression that have come upon the human race. These things have befallen man as a result of his imperfection and sickness, the wars he has waged, the murders committed, and the inhumanities practiced by wicked people at the instance of Satan the Devil. We cannot be completely happy if we do not believe in a resurrection. The apostle Paul expressed the feeling in these words: "If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied."-1Co 15:19. See Insight on the Scriptures vol 2 under Resurrection Jehovah's Witnesses official website.