Hints of Heaven #1: The Great Catch

Hints of Heaven:
Reflections on the Realm of the Righteous—
#1 The Great Catch (1 Thess 4:16-17)
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

Our new sermon series is about where we will be spending a great deal of time in the future. It is a subject that attracts our attention and stimulates our imagination: heaven. Unfortunately, it is not a topic about which we have as much information as we might like. The biblical writers mention it often enough, but generally give no extended and detailed discourse (except for John's Revelation). There is no book of the Bible about heaven. Hence, like the poor at harvest time, we must go through the fields of scripture, gathering the gleanings we find along the way. Admittedly, these gleanings usually only whet our appetite to know more. Nevertheless, together they do provide sufficient spiritual nourishment to inspire our wonder, our gratitude, and our anticipation for what more God has in store. Such will be our task these five sessions as we look into God's word for Hints of Heaven.[1] We will concentrate on five major passages that offer insight into our future state.

I. The Great Catch (1 Thess 4:16-17)
II. The Great Change (1 Cor 15:42-52)
III. The Great Company (Rev 7:9)
IV. The Great Contrast (Luke 16:19-31)
V. The Great Challenge (Matt 25:21, 34)

We will also survey several other passages along the way that address questions people have asked me about some related matters.

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There are certain aspects of flying people find less pleasurable than others. For example, some do not enjoy taking off, as the engines roar, the aircraft shakes, and the air pressure changes, making one's ears pop. People are usually more positive about landing—usually.

As he was landing the jumbo jet, the pilot hammered his plane onto the runway really hard. The airline had a policy requiring the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, give a smile, and say "Thanks for flying with us today." He had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sonny, mind if I ask you a question?" "Why no Ma'am, what is it?" he replied. "Did we land...or were we shot down?"

People are usually more positive about landing—usually. Regardless of how you feel about flying, there is a trip in the future of everyone here. It will be "The Great Catch," when Jesus returns to gather the redeemed and take them to heaven.

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Before I begin the sermon proper, here is a synopsis of events answering a general question....

Where Do People Go When They Die?

The truth will set you free

INDEPENDENCE DAY:
Discipleship and Freedom (John 8:31-32)
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

We all face tests—driver tests, medical tests, school tests. Some tests have greater consequences than others, even determining one's freedom.

A mental institution picks two of its most reformed patients each year and questions them. If the patients answer correctly, they are free to leave. One year, Patty and Mike were the lucky ones. The doctor questioned Patty first, while Mike waited outside. "Patty, if I poke out one of your eyes, what will happen?" Patty answered immediately, "I would be half blind." "What would happen if I poked out the other eye?" "I would be completely blind," Patty said confidently, knowing that she had just earned her freedom. The doctor sent her out while he completed the release form.

In the waiting room, Patty told Mike the questions and the answers. The doctor called in Mike and asked, "If I cut off your ear?" "I would be half blind," he said, remembering to answer as Patty had told him. The doctor looked perplexed but asked the other question. "What would happen if I cut off your other ear?" "I would be completely blind," Mike answered with a smile, as if he knew he had passed. When the doctor asked what his reasoning was, Mike said, matter-of-factly... "My hat would fall down over my eyes."

Some tests have greater consequences than others, even determining one's freedom, which Jesus states is important in discussing Discipleship and Freedom.

As Jesus traveled throughout the countryside, he drew mixed reviews that spanned a wide spectrum.¹

• At one end of the spectrum were those who disliked him, often challenging him in public, and who sought to marginalize him, even eliminate him, like some of the religious leaders.²
• In the middle of the spectrum were those largely neutral toward him, who found him entertaining but not necessarily convincing, although some attempted to exploit him for political advantage.
• At the other end of the spectrum were those who believed his message and supported his ministry, those who were his disciples, including some of the religious leaders.

These differences intensify over time, causing considerable disruption and confusion. Please turn to John 7, where the author relates some of the differences.³ As I read, keep in mind that when John mentions "the Jews," a term he uses more than any other biblical writer (69x), he is rarely referring to the people as a whole (8x) but is usually referring to the religious establishment (50x), sometimes along with those members who supported Jesus,⁴ like Nicodemus.⁵

Fruit that will last

FATHER'S DAY:
The Father's Assistance (John 15:16)
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

When children are young, they look to their parents for many things, including their assistance in dealing with various problems.

After tucking their three-year-old in for bed one night, his parents heard loud sobbing coming from his room. Rushing in, they found him crying hysterically. He managed to tell them that he had swallowed a penny and was sure he was going to die. No amount of talking was helping. His father, in an attempt to calm him down, palmed a penny from his pocket and pretended to pull it from his son's ear. The boy was delighted. In a flash, he snatched it from his father's hand, swallowed it, and then cheerfully demanded... "Do it again, Dad!"

Children look to parents for assistance in dealing with various problems. Likewise, God's children look to The Father's Assistance in heaven for dealing with various problems, although without necessarily swallowing the answer.

Please turn to John 15, where Jesus relays a principle to his disciples. As they apply themselves to being productive for the kingdom, they can count on divine aid, because...

Principle: God the Father will help those who are fruitful (John 15:16).

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

When you were born, did your parents have great expectations of what you would become later in life? Perhaps your true potential did not reveal itself until later. When you uttered your first word, did they say, "This child has the makings of a great orator"? When you took your first step, did they say, "This child will surely become an Olympic runner"? I wonder if after giving me my first trombone lesson when I was in the third grade, my father thought, "It's already obvious that my son will be part of the Philharmonic Orchestra one day and play at Carnegie Hall." As I got into my teens, and it became obvious that I would not become a great musician, my parents were probably thinking, "We just hope the kid graduates from high school."

Whether or not your earthly parents had great expectations, your heavenly Father does have great expectations, and He wants to do great things for you. In fact, He is willing and able to "give you whatever you ask." There is a catch, however, as Jesus explains here.

Jesus and Mary

MOTHER'S DAY:
Gentle Persuasion (John 2:1-11)
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Dr. Paul Manuel—May 11, 2013

We have an official Mother's Day and an official Father's Day, but we have no official Married Couple's Day. Consequently, a minister may include remarks about one or the other party in that relationship on one of the official days. For example, he may talk about wives on Mother's Day, whether or not they are mothers.

As a minister gets to know a congregation, he becomes aware of problems to address as well as pitfalls to avoid. Last week, in anticipation of what I might say this week about the role of wives, someone said to me that she would be listening carefully to the sermon for the "O" word: "Wives obey your husbands." This is one of those pitfalls this minister will avoid. Contrary to what some might think, my reluctance to comment is not evidence of cowardice but of concern, concern for what the Bible actually says. Much as some might assume that is quote from Paul, it is not.¹ What he does say about obedience, twice, and what this morning's message will illustrate, is "Children, obey your parents" (Eph 6:1; Col 3:20). We will consider that statement particularly as it relates to mothers, and how the expression of that obedience changes over time.

Children often appreciate their parents more as those children get older, and it is important for adult children to keep in touch with their parents, lest they miss some important sign that something is wrong.

Bill called his mother in Florida. When she answered the phone, he asked the typical question, "How are you doing?" "Not too good," she replied. "I've been very weak." This naturally concerned Bill, who asked why she was so weak? Her reply was even more disconcerting. In a voice that was obviously fainter, she said it was because she hadn't eaten in 38 days. His concern now approaching alarm, Bill asked, "Why haven't you eaten in 38 days?" "Because," she said... "I didn't want my mouth to be filled with food when you called."

It is important for adult children to keep in touch with their parents, lest they miss some sign that something is wrong, and it is important that adult children be sensitive to their parent's concerns, as Jesus was in response to his mother's concern and her Gentle Persuasion.

This is a familiar story from chapter two of John's gospel, about a wedding at Cana. It is appropriate for Mother's Day because of the insight it offers into the relationship of Jesus with his mother.

The state of the dead

The Intermediate and Final States of the Dead¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—1999

Where does a person go when he dies?² The body, his material part, ends up in the grave, but, as we noted earlier, man has an immaterial (or non-material) part as well.³ What happens to his spirit or soul? Theologians call this the "intermediate state" because it concerns man's condition after death and before the resurrection. The Bible uses primarily five terms to describe "where" man goes upon physical death.

I. Biblical Destinations

A. Sheol

• The abode of the dead⁴

a. For the wicked

Ps9: 17 The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God.

b. For the righteous

Ps 16:10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

The main Hebrew term is a general designation for the abode of the dead, wicked and righteous alike. Because the body goes into the ground, the assumption is that Sheol is under the earth as well.⁵ It is probably best to regard Sheol simply as a synonym for grave (so Harris 1980 2:892).⁶

And when I die

The Disposition of the Dead¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2004

What does the Bible say about the disposition of the dead? Several passages speak about man's origin from dust at creation and about his return to dust at death. They include no command or instruction about how to deal with the body, simply the observation that, upon death, the body breaks down into its elemental parts.²

In the Bible, the normal disposition of the dead was burial, generally in a marked grave³ after preparing the body.⁴ The affluent purchased plots with ground or a cave⁵ sufficient to accommodate the remains of several family members.⁶ Abraham, for example, acquired a parcel of land for that expressed purpose, where he and several relatives were interred.⁷ Whenever practical, the survivors would transport the body to those sites.⁸ If distance was not a problem, burial outside the family property was a sign of disgrace.⁹ Those who could not afford their own plot were often buried in a community cemetery or in a common grave.¹⁰

Other ways to dispose of the dead, such as cremation, were acceptable but not common.¹¹ If there was any stigma, it attached not to the manner of disposition but to the neglect of disposition.¹² It was disgraceful to leave a body unburied, to expose it to wild animals and the elements,¹³ or to desecrate it in any way.¹⁴ To leave a body unburied was also defiling to the land.¹⁵

In most cases, the living did not abandon the dead but gave them the respect of interment.¹⁶ Nevertheless, even the most respectful treatment of the body upon death would not improve a person's state after death. Ultimately, it was his decision in life that determined his disposition in death.

For the Endnotes see the pdf here.

Why do you exist?

Your Raison D'etre¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2003

What is your raison d'etre? Why do you exist? The Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647) says: "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever." Apart from that, though, why did God put you on this earth? Later, when your time here is over, what will you be doing in Heaven? Will you be sitting on clouds, strumming harps and eating Philadelphia Cream Cheese? What can life in Eden tell us about life in heaven?

Before the fall, God gave man an assignment: to care for the garden that God created as man's residence.

Gen 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

After the fall, that assignment changed venues and became considerably more difficult, but it remained essentially the same.

Gen 3:18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19a By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food.... 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

While giving glory to God is paramount, evidently, work—engaging in productive activity—was part of God's original design for man. Hence, heaven may include further opportunity for productivity,² albeit without the curse of "thorns and thistles" and without the need for arduous, sweat-producing labor.

One could make a similar observation about companionship. Before the fall, God said that man should not be alone and made a partner to enjoy life with him.

Gen 2:18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

After the fall, man's need for companionship remained essentially the same, and Jesus reiterated the abiding nature of the marital relationship.

Matt 19:5 ...a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh

God has also placed us "in families" (Ps 68:6a), marked both by physical and spiritual commonality. Likewise, in heaven, man will not be in isolation but with those who are also part of God's family.³ While having a relationship with God is paramount, He designed us to relate to others as well, others with whom we will experience and enjoy eternity.⁴

Understanding these similarities of life on earth and life in heaven, there are two purposes (in addition to glorifying and enjoying God)⁵ that He intended for man since creation.

• God created man to be productive not idle.⁶

• God created man to be interactive not isolated.⁷

How these purposes will be manifest in the new creation remains to be seen, but at that point you will finally realize fully the purpose for which God created you, your raison d'etre.

For the Endnotes see the pdf here.

The Fall

The Fallen State of Man¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—1995

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command, the effect of their action went far beyond them. It had ramifications for the entire human race. The Fall, as it is known, brought sin and death into the world God had called "very good" (Gen 1:31a). In what ways, though, do we, Adam's descendants, suffer for his sin? What do we inherit as a result of the Fall?

I. Two Theological Descriptions

As theologians have wrestled with these questions, they have explained man's fallen state using the concepts of "original sin" and the "imputation of sin" (Hodge 1972:325, 357).

A. "Original sin" concerns the moral effect of Adam's disobedience.

1. It is the corrupt nature we inherit from Adam.
2. When Adam sinned, he introduced a defective gene into the moral DNA of the species, a propensity to sin that was not part of the original genetic code.

B. "Imputation of sin" concerns the legal effect of Adam's disobedience.

1. It is the judicial guilt we inherit from Adam.
2. When Adam sinned, he implicated the entire race, making all his descendants guilty by association.

These ideas derive chiefly from Romans 5,² a series of statements in which Paul explains how Adam's sin affects us, his descendants. Rather than examining the many different positions theologians have taken on this subject, we will just look at the biblical source and try to determine what we can safely say.

Created in His image

The Image of God in Man¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2001

Several passages in scripture state that, from the beginning, God made man in His image.²

Gen 1:26a Then God said, "Let us make man in our image in our likeness...." 27 So God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Gen 5:lb When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.

Was that image limited to Adam, and did he lose it as a result of the Fall? Do only those whom God regenerates get it back? ...No, God's image is inherent in man, even in unregenerate man. After the Fall, he still bears that divine impression (distorted but not demolished, defaced but not destroyed).

Gen 9:6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.

1 Cor 11:7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.

Jms 3:9b ...men...have been made in God's likeness.

All men possess the image of God, but all may not reflect that image with equal clarity; that is, to the same extent as when God originally impressed it.

What constitutes the image of God? Is it corporeal or incorporeal? The answer may include elements of both aspects. The Hebrew term for "image" appears 34 times, and its Greek counterpart appears 15 times. A synonymous Hebrew term "likeness" appears 25 times, and its Greek counterpart appears 7 times.

Theology Series Chapter 6: Anthropology

Chapter VI: Anthropology
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

In A Reader's Digest Approach to Theology, we looked first at what the Bible says about itself, because that is the chief source of information on spiritual issues. Then we examined what the Bible says about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and angels. Today, we begin to see what scripture says about us, in particular, about our nature. Much of it will probably be familiar to you, but the purpose of a study like this is to provide a summary of doctrine as well as a frame on which you can hang more specific information.

Weekly World News: "How to Tell If You Are Double-Souled" (Floori 2010)

What happens when two souls are reincarnated in a single body? That is the provocative question Dr. Sankar Khan, who has been conducting reincarnation studies in Mumbai, India, for the past 26 years, is attempting to answer. He says, "Some individuals are not truly one person, but two." According to Dr. Khan, a reincarnated soul enters its new body when the fetus is at an early stage of development.

Usually a single soul enters the embryo — but sometimes two spirits, eager to be reborn, both elbow their way into the child. When this occurs, the body responds by splitting the embryo, leading to the birth of twins.

This explains why many identical twins, though raised in the same environment, are polar opposites in personality.

When the spirits are very different in nature this can lead to the tragic condition known as 'multiple personality disorder.' In these cases, there are two radically different persons trapped in one body, taking turns controlling it.... A telltale sign of such individuals is their tendency to talk to themselves, as they consult their inner companion.... Typically, double-souled individuals tend to be full of inner conflict. They find themselves torn between two lovers, two career goals, two dreams of the future. Each of their souls pulls them in an opposite direction.

According to Dr. Khan, you are likely to be double-souled if...

• You have difficulty making important decisions.
• You talk to yourself often throughout the day.
• You are ambidextrous.
• You often "can't believe" what you did the night before.
• You alternate between using your real name and a special nickname.
• You sometimes sign your name so differently, it is almost unrecognizable.
• You love a song one day and can't stand it the next day.

What is the main problem with this hypothesis? ... Scripture dismisses the idea of reincarnation.

• Death only goes in one direction.¹

Heb 9:27 ... man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

• God alone can reverse that direction.²

Rom 7:24b Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25a Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

A. The nature of man

1. Man is a created being.

 [The end notes can be found in the linked pdf]

Can the Devil read your thoughts?

Satanic Mind Control
or
Can the Devil Read Your Thoughts?¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2009

How much influence does Satan have on your life? Does he, for example, have the power to know your thoughts? We read in the gospels about Jesus' knowing people's thoughts, can Satan do this too? Why does your mind "wander and go astray" when you pray? How is it that you can maintain your concentration when reading the newspaper or a secular book but grow drowsy as soon as you start reading your Bible? At the heart of these various questions are two concerns about the human thought process, the first of which is...

The Angel of the Lord

The Angel of the Lord¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—1995

Of the various topics in any survey of theology, the study of angels is one of the most popular. People are fascinated by the prospect of other beings who exist outside the physical realm yet who occasionally enter our world and even interact with us.² The Bible records several examples of such interaction and only rarely identifies the angel involved. In most cases, he remains unnamed.³ This session we will look at a few Old Testament passages in which the biblical writers call an angelic visitor "the angel of the LORD." Is he, as some think, a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ (i.e., Christophany; so Baron 1918:23; Feinberg 1979:23; Leupold 1942 1:500-501; Morris 1976:330,370; Wood 1975:231,n.12)?⁴

Theology Series Chapter 5: Angels

Chapter V: Angelology
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

Having considered the three persons of the godhead in A Reader's Digest Approach to Theology, we proceed down the cosmic hierarchy to study angels.

Quiz: What Do You Know About Angels?

1. What is the theological term for the study of angels? Angelology.
2. What does the word "angel" mean? Both Hebrew (mal'ak) and Greek (anggelos) terms mean "messenger."
3. T/F: Angels have wings. False (in the narrow sense of the term): Seraphs and cherubs have wings; angels, proper, do not, although they do fly.¹
4. T/F: When people die, they become angels. False: They become "like the angels" (Matt 22:30) but do not become angels.²
5. T/F: Israel was the only Ancient Near East (ANE) people with a belief in angels. False: A stele depicts angels flying over the Sumerian king Ur-Nammus while he prays (c. 2250).
6. T/F: Angels always appear in the Bible as adult males, never as females or children. True.³
7. T/F: Daniel is the only Old Testament (OT) book that names angels. True (See answer to the next question).
8. Who are the angels Protestant scriptures name? Gabriel and Michael.⁴
9. T/F: "The angel of the LORD" is Christ. False (See Excursus 1: The Angel of the LORD).
10. What is the main goal of evil angels? To thwart God's purpose by opposing God's people.⁵
11. Who controls the activities of evil angels? Satan partially (immediately) but God ultimately (mediately).⁶
12. T/F: Angels play harps. False: This notion seems to have arisen from a misunderstanding of passages in Revelation where elders have harps and where some believers have harps (Mounce 1977:146).⁷
13. T/F: Angels are musical. True: They sing and play instruments.⁸
14. What extra-biblical book has the most information about angels? 1 Enoch, where the author attributes sin to angelic intercourse with human women and identifies six good angels by name.⁹

[The end notes can be found in the linked pdf]

A father's instruction

FATHER'S DAY:
A Father's Instruction
Proverbs 3:1-12
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

For many young men, the prospect of fatherhood can be daunting, even overwhelming.

Three expectant fathers were in the waiting room of the maternity ward. The delivery nurse came in and spoke to the first man, "Congratulations, your wife just gave birth to twins!" "Amazing," he replied, "I work for 'The Twin Pines Motel!" A little later the same nurse returned and spoke to the second man, "Congratulations, your wife just had triplets!" "What a coincidence," he replied, "I work for AAA!" At this, the third man was on his feet. "I'm out of here," he said.... "I work for Seven Up!"

The prospect of fatherhood can be daunting, even overwhelming. Solomon, who also had a very large family,¹ offers some help, though, in his recounting of A Father's Instruction.

The Book of Proverbs is a collection of sayings from the sages, and chapters 1-7 take the form of instruction from a father to his son.² Much of it is in praise of wisdom and represents an attempt to impart the experiences and values of one generation to the next. Please turn to Prov 3, which indicates what fathers should value for themselves, by adopting several defining principles in their own lives, and what they should then convey to their children.

The worthy wife

MOTHER'S DAY:
The Worthy Wife
Proverbs 31:10-31
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

In a family, mothers are often the embodiment of practical wisdom, more than their children, even their adult children, always recognize.

Jim had been trying to get his mother to fly out for a visit. "No way am I getting on an airplane," she would reply. "Look, Mom," Jim said, trying to calm her fears, "When it's your time to go, it doesn't matter if you're on the ground or in the air." "I know," she said. "I just don't want to be that far off the ground...when it's the pilot's time to go."

Mothers are the embodiment of practical wisdom, more than their children, even their adult children, always recognize. The message this morning is from the wisdom literature of the Bible, specifically Prov 31, which is not just about mothers but about wives in general and, indeed, has relevance for all women as it describes the experience of The Worthy Wife.

There are two ways we could approach this passage. One is to comment on how much work this poor woman has to do: She sews, she cooks, she labors in the field, she gets up early in the morning and stays up late at night, all this while her husband is out having a good time with the guys. That is not, of course, how we should understand the passage. The biblical writer is not giving a grocery list of all this woman has to do but is telling all this woman is able to do. She is both capable and responsible. Moreover, if we look carefully at the text, we will see not merely this woman's numerous duties but her broad authority. In many ways, this is not only a description of the ideal mate, it is a picture of the ideal marriage. The author begins his description of this woman by speaking about...