Who Lives in Heaven?

Hebrews 12:18-29 

It is necessary and pleasant to study heaven.  If we are saved, we are already a citizen of heaven. Yes, we are citizens of heaven who are exiled in this world, this world for believers is not their home.  The believer is on a pilgrimage to heaven, and every Christian is presently an ambassador of heaven in this world.  Heb 13:14 "For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come."   Believers look forward to heaven.  Even though heaven is in eternity, it is very near, very close.

Who lives in heaven?  who is presently in heaven?  There are three categories: 

 God lives in heaven, the triune God lives in heaven.   That makes the God of Christianity different from any other God, the triune God that is one God but three persons, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.  Three persons, one God.  This is a foundation of Christian doctrine.  Same in substance, equal in power and in glory.  Same in essence.  The essence of God is holiness, God the Father is holy, God the Son is the holy child, and the Holy Spirit.  Some people might say they don't understand so they can't believe it  but the answer is, of course you can't understand it, nobody can understand it.  How can a finite limited human mind understand the infinite God?  We cannot comprehend infinity because to understand it you would have to be equal with God.  But we believe it just the same because God has revealed himself in the bible. That is faith.  The bible says 1 John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." In John 1:1 the apostle John refers to the Lord Jesus as the Word.  Jesus says I and my Father are one.  The bible says that God's dwelling place is in heaven.  We have faith and trust in God's word that what it says is true even though some of it is beyond our full grasp.  It is the greatest fallacy that we need to understand something before we can believe it.  You don't understand exactly how airplanes work but you trust that they can fly.



God the Father is in heaven:  "Our Father which art in heaven" Matt 6:9.   John 14:2  "in thy father's house are many mansions..."  John 17:1 "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee."  So there are some biblical evidences.  But then God the Son is in heaven.  Rev 5:1-7   The Lamb Jesus, the root of David, the lion of Judah is in heaven.  Heb 7  our great high priest   Heb 1:1-3 The Lord Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of the throne of God the Father.  Isn't this he who came from heaven for us? and he will come from heaven again to judge the world.  God the Holy Spirit is in heaven too in all his power and fullness.  John 14:26 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name....."

Angels live in heaven.  Jesus speaking in Matt 24:36 referring to his second coming, says "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven....."  the angels are in heaven.  Michael the archangel came down from heaven to give a message to Daniel - Dan. 10:13,21 "....but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me;...and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince."  Rev 12:2 tells us there was once a war in heaven.. Michael and the good angels fought against the dragon and cast them down from heaven.  Gabriel in the gospel of Luke was sent to John the Baptist's father.  The angels are in heaven.  The Cherubim,, the guardian angels are in heaven, the guardians of the throne of God.  The Seraphim are in heaven, the ones who attend God before his throne.   There are mighty angels in heaven who will come at the judgment day with Christ from heaven.  2 Thess 1:7 "and to you are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels"   In Daniel 10 an angel appeared to Daniel, the man of God.   The bible speaks of guardian angels for believers.

The spirits of just men made perfect are in heaven.  Heb 12:23 "to the general assembly and church of the firstborn which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect."  this is not earth because our spirits are not yet made perfect but will be in heaven.  The spirits of saints who have died, believers are now perfect in heaven.  The bodily resurrection is yet future but it is the spirits of just men made perfect who are in heaven.   The spirits of the justified by faith.  Jesus said Luke 23 to the thief on the cross, "today thou shalt be with me in Paradise."  Eccl 12:7 "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."

You may know some, we all do, maybe a mother or a father, a brother or a sister who has died in the Lord. Perhaps a friend, or a husband or a wife.  If you know people who have died in Christ, they are made perfect and are now with Christ in heaven.   It is fearful that some people who have heard a gospel sermon will not be in heaven.  Some sermons that you have heard that are meant to be the means of grace preached will ultimately be held against you at the judgment day.  That which could be and should be the means of salvation can be the means of condemnation.  There are people that when they die, they will remember for all eternity what they heard and refused.
For Christians there is nothing to fear in death, the grave has no more victory.  There is no fear in death.  Your spirit will be made perfect and you will be in heaven with Jesus.  John 17:24 "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory...."   You will be with Christ, that is God's will.  God will gather you up to glory when you die.  

Malachi 3:16,17 "Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.  And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."
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The above notes were taken by myself from the sermon by Paul Dowling of Whiteabbey Congregational (Reformed) at Sermon Audio

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=13161752578