Queen of Swords

I was thinking of heaven, probably after reading Tanith Lee's Secret Books of Paradys novels, and I started wondering about the place...

What do souls look like? Just like the body did? Is that how people recognize their dead relatives when they reach heaven?

When does judgement take place? After you die, or en masse on Judgement Day? If the latter, what do souls do until then - just wait?

I've heard that god gives people sinless bodies when they reach heaven. Does the sinless body look just like the regular body, or is it minus genitalia? Can a person ask for a better sinless body - for instance, can a thalidomide victim request a sinless body with perfect arms and legs?

What else can sinless bodies do that regular bodies can't? Fly, breathe underwater, survive extremes of heat and cold, etc?

What do people do all day in heaven? For example, is it ever permissible to stop worshipping/thinking about god, even for a moment, and do something else instead?

Why are there no pets in heaven? If a little blind kid dies, why can't he have the Seeing Eye dog who might have been his closest companion and constant friend?

Is there any privacy in heaven? For instance, do people have different houses in which to sleep or do other things, or is everything communal?

Are people clothed in heaven? If so, what do they wear? A generic white-robe uniform, or may they choose different clothing? If so, what happens when a rigid fundamentalist, who believes women should always be modestly covered, sees a woman who may not drape herself properly?

If people are not clothed in heaven - i.e. the Adam and Eve estate - are they all comfortable with exposing their bare bodies to each other?

What language is spoken in heaven? Does God perform a miracle so that everyone understands everyone else in heaven?

If a woman has a miscarriage or an abortion, the fetus goes to heaven. Does it age normally there? If so, does God assign some female soul to take care of it, or does he do that job himself? At what age does he retard or stop the fetus's growth?

If a married couple dies and goes to heaven, do they

1. live together as a married couple
2. live together fraternally, no icky touching
3. not live together?

I'm sure other people will add to the list.

Rational BAC

Nobody knows any of the answers to those questions. All anyone can do is speculate.

Guess we'll find out when we get there.

Jamie_L

It's equally valid to say everyone has different answers to these questions.

Some think people are in heaven now. Others think everyone sleeps in non-existence until judgement day. Some even believe in a literal ressurection in which we don't go to heaven, but all the dead get physical life again, and we live on earth under the direct rulership of God (crowded place that would be).

It seems, if heaven were to be true, humans would have to go a tremendous transformation that we can't even fathom in order to exist there and have heaven maitain the qualities many perport it to have.

And these are the complications that lead those of us with O.'s Razor in our pockets to say "uh, yeah. Whatever."

Jamie

tdekeyser

As a sportbike enthusiast, I would hope heaven would place me on a powerful sportbike and no one else on the planet. I could go as fast as I wanted on all the roads in all the world. Throw in some virgins and a unending supply of intoxicants (smile) and I WOULD be in heaven!

But see, that is what "heaven" is, just a wish-cloud. In the middle East, they have 72 virgins, Xianity says all of your loved ones will be there, and other faiths say things that humans want in a physical form.

These are HUMAN desires. Human as in: BIO-CHEMICAL machines just following genes that signal us to survive and keep the species alive.

excreationist

Maybe you mean the JW's.... well they only think saved people will live on the new earth... and the entire earth would people an eden, so there would be lots of nice land to live on.

And in Revelation 21:16, the New Jerusalem is a cube with sides that are 12,000 stadia long. (about 1,400 miles/2,200 kilometres) So there would be quite a lot of room in there. The walls wouldn't cast big shadows because in verse 23 it says God will light it up rather than the sun or moon.

jerusha

Won't everyone be wearing white robes and thongs?

The Nose

Wow! A cube? I just now put it together: Xians=The Borg

BioBeing

Exactly - we are all just biological beings (BioBeings for short )

Magus55

Not sure what an actual soul looks like, but we will have bodies. We will recognize each other though. Mat 17 shows that Peter, James and John recognized Moses and Elias even though Moses and Elias lived a thousand years eariler.

En masse on Judgement Day. Judgement is after the 1000 year kingdom. And not sure what happens to souls. Whether they are in Heaven or Hell first, or whether they are in a static state and don't do anything .

We will have perfect, incorruptible bodies like Jesus' body after ressurection. Jesus' body looked just like it did before He died, so ours probably will too, although we won't have any imperfections ( like missing limbs).

We won't be subject to the laws of nature. Jesus walked through walls. There is no extremes of heat and cold in Heaven, its perfect. I'm sure you could breathe underwater since you probably won't need oxygen. And we can travel anywhere in the universe instantly like the angels can.

No one knows what we will do, but it won't be nothing but worship. For example, the first thing Jesus does once all believers are in Heaven, and judgement is over, is throw a heavenly banquet for everyone. Basically, as long as it doesn't fall under the category of sin, you will be able to do it. And you'll be able to do things you can't even dream of.

1Cr 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Who said there won't be? God gave Adam all the animals in the Garden of Eden, which was a paradise - don't see why He wouldn't in New Jerusalem.

We will each have our own mansion. Privacy won't be an issue - what do you have to hide? We will be perfect. No shame or secrets to be had in Heaven.

Jhn 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.


Yes we are clothed, in robes of pure white.


Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Rev 4:4 And round about the throne [were] four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

Rev 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled.

Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Rev 19:14 And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Mar 9:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.



Not sure, Bible doesn't say.

Bible doesn't say. Probably what ever "age" everyone else will be, although Age is irrelevent since time has no meaning in Heaven.

No they don't stay married or "live" together.

Mar 12:25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

Rhaedas

Hopefully we can opt out, if it's like the biblical version...

And the Borg comparision has been made before, from the cube shape, all the way to the one minded collectiveness. Yet another reason to not wish for such a place...