- Apr 22, 2011
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Luke 23:41-43 I believe the thief knowing he was a sinner and with his physical death approaching finally recognized the need to repent as I would only assume he heard Jesus speak to the multitudes and so did repent before his death so that when Jesus returns he too will be part of the Bride. This is why he asked Jesus to remember him in paradise. Kind of like a death bed confession.
2 Corinthians 12:1-4 Paul says he will come to visions and revelations and did not know if this man was in or out of his body. I believe the meaning is that this man was not actually in heaven (paradise), but in the Spiritual realm right where he sat as seeing a vision of paradise and hearing the Holy Spirit speak to him. I know when I am one on one with the Holy Spirit he speaks to me sometimes with visions and sometimes revelations.
I feel where God is at in the third heaven can be as what Jerusalem was at one time being a place where the presence of God filled the actual Temple. God fills His Temple in Heaven with His Shekinah glory as God is never changing and when Jesus returns and the New Jerusalem (I don't believe it is literal as in a city made with hands) is ushered down to a new purified heaven and earth God will also fill the temple as God and Jesus are the temple made without hands and the brightness of the Shekinah glory means there will be no more darkness of night anymore.
I also feel the New Jerusalem could be the Garden of Eden as scripture is silent on whatever happen to it from the time Adam was evicted, Genesis 3:24, and the Cherubim who God sat at the Eastern gates are probably still guarding the entrance as no one has ever found it nor will they ever.
The Eastern Gate has been sealed off by the Turks since the1500's and has never been opened again. Scripture speaks of Jesus who entered in and out of it while here on earth and will again enter the Eastern Gate, or as it is sometimes called the Golden gate, when He returns to fight the final battle. According to Luke 21:5, 6 Jesus was speaking about God destroying the Temple as there will not be left one stone upon another during the time of Gods great wrath and in Rev 21:9-27 John is given the vision of the New Jerusalem as the temple is God and Jesus and there will need not be any sun as the Shekinah glory will be our light.
Ref scriptures: Ezekiel 43:1-4; 44:1-3; Zechariah 14:3, 4; Matthew 21:1-5; Acts 1:10-12; Rev 21:9-27
(Side note):
Zechariah 14:3,4 speaks of Jesus coming down to plant His feet on the Mount of Olives that faces the east of Jerusalem and will cause the mountain to split in half from east to west making a very large valley. I never thought of this before, but it could be that valley is the Garden of Eden that has laid under ground all these years. Something to think about.
2 Corinthians 12:1-4 Paul says he will come to visions and revelations and did not know if this man was in or out of his body. I believe the meaning is that this man was not actually in heaven (paradise), but in the Spiritual realm right where he sat as seeing a vision of paradise and hearing the Holy Spirit speak to him. I know when I am one on one with the Holy Spirit he speaks to me sometimes with visions and sometimes revelations.
I feel where God is at in the third heaven can be as what Jerusalem was at one time being a place where the presence of God filled the actual Temple. God fills His Temple in Heaven with His Shekinah glory as God is never changing and when Jesus returns and the New Jerusalem (I don't believe it is literal as in a city made with hands) is ushered down to a new purified heaven and earth God will also fill the temple as God and Jesus are the temple made without hands and the brightness of the Shekinah glory means there will be no more darkness of night anymore.
I also feel the New Jerusalem could be the Garden of Eden as scripture is silent on whatever happen to it from the time Adam was evicted, Genesis 3:24, and the Cherubim who God sat at the Eastern gates are probably still guarding the entrance as no one has ever found it nor will they ever.
The Eastern Gate has been sealed off by the Turks since the1500's and has never been opened again. Scripture speaks of Jesus who entered in and out of it while here on earth and will again enter the Eastern Gate, or as it is sometimes called the Golden gate, when He returns to fight the final battle. According to Luke 21:5, 6 Jesus was speaking about God destroying the Temple as there will not be left one stone upon another during the time of Gods great wrath and in Rev 21:9-27 John is given the vision of the New Jerusalem as the temple is God and Jesus and there will need not be any sun as the Shekinah glory will be our light.
Ref scriptures: Ezekiel 43:1-4; 44:1-3; Zechariah 14:3, 4; Matthew 21:1-5; Acts 1:10-12; Rev 21:9-27
(Side note):
Zechariah 14:3,4 speaks of Jesus coming down to plant His feet on the Mount of Olives that faces the east of Jerusalem and will cause the mountain to split in half from east to west making a very large valley. I never thought of this before, but it could be that valley is the Garden of Eden that has laid under ground all these years. Something to think about.