The second significant problem is that the concept of Heaven being our land of promise is almost totally unscriptural. If you give this some thought you can see it is an important issue.

What I have described previously is not what I believe to be true but what many Christians believe.

You may respond, "What do you mean Heaven is not our land of promise? Didn't I get saved so I can go to Heaven and escape the fire? What do I get out of this anyway?"

It is not my intention to rob any believer of his or her main hope. Please keep on with what you always have believed and do not read further in the present essay.

I will take it for granted that from now on, in this essay, I am dealing with those who believe the Bible. The others have left to go about their daily tasks, pausing occasionally to take little jumps so as not to be caught unprepared.

The Bible teaches clearly, and has always taught clearly, that the earth is our land of promise, our inheritance. Of course we will inherit the best of Heaven too because, as we read in the last two chapters of the Book of Revelation, the Throne of God and of the Lamb is coming down through the new sky to rest forever on the new earth.

No true Christian wants to remain in the spirit realm with four-headed creatures full of eyes when God and Jesus are on the new earth. Am I right about this? How do you feel about this?

"But doesn't the Bible teach we will go to Heaven and live there forever?"

No, and you should go and get your money back for any book that tells you that.

"But doesn't the Bible tell us Jesus is coming to catch His waiting bride away."

No!

"Doesn't the Bible tell us we will be raised from the dead so we can go to live in Heaven?"

No!

"But doesn't the Bible promise me a mansion in Heaven?"

No!

"Didn't Jesus say His Father's house is Heaven"?

No!

Why don't you stop reading and find clear passages of Scripture, kept in context, that teach the things we have just said are not found in the Bible. If you cannot find any, then we can proceed with our discussion.

After you pick yourself up off the floor, would you like to think about what the Bible does teach?

The Bible teaches that six thousand years ago man already had most of what we think of as Heaven, and he had it on the earth. Heaven was on the earth somewhere near where Iraq is now. God was here. Everything was here that anyone would want.

Well, we lost it. We invited Satan and his angels to live among us. This was not a good idea as we have seen.

To be continued.