How I was in heaven! What awaits a person in Paradise according to the Koran and Sunnah

Every religion has a concept of an afterlife. In the most ancient beliefs, there is only an afterlife, where the human soul goes after death. The other world can exactly repeat the real world or be presented as a gloomy dark place. But gradually the afterlife begins to divide into underground and heavenly. The underworld - the kingdom of darkness and horror - becomes the possession of the terrible god of death and terrible demons. Good gods and spirits live in heaven. After death, a person can go to both the underground and the celestial world. The underground kingdom of darkness was called hell, and the beautiful heavenly world became paradise.

Paradise in all religions is thought of as a reward to the righteous for the good deeds that he did in life, as well as for the fact that he followed the commandments, which imposed certain moral obligations. Hell is fair retribution for those who committed bad deeds during their lifetime, but did not suffer any punishment for it.

Beliefs in the afterlife arose from fear of the unknown, from the inability to change anything. Gradually, postulates appear in different religions that after death the soul can get rid of the hardships of life in a beautiful heavenly Garden.

Father Michael, a priest of the Holy Trinity Church, wrote about the fear of death and life in paradise: “For a Christian there is no reason to fear death. He desires her, calls her, impatiently awaits her arrival. Death is especially desirable for one who was constantly devoted to his guardian angel. He is confident that the heavenly guardian will not leave him even in the last hour of his life; he rejoices that he will finally see him face to face, ready to lead and present him to the Heavenly Father. Thinking about the passing days of his life, he will remember those blessings that he received from the Angel, and those dangers from which he would get rid of under his protection, and those prayers that he brought to him, and from his depths he will draw consolation and consolation in his dying torments.

What is death? This is the moment in which the guardian angel loosens the bonds of the flesh, like the walls of a prison, and, freeing the soul from captivity, says to it: “The time has come, look at the sky.” And little by little the earthly darkness dissipates, the heavenly light begins to shine, the curtain falls - and there, on the confines of this world and the eternal world, the pleasures of endless bliss are revealed to the righteous. Why be afraid of death? Jesus Christ trampled on it, crushed its sting.”

Jason Leirman, who was on the verge of death, used this comparison: “Suddenly I found myself in a very dark and very deep valley. There was a path, and I walked along this path... There were dark shadows around, and I was scared. But when I recovered, I understood what the Bible meant by the words “the valley of the shadow of death,” because I had been there myself.”

A Christian does not die: he comes from a sad life, full of sorrows, into a blessed life. Through the sacrament of baptism, a person receives a new life of grace, and through death he passes into a blessed life, into the kingdom of glory.

Here ends the path of the earthly wandering of a person with an angel. What is death? This is the moment in which a compassionate angel, descending on the bed of a dying man, opens the doors to heaven with a golden key. Christian! Listen to what the Holy Scripture tells you: during the days of your life, sing a new song together with your angel - and with your last breath you will hear the consonant singing of angelic choirs and say: “Lord, I will go into Your house, I will bow to Your bright Temple.”

A happy soul, which, leaving the mortal body, is likened in purity to its angel, who accepts it into his arms. Her vision is represented by: the Most High in the impregnable sanctuary of Eternity, at his right hand Jesus Christ, shining with the glory of the Divine; in front of them is the Blessed Virgin Mary, a host of saints and the faces of angels; the soul comes to its Fatherland and revels in bliss.”

According to Father Michael, a believer should not be afraid of death, because a meeting with God awaits him. And if a person has not committed bad deeds in life, then a reward awaits him for a righteous life. No matter how different religions may be, each one repeats the idea that, once in the afterlife, a person will have to answer for the deeds done in life. Also in each of the religions there is an idea of ​​​​divine justice. Each one is rewarded for his deeds. And heaven is a fair reward for the righteous, and hell is a fair punishment for a sinner.

Each religion has a number of specific features. And ideas about heaven may also differ in each religion. But the common feature in all religions is that heaven is the heavenly abode of God. Before getting to heaven, one must go through a path, follow the path of the dead to that world from which no one returned. This path is most often long and difficult. Therefore, according to many beliefs, the soul of the deceased should take supplies with him on the road.

Food and drink should be left near the body of the deceased. According to many beliefs, the soul does not leave the world of the living immediately, even if the body has already been buried, so food and drink are specially left for it. You can remember the Russian custom of placing a glass of water (or vodka) on the window and covering it with a piece of bread. It is difficult for the human soul to part with the world of the living and go to the other world. The soul needs help. Therefore, there should be a priest near the body of the deceased who reads prayers. These prayers will make it easier for the soul of the deceased to enter the afterlife.

Among those peoples who believe in spirits, a shaman accompanies the soul to the afterlife. “Having returned” from the trip, he talks in detail about his journey, and also conveys greetings to the living from deceased relatives. The prayers of priests also help the human soul to more easily cope with the difficulties of the journey.

In many religions there is an exact description of what a person will have to encounter during the journey. It is also often explained what he must do when he goes along this path.

Saint Januarius was one of the first Christian martyrs. Emperor Diocletian ordered the saint to be thrown into the fire, which burned for three days. But three days later, Januarius emerged from the fire unharmed. After that, he was thrown to wild animals, but the animals began to lick his feet. Seeing this, the emperor ordered the saint to be beheaded.

But before entering the afterlife and finding peace, the soul has to answer for everything that a person has done in life. If a person passed this test, then he went to heaven.

The specific differences that exist in different religions also concern the location, purpose, and dimensions of Heaven and Hell. This applies to a greater extent to Hell, which was always depicted in more detail. Ideas about heaven were less detailed. But this can be explained by the fact that heaven is much more difficult to achieve, and “the wide road of our sins leads to hell.”

In Buddhism, heaven is seen as located in the seven heavens. The soul of a sinless person can go to heaven and stay there until the time comes for it to appear on earth in a new body. If a person strives for God with all his thoughts and soul and leads a sinless life, then he can achieve the highest bliss and move into the state of nirvana. Then the soul will no longer need to be reborn, it will merge with the Divine in eternal bliss.

In Hinduism, there are several tens of thousands of heavenly places, but the most beautiful of all, without a doubt, is the heavenly garden, where the gods rest. In addition, Hinduism and Buddhism give an idea of ​​the heavenly planets on which the souls of the righteous are destined to be born.

In Christian beliefs, heaven is presented as a kingdom in which angelic orders and saints enjoy the presence of God, the heavenly light emanating from him, and the contemplation of His existence. In Judaism, paradise is represented as a garden of love, in which beautiful trees with silver branches and golden fruits grow, where the walls of the houses are made of gold, and the roads are paved with emeralds. According to Muslims, one can get to heaven only by passing the Sirat Bridge. This is a beautiful oasis with gardens in which the faithful can enjoy all the pleasures of life.

There can be no place for sadness in heaven. All sorrows and worries remain in earthly life. Only pleasure awaits every righteous person. The souls of the righteous receive bliss from the beauty of the wonderful place in which they find themselves. In paradise they receive in abundance everything that they were deprived of in earthly life. But souls receive the highest bliss from the fact that they can personally contemplate the face of the Divine.

It has already been said that paradise is traditionally located in heaven in all religions. But in the books of the ancient Jews it is said that Adam, when he was expelled from paradise, created paradise on earth. Later, in the beliefs of Judaism, the idea appeared that paradise is in heaven and you can get to it by crossing seven spheres.

But since time immemorial, lamas of Mongolia and Tibet have been telling legends about heaven on earth, about a magical place called Shambhala. Many consider the legends about Shambhala to be fiction, but those who believe in an earthly paradise claim that the path to a magical land is not open to everyone, but only to a select few. To get to Shambhala, you need to be a person who has despised earthly joys, abandoned vain thoughts, and stopped chasing wealth. Shambhala can only be reached by the strong in spirit, who have not burdened their souls with various sins.

Many people tried to find Shambhala, guided by information from Tibetan legends. In legends, paradise is called the “northern place of tranquility.” It was assumed that Shambhala is located north of Tibet. The Indians believed that Shambhala, with its capital Kalapa, is located north of the Himalayas, and is inhabited only by perfect people.

This country is located in a valley, which is surrounded by high mountains covered with snow. It is impossible to go down from these mountains, because the walls are steep and smooth. The entrance to the magical valley is blocked by a deep lake (or, according to other legends, a deep basin of a dried-up lake). You can enter Shambhala only through a narrow gorge or cave. If a person whose conscience is burdened with sins makes his way to this country, then not only will he not find a heavenly place, but he may die on the way. Nor will anyone driven by idle curiosity find the entrance. He will wander among the caves for a long time, and it will seem to him that he can already discern some kind of light, he can already see a magical land. But no matter how hard he tries, the magical paradise will not open to him. Such a person can wander around for years, but still will not enter a magical land.

The prophet Isaiah was one of those who saw the future. He predicted the Day of Judgment, when God would judge all nations, and also that “a virgin will be with child.” With these words, he indirectly predicted the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

But those who are initiated into the secret knowledge of Tibetan lamas will easily find a magical land. It will seem to him that there are no difficulties, a wide road to the country is open for him. Also, a person who does not have secret knowledge can enter the country. If suddenly a person feels an irresistible call, some forces force him to set out on a journey, then the path will also be open to such a person. A person will not even notice how he will overcome the mountains, go around the lake, go down into the gorge and see the entrance from which a wonderful light will pour.

A person will enter a magical valley and immediately understand that this is exactly the place where his soul has been yearning. An amazing peace will immediately descend on his soul. The traveler will be met by those living in Shambhala, and he will immediately stop feeling lonely. Anyone who finds himself in this wonderful place will not want to leave it, and he will live in this amazing paradise country. But if a person believes that he must return to people, then he will find a way out of the magical land. But anyone who has visited amazing Shambhala at least once will never be able to forget this amazing place and will definitely return there again.

According to Buddhist legends, Buddha visited a magical land. There he was initiated into the teachings of Kalachakra (the secrets of the rotation of the world Wheel were revealed to him). Also in Shambhala, the secrets of the universe were revealed to Buddha. Buddha, having learned this teaching, returned to people to reveal to them the highest wisdom.

The inhabitants of Shambhala are unusually wise; they long ago discovered the secrets of life and death, and also found answers to many questions of existence that philosophers of different times and peoples pondered.

The chosen ones gather in Shambhala. These can be outstanding poets who write their amazing poems. These can be musicians who compose amazing music. These may be scientists who make amazing discoveries. Among the inhabitants of Shambhala, many have supernatural abilities.

According to the legends told by lamas, the inhabitants of Shambhala can heal themselves from any disease. But they can also relieve pain from anyone. Thus, sometimes going beyond the borders of their country, they sometimes help people get rid of serious and even incurable diseases. But they treat not only bodily ailments, but also illnesses of the soul. With the help of their energy, they can save a person from passions and vices, as well as from bad thoughts. After all, the inhabitants of Shambhala can easily read other people's thoughts. And they can also communicate with each other mentally.

But they do not always resort to mental speech, but only in exceptional cases. They speak to each other in a special language that is known only to the inhabitants of this amazing paradise country. It is very easy to learn this language because it is easy, beautiful and melodic. Poets write amazing poems on it, singers sing songs. Anyone who has heard the songs of Shambhala will always feel longing for this magical place.

The inhabitants of this paradise also know about all the affairs that are happening in the world, all the secrets of the past are open to them. But they can also see the future. Residents of a magical land sometimes warn about events that may happen. Most often these events are sad, but it also happens that they announce great joy.

Saint Anthony of Padua became famous for his miracles in medieval Italy. One day he was reading a sermon in the church of Saint-Pierre de Queroy in Limoges, but suddenly remembered that he should be in another place at that time. Saint Anthony knelt down and began to pray. And at that time they saw him in the monastery where he was supposed to be.

The inhabitants of the magical land live more than 100 years. Everyone who enters this country stops getting sick, and if he is sick, his illness is quickly cured. Men and women have beautiful healthy bodies. They play various games carefree or travel through a magical land. And although this country is not large, it has so many wonders that a lifetime would not be enough to see them all.

The paradise country is ruled by a king. This title can only be acquired by the most worthy and wise among the inhabitants of Shambhala. His rule is fair, and the residents are not dissatisfied. They live in beautiful houses and do not need anything. Everyone chooses something they like and works to benefit others.

There are many scientists in the magical land who have made amazing discoveries. They have mirrors that help them see over long distances. Thanks to these mirrors, scientists can see what is happening not only in any corner of the magical land, but also in any corner of the planet. Scientists also have special instruments with which they study the world on other planets.

Lamas believe that 32 kings will rule in Shambhala. And each of these kings will reign for 100 years. The first of the kings reigned at the time when Buddha lived on earth. (This happened in the 6th century BC.) And in the 27th century AD. e. the last king of Shambhala will reign. By this time, the world will be so mired in sin and lewdness, so attached to evil that it will even close around a magical land to block access there for the chosen ones. And then the last king will leave the paradise country of Shambhala along with his army, and a universal battle will take place. All the evil that rules the world will be destroyed in this battle. A golden age will then reign on earth. People will be cleansed and become happy and joyful. Wars all over the world will stop, people will do only good. It is then that the road to the magical land will open, and everyone will be able to visit Shambhala. Scientists from the paradise country will reveal their knowledge to people.

According to the legends of Tibetan lamas, after death a person goes to heaven and merges there with the deity; he no longer undergoes any rebirths.

All-honorable paradise, the most beautiful kindness, a god-created village, endless fun and pleasure,

Glory to the righteous, beauty of prophets and holy dwelling, Pray to the Creator of all with the noise of your leaves,

I opened the gates that I closed with crime.

Lenten Triodion, raw food week, stichera to the Lord I cried.

About paradise

- Father Alexander, please tell us about the conclusions you came to by studying the writings of the holy fathers about paradise.

My own task is very modest in view of the scope of my capabilities. I think that, first of all, we should thoroughly study the teaching of the Holy Fathers about the cosmos and the creation of the world and systematize it. Here you can find material for writing ten dissertations, but few do this. Meanwhile, everyone who writes about the creation of the world and man is very fond of referring to the holy fathers. That is, we often see how individual quotes are taken and adjusted to the author’s reasoning. This approach can hardly be considered scientific.

The main feature of the teaching of the holy fathers about the creation of the world was, in my opinion, attention to the action of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God abided in the created world from the very beginning of its creation, and Scripture (in the Hebrew version) likens this action to a bird hatching an egg - this is how St. Ephraim the Syrian translates the Hebrew text. The world was perceived as a created cosmos, initially and continuously filled with life. This initial fullness of life makes the primordial cosmos different from what we see now.

Such great interest in matter itself, as we see today, appeared much later, already in modern times, in Europe, which was losing faith in Christ. In addition, the aesthetic aspect was of great importance to the ancients, which is either not mentioned or spoken briefly, or even in passing. In fact, the idea of ​​beauty is one of the most important for understanding Shestodnev. But this is, so to speak, “not modern.” It should be noted that now there are theologians who understand all this and are striving to find a new solution to this issue. I would name N. Serebryakov and priest Oleg Mumrikov.

- Why is the doctrine of heaven important for modern Orthodox theology?

Tree of Life

- What is the Tree of Life?

Today the source of life for us is the sun, but at the beginning of creation it was not so. Life was sustained by the grace of God. A mysterious Tree of Life was planted in paradise, which was supposed to become the source of eternal life for man and for the whole world, but man could partake of it only with the special blessing of God. The Holy Fathers say that it was both a real and a symbolic tree. Liturgical poetry speaks of the Cross of Christ as the Tree of Life. And the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the Tree of Life. As we read in the service of the forefeast of the Nativity of Christ, “the tree of the belly in the den of prosperity is from the Virgin.”

Light emanated from the Tree of Life, as St. Ephraim the Syrian writes about it, but it was a special light. Probably this light was not limited to the space of heaven: it spread to the entire universe. The Bible says that even before the creation of the sun, there was primordial light. The sun, as St. Basil the Great writes, was “the chariot of primordial light.” This light can be tried to be associated with cosmic microwave background radiation. But there was also a heavenly light. Just as the water of heaven watered the whole earth, so the light of heaven illuminated the whole universe. And after the Fall, this light is also separated from our universe. The relict radiation has survived, but the heavenly light does not illuminate our planet.

Animals

The Bible says that animals were immediately produced by the earth and then brought into heaven by God. Some scientific directions adhere to the theory of evolution, that is, the doctrine of the origin of some species from others. How to be here?

Yes, animals and birds were brought to heaven. And the fish, too, probably swam along the heavenly river. All creation was brought for heavenly blessing. The animals, in orderly rows, without fear of each other, went to heaven, and Adam gave them names, says St. Ephraim the Syrian. They were afraid of the man, but they obeyed him. What did this mean for the relationship between Adam and the animal kingdom? According to the ancients, giving something a name meant gaining possession of that object, since the name is associated with the essence of the thing.

For example, the philosopher Plato said that the essence of every creature is its idea: a horse has “horseness,” the idea of ​​a horse, which is the essence of a horse. Adam gave names to animals and through this he comprehended their essence, thus gaining power over them. Of course, the presence of animals in paradise in some way ennobled them. This was some very important stage for them. This shows that the theory of evolution has nothing to do with the biblical text, at least until judgment is pronounced. By the way, let me remind you that according to Shestodnev, all animals ate grass - there were no predators on earth, but what about us? And what does “natural science” apologetics say about this?

- What is your opinion?

It seems to me that this herbal diet indicates the special nature of the primordial world, like paradise - no one ate each other there, there was no suffering and cruelty in the behavior of animals. They were created dispassionate.

But what about dinosaurs, lizards, mastodons, saber-toothed tigers and other creatures that paleontology talks about? Children often ask about this. And for some reason no one answers them...

As we have just said, we must keep in mind that the paradise and primordial existence was qualitatively different from the existing existence. You must either believe in this as truth, or consider the story about paradise a children's fairy tale. We must remember the doctrine of the essence of things. The essence is unchangeable, although everything external in a given being can change. The essence of the holistic animal world is that all animals in general were created as assistants to people. Not just horses, dogs and elephants, but all living beings in general. Prehistoric creatures discovered by science - giants with incredible strength - were supposed to be helpers, servants of humanity.

Whether we are atheists or religious dogmatists, all the same, each of us has a glimmer of hope that there, beyond the border of death, it will be GOOD. Well, at least it's at least a little better than here. It's completely dark here and...

Of course, hell is even more terrible than on Earth. Hell is very close. And makes us look towards heaven.

What should an earthly soul do in heaven?

The maximum that a modern person can do in heaven is to sweep the paths of dust along which holy people, angels and God(s) walk. And there’s not much to sweep there—the saints don’t allow themselves to litter.

Without finding a job, an ordinary person in heaven will become sad. And heaven will turn into real hell.

There are gadgets here on Earth. Parents who are always in a hurry give them to their babies so that they don’t get bored. And in heaven there are no gadgets. This garbage is not needed there.

On Earth there are factories, hydroelectric power stations, cars, bicycles and sports equipment. Man creates them to remind Mother Nature who is boss on Earth. And in heaven there is no such garbage. Nobody needs him there.

On Earth there is jealousy, envy and misunderstanding between people. Where do these states come from in heaven, if the very concept of “paradise” is directly opposite to the negative side of human nature?

On Earth there are youth idols Rihanna, Oxxxymiron and Gnoyny, who extract the most dirty and obscene expressions from their native language to describe their inner experiences. And in paradise, creatures have no desire to entertain each other with “junk” art.

They don't kill in heaven. There are slaughterhouses all around the Earth.

So will there be heaven after death - or not?

After death, a person will definitely take a break from the earthly vale. It’s a stretch to call this vacation a heavenly existence.

No pursuit of food and water, no wars, no envy.

It is obvious that the intelligent organizers of our Universe tried to create a kind of “sanatorium” where creatures arrive to relax after adventures on planets like Earth.

So in paradise, the earthly soul will take a break from the Earth, drink coffee (or herbal tea) and dream of how to get back into the earthly meat grinder.

What’s interesting is that two words are said about paradise, but the noise around does not stop, neither about the specifics nor about what it was - before...)
The question is what kind of person are we talking about? About the one Adam, he is not yet one. About an individual soul, so what can these billions say beyond arm's length or their own religious nose?
The question is about what kind of heaven, what is it, if it is faith, then what, if knowledge, then what...
The question of occupations... What kind of occupations are we talking about if there is a difference and not a merging of the earthly and heavenly, but at the same time the unity of heaven and earth through the body of a physical person. How to equalize work in order to have a comparison. And don’t talk about anything...
If the question comes up, that is, if there is no confidence in living life, then is it possible to multiply life without imagining the future of one’s own and the common one...

Don’t sleep - you’ll freeze... The person will thaw with all his complex being. Spring…

Recently I was asked - what will we do in heaven? Of course, we’ll figure it out on the spot - the main thing is to get there - but we already know some things now.

The most important thing that will happen in heaven is that we will see God. As the Apostle says, “Beloved! we are now children of God; but it has not yet been revealed what we will be. We only know that when He is revealed, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Christ promises that we will see His glory (John 17:24). It is said about the Heavenly Jerusalem “And the city has no need of the sun or the moon to give its light, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev. 21:23) In Latin this is called visio beatifica - “beatific vision” ", the ability of angels and saints to directly see God, to know him directly, and not indirectly, as now. The Holy Apostle Paul says: “Therefore we are always in good spirits; and since we know that, being settled in the body, we are removed from the Lord - for we walk by faith and not by sight - then we are complacent and wish better to leave the body and...

Will people work in heaven? Author of the question: Eric, Ufa Eric asked us the following question: “Will we be able to do in heaven what we did in life on earth? Will people work in heaven?
The Lord God, having created Adam, placed him in the Garden of Eden. What was Adam supposed to do in Eden? Communicate with your Creator, enjoy life and all God's blessings, lead a blessed family life, have dominion over all living beings, and cultivate a garden. As you can see, Adam was not created for inactivity, but at the same time he was not designed for hard, exhausting work. Cultivating a garden was not a burden to Adam. The garden did not need to be fertilized, because... the land was generous and fertile. She herself produced all the necessary trees and plants in the Garden. Adam didn't need to weed because... There were no weeds in the Garden of Eden. The trees did not need to be pollinated, protecting them from harmful insects, because... the insects were not harmful. Nothing was needed in the garden...

Hieromonk Kirill (Zinkovsky), candidate of theology, teacher of St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences and Sports, answers them

90 percent of all believers imagine hell and heaven exactly as Dante described them: completely material. Similar ideas can often be found in Orthodox literature intended “for the general reader.” To what extent are such ideas acceptable?

First of all, it must be said that the crude ideas of the medieval Catholic West in no way correspond to the patristic Orthodox Tradition. The Holy Fathers of the Church, thinking about heaven and hell, always based their reasoning on the immeasurable goodness of God and never savored in detail (as we find in Dante) either the torment of hell or the bliss of heaven. Heaven and hell never seemed to them to be crudely material. It is no coincidence that St. Simeon the New Theologian says: “Everyone imagines hell and the torments there as he wishes, but no one really knows what they are”….

In 1999, the Miramax film company presented the comedy film Dogma to the general public. The plot of this picture is built around two fallen angels, Loki and Bartleby, expelled by God from paradise. And this couple lives on earth among people and dreams of forgiveness and a return to the Garden of Eden. In the story, apostates find a technical loophole among various church dogmas that allows them to become sinless again. After this, they should immediately die - then they automatically go to heaven. And so the angels go to great lengths to make their dream come true. This comedy film touches on a question that worries many people, although not everyone can admit it even to themselves: “How to get to heaven?” Today we will try to figure this out, despite the fact that this topic is, so to speak, in the department of faith and religion. To date, science has not been able to provide evidence of the existence of paradise, nor has it been able to provide evidence of its absence. Well, let's go to...

Archpriest Alexander Saltykov, rector of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Kadashi, dean of the Faculty of Church Arts of PSTGU, for a long time studied the reasoning of the holy fathers about the creation of the world and paradise in the primordial world. We asked Father Alexander to answer our questions about heaven.

All-honorable paradise, the most beautiful kindness, a god-created village, endless fun and pleasure,

Glory to the righteous, beauty of prophets and holy dwelling, Pray to the Creator of all with the noise of your leaves,

I opened the gates that I closed with crime.

Lenten Triodion, raw food week, stichera to the Lord I cried.

About paradise

Archpriest Alexander Saltykov

Father Alexander, please tell us about the conclusions you came to by studying the writings of the holy fathers about paradise.

My own task is very modest in view of the scope of my capabilities. I think that, first of all, we should thoroughly study the teaching of the Holy Fathers about the cosmos and the creation of the world and systematize it. Here you can find…

Hello Lets.

Actually, I already left the forum. It seems that I have liquidated all subscriptions. And I asked the moderators to remove my account from the forum. But somehow a notification arrived via E. Mail. about your answer.
I decided that I needed to say goodbye to you. With Tolstoy, Walken via
I said goodbye to Tolstoy via E. Mail.
You have correctly noted that believers have nothing to say about heaven.
About the peak, the final goal of their journey. No one knows where they are called.
This all reminds me of a Russian fairy tale about a soldier. When the king speaks to the soldier. Go there I don’t know where. Bring something we don’t know.
Christians do not know what heaven is. Common phrases. I knew there would be no answers. I just wanted to show the absurdity of this situation.
When those calling themselves do not know where they are calling people. And this speaks so eloquently that, in general, no other words are needed. It is not necessary to understand that the concept of a pure paradise is the folklore of ancient man. Beautiful, alluring and unattainable. It just amazes me how...

Is it possible to find out where the soul of a loved one ended up after death?

Probably, every person wants to believe that his loved ones reach heavenly abodes after death, enjoying the blessings of heaven together with the holy saints, and do not at all want to believe that the person’s soul has gone to hell. Every time, hearing from different people the question about whether it is possible to find out where the soul of a loved one ended up after death, you have to think about it in order to give an answer to this question, which seems to not require special consideration. It would seem that what could be simpler than to say: if a person sinned, that means he will go to hell; if he lived righteously, that means he will go to heaven? But it's not that simple. We cannot pronounce a verdict on the afterlife fate of the soul for God. Only the Lord executes judgment on man. Therefore, all reflections in this article have the right to exist only as assumptions. In different cultures one can observe completely different descriptions of the afterlife of people. And even within the culture itself sometimes...

From the letter:

“...I am tormented by the question of where people who were killed by violent death end up, because the person who was killed did not have time to confess before his death, and is it true that all their sins are forgiven? The fact is that almost two years ago my husband was killed (we were not married), and I always think about whether his soul has found peace? I also wanted to ask you when the second coming of Christ will be, I’m so tired of everything. I feel very sad and bad without him, there is no support.”

About your question: “Is it true that a murdered person is forgiven all his sins?” I think that only the Lord God can know the answer to this question. He alone decides who to pardon and who to execute. Judge for yourself, for example, the person who himself killed people and was killed in a shootout or in a fight, how can you say whether his sins will be forgiven if he, even if not of his own free will, did not have time to confess and take communion before his death. On the other hand, there is an opinion that those people who died on Easter for...

What happens to the soul after death: theories and hypotheses about where the human soul ends up

Sooner or later, every mortal thinks about the upcoming afterlife. Most people are terrified by the prospect. A detailed answer to the now popular question of what happens to the soul after death can be read below.

Structure of the Universe

The universe can be described as a structure consisting of three layers:

Reality. Physical world. Our current location. Correct. The world of the subtlest energy. Here a new soul is born. Nav. A certain layer between “Reality” and “Rule”. The soul that appears in “Rule” passes through this world and strives for “Reality”. The soul of the deceased travels this path in the opposite direction.

The path of the soul after the death of a person:

Death. The soul leaves the physical body. For some time, and we will describe this period in more detail below, the entity is in the world of Reality. Cleansing. The soul rises to Nav. In this high world there is a cleansing...

Christian believers know that every word in the Bible is the word of God himself, and therefore is the absolute truth. Those who have read the Bible know very well that women and even men who have had sexual intercourse with women have no chance of going to heaven. Catholic priests and Orthodox monks read the Bible, therefore, they try either not to have sexual intercourse at all, or have sex exclusively with children or men. Women and men who “know” women will go straight to hell, without options (Bible, Revelation of John the Theologian-14, 1-4):

1 And I looked, and behold, a Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him an hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of great thunder; and I heard the voice of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sing, as it were, a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn this song except these hundred and forty-four thousand, redeemed from the earth….

“After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice, which I heard like the sound of a trumpet, spoke to me, saying, Come out here, and I will show you what must happen after this” (4:1) .
“And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, there was a throne in heaven, and there was one sitting on the throne” (4:2).
“And he who sat was in appearance like a jasper and a sardis stone; and a rainbow around the throne, like emerald” (4:3).
“And around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and I saw sitting on thrones twenty-four elders, who were clothed in white robes and had golden crowns on their heads” (4:4).
“And from the throne came lightnings and thunders and voices, and seven lamps of fire burned before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God” (4:5).
“And before the throne was a sea of ​​glass, like crystal; and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind” (4:6).
“And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature like a calf, and the third living creature...

Question No. 519

Is it possible to find out whether a person went to heaven or hell after death?

Yaroslav, St. Petersburg, Russia
21/01/2003

Hello, Father Oleg!
I would like to wish you health and continue to profess the true Faith and guide us, the weak, on the right path.
Is it possible to find out whether a person went to heaven or hell after death?

Answer from Father Oleg Molenko:

What can be known is whether a person has gone to hell or heaven, the word of God testifies through the mouth of the Lord Jesus Himself:

Luke 16:
22 The beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 And in hell, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom

This is confirmed by the Tradition of the Church, which has collected the experimental testimonies of the holy saints of God.

In everyday life, this is possible for us if God blesses us to reveal the posthumous fate of a particular person. This is done not to satisfy idle curiosity, but for...

Children must be submissive to their parents and obey them. respect them, be lenient, grateful to them. The mother should be surrounded with special honor, as this stems from her maternal rights. She endures all the pain and suffering of pregnancy, childbirth, feeding, and raising children.

- “We have commanded man to do good to his parents; the mother carries it with burden and produces it with burden; (and gestation and weaning - thirty months).” (Surah Ahkaf, verse 151.)

Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Three people will not go to heaven;

- “A man who disobeyed his parents;

- a person who was engaged in pimping;

“a woman who aspired to be like a man.”

Children should look after their parents and take care of them when they reach a respectable, elderly age:

“And your Lord has decided that you should not worship anyone except Him, and be kind to your parents. If…

Where does a suicide go after death?

Suicide Stories

While the souls of people naturally experience relief and even joy in that world, the souls of suicides, on the contrary, once in that world, experience confusion and suffering there. One expert in the field of suicide expressed this fact with the following apt phrase: “If you part with life with a restless soul, then you will go into the next world with a restless soul.” Suicides commit suicide to “end everything,” but it turns out that that’s where everything is just beginning for them.

Here are a few contemporary stories that illustrate the otherworldly state of suicide. One man who loved his wife dearly committed suicide when she died. He hoped to be united with her forever. However, it turned out to be completely different. When the doctor managed to resuscitate him, he said: “I ended up in a completely different place from where she was... It was some kind of terrible place... And I immediately realized that...

In the summer of 1974, when I was only eight years old, I returned home from school and went to my room to read my daily portion of the Bible. I wanted to finish these four chapters of the Gospel of John quickly so that I could go play with my friends.
I took the Bible and lay down on the bed. However, as soon as my head hit the pillow, the Bible, the bed, the room, and even my very body all disappeared! This happened without any warning. Suddenly, the true self - the spiritual being Roberts Liardon living in this body (2 Cor. 5:1 -10) - flew, cutting through the heavens at great speed.

At that time, while still a little boy, I did not know that the Word of God speaks of more than one heaven. Only then did I learn that Genesis 1:1 tells how God created the heavens and the earth. Bible scholars agree that there are three heavens.
The first heaven, according to the Old Testament, is the earth's atmosphere. The “second heaven” usually refers to the cosmos and the sphere in which Satan and his demons have been located since the expulsion from the third heaven (Rev. 12:4). The third heaven, according to Scripture, is the dwelling place of God.

Paul mentions heaven in Ephesians.
In Ephesians 1:20,21 he writes that Christ was seated at the right hand of God "in the heavenly places, far above all principality and authority and power and dominion and every name."

In 3:10, Paul wrote that Christ wants the Church, His Body, to declare to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places the manifold wisdom of God.
And, of course, Paul was writing about a man he knew—most people believe it was the apostle himself—who was out of the body and who, like me, was caught up to the third heaven.

The Old Testament term “heaven of heavens” (Deut. 10:14; 3 Kings 8:27; Ps. 67:34; 149:4) is synonymous with the “third heaven” of which Paul writes.
But all I knew that day in 1974 was that I was flying through the heavens at incredible speed. I rushed past many things in the first sky, rushed through the second and landed at a huge gate. Never in my life - neither before nor after - have I seen a gate larger than this.

All I can say about them is that they were very wide, very high and absolutely flawless - not a single scratch. This gate was made from a single piece of pearl, one huge sparkling, blazing, dazzling white pearl, decorated with tiles around the edges. It was the largest gate I had ever seen. Their presence radiated not so much an aura, but some kind of special flame - their very life.
I shook my head to make sure I was not dreaming - everything was happening so quickly. But when I heard a voice behind me speaking to me, I realized that everything was happening in reality.

The man said, “This is one of the gates.”
I turned around. Jesus Christ stood there in all His glory! Even though He did not look like the pictures I had seen on earth, I recognized Him immediately. All I can say is that when you encounter the presence of Jesus, you will know without a shadow of a doubt. Who is standing in front of you?

Many people ask me what He looked like. (I noticed that when someone talks about seeing Jesus, the first thing they ask is what He looked like.) I know from my own experience that when one sees Jesus, one is so captivated that His appearance takes a backseat to His literal presence. You are so caught up in it. Who He is that your mind doesn't focus on and remember the details of what He looks like.
However, I remember that His height was about one meter eighty centimeters, He had sandy brown hair, not very short, but not very long either. I remember my first impression of Him: He was perfect. His appearance, speech, movements - everything was perfect. What I remember most is the impression of perfection and completeness.

In the years since that event, I have often heard people say to me when I talk about heaven, or people who have read an earlier edition of this book, “But Jesus has dark hair.”
Maybe they are right. Perhaps His hair seemed blond to me because of the light of His presence or because of the glory that overshadowed Him. All I know is that they looked sandy brown back then. Or perhaps some people believe that Jesus had black hair because of the influence of medieval portraits in which He is depicted as such, or because He was Jewish.

On the other side. The Apostle John writes that Jesus' hair is as white as white wool, like snow (Rev. 1:14). So I can't argue about Jesus' hair color. I can only describe how I saw it.
I fell to my knees and tears flowed from my eyes. I couldn't stop them even if I tried. Every time Jesus speaks, it is like the arrows of faith, aimed by love, striking and exploding within you. And all you can do is cry.

He spoke again: "I want to show you heaven because I love you so much."
And there is no person whom Jesus loves more than you. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). Tears started streaming down my face again.

Jesus said, "Enough. No more tears. A face that glows with joy will give me pleasure."
Then He laughed, and I laughed too. He came to me, took me in his arms and wiped my tears. These were not tears of sadness or sadness, nor were they tears of fear. As I said before, the presence of Jesus is so tender to your spirit that joy bursts out in tears.

Our earthly vocabulary is too small to describe Jesus or heaven. All we - those who have seen Jesus or heaven - can do is express what we saw in comparison with "what it was like" on earth, but the result is only a poor semblance of the true picture.

Life in heaven

Jesus led me through this huge gate. He didn't ask anyone to open them and didn't press any button. The gate simply opened and we entered.
The first thing I saw was the street. And she was golden.

When I walked through heaven later, I saw that all the streets looked as if they were literally paved with pure gold. Even the curbstones were gold (Rev. 21:21). And right behind the curb stone, flowers of all shades of the rainbow were planted.
I thought, “If this is heaven, then I am now standing on the streets of gold,” and I rushed to the curb.

From there I saw Jesus turn to tell me something, but I was no longer there.
He looked at me and asked, “What are you doing there?”

I stood on the grass next to the curb with my eyes and mouth wide open in surprise. My answer consisted of two words: “Golden streets!” Some of these streets looked like earthly gold. That's why I recognized them. But others were so transparent that the gold was like crystal.
Jesus laughed and laughed. It began to seem to me that He would never stop. Then He said, “Come on, come here.”

And I answered: “No, these streets are golden. I can’t walk on them!” (I had previously only seen gold in the form of rings on people's fingers. I knew it was very expensive and valuable.)
But Jesus beckoned me with his finger. “Come here,” He said. Still laughing. He came up to me and took me by the hand back to the street.

"These streets are made for those who have accepted Me into their hearts. This place is prepared for My younger brothers and sisters. (Rom. 8:29; John 14:2,3). And you are one of them, so you can enjoy them ".
As we walked, I realized that the atmosphere of heaven is wonderful because it is charged with the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23,24). Even the breeze itself was filled with God's presence. Sometimes on earth, when someone with a very strong anointing prays for you, you get goosebumps. But even if the body does not respond to the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit, you still feel an inner warmth, as if the love of God is enveloping you. This is the feeling that arises in heaven, only there it is much stronger.

We passed by towns, houses and small offices. These buildings were intended for special “works” or meetings that were done and took place in heaven. I saw people coming in and out, and they were all smiling. Some sang songs that we sing on earth, while others sang heavenly songs that I had never heard before. These people were carrying small packages, and some of them had books in their hands.
I'm not sure if there was any money exchange there, but people came in and out to get things. I saw a woman enter one of these buildings with a small purse containing something and come out with a book.

The monasteries are ready for us

As we walked along what looked like an unpaved earthen path, I saw a gigantic building behind the trees. Even now, as an adult and remembering this house, I know that it was a monastery (John 14:2). This building looked so huge not only because I was a small boy.
As we walked along the path to that house, Jesus kept talking to me. Jesus is a Person and you can talk to Him about everyday matters. He is not only a member of the Trinity that rules and reigns, but He is also our friend. And we don't have to go to heaven to talk to Him! Jesus is with us here on earth. He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5).

The Trinity - God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit - has feelings. Otherwise we would not have feelings - after all, we were created in their image (Gen. 1:26). However, unlike many of us, They do not depend on Their feelings. Their emotions do not guide Them. They do what is right, regardless of Their feelings. Therefore, although we have feelings, we should not allow them to control us.
When someone hurts our feelings, we begin to feel sorry for ourselves, get angry, and often even try to take revenge somehow. Our attitude may offend Jesus, but His love and attitude towards us remain the same. He does not spare Himself, no malice comes from Him, He does not take revenge.

We are not designed to be driven by negative feelings. But they became part of us at that moment. when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and had to leave the Garden of Eden. We must be very careful not to offend Jesus, the Holy Spirit or the Father because we love Them. And we cannot love Them more than They love us, but we must love Them as much as we can.
Love permeated everything Jesus said or did during my journey through heaven. I will never forget this revelation of true love.

When we reached the door of the monastery, Jesus knocked. This is also part of love - to be attentive to the feelings, time and personal lives of other people. The people in heaven are very polite.
We waited for about three minutes, but the owners did not answer, then Jesus knocked again. The door was opened by a short man. He stuck his head out and spoke to us. In heaven, I've never seen anyone just "fly through walls."

He said, "How are you, Jesus? How are you, Roberts?" I almost fell. This man knew my name!
I thought, “How does he know my name? Only Jesus knows me here.”

However, I soon realized that everyone we talked to knew my name. The conversations were the same as on earth. People asked questions and answered them.
I looked at this man, absolutely amazed, but, as I was taught, I politely answered: “Okay.”

We were invited to enter. Jesus and I went in and sat down. The heavenly sofas were different from ours. Earthly furniture can sometimes be uncomfortable. In heaven, comfort seeks you out. I sat down on a black velvet sofa, and it changed shape and literally enveloped me. I was so comfortable that I didn’t even want to move.
After talking a little, the owner showed us the house. His abode was very similar to earthly houses, only it was perfect. There were curtains hanging on the windows. The walls were decorated with paintings, which in this house were very reminiscent of the art of earthly modernists, only they were much better.

There were also photographs of the owner's family members; and flowers and trees were placed everywhere. In addition, the entire house was filled with fine furniture and luxury items. I even recognized some of them.
Each monastery was suitable for the person who lived in it. Every child of God has his own home in heaven (John 14:2). The one we went to had different rooms, such as a dining room, living room, kitchen, office, etc. (I'm sure there were bedrooms, but we didn't go upstairs).

The owner gave me a large fruit, like an apple and very tasty. Then we said goodbye and left through the back door. I don’t know why, but that’s exactly how we came out. There were other people in the house; before we left they hugged and kissed us.
It seems that many people do not believe that we will eat in heaven. However, the Apostle John wrote about the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:19). John also wrote about the tree of life, which bears one of 12 fruits every month (Rev. 22:2). In addition, Jesus and his disciples ate fish and bread after he was resurrected and received a transfigured body, such as we will have in heaven (Luke 24:42; John 21:9).

Everyone I've seen looked great and were in full bloom. Everyone looked to be in their thirties. Perhaps this is because the Bible says that we will be like Him (1 John 3:2), but He was resurrected and ascended into heaven at this age. I didn't see any children at all; however, for some reason I am sure that they were there. Apparently they were in a different place where we didn't go.
In addition, I learned that there age is determined by a person’s spiritual maturity, and not by age on earth. When you go to heaven, your age will be equal to the age of the hidden person living in your heart.

Animals in heaven

Jesus and I moved on. After crossing several hills, I saw as many different animals as you can imagine, from A to Z. Sometimes people question this, but if you look at it, why shouldn't animals be in heaven? The Bible says there are horses there. Will God really limit himself to just one type of animal?
Everyone knows that Jesus will return to earth on a white horse (Rev. 19:11). Horses and a chariot were sent to take Elijah to heaven (2 Chron. 2:11,12). Both the chariot and the horses were of fire.

Some time later, Elisha asked God to open the eyes of his servant so that he could see that there was a larger army on Israel's side than on the enemy's side.
“...And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw, and behold, the whole mountain was filled with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).

I saw a dog, a kid and a mighty lion. Birds of all sizes chirped in the trees, and they all seemed to be singing the same song. And when they finished singing, you would have thought that they began to talk to each other!
In the distance I saw other animals, but I could not recognize them. However, they did not run away from people or try to attack them. Weight was quiet and calm. There is no fear in heaven. God's presence there is so strong that things like fear, confusion, doubt, weakness and worry simply cannot exist.

I also looked at the trees. As we passed them, the leaves swayed in dance and praise. You would have thought that a strong wind was blowing everywhere. The grass was green - all green - and very soft. When we passed, it immediately straightened and took its previous position, so the traces instantly disappeared.
Many will rejoice when they learn that in heaven there is no need to mow lawns! The grass always remains the same length. And if a leaf falls from a tree, it immediately disappears. There is no rotten fruit on the trees, because there is no death or corruption in heaven. There is nothing wrong and there are never any problems.

Of course, thanks to the presence of the Source of life itself, there is no doubt or unbelief. The goodness of God is in heaven.

Cloud of Witnesses

Walking with Jesus in heaven, we became good friends. I felt very comfortable with Him and was not at all nervous about what I said or did. Looking at myself, I saw that my clothes were exactly the same as everyone else we met.
All the saints I saw wore white robes - "the white linen of righteousness."

“And it was given to her (the Bride of Christ in general and the saints of God in particular) to be clothed in fine linen, clean and bright; and the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints” (Revelation 19:8).
Some people wore jewelry, others wore colorful scarves. Of course, no one showed any fuss or pride in their appearance, but there is no doubt that even in heaven God wants all His children to honor Him and look good. However, white robes were an important element of heavenly attire.

Having been to heaven, I can no longer understand people who believe that there they will only lazily fly on the clouds. If God does not approve of people's self-indulgence and laziness (Prov. 6:6; 15:19) on earth, then much less will He allow it in heaven. There is no laziness in heaven - none at all.
I am also concerned about all the false information about angels that is circulating not only in the world, but also in the Church! Everywhere you can see pictures depicting half-naked cherubs, a meter tall, shooting arrows of “love” at people from a bow. And recently there was even a popular show on television based on the fantasy that people turn into angels after death.

And to make matters worse, this show and another fairly popular movie, It's a Wonderful Life, which is shown every year during the Christmas holiday, are based on the premise that people who want to become angels can earn their wings. Nothing in heaven can be earned by “the works of the flesh,” neither good nor bad. Everything there is a gift from God the Father to His beloved children.
People must understand that angels are completely different from us. According to what is written in the Bible, there are several types of winged celestial creatures.

Cherubs are beautiful creatures, as different from the plump little cherubs of romantic fantasies as you can imagine. In addition to them, there are also messenger angels, warrior angels and seraphim. There may be someone else, but the Bible is silent about it.
From a technical point of view, cherubs are not angels, but are an absolutely independent species. When Adam and Eve were sent to live on earth. God appointed cherubim to guard the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24). Moses was commanded to make golden images of cherubim so that they would shade (Ex. 25:18; Heb. 9:5), that is, to make a glory cover for the Ark of the Covenant.

Ezekiel, describing his vision of fornication in the Temple of Jerusalem, calls the cherubim animals (Ezek. 10:20; 16:15). He said that the cherubim had four faces: the face of a cherub, the face of a man, the face of a lion, and the face of an eagle (Ezek. 10:14, 20-22).
In fact, in a passage that many believe refers to Satan, Ezekiel calls him “the anointed cherub to overshadow” (Ezekiel 28:14). We usually call the devil a fallen angel, but according to the Word he was a creature of much higher rank. He was, in fact, one of the beautiful cherubs - the highest ranking being in heaven. However, by rebelling against God, he was able to convince a third of the angels in heaven to follow him (Rev. 12:4).

The Bible talks a lot about angels. Some of them carried judgment, for example, the angels who came to Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19); others carried a warning, such as the angel with a drawn sword who appeared to Balaam (Num. 22:22-35), and still others were answers to prayer, such as the one who came to Daniel after 21 days of fasting (Dan. 10:13).
According to my observations, angels reach a height of two meters, some even higher. They are fully dressed according to the purpose and level of their assignment. Some have wings, others don't.

Seraphim (Is. 6:2, 26), according to the prophet Isaiah, have six wings. Truly, these heavenly creatures are more beautiful than anything we can imagine (1 Cor. 2:9).
This is how I saw them.

Tears of intercession

We left the building, and as we walked along the road, Jesus began to cry. I was amazed. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, wept. He turned to me; Tears of intercession flowed down His cheeks. Some of His words are too holy for me to repeat, but I can say this:
"Roberts, I love My people so much that I would come back to earth and preach again for three years and die for even one person. If I had to pay the price all over again and if I knew they wanted to go to heaven, I would would do it again.

I don't need to know whether they will succeed or not. If they only wanted to get here, then I would die for them again, even if they were the worst sinners in the world."
He continued: “I love my people so much. Why don't people believe My Word? Don't they know that I have all the authority on earth and in heaven, with which I can confirm every word I say? It's so simple. I didn't make it anything complicated. If people would only believe My Word, I would do what I said."

He began to cry even more and said, “I don’t understand why people say they believe that I will do something, but when it doesn’t happen in their time, they begin to doubt My Word. If only they would believe and with They said with confidence that I would do it, then I would do it at the right time."
I know that Jesus wept because of our unbelief. I was only eight years old at the time, but I already knew what it was and how much it hurt Jesus. And right there I made a covenant with Jesus to never doubt His words and let God be God. Now, when I think or speak about something with doubt, I remember the tears of intercession streaming down the face of Jesus, and I cast aside all doubt and unbelief.

Having reached one of the branches of the River of Life, we took off our shoes and entered the water. The depth was knee-deep and the water was crystal clear. Do you know what Jesus did? He dipped me into the water. I jumped back and splashed Him. We had a water battle. We splashed and laughed. And we walked inside the water. I know that you don’t understand this, and, in principle, neither do I. But that was exactly what we did.
And that meant something to me. The King of Glory, the Son of God, took time away from His work to splash around with eight-year-old Roberts in the River of Life. When I'm back in heaven again, I'll put a historical plaque on that spot: "On this very spot, Jesus Christ became not only Roberts Liardon's Lord and Savior, but also His friend."

Yes, He became my friend. Now we walk and talk together. When I hear a good joke, I run to Jesus and listen to Him laugh at it. And when He hears a funny joke, He tells it to me. You know. God can tell you some good jokes if you are sensitive enough to hear His voice. His jokes are very funny and never boring. After all, the Bible tells us that God knows how to laugh (Ps. 2:4; Ps. 36:13).
The River of Life is unlike anything on earth. When you step into its waters, it cleanses you. It cleanses you of everything that remains in you from earthly life, and gives you life from its true source. The Throne Room of God (Rev. 22:1,2).

The River of Life flows like a mountain stream, and it has no bottom. All its water is crystal clear. After playing for a while, we went ashore. Then I felt as if a huge hair dryer had turned on and instantly dried our clothes. We put on our shoes and moved on.

Our "family" cheers us on

Then we had to face something that I never expected to see in heaven, but which I remember as the funniest experience. However, when I figured it out, I realized that it was the most uplifting and exciting thing I have ever dealt with in my entire Christian life.
Hebrews 12:1 speaks of the “cloud of witnesses”:

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every burden and the sin that so easily besets us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
I saw this huge cloud of witnesses. They know what the Church is doing spiritually. For example, when I preach, they encourage me and shout, “Do it, do it, go ahead.” When "half time" arrives, they all fall to their knees and begin to pray. "Half time" is prayer time. Then they all get up and start cheering me on again.

It's like a big game, a game very serious and very real, not just for fun. Our fans cheer us on. They are 100 percent behind us. "Go ahead! Take them! So! Go ahead!"
If we could only clearly understand that Scripture speaks of one family on earth and in heaven, we could hear in our spirit what our heavenly relatives are saying. If we heard this cloud of witnesses, we would prosper in all areas of life. And to do this, you just need to go to the world of the spirit.

People from time to time ask me about true family members who have gone to heaven: “Will I see my cousin in heaven? How will I recognize him?” I truly believe that to God our “spiritual family” is much more important than a regular family. Even though you may recognize your cousin in heaven, you may be surprised to find that your most important relationships will be with the people God has placed in your “spiritual family,” and these will not necessarily be members of your “regular family.” ".
Unclaimed Blessings

The next point of my journey was another building, but it was much larger and looked rather strange. My curiosity was aroused even more when I saw that the building was literally entwined with lightning, and thunder could be heard from inside.
Usually I asked Jesus out loud, and He answered me out loud too.

But this time I just thought, “I wonder what this building is?” The answer came immediately.
"This is the Throne Room of God."

It also differed from all others in that seven rows of flowers were planted in front of it. They grew on the sides of the path leading to the entrance. In heaven, everything has a purpose, and the number 7 in the Bible symbolizes perfection and completeness. The flowers themselves constantly changed their colors and looked very much like a rainbow. All flowers, buds and leaves were the same size.
In addition, 12 trees grew in front of the building - not like we see on earth, but special, heavenly. There was a tree of wisdom, bearing the fruit of wisdom, a tree of love, bearing the fruit of love, etc. There was a tree of life, bearing 12 different fruits, whose leaves “heal” the nations. Twelve is the number of supreme power.

And he showed me a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and the Lamb. In the midst of its street, and on both sides of the river, is the tree of life, bearing fruit twelve times, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:1,2).
And I saw two angels standing at the entrance. Each of them held a sword in his hand, and the blades of the swords were tongues of flame. These two angels were guarding the entrance to the Throne Hall of God, and their swords were literally blazing.

Heavenly repository

We moved on - and this is the most important, and perhaps the strangest part of my story. About half a kilometer from the Throne Hall there were three warehouses. They were very long and very wide. There may have been more, but I only noticed three. We entered the first of them. As Jesus closed the door behind us, I looked around in shock!
Along one wall, various parts of human bodies lay on shelves. The legs were hanging on the wall, but it all looked natural, not grotesque. Along the other wall there were eyes on shelves: green, brown, blue, etc.

This building contains all the parts of the human body needed on earth, but Christians do not understand that such blessings await them in heaven. And in the entire universe there is no other place where all this can be needed except here on earth. They are not needed anywhere else.
Jesus told me, "These are unclaimed blessings. This building should not be filled. It should be empty. This is where you come in faith, and this is where you and the people you come in contact with today can receive the body parts you need."

Unclaimed blessings lie in those warehouses - all the parts of the human body that anyone could need: hundreds of new eyes, legs, hair, eardrums, new skin - it's all there. All you have to do is lie down and take what you need with the hand of faith, because it's already there.
You don't have to cry and beg God to create the body part you need. Just go and get it. The doors to these vaults are never locked. They are always open for those who need to enter. We have to clear these buildings.

Sometimes when we pray, an angel from heaven brings us the answer, as we see in the story of Daniel (Dan. 10:12), but he cannot always deliver it right away. Daniel prayed and fasted for 21 days before receiving the answer. Thanks to his persistence in prayer, the angel was able to overcome demonic barriers in the second heaven, where the principalities, powers and rulers of the darkness of this world dwell (Eph. 6:12).
What would have happened if Daniel had stopped praying and “persevering” while waiting for an answer from God? The angel might not have won the battle with the prince of the kingdom of Persia (Dan. 10:13), and Daniel might not have received the answer if, as many Christians do today, he had said, “Well, this thing doesn’t work. I prayed and fasted.” , but God still didn’t answer.”

But the truth is that he would not have received the answer because he had stopped praying; he would have given up too soon.

Jesus wants us to be alive and well

Because of my journey to heaven, I never doubted not only that Jesus wants His people alive and well, but that healing belongs to all who will accept it. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God did not place sickness and sickness on people. During my journey to heaven I saw neither one nor the other. I saw there only provision for creative miracles.
Everything God has given us, done, or provided for us has its source in Him and His heavenly Kingdom. So how could He give us sickness or disease if it is a purely earthly phenomenon, the result of the fall of Adam and Eve? Weakness, illness, any deficiency and all other earthly sorrows come from Satan - the father of lies and the culprit of death and destruction.

However, my knowledge of healing in Jesus is not based on an experience in heaven. I base myself only on the Word of God. There are many good books on the subject of healing, but there is too little space in this book to discuss this topic in detail here. But for the sake of those who do not know this or have been taught something completely different, I want to give just two verses of Scripture that prove that healing is ours.
“But He was revealed for our sins and tormented for our iniquities; the punishment of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed (in the original - we are healed. Note transl.)” - (Isaiah 53:5).

The prophet said this while awaiting the time when Jesus would come to earth as the Messiah and go to the cross for the sake of humanity.
“He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, so that we, being freed from sins, should live for righteousness; by His stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24)

The Apostle Peter quoted Isaiah, but changed the verb; Isaiah looked to the future; Peter used the verb in the past tense. Isaiah looked for Jesus to come with healing on his wings (Mal. 4:2), and Peter said, "It's already done! He's already come with healing on his wings."
Jesus wants us to be physically healthy for two reasons: He loves us and doesn't want us to be in pain, and He wants nothing to stop us from doing His will in ministry or in our lives. Sickness and illness make you think about yourself and not about others; they drain your finances which could be used for the work of the Lord: and they give Satan the opportunity to gain so many victories in your life.

A fairly popular teaching is that God uses sickness and disease to “teach us something.” This is absolutely contrary to Scripture. Would you give your child measles or smallpox to “teach him something?” If so, then you are simply mocking your child. And this is exactly what God would do if he taught us through sickness or disease.
Jesus noted that if earthly fathers give something good to their children, how much more will our Heavenly Father give to us. To your children, good gifts. He asked if you would give your son a snake if he asked you for a fish (Matt. 10:16; Luke 11:11). So why do people think God can do such a thing?

If, according to the Old Testament, God kept more than three million Jews healthy and free from infirmity, then much more will He keep His children healthy and free from infirmity under the New Testament, a better covenant! (Heb. 8:6).
Read Exodus 15:26:

“If you obey the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon Egypt; for I am the Lord your healer. ".
Notice that the conditions for a healthy life were obedience to the voice of God, doing what was pleasing in His sight, paying attention to His commandments, and keeping all His statutes. The bottom line is this: God says, “If you listen to Me and obey Me, then I will do this for you.”

In Aramaic this verse reads as follows:
“I will not allow any of the diseases to happen to you that I allowed to happen to the Egyptians.”

During my journey through heaven I knew none of this, only later, as I grew, did I learn all this from the Word of God. However, after this journey, I knew that it is always the will of God for the healing of all who listen to Him and obey Him - and this, according to the New Testament, means that a person should walk in love with God and with his “neighbor” (Matthew 22: 37-39) and in faith (Heb. 11).
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive it, and it will be done for you” (Mark 11:24)

“But let him ask in faith, without any doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, tossed and tossed by the wind; let such a person not think that he will receive anything from the Lord. A man with double thoughts is not firm in all his ways” - (Jacob 1:6-8).
As far back as I can remember, even before my journey to heaven, I have never doubted that the Word of God is true.

After Jesus showed me the Throne Room of God and the repository of unclaimed blessings, we moved on and walked in silence. I thought about what I saw and simply enjoyed the presence of Jesus.
Then Jesus spoke and began to tell me about the work He called me to do on earth.

Jesus appointed me

Jesus took both my hands in His, and He placed the other hand on my head.
He said, "Roberts, I'm calling you to a great work. I'm calling you to a great work. You'll have to run like no one else, and preach like no one else."

In other words, He told me not to try to copy other people, not to try to fit into religious opinions and frameworks, but to simply do only what He wants me to do and be only what He wants me to be.
“Difficult times will come,” He warned me, “but you need to look at them not as thresholds, but as steps. Go with strength and with faith, and I will always be with you. Go, go, go. Go and do what I did."

And when Jesus first said, “Go,” anointing and fire began to flow from Him into me. This fire passed through me from head to toe. And now, every time I talk about Jesus, no matter if there are 3,000 people listening or just one, my whole body literally burns, as it is written in Luke 3:16:
“John answered everyone: I baptize you with water, but one mightier than me is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

The Church must accept this fire of God. Only he can burn away all the straw in your life. Hebrews 12:29 says, “For our God is a consuming fire.”
If you allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to purify your body, you will be able to walk boldly with a pure heart and a pure mind with God. You will learn that you can enter into His presence, where you belong, without fear of being killed by His glory.

After praying for me and appointing me, Jesus stepped back. I looked at my palms. They were red, like blood.
Stepping back, Jesus pulled a large screen out of thin air. On this screen He began to show me my past.

Of course, at the age of eight I didn’t have it for very long.
But then, when Jesus began to show me my ministry and the people who would be saved through it, I tried not to miss anything, and now I try to reach every one of them - even if it means living into old age.

A miracle greater than the miracle of raising Lazarus occurs when a person is born again, raised from spiritual death, and saved from eternal damnation.
I saw myself preaching in various places. Then I realized it was time to go.

I was about to leave through the nearest gate when Jesus called: “Roberte!” I turned around very quickly. Jesus stood with tears streaming down His cheeks. His hands were extended towards me.
He said, "I love you."

And when He said this, I left heaven and returned to my earthly home.