Carried into Heaven

The older I get the more I think about what it will be like to go to heaven. I am so thankful that I have the assurance of my salvation through Jesus Christ, so I know heaven will be my eternal home. However, I still wonder what it will be like to actually get there to see Jesus and the loved ones who have gone before. I know the Lord Jesus has worked out all of the details, so I am not worried, just curious.

Elijah was told by God that he as about to be taken to heaven, but he did not know how. (II Kings 2:11) As he and Elisha were walking along and talking down near the Jordan river, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared. It was drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. I am sure that was more dramatic than it will be for most of us.

Of course, we could be taken to heaven by Jesus and His angels when we die a physical death. John 14 tells us that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, so we can be with Him. He also assured us that when He went to heaven by His ascension, He would come again and receive us to Himself. I take comfort in that verse and in knowing that Paul told us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

However, there will be another dramatic way to be carried to heaven. It will be the Rapture of all the believers. When Jesus comes for the Rapture, He will resurrect all the bodies of those believers already in heaven and make them ready for eternity. Then, He will change those who are alive to have our eternal bodies, so we can be with Him forever. Now, that will be glorious. I am looking forward to being with Him, no matter how it takes place.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read II Kings 3-6.