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silhouette man looking upward to space at night

Where do the righteous live after death? Does the Bible teach that Christians go to heaven? What does Scripture really reveal about the eternal home of the saved?

In this video you'll learn:

– How the Bible defines the word "heaven."
– The distinction between "heaven" the place and "the heavens" (plural).
– Synonyms for "the heavens" within Scripture.
– How heaven/the heavens fits within the overall Bible story.
– Where the righteous live eternally after death.
– The connection between "heaven" and "the promised land."
– How the Bible describes the place where the righteous live after death.

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kid holding a Bible looking surprised

Can I tell you a story? A story so powerful that, if you pay attention, it will change your life?

It's the story of the Bible. Only, this story is probably different than anything you've ever heard.

Before I tell you this story, I first need to answer a huge question, perhaps the very thing you may be asking yourself right now:

How could you possibly tell the story of the Bible in a way that I've never heard before?

Excellent question! Here's how...

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Video thumbnail: Rethinking the Spiritual Creation, Rebellion and Judgment

Did you know that the Bible:

  • Actually affirms the existence of other "gods" besides Jehovah?
  • Describes the creation of spiritual beings during the Genesis creation account?
  • Explains how the spiritual rebellion unfolded, and that it wasn't a single event?
  • Gives significant insight into how the spiritual realm was/is governed?
  • Prophesies a great deal regarding the judgment of spiritual beings who rebelled against GOD?

It's time for us to rethink the spiritual creation, rebellion and judgment.

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Septuagint LXX video thumbnail

In early 2009, I began a personal Bible study regarding the practices of the early church.

At the time, I was inspired to begin this study by perceived differences between what I read in the New Testament and what I saw being practiced at the time—primarily in the church where I was meeting, but also on a broader scale.

I felt I wasn’t benefitting from our church assemblies at the time, so, from the pew, I began to use the sermon time for my private studies.

My initial focus was on what the Bible said about church meetings in the first century.

That topic didn’t take long to complete because the Bible says surprisingly little about the assemblies of the first Christians. (Download my findings here.)

At the time, I knew that there were extra-biblical Christian writings from the first few centuries. However, my focus was elsewhere, so I “filed away” a decision to return to this topic of early church practices when possible.

(The events of 2009 and Q1 2010—which I discussed in this e-book—led to our decision to begin hosting church meetings in our home.)

In 2011, I began reading the early Christian writings. I started by reading a copy of David Bercot’s fantastic book, Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up—the top book I recommend besides the Bible—which discusses differences between modern common beliefs with the views of the first Christians.

I observed that Bercot studied from Philip Schaff’s Ante-Nicene Fathers series as the source for the early Christian writings, so I got a copy. (Here’s a link to vol 1 on Kindle to vol 1 on Kindle, but you can also read the series online starting here.)

In that first volume, I read the following quote from an early Christian called Justin Martyr around 160 A.D. (while speaking with an unbelieving Jew named Trypho):

But I am far from putting reliance in your teachers, who refuse to admit that the interpretation made by the seventy elders who were with Ptolemy [king] of the Egyptians is a correct one; and they attempt to frame another. And I wish you to observe, that they have altogether taken away many Scriptures from the translations effected by those seventy elders… For you assent to those which I have brought before your attention, except that you contradict the statement, ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive,’ and say it ought to be read, ‘Behold, the young woman shall conceive.’ And I promised to prove that the prophecy referred, not, as you were taught, to Hezekiah, but to this Christ of mine: and now I shall go to the proof.

Say what?!?!

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cross ornament with "grace" inscription hanging on Christmas tree

How, exactly, did Christmas begin?

A quick Internet search revealed 163 million hits about the origin of Christmas.

While I admittedly didn't take the time to look through 163 million links just now, I have yet to run across an article that neatly connects the dots of history from the apostolic age to the appearance of Christmas.

So I decided to write that article.

(Hopefully people will be able to find it amidst the 163 million other pages. Amen? ;-)  )

Jewish Feasts and the First Christians

The Law of Moses included an annual calendar of feasts that the children of Israel were required to keep.

The most important were:

  1. Passover (Feast of Unleavened Bread),
  2. Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) and
  3. Feast of Tabernacles (Feast of Booths/Ingathering).

(See Ex. 23:14-17 for context.)

These annual feasts were shadows of Jesus—symbolic pointers to the "Real Thing."

Paul wrote the following to the Colossian Christians:

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
(Col. 2:16-17 NIV)

After Jesus’ ascension to heaven, three massive transitions occurred during the first century: