| Members Only! Heavenly Levels and Different Heavenly Rewards There is a two-fold false doctrine floating about. This doctrine teaches that Heaven will have many levels that are accessed by different classes of people who either earned this access while on earth or are allowed access based upon their rank or ministry position. Patrons of this movement have been Jewish Mystics, Gnostics, Muslems, Mormons, Catholics, Reformed Churches, and some Baptist Churches. ____________________________________________________________________ Here is a link that describes this heresy in Kabbalism or Jewish Mysticism: http://www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/Shokel/891103_7th_Heaven.html The popular Jewish Mystic book 'Enoch' is embraced by Kabbalists and many other occultists. The book of Enoch is similar to Dante's 'The Divine Comedy' which is a journey through the levels of Hell while the book of Enoch is a journey through 7 levels of Heaven. The Gnostic text called 'Apocalypse of Paul' mentions 10 levels of Heaven. ____________________________________________________________________ Islam teaches that Heaven has 500 levels: "Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: "I know the last of the inhabitants of Fire to be taken out therefrom, and the last of the inhabitants of Paradise to enter it. A man will come out of the Fire crawling. Then Allah, the Blessed and Exalted will say to him: Go and enter Paradise. So he would come to it and it would appear to him as if it were full. He would go back and say: O my Lord! I found it full. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, would say to him: Go and enter Paradise. He would come and perceive as if it were full. He would return and say: O my Lord! I found it full. Allah would say to him: Go and enter Paradise, for there is for you the like of the world and ten times like it, or for you is ten times the like of this world. He (the narrator) said. He (that man) would say: Art Thou making a fun of me? or Art Thou laughing at me. though Thou art the King? He (the narrator) said: I saw the Messenger of Allah laugh till his front teeth were visible. And it was said: That would be the lowest rank among the inhabitants of Paradise." - Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Faith (Kitab Al-Iman), Book 001, Number 0359. "They will recline (with ease) On Thrones (of dignity) Arranged in ranks; And We shall join them To Companions, with beautiful Big and lustrous eyes. And those who believe And whose families follow Them in Faith -- to them Shall We join their families: Nor shall We deprive them (Of the fruit) of aught Of their works: (Yet) is each individual In pledge for his deeds." - Koran 52:20-21 "The people of Paradise will look at the dwellers of lofty mansions (i.e. a superior place in Paradise) in the same way as one looks at a brilliant star, far away in the East or in the West of the horizon. This is because of their superiority over one another (in reward)." One of the people asked, "O Allah's Messenger, are these lofty mansions for the Prophets which no one else can reach?" The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, replied, "No! By Allah, in whose Hands is my life, these are for men who believe in Allah and also believe in the Messenger." - The Hadith ____________________________________________________________________________________ In Reformed Churches and a few Baptist Churches, it is taught that the scriptures teach that if someone sins after they are born again then they will only lose rewards in this life and in Heaven. This teaching is obviously in compliance with Jewish Mysticism, Mormonism, and Islam. This false doctrine gives people a license to sin and makes people comfortable in their sin. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Biblical Response: See Matthew 18. In Heaven and Eternity, we will be performing various specific tasks. We will be assigned jobs. This will not result in various ranks for us. Our assigned jobs are not based on merit or rank. These assigned jobs will be based upon God's original design for us. The original design had been hindered by the fall of Adam in the beginning. Yet, death and entry into Heaven and Eternity will have enabled us to meet our original design if we have accepted Jesus as Lord, Savior, and Messiah. We will not be receiving varying levels of Heavenly Rewards nor is Heaven segregated. Jeremy Brown 2004 BACK |