The lesson discusses three figurative types of heaven: the spiritual heaven where God resides, the “first heaven and earth” or tabernacle of the first chosen people, and the “new heaven and new earth” where the redeemed will dwell. It explains that the spiritual heaven must come down to the new heaven and earth after the first heaven and earth pass away. The lesson explores the symbolic meaning of holding the “keys” which represent having wisdom to understand the secrets of heaven and hell. Jesus holds both the “key of David” giving wisdom of heaven’s secrets, and the “key of death and Hades” allowing understanding of hell’s secrets. Believers need both keys – the wisdom to know the secrets of God’s kingdom as well as the enemy’s tactics, in order to overcome and enter the new heaven and earth.

 

Study Guide SCJ Bible Study

We’re about to delve into another crucial topic in God’s word today. And I sincerely hope that everyone will be truly blessed by this session, as it will help us recognize all the things we’ve been doing at this time and what God intends for each one of us. So, keep these lessons in mind and be excited about what’s to come, as more and more will be unveiled as we continue our study.

Secrets of Heaven: Figurative 3 Types of Heaven and Keys

Now these three types we’ve already been introduced to. 

3 Types of Heaven: 

1. Heaven in the Spiritual World
2. Tabernacle of the First Coming
3. The Re-created sealed 12 tribes

 

Keys: Wisdom to know the secrets

We are already familiar with the three types of heaven. These names should not be unfamiliar to us. 

The spiritual world is also known as the new Jerusalem, the holy city that comes down from heaven. 

What about the tabernacle of the first chosen people? That is referred to as the first heaven and first earth. And then there is the recreated, sealed 12 tribes, which is the new heaven and new earth.

As we delve into the details today, keep these terms in mind. 

The keys represent the wisdom to know the secrets. 

There will be both good and bad secrets to learn about. We should all hope to belong to the twelve tribes of the new spiritual Israel.

Figurative 3 Types of Heaven

We will first explore the three types of heaven. These three types of heaven are already familiar to us, but we will delve deeper into understanding them more profoundly.

Main Reference

This is a truly beautiful vision that is being proclaimed to us here. One thing I hope we can all do as we study the open Word is to have hope.

The world we see today often lacks hope. There is a lot of pain in many places, and people are looking at issues like war, climate, the economy, or debt. It seems that hope is vanishing for many.

However, we must understand that God has a plan to end the old order of things. When heaven comes down, everything will change. This is the hope that should drive us as believers in what God is doing in our time. So, let us begin to hope again about what God will be doing.

This passage mentions three types of heaven, particularly in verses 1 and 2. Apostle John saw this vision 2,000 years ago, but new John has to see it today in reality. 

ONE – He first sees a first heaven and first earth. And that first heaven and first earth passes away. 

TWO – He then sees a new heaven and a new earth that comes into being.

THREE – And this new heaven and new earth is what the holy city, New Jerusalem, comes down to new heaven and new earth. 

Revelation 21:1-4 describes a vision and states that the first heaven and the first earth will pass away, and a new heaven and a new earth will come into being. Additionally, the holy city, New Jerusalem, will descend to the established new heaven and new earth. This is found in Revelation 21:1.

At this place (the new heaven and new earth), many beautiful things will take place. God himself will be their God. There will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. 

For the old order of things has passed away. Glory to God. May that come soon.

Let us now understand each of these heavens in more detail, so that we can gain a deeper understanding.

1. Heaven in the Spiritual World = Holy City, New Jerusalem

We will first focus on heaven in the spiritual world, which is also referred to as the holy city, New Jerusalem. 

What a beautiful vision John saw!

As we delve into the book of Revelation, each passage often begins with “And I saw,” “And I heard,” or “It was shown to me.” This reflects the perspective of Revelation being fulfilled through the eyes of John.

When Apostle John sees these events in a vision, the new John will have to witness these things in reality and provide an account of what is recorded here. This is what John saw when he heard the voice that had first spoken to him. And when he heard that voice, this is what he saw.

It is essential that this vision matches Revelation 4. Otherwise, the person is not the new John. We have many pieces of evidence to help us identify who is who.

The first thing that John sees is the one who is seated on the throne. There are some interesting details about this one seated on the throne that we will explore in more depth.

The appearance of the one on the throne is described as Jasper and Carnelian, which are blue and red in color. Encircling the throne is a rainbow that looks like emerald.

John then sees 24 elders, represented by 24 crowns around them, similar to the image described earlier.

He also sees seven spirits before the throne, appearing like seven blazing lamps. In front of the throne, there is a sea of glass, clear as crystal, which represents the word of God, a river of the water of life.

Additionally, John sees four living creatures, each with the faces of a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle, representing the four different roles of the archangels.

As we continue through Revelation, we see more details, such as the 12 gates in Revelation 21, three on each side, each with a different precious gemstone foundation. These represent the beautiful stones on the foundations.

Another detail mentioned is the eyes all around, which are not literal eyes, but rather spirits or angels, as described in Revelation 5:6.

What we are seeing here is a depiction of God’s throne and the structure of heaven. This detailed description has been available for 2,000 years, yet often people’s perception of heaven is limited to clouds, a single gate, and angels. However, for those who have been shown this vision, they can accurately describe the grandeur and complexity of heaven.

Revelation 21:10 provides an additional detail about God’s intentions for this heavenly structure.

ONE. God’s Throne and Structure 

He took me to a great and high mountain. This was no accident, as everything in the Bible is intentional. At this place, the holy city, New Jerusalem, comes and dwells.

This refers to God, who is to come, as mentioned in Revelation 4:8 and Revelation 21:10. 

Now, let’s consider the appearance of this place. What is it adorned with? If we look at verse 14, we’ll find an additional clue.

TWO. 12 Disciples = 12 Foundations

The walls of the city had 12 foundations near the gates, and on those were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. Why is this so? Let us explore this further.

The placement of the names of the 12 disciples on the 12 foundations of the city walls holds deep significance.

What is the place that Jesus promised to prepare?

The place that Jesus promised to take his disciples to – is it a large house that everybody gets? Or an individual house?

Is that what it is?

What is the house that Jesus promised to prepare?

The Holy City, the New Jerusalem.

That’s it. It has always been there. So, Jesus said, “I will come and take you to be at the place where I am.”

And you know the place where I’m going. Of course, the disciples later proclaimed that they did not know, but Jesus had to explain it to them. However, we know that the disciples were eventually martyred.

They eventually died. And they even asked Jesus while they were still alive, “Jesus, what will it be for us? What’s in it for us?”

“We’ve given up everything.” And this is what Jesus says to them.

THREE. Jesus’ Promise to Disciples

The disciples asked, “What’s in it for us, Jesus? We’ve left everything – our fields, our fishing boats, and our families – to follow you.” And Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” This refers to spiritual Israel, as everything is coming together intentionally, as accounted for in the Bible, even though we may not have fully understood the connections before.

This is the promise Jesus made to his disciples – the honor that God gave to those who gave everything to follow him and spread the gospel. Their names are on the foundation stones of the holy city, as we’ll learn more about as we continue to study.

As we’ve studied so far, the heaven in the spiritual world is promised to come down. So let’s see how this heavenly, spiritual world comes down.

To Whom does Heaven come to?

The disciples asked Jesus, “What’s in it for us? We’ve left everything – our fields, our fishing boats, and our families to follow you.” Jesus responded by saying, “To the one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will also write on him my new name, the name of God, the holy city, new Jerusalem, and the name of Jesus.”

We see in Revelation 14:1 that “the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion.” This is the place where the holy city, new Jerusalem, will come down from heaven, as Jesus had promised. Everything in Revelation is interconnected, and we must account for all the details to truly understand the message.

Often, explanations about Revelation tend to leave out important details, and the connections within the rest of the New Testament and the Bible are not made. But when the true testimony is given, everything lines up, and nothing is left behind. This is what we should strive to understand as we learn the open word.

The disciples, who are the 12 foundation stones, will sit and judge the 12 tribes of Israel, but this will be the new spiritual Israel at that time.

Heaven = Tabernacle of the Chosen People

We are now going to discuss the two types of heaven in the physical world. As we know, there is the first heaven and the first earth, which represents the tabernacle of the first chosen people. And there is the new heaven and the new earth, the recreated, sealed 12 tribes. 

When heaven is referred to as the tabernacle of the chosen people, it fits into one of these two categories. Let’s read about the prophecy that pertains to these two.

This prophecy can be traced back to the time of the Old Testament. Let’s go to Jeremiah 31, keeping in mind that this is actually our origin.

God declares that the days are coming when He will plant the house of Israel with two types of seeds. This is a prophecy that two types of seed will be sown in the house of Israel.

This is critically important. Jeremiah 31 is essentially the origin of Christians. 

Remember, Jeremiah and the prophets were during the time of judgment of Israel, when they were being destroyed by Syria and Babylon. God is not happy, so He is prophesying about new things that will take place.

This is not the only origin of Christians, but it is a very important one, as it is the origin of not just Christians, but also the origin of the new spiritual Israel. Keep this in mind.

We see two types of seed, and we should have noticed those two parables right away. What was the first type of seed that will be sown in the house of Israel? The seed of man and the seed of beasts (animals).

A figurative man represents someone who understands the word. A figurative beast represents someone who does not have the word or understand it. It is important to remember all the parables we have studied, as they are everywhere in Scripture.

So, two types of seed – the seed of man and the seed of animals or beasts. God promised that there will be two types of people in the house of Israel: those who understand the word and have the truth, and those who will not.

This is prophesied in the Old Testament. So, there must be something that happens at the first coming where two types of seed are sown in the same place – the field and the farmer.

The connection here is so important. In Jeremiah 31, we see the prophecy of sowing two types of seed, and in Matthew 13, we see the fulfillment.

Amen. We see the fulfillment of sowing two types of seed. Of course, Jesus sowed the good seed, but we know that the enemy was also there.

The enemy, not understanding the parables or prophecy, unwittingly ends up fulfilling God’s prophecy through his actions, which always happens. The enemy comes and sows the second type of seed, completing the prophecy. Let’s break this down.

There’s one key thing I want us to understand about what Jesus told the workers not to do. When they started to notice the weeds, they asked, “Shall we uproot the weeds?” But Jesus says, “No.”

“Let both grow together until the harvest. Then they will be separated.” Why did they have to grow together in the field until the harvest? To understand this, we need to look at the physical characteristics.

This really helps us understand this a little bit more. Do you remember the diagram from the very beginning? We’re going to look at that diagram again.

The way wheat grows is that its roots go deep into the soil, growing vertically. This is why wheat is excellent for maintaining soil structure, which is why farmers like to grow it. The wheat roots grow downwards vertically.

On the other hand, weeds do the opposite. They grow horizontally, trapping all other plants around them together. 

So what happens if you uproot the weeds? You uproot the wheat too. 

That’s why both had to be left growing together, which means that for the last 2,000 years, the truth and lies have been growing together in the same field.

But we know how weeds tend to be – they spread and dominate the environments they are in until the good seed gets choked out. The true seed that people want gets snuffed out. However, we know that God and Jesus have a plan.

Let’s look at this plan in more detail. In Matthew 24, there are some key details we should understand first. It says, “Jesus told another parable. ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.'” Very important – the field belongs to the farmer. 

The farmer sows the good seed, which represents God’s word, the truth (Luke 8:11). But then the enemy comes and sows the opposite – lies. Now both the truth and lies are growing together in the same field.

This had to happen to fulfill what was prophesied. The truth and lies have to grow together in this era. So let’s read about the end result of these two types of seed. As Jesus said, the wheat is harvested into the barn, but the weeds are burned. 

We definitely don’t want to be the weeds, and we don’t want to be left in the field either. That is the opposite of what we desire – to be harvested. Instead, we want to be the wheat, gathered into the barn.

Jesus describes the parable he had given. He mentioned a few key points. In verse 37, he says that the one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

So, Jesus is the farmer. And the one who sowed the weeds is the enemy, right? The enemy at the time of the first coming was like the Pharisees, but the enemy takes many forms over the last 2,000 years as well.

We should keep this in mind. Ultimately, the enemy is Satan, and spirits work through people. So we should focus on the spirit at work, not just the person, though we should consider the person too.

The field is sown with two types of seed. The farmer is the Son of Man, Jesus, and the enemy sows the weeds. The wheat grow into the sons of the kingdom and are harvested at the end of the age.

The weeds, however, are the sons of the evil one and are not harvested. The wheat are harvested, but the weeds are left in the field, tied in bundles, and burned. This is not the desired outcome.

So, what is the field’s reality, everyone? The field is the world. Someone mentioned something important about this.

Each person is a field, with four types of fields. When many fields are gathered together, you get a large field.

In this parable, we are talking about the large field, which is Jesus’ field, the church. In this place, both truth and lies grow together, and lies often flourish, leading to much disagreement.

Jesus had already prophesied that this would be the case, as there had to be a harvest at the end of the age. Those born of God’s seed will be harvested and taken out of the field, while those who are not will be left behind.

The field is where we have grown and developed, but the goal for everyone is to be gathered into the barn.

Jesus often tells the same parable multiple times. So what does the barn also represent?

The barn represents heaven. But which heaven specifically?

It represents Mount Zion. 

The barn is Mount Zion. The basket where the good fish are placed, that is Mount Zion. The place where the sheep are gathered and separated from the goats, that is also Mount Zion.

It’s the same place, just described in different ways. So Mount Zion must appear in the end times and be the place where the harvest happens.

And the ones who do the harvesting are the angels. They are the ones who do the work of harvesting. As you were studying the Bible, there was an angel who said, “This one is ready. Let’s get this one. This one is ready. Let’s get this one by God’s grace.”

So between the field and the barn, which one represents the first heaven and first earth that will pass away?

The field is the first heaven and first earth that will pass away.

And the barn is the new heaven and the new earth. That makes sense.

Are we understanding God’s logic and Jesus’s logic? Yes? So the goal is for us to be harvested into the barn.

That’s where we need to be. And we know this according to Revelation 14:1 and James 1:18.

He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, so that we might be a kind of first fruits. 

Do you know what a first fruit is?

He chose to give us birth to be a kind of first fruits of all he created. So, a first fruit is the first crop or the first part of the crop that is harvested.

The first. So, if a farmer, for example, during the time of the Old Testament and the first coming, when they were giving their tithe, their tithe was essentially saying, “God, I’m returning to you what you have blessed me with. This is the first of my crop.”

So, what is God trying to do at the time of the second coming? We are hearing this word.

So, what do we see here? Who are the first fruits that are offered to God? The 144,000.

However, it’s important to understand that Revelation is figurative in nature. Does this mean that if you’re married, you cannot be a part of this number? No, that’s not what it means. 

What kind of women are these 144,000 required to steer clear of and remain virgins from?

Those who teach falsehood, because what needs to come out of their mouths is not falsehood, but truth.

That’s right. No lie was found on their lips. They are blameless.

That’s what this means. But they are the first fruits that are offered. This does not mean they are the only ones offered, because we must remember that there must be a great harvest of the rest of the earth as well, correct?

So, in the rest of Revelation 14, we see the harvest of the earth, right? Let’s now read from verses 14 to 16.

There is an angel that carries out the work of harvest, as Jesus promised in Matthew 13. As the earth is ripe, meaning that over 2000 years, there are now over 2 billion Christians in the world. The harvest of the earth is ready, it’s ripe. The angel will come and harvest the earth.

These are people, and that should not be surprising to us now. The ones who are the sons of the kingdom, as promised in Matthew 13, will be harvested. We should be those people that are harvested. Let’s be harvested.

There are three types of heaven. Let’s read it one more time before moving on to the keys. This is very important.

We know that there’s the heaven in the spiritual world, the dwelling place of God. But we didn’t fully understand its makeup. Now we understand more of what it looks like and what it will be like.

God and Jesus are in the center, with the seven spirits, the 24 elders, and the four living creatures in the sea of glass surrounded by the 12 gates. This heaven in the spiritual world must come down to the new heaven and new earth, the barn, where God’s harvested will dwell. 

Why? Because the first heaven and the first earth will pass away, and there will also be no longer any sea. The sea represents the world, Satan’s world, and this will also go away. These two will go away, and all that will remain is God’s holy city, new Jerusalem, by God’s grace.

Figurative Key

Main Reference

In this passage, Jesus is speaking to John, saying, “Behold, I am the living one. I was dead, and now I live forever and ever.” Jesus is holding something in his hand – the key of death and Hades.

The question arises, why is Jesus holding this key? What is he doing with it? Should we also hold the key of death and Hades? This is an intriguing question.

To understand this, we need to remember the meaning of keys – they represent the wisdom to know the secrets. So let’s explore why Jesus is holding this key.

1. Physical Characteristics of Key

A key opens or closes a lock.

So very simple physical characteristics.

So then what are the two types of keys that are in the Bible? And why does Jesus hold both? So let’s see why Jesus holds both.

2. Spiritual (True) Meaning of Key

Key of Heaven

The key of heaven goes by a few names in the Bible, but it means the same thing.

Jesus: Holds Key of David (Heaven)

God gives the key to Jesus. And what Jesus shuts, no one can open. And what Jesus opens, no one can shut.

This is confirmed in Revelation 3:7, which states that Jesus holds the key.

These are the words of the one who holds the key of David. Whatever he shuts, no one can open, and whatever he opens, no one can shut.

So it is Jesus who holds both keys. Why?

Because Jesus has the wisdom to know all the secrets – the secrets of heaven, as well as the secrets of hell. How else do we think Jesus could overcome hell?

So what does this mean, the wisdom to know the secrets?

ONE – The passage we’ve just explored reveals a new and profound meaning. Let’s break it down.

In verse 15, Jesus asks his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This is a powerful testimony from Peter about who Jesus is.

Jesus then says to Peter in verse 17, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” What was revealed to Peter and the disciples? That Jesus is the Christ. This was a knowledge, a wisdom, that no one else had, but could only be revealed by God.

Jesus goes on to say, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” In other words, heaven will honor what the disciples do on earth, because they hold the keys – the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the word that Jesus has given them.

Those who did not understand who Jesus was could not recognize him as the Christ. But the disciples could, because they had the hearts willing to accept Jesus’s words. The word is the key to understanding.

TWO – In Matthew 13:10-11, Jesus explains that the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. This understanding of the parables is like a key that unlocks their meaning. So, what have you been receiving since the beginning of this seminar?

The keys! Show me your keys. Of course, your notebook is the keys, and the word, right? You’ve been receiving these keys since the beginning – the wisdom to know the secrets. You’ve been learning about the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, receiving these keys through each parable lesson by God’s grace.

But what happens when you’re missing keys? There are locks you can’t open. That’s why it’s important to do your reviews. This key of heaven, also known as the key of David, is the wisdom to know the secrets of heaven.

We know that Satan also has his own knowledge and key, but that key is held by Jesus at the time of the second coming. And Jesus does something interesting with that key.

Key of Hell

Let’s now examine the key of hell, also known as the key of death and Hades, or the key to the shaft of the abyss. Let’s read what happens in Revelation 9:1-2.

1. Star Wormwood

Intriguing things are happening here. We see that there is a star called Wormwood. Wormwood is a poisonous plant in reality. So, if a star is being called Wormwood, it means it’s a fallen star that gives poison, kills, or destroys. The key to the shaft of the abyss, also known as the key of death and Hades, is given to this fallen star. 

The question arises: Who gave him that key? The answer is Jesus. But why did Jesus give a fallen star the key to the shaft of the abyss? We will learn the reason in the days to come. It seems that Jesus gave them a chance to repent, but they did not. 

Now, they are being judged. This star takes the key and opens the shaft of the abyss, and the locusts come out. Locusts are creatures that devour everything in their path, like our fields. We will learn more about the meaning of this in the lessons to come. But we know that the key of hell is being used to judge the betrayers who did not repent.

However, this is not the end for the key of the shaft of the abyss. After the judgment is complete, the key is reclaimed by heaven and is used to lock up someone by God’s grace.

2. Lock up Satan!

The angel comes, holding the same key, which means that heaven reclaims the key to the shaft of the abyss. This key is then used to capture Satan, who is bound for a thousand years. We will go over these details in the lessons to come.

Let’s look back logically at what the keys represent. The keys represent the wisdom to know the secrets or to understand the words of both heaven and hell. Each of you should be holding both keys.

You’re holding the keys to the secrets of the kingdom of heaven because you’re understanding the secrets of heaven. But you also need to understand the secrets of the enemy so that you can avoid them. If you do not understand the secrets of Satan or how he works, you will be captured by him and devoured.

This is the reason why Jesus holds both keys, and we should too. 

Memorization

Let’s Us Discern