One day, the true God will stand up for His People:

And at that time shall Michael (Jesus) stand up…. and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Daniel 12:1

And …every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:11

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We have been discussing the differences between the two largest religions.  We have let the word of their holy books speak for themselves.  When compared, the truth becomes clear.  The comparison has been stark. One man named Muhammad  wrote the Quran over a 23 year period and The Bible written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by 39 men written over a period of 1,500 years.

We now turn to the last topic in this series.  The place of eternal life called, heaven, paradise, or “the Garden” (an Islamic designation for the place of pleasure for the ones who occupy it)

It does not take long when studying the Quran and the description of paradise to see the diminished role of a woman, even in paradise, as an object to satisfy the carnal desires of men. It seems to be all about sex for the believer of Allah. Following are just a few examples:

At-Tirmizi, vol. 2, states on page 138:

The Prophet Muhammad said “Every man who enters paradise shall be given 72 (seventy-two) houris (gazelle-eyed woman); no matter at what age he had died, when he is admitted into paradise, he will become a thirty-year-old, and shall not age any further. A man in paradise shall be given virility equal to that of one hundred men”.

“gardens and vineyards; and girls with swelling breasts of the same age as themselves, and a brimming cup;” S. 78:32-34 Palmer

Could we not say that the prophet Muhammad’s description of paradise appeals to men only  who will be given “virility equal to that of one hundred men.”  They are given women of the same age with “swelling breasts.”

Women in the Quran are described as  of less value than males and only objects of the males’ sexual desires.  This is demonstrated likewise in the Islamic culture to this day.

Virgins await those who enter paradise. 2:25

“Pure companions, and contentment from Allah”
Virgins await those who enter paradise. 3:15

But the single-minded slaves of Allah will enjoy a Garden filled with lovely-eyed virgins. 37:40-48

But, the Lord Jesus and the Holy Bible described the abode of the saved much differently.

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As mentioned in previous studies, the Quran was written by one man (Muhammad).  He appeals to the sex drive of fighting age men and promises unending sex as the reason to defend the faith. The Bible on the other hand offers to man and women a more fulfilling and happy life.

The Scripture says:

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How is do you visualize this place called heaven?  How would you describe it in your own words?  Is it a place of clouds and the redeemed floating on a cloud playing a harp?  Is it old uncle George smoking his favorite cigars and fishing with Peter?  Is it doing all those things you enjoyed while on earth? Are you a wispy spirit with not body? What does heaven look like? What is going on there?

We can find from scripture a mountain of information on this topic.  It is all tangible. Things we can see, touch, and feel!

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Jesus made a promise to His followers:

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

John 14:1-3

Heaven is where God dwells:

“Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive.”

1 Kings 8:30

Jesus said this is where Jesus was going to prepare a place for us:

You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, “I am going to the Father,”

John 14:28

Look closely at these verses in John 14. Jesus promised to “prepare a place” for us, but also notice that we won’t be there until Jesus returns.  Also, notice that Jesus is there already doing a work of “preparing a place.”

Is Jesus building a mansion for us? Is His work the work as a carpenter?

Hebrews tell us something that helps us visualize heaven and the city God occupies now.

For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Hebrews 11:10

This passage tells us that Abraham was looking forward, by faith, to a time when he would not be living in tents, but rather a city with foundations built by God Himself as the architect and builder. We can know that this city and its  mansions have already been built, because Jesus spoke in present tense. “In my Father’s house, there ARE many mansions”

The work of  preparing a place for us appears to be described in Hebrews:

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through (ascended to) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession…Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4: 14, 16

So Jesus role is not an architect, but as a priest.  We need no other priest upon earth, because we have Jesus as our High Priest now in heaven.

His work of preparing a place is a spiritual preparation of our hearts and minds to inhabit such a wonderful place.  Every day, we have the honor of approaching the throne of grace to find mercy when we need it and call up God’s grace (power) to keep us from giving up and turning back into the wilderness of sin.

Heaven a literal place that is not “wispy” and cloud-like that we have seen in pictures by well meaning artists.  It is a city!

The book that reveals (Revelation) describes the city and its foundations.  John was allowed to see the city.  He described this city  as follows:

1.) It was bright with the Glory of God and appeared like a precious jewel:

It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

Revelation 21: 11

2.) It had high walls with 12 gates and names on the gates on each side:

 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Revelation 21: 12-14

3.) The City is huge!

And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.  Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

Revelation 21: 15-17 (NKJV)

A furlong is 5.268359 yards.  12,000 furlongs = 1,500 miles.  The city is 1,500 miles on each side.  It covers 2, 250,000 square miles or (3,621,024 Kilometers)!

There is no city on earth that comes close to the size of this city! Something this large is considered a country!

This is the dwelling place of God Himself:

4.) It is colorful

The 216 foot thick wall is made of all kinds of precious stones and metals.  The city itself is gold!

The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones

Revelations 21: 18-19

5.)  By faith, Abraham looked forward to this city whose architect and builder is God Himself!

for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrews 11:10

6.)  The city has a name! It is called, New Jerusalem

Then I, John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:2

7.) This city that God built and where He, Jesus, and the angels dwell will come to this earth one day!

 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Revelation 21: 2, 10

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We have seen in previous studies that after Jesus comes to redeem the people who are alive when he comes and those who have died in Him, He will take us to where he is.  He is now in that big city.  So we will be moved from this sinful world to the pure city into the presence of God.  But, we do not stay there forever as strange as that may sound, we come back to the earth!

This city is coming back to this earth! Zachariah describes this day to us:

And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west,Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.

Zachariah 14:4

But when does this happen?

From Revelation 20, we get a clear picture of this earth void of people being the abode of Satan for 1,000 years before he is loosed out of his prison of circumstance

All the redeemed have been taken to heaven (the city called New Jerusalem).  All the lost are in their graves.  Some killed at the brightness of his coming  and the others from centuries past remained dead.

 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them,,,they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Revelation 20: 4

There awaits the lost for their own resurrection.

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Revelation 20:5-6

The two resurrections are separated by 1,000 years.  At the end of that period, the New Jerusalem returns to the earth that Jesus promised to His followers: