Have you ever considered carefully the opening words of the Bible?Β βIn the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.βΒ Why doesnβt it simply say that God created the Universe? Why theΒ heavenΒ and theΒ earth?
As we go on reading we find the answer to this question, for the Bible clearly teaches that God has aΒ two-foldΒ purpose; one having to do with the earth and the other with heaven. The former is the subject of prophecy, while the latter is the subject of the βmysteryβ, or secret, revealed to and through St. Paul. (See ActsΒ 3:21; and cf. RomansΒ 16:25). The former concerns Israel and the nations; the latter βthe Body of Christβ, the Church of the heavenly calling.
Some people are surprised to learn that there is not one promise in the whole Old Testament about going to heaven. There the whole outlook is earthly, with Messiah reigning as King (Jer. 23:5; et al). When our Lord appeared in the flesh the angels cried:Β βPeace on earthβΒ (LukeΒ 2:14). He Himself said that βthe meekβ shall βinheritΒ the earthβ (Matt. 5:5). He taught His disciples to pray: βThy will be doneΒ in earth, as it is in heavenβ (Matt.Β 6:10).
Even at Pentecost Peter declared that after βthe restitution of all thingsβ God would send Jesus back to earth and the times of refreshing would βcome fromΒ the presence of the Lordβ (Acts 3:19-21).
Not until the raising up of Paul do we learn that now all believers in Christ are βbaptized into one bodyβ (I Cor.Β 12:13), and Colossians 1:5 and many otherΒ PaulineΒ passages, speak ofΒ βthe hope which is laid up for you IN HEAVENβ. Indeed, before God, believers are already given a positionΒ βin heavenly placesβΒ and are βblessed with all spiritual blessingsΒ IN [THE] HEAVENLIESΒ in Christβ (Eph. 1:3; 2:4-7). source
