St. Mark Chp. 1-10

Heaven, or the Kingdom of God. All of us will die someday, and all of us (or most of us) hope that we shall go to Heaven…or else Hell. Whether we deserve it, or what will happen next, we don’t know. At least I try to understand that it is up to God.

What is Heaven?

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
(4:31-32)

At first, this quote confused me, since I’ve always thought about Heaven as something big, for all time, and this quote is saying that at first it is smaller than all seeds on earth (and I guess ‘all seeds’ represent everything).

But then, perhaps Heaven was somehow ignored in Earth for some time. Though it may not sound so, it is logical. Heaven and Earth are different places, such as, for example, Colombia and Argentina. As a different place, Colombia might be ignored in Argentina, because it happens to be, not there; just as Heaven might be ignored on Earth.

But, then, as time passed, Heaven will become more noticed. More people will die, therefore more people shall go to Heaven. And, then Heaven will become (or has already) a place where all shall go and fit. Not that Colombia will be superior than Argentina, but that as tourism may increase, so will the country’s image in the other.

But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
(10:31)

So here, Jesus is speaking about the people that will go to Heaven. As the last entry I wrote (about the end of the world and who will be chosen) this idea is similar. It sounds a bit like Tao Te Ching (not doing anything, and therefore having everything done), but it is different. In both cases, Jesus is talking about the people on Earth, the first being the most wealthy and powerful of society; the rich people that supposedly are rich as for not sharing anything. And for their conceitedness and non-sharing wealth, they shall be the last to enter heaven.

So, the last, which will be rather the first, are the people belonging to a lower status that the superior class just mentioned.

Not including from what I’ve read in the Bible, I have been told that it is not exactly a physical place, but rather a state of mind in which you are extremely peaceful, with yourself and your surroundings. But, while you have this state of mind, where will you be? Physically? Perhaps after death there is not physical anymore, but rather, all imagination.

Recently I read a book called ’90 Minutes in Heaven’, which is a true story (written by Don Piper) about a man killed in a car accident, going into Heaven, and then coming back to Earth. From his visit to Heaven, Piper mostly recalls an abundance of happiness, that supposedly couldn’t be described by human words, that it was the happiest experience he had ever felt, and that as he gathered along with the other ‘dead’ people, nothing else mattered, but only the fact that they were, for once again gathered. Piper also dedicates a whole chapter describing Heaven’s music, as the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

Nobody will ever know the truth, because they haven’t been to Heaven. What is different from Piper’s experience, is that supposedly, he was there. But how will we know Heaven is as it’s described in the book? Perhaps it is even different, to each person. It will only be known, when we ourselves get there.