Welcome to Prophecy Q & A with Jimmy DeYoung!
When you look at the heavens today, there is a window into the third heaven (Revelation 4 & 5). God the Father is seated on the throne. In Revelation 5:1, God has a sealed book in His hand which is the title deed to the earth. He will give this to Jesus Christ in order to use judgment to bring the earth and its dwellers into submission. In Revelation 5:7, Jesus Christ will come and take the book out of the hand of the Father Who is seated on the throne. Christ is not on the throne today.
In Revelation 4, you see four creatures, and I would call them the throne room angels. They are angels and not seraphim (Isaiah 6) or cherubim (Ezekiel 1). They are different in description and responsibility. They sing, “Holy, holy, holy” around the clock. This is a glimpse into the heavens today.
There are three heavens. Paul said that he knew a man that went to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2). Paul may have been talking about himself. This means that there are three heavens.
In the first and second heavens, you have evil angelic creatures who are playing a key role. Also in the heavens, we get married to Jesus Christ and go through the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10). We have an opportunity to stand before Jesus Christ to receive rewards for the works that we have done in His power and His glory, or suffer loss for the works that we have done in our power and for our glory.
In response to the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6), “Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Heaven moves when Christ comes back to the earth. He moves to the earth, and His kingdom is set up. Jesus Christ gets that kingdom from the Ancient of Days, God the Father (Daniel 7:13-14). God the Father then goes to the New Jerusalem which will be hanging in the heavenlies (Revelation 21:22, says this is where God and Jesus will be located). There will be a Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem forever (Ezekiel 37:26-28).
Heaven tomorrow will be on earth. The Lord refurbishes it and makes it a beautiful place as it was at the time that He created all of the earth (Matthew 19:28). We will live out that period of time in the Millennial Kingdom.
Then, the earth is destroyed, even the refurbished earth that Jesus has made beautiful for us because it has been cursed by Satan. The heavens and the earth will be destroyed, and we will have a New Heaven and a New Earth, described in Isaiah 65 and 66 where He says that He will create New Heavens (Revelation 21:22).
We are not going to the third heaven for eternity. We will be in the New Jerusalem. All believers will be there with God and Jesus (Revelation 21:22).
Jimmy DeYoung was a prophecy teacher and journalist who travelled the country and the world educating the Body of Christ of the future events foretold in God’s prophetic Word. His goal was to equip Christians with the knowledge and understanding of what God’s Word says will happen someday soon, so that they can make better decisions today. Dr. DeYoung went home to be with his Savior on August 15, 2021.
