Second Kings 2:11 states that Elijah "went up by a whirlwind into heaven." Yet, in John 3:13, Jesus says that no one "has ascended to heaven," and in Acts 2:34, Peter says that King David "did not ascend into the heavens." Can you explain this seeming contradiction?

The answer lies in understanding the different ways in which the Bible uses the word heaven. The dwelling place of God is called "heaven" (Matthew 5:16,34,45; 6:1,9; 7:11,21; Revelation 4). This was the "heaven" Jesus had in mind when He said, "No one has ascended to heaven" (John 3:13). Generally, however, the word simply refers to the sky, whether within or outside the earth's atmosphere. The birds fly in "heaven" (Genesis 1:20), and the sun, moon, and stars are in "heaven" (Genesis 1:14-17).

       Elijah was taken into the sky, but not into the place of God's dwelling. No doubt, the whirlwind was the means God used in transporting Elijah from one geographical location to anotherjust as an airplane takes us from one place to another. There is no reason to believe that Elijah stayed in the sky once the whirlwind took him up. The letter from Elijah to King Jehoram (2 Chronicles 21:12-15) appears to have been written after the whirlwind incident (though this is inconclusive). If so, then Elijah was obviously on the earth at that time.

What did Jesus mean when He said, "I go to prepare a place for you"? Some people claim this supports the view that Christians go to heaven.

In John 14:13, Jesus says, "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."

       Since Jesus ascended to heaven after His resurrection, and since God the Father dwells in heaven, we might safely assume that the "Father's house" of which Jesus spoke is in heaven. Moreover, since Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you," we might safely assume that the "place" He is preparing is in the Father's house in heaven.

       But notice that Jesus did not say that His followers would go to heaven and take up residence in the new mansions He had prepared for them. On the contrary, He said, "I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." Jesus will receive His saints when He comes againnot before! He will establish His kingdom right here on this earth, and the saints will reign with Him (Revelation 2:26,27; 3:21; 5:10).

       The term translated "mansions" is better rendered "rooms," "abodes," or "chambers." The Father's house, Jesus says, has many rooms, and He is now preparing a place for His disciples, but they will not take up residence in their new place until the Father's housethe Father's dwelling placecomes to this earth.

       Jesus promises, "He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God" (Revelation 3:12).

       The apostle John saw the New Jerusalem in a vision. He wrote, "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 I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God'" (Revelation 21:2,3). v

       Notice that the dwelling place of Godthe "Father's house"will be located here on this earth.

Doesn't Paul say that to be "absent from the body" is to be "present with the Lord"? If, then, a Christian dies and is "absent from the body," is he not immediately (and consciously) "present with the Lord"?

The expressions "absent from the body" and "present with the Lord" are found in 2 Corinthians 5:6,8. In the preceding verses, Paul speaks of the present mortal condition and the future glorified state. The mortal body is described as "our earthly house" (verse 1), "this tent" (verses 1,4), and our present "home" (verse 6). These descriptions are contrasted with the everlasting "building from God," or "house not made with hands" (verse 1), which is "our habitation which is from heaven" (verse 2) with which we shall be "clothed" (verses 24).

       A person who is "absent from the body" has put off the present clothing. He will remain "naked" (verse 3), or "unclothed" (verse 4), until he is "further clothed" (verse 4) with his "building," "house," or "habitation" from heaven. At that time, he will be "present with the Lord."

       Both the present mortality and the future immortality are described in terms of "clothing." The mortal body a person occupies is his present clothing. His future clothing is the immortal body he will obtain at the resurrection, which takes place at the Second Coming of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:21-23,50-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17). He is "naked," or "unclothed," between death and resurrection. Therefore, Paul did not mean that a person who is "absent from the body" is immediately and consciously "present with the Lord."

       In his previous epistle to the Corinthian believers, Paul wrote, "Behold! I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changedin a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we [who are alive] shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). When will this occur? In the future, "at His coming" (verse 23).

       Compare this with what Paul said to the same church in his next epistle: "For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life" (2 Corinthians 5:4).

       It is inconceivable that in one epistle Paul links putting on immortality with the future resurrection, but in the other epistle he links putting on immortality with "going to heaven" at death. If Christians are clothed with immortality, or "swallowed up by life," shortly after death, what is so glorious about the future resurrection?

The book of Genesis says that God created man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Another scripture says that we should not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but only God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell. What does this mean?

The Hebrew term nephesh, translated "soul" in the Old Testament, generally means "being," but has several nuances of meaning. Genesis 2:7 states, "And the Lord God formed the man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." The term translated "being" ("soul" in the KJV) in no way indicates immortality. The same term is translated "creature" in Genesis 1:24 and 2:19, and refers to the animals God had created. The term refers to the essence of life in 1 Kings 17:21,22.

       The Greek term translated "soul" in the New Testament is psuche. Greek translators used this term in translating the Hebrew nephesh.

       In Matthew 10:28, Jesus states, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." This passage shows clearly that the "soul," however one defines it, can be destroyed. Both body and soul can be destroyed in Gehenna (translated "hell" here), which is the consuming fire that will completely destroy all the incorrigibly wicked in the Day of Judgment. There will be no resurrection for those who are destroyed in Gehenna.

       Men can kill, but cannot prevent God from raising their victims to life again. Only God can destroy permanently, and He will do it only for the incorrigibly wicked. This does not mean, however, that a person remains conscious after death. Rather, it means simply that, after death, individual identity is preserved and remains in an unconscious state until the resurrection.

       Some expositors make an artificial distinction between "kill" and "destroy" in this verse. They claim that the latter means "reduce to ruin," which implies a state of misery rather than annihilation. However, since the point is that God, who is able to destroy both soul and body, is being contrasted with men, who are able to kill only the body, it is obvious that "kill" and "destroy" are used synonymously here. To destroy a soul is to kill it. Since it can be killed, it is not immortal. Luke's parallel account adds clarity to Matthew's rendition: "And I say unto you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:4,5).

       This is simply another way of saying that men are unable to take away a person's life forever. Only God can do that.

(1) If body plus breath equals soul (Genesis 2:7), then how would you explain Matthew 10:28 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23? (2) If no one goes to heaven, then where is the place Jesus is preparing in John 14:3? (3) The Bible says we will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17). After that, where are we going? Besides, what is "the air"? Is it another name for heaven? Are we going to remain in the air forever?

(1) The term translated "soul" in the New Testament does not always mean "body plus breath of life." That definition is too restrictive. The term is psuche, and can refer to the natural life of the body (Matthew 2:20), the immaterial part of a person (Matthew 10:28), the seat of emotion, perception, and self-awareness (Matthew 11:29), the inner man (1 Peter 2:11), and so on. The term has a wide range of meaningssimilar to our word "soul": "He has soul." "There were forty souls aboard." "I felt that in the depths of my soul." "The soul leaves the body at death."

       The Hebrew and Greek terms translated "soul" (Greek: psuche; Hebrew: nephesh) do not always refer to a living being. The Bible speaks of "dead souls," both of men and of animals (Numbers 6:6; Leviticus 24:18).

       The expression "spirit, soul, and body" (1 Thessalonians 5:23) refers to the whole personlife, limb, and personalitybut should not be understood as a precise analysis of the human composition. One could just as well speak of "heart, mind, soul, spirit, and body" as a way of emphasizing the whole person. These terms carry a variety of nuances, and most overlap in meaning to some extent. When used in combination, they should be understood as simply a way of speaking of the whole person, but need not be broken down into precise categories.

       The words translated "soul" (psuche) and "spirit" (pneuma) have overlapping meanings, and can, to some extent, be used interchangeably. Both can refer to the inner person, but neither is restricted to this meaning.

       (2) In John 14:3, Jesus is speaking of His ascension to heaven, where He will prepare a "place" for His disciples. But He says nothing about His disciples going to heaven to enter the place He is preparing. Rather, He says, "I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am you may be also" (John 14:3). Later, John sees a vision of "the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2). The holy city, New Jerusalem, is the future dwelling place of the saints. It is being prepared in heaven, but will come down from heaven to this earth in God's own time.

       (3) First Thessalonians 4:17 tells us that true disciples of Jesus will meet the returning Christ "in the air." The "air" is the atmosphere. As Christ descends through the earth's atmosphere, the resurrected and transformed saints will rise to meet Him. They will then follow Christ in His descent to the earth. "And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east" (Zechariah 14:4).