For millions of Americans, Hank Hanegraaff is known as the "Bible Answer Man" as they listen to his daily talk-radio show and podcast. Hank says that in all his years of taking listeners' questions, the most recurring ones are about heaven and the afterlife. In the new commemorative edition of The Complete Bible Answer Book, Hanegraaff answers many of these common questions, and hundreds more. Here's a glimpse at two of the most commonly asked questions on the topic of Heaven. * |
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Question: What does it mean to say that Jesus "ascended into heaven"? Answer: Over the years, I have heard more than one skeptic ridicule the notion that Jesus ascended into heaven before the very eyes of His disciples. In their view, even if Jesus were traveling at the speed of light, He would not yet have escaped the confines of our universe. Not only that, but He must surely be struggling with oxygen deprivation by now. In response, let me first point out that to say Jesus ascended into heaven does not imply that He is traveling through space, but rather that as the God-man, He transcended time and space. Put another way, heaven is not located in time and space; it exists in another dimension. Furthermore, the physical universe does not exhaust reality. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that an effect such as the universe must have a cause greater than itself. This conclusion is self-evident not only to those who are philosophically sophisticated but to thinking people everywhere. Thus, the notion that the Creator of the universe transcended His universe should pose no problem. Finally, I should note that God often uses physical examples to point to spiritual realities. Thus, the physical fact of Christ's ascension points to the greater truth that He is now glorified in the presence of God and that our glorification is divinely guaranteed as well. Now when [Jesus] had spoken these things, while [His followers] watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." Acts 1:9–11 NKJV For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, AfterLife: What You Need to Know About Heaven, the Hereafter, and Near-Death Experiences (Brentwood, TN: Worthy, 2013). |
Question: When do we receive our resurrected bodies? This is a question I encountered frequently after the death of my father. Family members and friends wanted to know whether my dad had become a disembodied soul or whether he received his resurrection body the moment he died. First, Scripture clearly refers to the moment of death as disembodiment, not re-embodiment. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul made it crystal clear that to be "at home in the body" is to be "away from the Lord" and to be "away from the body" is to be "at home with the Lord" (5:6, 8). Furthermore, Scripture teaches that believers are not resurrected until the second coming of Christ. Paul explicitly said that when the Lord comes down from heaven, "the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Jesus Himself taught that, at His bodily return to earth, "all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned" (John 5:28–29). If believers received their resurrected bodies at the moment of death, they obviously could not receive them at Christ's Second Coming. Finally, our eternal bodies are numerically identical to the bodies we now possess. As Christ rose in the same physical body in which He died, so, too, we will be raised in the same physical body in which we die. In other words, our resurrection body is not a second temporary body; rather, it is our present body transformed (1 Corinthians 15:42–43). While orthodoxy does not dictate that every cell of our present body will be restored in the resurrection, it does require continuity between the body that is and the body that will be. One day, the very body of my father that I watched being lowered into the ground will rise from its grave. It was sown a perishable body; it will be raised imperishable. It was sown in dishonor; it will be raised in glory. It was sown in weakness; it will be raised in power. It was sown a natural body; it will be raised a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:42–44). On that day, my dad's body will no longer be dominated by natural proclivities; instead, he will have a supernatural, spiritual body dominated by the Holy Spirit and set free from slavery to sin. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in 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 shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 NKJV |
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Find answers to your biggest questions about the Bible and Christian faith |
The Complete Bible Answer Book: Collector's Edition: Revised and Expanded |
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+ FREE shipping on all orders over $35 |
We all have questions about the Bible--whether we have read it or not. Join the more than half a million people who have looked to The Complete Bible Answer Book for answers about the Bible, Christian beliefs, life problems, and what God's Word says about current issues. In this comprehensive guide you will find answers to more than 210 of the top questions people have asked Bible teacher and theologian Hank Hanegraaff, aka the Bible Answer Man, over the last 40 years. Each question is answered in Hanegraaff's scholarly yet approachable style and also includes additional resources for those who want to explore the topics further. The Complete Bible Answer Bookis your go-to resource to get your burning questions answered and enrich your spiritual life. |
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Exclusively at FaithGateway: Free L-E-G-A-C-Y Bible Reading Plan printable with any purchase of The Complete Bible Answer Book. |
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"Wonderful book! Asks and answers in depth, common questions you may have about a variety of topics in the Bible. Hardcover surrounded by a soft leatherette material. The cover is teal in color with gold lettering. Lovely book for my collection!" — Crystal V. |
"Very informative." — Beverlyann A. |
"Just an awesome little book! It is a great companion to my daily devotional and Bible study." — Jeff |
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The Complete Bible Answer Book covers topics such as: - creation and our existence
- spiritual gifts
- the secret to effective prayers
- religions and cults
- the resurrection and afterlife
- and many more issues vital to a better understanding of God and living a spiritually nourishing life.
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About the Author: Hank Hanegraaff |
President, Christian Research Institute |
Hank Hanegraaff serves as president and chairman of the board of the North Carolina–based Christian Research Institute. He is also host of the nationally syndicated Bible Answer Man broadcast as well as the Hank Unplugged podcast. Widely regarded as one of the world's leading Christian authors and apologists, Hank is deeply committed to equipping Christians to be so familiar with truth that when counterfeits loom on the horizon, they recognize them instantaneously. Through his live call-in radio broadcast, Hank equips Christians to mine the Bible for all its wealth and answers questions on the basis of careful research and sound reasoning. And through the Hank Unplugged podcast, he interviews today's most significant Christian leaders, apologists, and thinkers. Hank is the author of more than twenty books, with more than a million copies in print. 2019 saw the release of his magnum opus Truth Matters, Life Matters More: The Unexpected Beauty of an Authentic Christian Life. For the greater part of his life and ministry, Hank's clarion call was to communicate Christian truth — because truth matters! The discovery that truth matters but life matters more has cultivated in him a deep commitment to communicating why life matters more and how the life that matters more can be experienced today — now — in intimate union with the Triadic One. He is a regular contributor to the award-winning Christian Research Journal and an articulate communicator on the pressing issues of our day, having spoken in leading churches, conferences, and on college campuses throughout the world (including such faraway institutions as the University of Tehran, Iran, and the University of Hong Kong). Hank and his wife, Kathy, live in Charlotte, North Carolina, are parents to twelve children. |
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Now and Not Yet Online Bible Study by Ruth Chou Simons |
When you're waiting, wanting, restless for more... When you can't make sense of your not-yet resolved, not-yet fruitful, not-yet clear, or not-yet wonderful season of life, you can choose to press in and not check out, knowing God is at work. He meets us in the unwanted, unexpected, and unlikely circumstances of our lives and proves himself faithful. Join us for the FREE Now and Not Yet OBS with Ruth Chou Simons as we discover all the ways he makes His faithfulness known throughout the Bible. Plus get access to 6 study videos with Ruth + bonus resources, free when you sign up! |
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this devotion with someone who needs it today |
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