Question
When a believer dies, how will he get to the third heaven not knowing the way there?
Response
My understanding is that God’s angels have a role in this. I know from what the Lord said in His program with Israel in Luke 16:19ff that His angels saw to transporting the souls of justified men into the heart of the earth to the place called “Abraham’s bosom.” And though we live in the dispensation of grace and are the members of the “new creature”, the church the body of Christ, and though when we die we depart to be with Christ, I think the angels’ role remains the same. In other words, I think it is just their job, so to speak, to be involved in transporting the souls of justified men when death takes place, regardless of which program of God is in effect. I know some folks object to this, saying that we don’t need the angels to do this, especially since we have the Holy Ghost dwelling in our bodies, etc. But I don’t think the issue is one of whether we need the angels to do this or not. Again, I think it is just their job. (In the same vein one could say, for example, that the Lord doesn’t need Michael and his angels to fight with the devil and his angels when it comes to casting the devil and his cohorts out of the heavenly places, as described in Revelation 12. And, in truth, the Lord doesn’t actually need Michael and his angels to fight in order to do this. The Lord could just cast out the devil and his angels Himself without lifting a finger, so to speak. But the Lord created Michael as His “archangel”; and as such he has a particular role to fulfill, along with the angels of the Lord’s host that he heads up. And the Lord is going to have him do his job, even though the Lord doesn’t necessarily “need” him, as if the Lord couldn’t do it Himself.) Well, again, this is the way I look upon what happens to us when we die in connection with us getting to the third heaven to be with the Lord. I expect angels who have the job of transporting, to transport us there.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries
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