paradise

Heavenly Questions – Will There Be Pets and Time in Heaven?

/ Bob

As we ask the question, “In Heaven, will we be aware of events happening on earth?” we need to answer the question of the significance or insignificance of time in Heaven. We addressed that question as well as the question, “Will there be animals and pets in Heaven?” in Sunday morning’s session.

So, concerning the presence of animals in Heaven, the scripture gives many passages which point out the importance of animals in God’s creation and the value He places on them. From the Creation account to the deliverance of animals on the ark to Jesus himself declaring the care God provides for the birds we see God’s heart when it comes to the animal kingdom.

Pets, however, are not mentioned specifically in scripture largely because people did not keep pets in Israel in the first century, unlike the Roman culture of the day in which the keeping of all kinds of pets was somewhat common. There is the story of Nathan exhorting David and using the tender relationship between a man and his lamb, but that’s about it. So . . . . will there be pets in Heaven? I believe so, but it’s my opinion – not biblical fact.

God has blessed us with animals to enjoy at the beginning of time. Those who are pet owners know that they are blessed by the animals they affectionately consider to be a part of the family. In the 84th Psalm – a Psalm in which David declares the blessings of dwelling in the House of the Lord – David says, “For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” (Psalm 84:11) That promise of God not withholding any good thing is one that I personally believe could apply to the good thing that God has given us here on earth in the relationship with our pets.

Concerning time – God is timeless. He exists outside of time. And yet we are told very specifically in Revelation that we – being very much tied to time – will dwell with God. We cannot in our space-time continuum conceive of existence outside of time, but it will happen. At that point, events which take place within the space-time continuum here on earth will be viewed from a radically different viewpoint. The insignificance of time in Heaven will be very significant indeed.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, May 25, 2025. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Heaven & Angels: Our Eternal Home and Its Heavenly Hosts. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/heaven-angels-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 05.25.2025 -Heavenly Questions – Pets and WorkDownload

Heavenly Questions – Answers to Questions About Heaven: Awareness of Earthly Events in Heaven

/ Bob

Today’s question is “In Heaven, will we be aware of events happening on earth?” My answer is, “I don’t know.” It’s one of those Biblical questions that doesn’t have a definitive answer. Therefore, we look to the scriptures for guidance as we ponder the question. We begin by acknowledging that we cannot know all there is to know or there would be no need of faith. We look to the Bible and only the Bible. We avoid proof-texting, that is basing our beliefs on a single verse taken out of context. Finally, we let the Spirit guide us.

So, concerning our awareness in Heaven of earthly events we read that everyone in Heaven rejoices over a sinner who repents. (Luke 15:7 & 10) We saw that Samuel had knowledge in Sheol of Saul’s past, present, and future events. (1 Samuel 28:15-19) We saw in the account of the Transfiguration that Moses and Elijah were aware of the impending death of Jesus. (Luke 9:30-31) Then we have accounts of citizens of Heaven questioning earthly events and rejoicing over earthly events. (Revelation 6:9-11; & 18:20) These passages are descriptive and do not necessarily prescribe any set pattern, but they do give us something to think about.

We then looked at passages that describe how we will think and perceive things with complete understanding for we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him and we will not see things as in a dim mirror, but fully and completely. (! Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2) The conclusion to draw from this is that whether we are aware of any earthly events or not, we will see them all through the loving and understanding eyes of Jesus. It will be beyond our wildest comprehension for “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, May 18, 2025. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Heaven & Angels: Our Eternal Home and Its Heavenly Hosts. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/heaven-angels-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 05.18.2025 -Heavenly QuestionsDownload

Opening the Door to Heaven– Hebrews 11:8-16

/ Bob

Is Heaven real? What is Heaven? Where is Heaven? Why is there a Heaven? These are just a few of the questions we will be answering in the coming weeks. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. What we sometimes forget is that He created Heaven on earth when He created the Garden of Eden. Those first inhabitants of that Garden contaminated it with their sin. That act of corruption caused God to banish them from the Garden . . . until . . . when He so chooses . . . He restores His Garden – His Heaven on Earth when He establishes the New Heaven and the New Earth.

I n Revelation 2:7b Jesus says, “To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise [Garden] of God.” In Revelation 21:1-4 John records, “Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’  for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ ”

Finally, in Revelation 22 John speaks of the restored Garden as he describes the River of the Water of Life flowing through it with the The Tree of Life – yes, The Tree of Life from the original Garden – growing on both sides of the River. The restoration will be complete and we will dwell in Paradise – the Garden of God – for all eternity. We call it Heaven, but in reality we’ll be home – home where we belonged in the first place.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, April 27, 2025. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Heaven & Angels: Our Eternal Home and Its Heavenly Hosts. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/heaven-angels-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 04.27.2025 -Welcome to Heaven – Hebrews 11.8-16Download

What Happens When We Die – Part 2

/ Bob

When God created humans, He created them with a body and a soul and a spirit and placed them in the Garden – Paradise – where the tree of life is – where they were to rule over the newly created earth. When they sinned they were banished from the Garden. (Genesis 1:26-30; 2:8-9 & 15; 3:23-24)

When Jesus returns He will raise us up with a resurrected body, soul, and spirit, and place us in the Garden – Paradise – where the tree of life is- where we will rule with Jesus over the New Heaven and the New Earth. Once we were banished from the Garden because of our sin and now we will dwell there for all eternity because of the sacrificial death of Jesus who paid the price for our sin and rose again as firstfruits of the resurrection. (Matthew 19:28; 2 Timothy 2:12; 1 Corinthians 6:1-3; Revelation 20-22)

Concerning the question, “What Happen When We Die?” he final answer is that when we die we leave our physical bodies behind and spiritually go to be with Jesus. When Jesus returns we will have our bodies restored as glorified and perfected bodies in which we will enjoy eternity in the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Therefore, as Paul said, we should “encourage one another with these words.” We should encourage fellow believers and we should encourage non-believers to look forward to that day when we lay aside these mortal bodies and meet Christ face to face. What a grand day that will be. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, January 29, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

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What Happens When We Die? – Part 1

/ Bob

Where Happens When We Die? – Part One

This discussion began with questions about the meaning of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 in which Paul describes what will happen to those who die before Jesus returns. Since he was addressing Christians, his thoughts centered around the life of the Christian after death. Obviously, what happens when we die is a question that would be answered differently for the believer and the nonbeliever. But like Paul, we are looking at the Christians expectations and hopes for the future.

The fact is that God created a perfect world and placed in it perfect human beings. The problem was that those human beings sinned and God‘s perfect world was polluted by sin. So they were banished from the garden in which he had placed them, and since that time we have lived with a sinful nature in a fallen world.

It was only when Jesus paid the price for our sin that we found the final solution to our problem. And the final solution is wonderful. Because of what Christ did for us on the cross, and because he rose again as the first fruits of the resurrection, we also can look forward to the hope of resurrection.

When we die, we go to be with Jesus, but that presence with Christ is separated from our earthly bodies. When Jesus returns, our resurrected bodies will reunite with our spirit and soul, and we will dwell in the new earth – the new garden – that will come at the end of time. So what will happen when we die? It’s all good. . . . for the ones who believe.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, January 22, 2023. It is the 1st lesson in a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

class-notes-01.22-29.2023-what-happens-when-we-dieDownload
scripture-references-01.22-and-29.2023-what-happens-when-we-dieDownload