Joh 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
How is it that the Son of man made the statement above while he was still on this earth?
I have read that verse many times and never understood it, but today the Lord showed me what it means. This verse has nothing to do with the bodily ascension of Jesus. There are 2 heavens in the bible, one is where God the father resides, the other is the kingdom of heaven which is the kingdom that came when Jesus came to earth.
Mat_4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Mat_12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Mar_9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
John 3:13 is telling us that no man can work his way to heaven (ascend up), accept for Jesus, who was able to work his way to heaven (fulfilled the law), because he came down from heaven (He is God in the flesh). The Son of man said this while he was living on the earth in the kingdom of God that he brought to earth.
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I have a slightly different and deeper understanding. YES the Kingdom of heaven begins HERE ON EARTH, when we get down off the throne of ruling our own lives our own way and out of a willing heart GIVE THAT THRONE OF CONTROL OVER OUR LIVES TO JESUS CHRIST AS LORD (which means Master). If we can do that, it was NOT out of our own intellect that we did it. It was by the power of the Holy Spirit that we gave Him the throne in our hearts. At that very moment the Holy Spirit brought our once dead human spirit to become a living spirit; and that new life in our spirits is
the beginning of Eternal Life, also here on earth.
Ephesians 2:4-6 (ESV)
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4 [/SUP] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
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5 [/SUP] even when
we were dead in our trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
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6 [/SUP] and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
1 John 5:11 (NASB)
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11 [/SUP] And the testimony is this, that
God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
John 3:36 (NASB)
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36 [/SUP] "He who believes in the Son
has eternal life;
but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
Thus submission to HIM as LORD, thereby giving HIM the throne of our lives,
is the beginning of eternal life.
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More food for thought. The Bible does describe THREE heavens and the Third Heaven is the Eternal Dwelling Place of GOD.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (NASB)
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2 [/SUP] I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to
the third heaven.
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3 [/SUP] And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—
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4 [/SUP]
was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
THUS the Bible equates the Third Heaven to Paradise. Remember the promise He gave the thief on the Cross? So Christ and that Thief did go spiritually to the Third Heaven that very day; but HIS blood had to be delivered physically to the ALTAR in Heaven after His Resurrection:
John 20:16-17 (NKJV)
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16 [/SUP] Jesus said to her,
"Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher).
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17 [/SUP] Jesus said to her,
"Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "
2 Chronicles 29:24 (NKJV)
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24 [/SUP] And the priests killed them; and they presented their
blood on the altar as a sin offering to make an atonement for all Israel, for the king commanded
that the burnt offering and the sin offering
be made for all Israel.
Hebrews 9:12 (GW)
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12 [/SUP]
He used his own blood, not the blood of goats and bulls, for the sacrifice.
He went into the most holy place and offered this sacrifice once and for all to free us forever.
Hebrews 4:14 (ASV)
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14 [/SUP]
Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
SEE IT? It says "heavens" PLURAL. What then is the First Heaven and the Second Heaven. The answer is simpler than you may think.
"Rain fell from heaven" -- thus the First Heaven is the Atmosphere.
"The stars and galaxies of heaven" -- thus the Second Heaven is the Universe.
"The Altar in the Throne Room of Heaven" -- thus the Third Heaven IS the Eternal Dwelling Place of GOD.