For all who are curious about the dwelling place of God and the angels, this book explores the Bible’s teaching on heaven and explains how it is nearer to earth than you might think.
Paula Gooder considers the ways in which the Bible sees heaven and earth connecting, and explores all the major strands of belief about life after death, including the role of paradise, and what happens between death and resurrection. She shows how the biblical writers see heaven and earth as closely connected, so that what happens in heaven affects events on earth and vice versa.
Tabla de materias
Acknowledgements vii
Abbreviations viii
Introduction ix
1 In the beginning . . . : heaven and earth 1
2 On the wings of the cherubim: God as king 12
3 Chariots of fire: God’s throne-chariot 22
4 In the presence of God: cherubim, seraphim and the heavenly creatures 32
5 From heaven to earth: angelic messengers 45
6 Heaven opened: communication between heaven and earth 59
7 Caught up into heaven: ascending into heaven 68
8 You shall rise: life, death and resurrection 79
9 Between death and resurrection: what happens while we wait for the end? 91
Epilogue: . . . so what? 101
Notes 107
Select bibliography 129
Index of biblical and ancient texts 138
Index of modern authors 141
Index of subjects 143
Sobre el autor
Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor at St Paul’s Cathedral and a writer and lecturer in Biblical Studies. Her research areas focus on the writings of the apostle Paul, with a particular focus on 2 Corinthians and on Paul’s understanding of the body. Her publications include Body: Biblical spirituality for the whole person and Searching for Meaning: An introduction to interpreting the New Testament.