Hi to Tn Dove and the others who may have viewed his video on heaven...I have a question to all who have viewed it..DO u feel he really DID go to Heaven?? and if so.. what do you all think of his saying we will have "covenant companions" for eternity??...Does that mean that our earthly spouses will be our "covenant companions", providing of course that they are also born-again??
I know many teach there is no marriage in heaven, but its hard to think that GOD will cut-off all romance for all of eternity...any thoughts on this subject??


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5865956312777885834#

I read Oden Hetrick's testimony somewhere last year, and believe that the Covenant Companion is the spouse that we "misssed" while here on earth. Some of us Christians unfortunately married into an "unequally yoked" marriage, and in heaven this wrong will be righted. I could be wrong about this.

INSIDE THE GATES OF HEAVEN
CHAPTER 7
COMPANIONSHIP IN HEAVEN

Adam and Jesus are not the only ones who will have eternal companions in Heaven, because fellowship and companionship is the purpose of this creation. You see, when God made Eve for Adam, it was not as though He made another apple. It was as though He cut one apple in half (sex means to divide). Adam was divided into two beings -- one masculine, and one feminine. This division was not just in the physical realm; it was also in the spiritual, mental and emotional realms. That's why a strictly physical relationship on earth does not fully satisfy the desire of men and women for companionship. There must be a relationship not affected by time or space or death -- a relationship that unites two souls, two minds and two hearts.

Consider some words of Jesus about marriage (Luke 20:34-38).

"The children (men and women) of this world marry..."

The Greek word He used for 'marry' means, 'unite for the purpose of physical reproduction.' This is necessary on earth because physical bodies die.

"...but the children (men and women) of the resurrection...do not die."

They are eternal, spiritual beings like angels. But they are more than angels. They are sons and daughters of God. Jesus did not cancel companionship in Heaven, He is simply explaining that beings who do not die, do not reproduce.

On this earth a feminine being lives in a female body which is flesh and blood and physical and temporary. In Heaven she lives in an eternal spiritual body. She is still feminine and has the form of a lady, but she is no longer female. Spiritual glorified bodies do not have reproductive organs, because flesh and blood do not enter Heaven. The same is true for a man. In Heaven he lives in a spiritual body. He still looks like a man, and he is still masculine, but he is no longer male.

Yes, there are relationships between a man and a lady in Heaven, but there we live in glorified bodies, not in physical bodies. And only in God's house will companions finally be together forever.

"This is what the Lord says,
in My house, and within My walls,
a place and a name...
of sons and of daughters."
Isaiah 56:5
"In the Lord, the man and the woman
are not independent of each other."
1 Corinthians 11:11
"I will receive you,
and will be a Father unto you,
and you will be My sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty..."
2 Corinthians 6:18

Now consider these six facts:

1/ Jesus paid the supreme price to obtain a bride.
2/ When God made Eve for Adam, He instituted eternal companionship, because there was no death at that time.
3/ The masculine is not complete without the feminine, because in Adam they were created as one.
4/ Every child born to Adam's race is only half of a perfect one.
5/ Love is eternal.
6/ Everyone of us, just like Jesus, desires an eternal companion.

Therefore, just as God made food for hungry bodies, and air for birds to fly in, so He has made paradise for sweethearts. But the only way to that paradise is Jesus -- the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

Cheryl and Keith, I have wondered about this too since seeing Oden's testimony a while ago.

I don't know if it's true or not, but all I can say is I SURE HOPE SO. To be equally yoked with someone for eternity sounds wonderful. So much better than having to be alone in spirit like on this earth.

I haven't seen ANY scriptural evidence of it though, so who knows. I guess we just have to trust that God knows our needs and will provide all we need for eternity.

INSIDE THE GATES OF HEAVEN
CHAPTER 8
SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Now your questions:

Q/ Will an unmarried person have a companion in Heaven?
A/ Yes. Just as God chose Eve for Adam, so He will choose companions in Heaven. Jesus was not married on earth, but Rev 19:1-9 records His marriage in Heaven.

Q/ Will my spouse on earth be my companion in Heaven?
A/ Many married Christians have a companionship that includes mental, emotional and spiritual satisfaction. They share a love that distance cannot hinder, time cannot diminish, and death cannot finish. And since their life on earth is a happy one, they desire to be together in Heaven, and I believe God will grant their desire. On the other hand, many marriages are unhappy, but don't let an unhappy marriage turn you against the covenant companion concept. God made for Adam a companion he would not part with; and He knows how to choose the perfectly satisfying companion in Heaven for every saved child of Adam's race. If we keep His rules here, He will keep His promises there.

Q/ If there is no marriage in Heaven, how do companions express love?
A/ A biological response is not love; it is only an expression of love, as you have said. But God had to make it the only physical intimacy or the race would not continue. In Heaven there are seven intimacies, but they are spiritual, and any one of them would make the earthly relationship seem like a bad dream by comparison. Eternal intimacies will be explained in the Holy City where we will soon be going. But following is a brief introduction.

Spirits look like people, but two of them can occupy the same space at the same time and appear as one. This is why a soul and a spirit can both live in the same body; they are being intimate with each other and with that body. The fear of death is proof that souls and spirits are very delighted with life in a body.

Covenant companions in Heaven (those united by God) will live in spiritual glorified bodies and so will also be able to occupy the same space at the same time, the masculine and the feminine appearing as one glorified being, united as two voices singing one duet. There is nothing on earth that even compares to the lasting ecstasy of this intimacy.

God's Spirit and my spirit are also delighted to be together as one in my body, because when I dedicated my life to God, I was so happy that for hours I could not speak for laughing. And this spiritual intimacy will continue forever in my glorified body in Heaven.

"The Lord is intimate with the upright."
Proverbs 3:32

A happy relationship with God's indwelling Spirit is required before anyone enters the gate of the Holy City.

Neal, kinda makes you wonder though - what if there are more women than men in heaven? Or more men than women? I sure don't know about this, but I'm putting in my reservation now, just in case...

Normally when i hear stories of heaven i am touched, however for some reason his story didnt sit well with me.

I am not convinced that we dont reproduce after the change.

I have never heard of this and WOW, what a concept, even more things to look forward to.

Email: newskinagain167@yahoo.com

Hmmm. Well, I think this goes into the great “wait & see” category.

I definitely think he went, because he describes many things that match others’ descriptions who have gone.

Hmm...some verses to ponder:

1 Corinthians 11:11-12

However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.

For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth
through the woman; and all things originate from God.

Matthew 19:4-6

And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female,

and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?'

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. WHAT THEREFORE GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER LET NO MAN SEPARATE."

Char, those are good verses that make you think. Did God just make male and female to become one on earth only? And only for the purpose of reproduction? I don't know. It seems that men and women need each other as we seem to fill gaps in each other's personalities.

You know the new ager groups all talk about "soulmates" and "twin flames" and how we were joined with our male or female counterpart before birth, then split and sent to earth and that we will be rejoined after death. Now I know there is NO scriptural evidence for this. I'm just kind of wondering how the whole concept got started in the first place. And why is it that we can meet some people and feel like we've known them our whole lives or like we are supposed to be together, and others we seems to have no connection with.

Could it all just be a big deception of satan to keep us away from the truth of God? I suppose. But I have to admit, I hope there is some truth to the fact that a part of us is missing and we will be together with it again someday.

Yikes, I hope I didn't offend anyone with all this. I know it's not scripturally based. Please forgive me - I don't mean to mislead anyone.

Diane, I do not think it is an anti-biblical idea...

I guess it's gotta be a wait-n-see type of thing, unless He speaks to us personally about it. I do believe Oden Hetrick's experience was genuine and from God.

While I haven't had a personal revelation from the Lord on this matter, I do believe there is truth to it. I know that God put Jake and I together, and we both have a VERY strong sense that it was not only for this lifetime.

Also, the Lord has told me many times that He's got some BIG SURPRISES for
(His children). So perhaps this will be one of them!

You are right, Kerry. satan doesn't invent anything new, he just takes the beauty that God makes and perverts it. God has created male and female for each other, so I would imagine it has an eternal purpose as well - just as everything we do here on earth has consequences in eternity somehow.

Thanks bro for the good reminder. Blessings.

Here's a link to a written version.

http://www.rapture5770-5775.com/visittoheaven.htm

This reads alot like marriage to me. See Mark 12:18-27
about a woman who went thru several husbands on earth.

So I have my doubts.