Many paths to Heaven?

This is something that has been on my heart for awhile now, and really needs to be “driven home” because it is so important. Below are the results of a survey done by LifeWay Research in 2016. The results are disturbing but not surprising.

Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, says most Americans still identify as Christians. But they seem to be confused about some of the details of their faith.

For example, he says, about two-thirds of Americans believe Jesus is God while half say Jesus is a being created by God. Those two beliefs don’t seem to match, he says.

Six in 10 Americans say everyone eventually goes to heaven, but half say only those who believe in Jesus will be saved. And while 7 in 10 say there’s only one true God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—two-thirds say God accepts worship of all faiths. Twelve percent are not sure.

Overall, fewer than half (40 percent) of Americans say those who don’t believe in Jesus will go to hell. (Hell is eternal separation from God. We also call this “outer darkness” because GOD (Elohim/Triune God) is pure LIGHT.)

LifeWay Research

This survey shows that 2/3 of Americans truly believe that there are many paths to Heaven, and an additional 12% are not sure. On top of this, only 50% of American Christians believe Jesus IS God, the other half believe that Jesus was created by God (a created being).

Of course, people will believe whatever they choose to believe, but why do they believe there are many paths to Heaven, and is it true? Are their beliefs based on Scripture, based on “other religious books”, based on their own feelings?

A very big “buzzword” in today’s society is the word “tolerance”. This word is HUGE, and it’s used to describe an individual or group’s willingness to accept or embrace differing ideas, behaviors, or feelings other than their own. In our society, most believe that good people are tolerant and bad people are intolerant. In fact, those who refuse to accept or embrace another individual’s religion or ideas are labeled not only intolerant, but bigoted. To be labeled a “bigot” is a huge insult, and not one that most people would sign up for. This may be one reason why many people decide to believe that there are many paths to Heaven.

Other reasons may include doubt, or perhaps lack of knowledge, or even concern for our fellow man (mankind), not wanting to think that any, but the most evil and terrible of people, could end up anywhere other than Heaven. Of course, atheists don’t even believe in Heaven, but many religions do believe in Heaven, or a type of Paradise that people go after they die.

What is the Biblical interpretation of Heaven? Actually, the Hebrew word for Heaven is Shamayim, which is a plural word (heavens). The Bible describes 3 different Heavens using the word Shamayim. The first Heaven is what is called the atmosphere or the sky that covers the earth. This is the “Heaven” that we see with our eyes, the place of birds and clouds that surround the entire earth. The second Heaven is also somewhat visible and is called the firmament. It is where God placed sun, the moon, and the stars. We can see this “Heaven” more clearly through high powered telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope. The third Heaven is unseen and it is the residence of God the Father and Jesus the Christ. This is the location of the Throne of God, the Holy Angels, and where the Saints of God go after they die. This is the Heaven that 60% of Americans think everyone goes when they die, regardless of “religion” or belief.

Does everyone go to Heaven when they die? If they do, then this would mean that there are there “many paths to Heaven”. Can people who do not recognize that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh who came down to earth to die for our sins go to Heaven? What does the Bible say?

To find the answer to this question, we should look to the Bible, which is where we find out about the existence of Heaven itself.

John 14:6: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 10:9: I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.

John 11:25: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.

Acts 4:12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Jesus makes it clear that He is the only way to the Highest Heaven where God Himself dwells. Jesus is the door, the gate of the sheep, the Only Name by which a man can be saved. There is no other way!! If there had been another way for man to reach Heaven, to reach God, then do you think God would have sent His Only Son to die a horrifying, excruciating death on this earth to pay for our sins? No! In fact, Jesus Himself made this Crystal Clear in the Garden of Gethsemane, the place where He was illegally arrested so that the religious elite, the Pharisees, could have him put to death.

The Gospels tell us that Jesus prayed 3 times through the night asking the Father to take the cup away from Him if there be ANY OTHER WAY. Of course, Jesus KNEW what He had to go through, and because He was both fully human, and fully God, HE KNEW the pain and suffering that He would have to endure. The Bible says that Jesus literally sweat droplets of blood because of how REAL and how NEAR His pain, suffering, and ultimately death was. In-fact, there were only about 15 hours from the time that Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane until He gave up His Spirit on the Cross.

Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus *came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. ³⁸ Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”

³⁹ And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” ⁴⁰ And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? ⁴¹ Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴² He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” ⁴³ Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. ⁴⁵ Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

Three times, Jesus prayed to the Father, that if it be POSSIBLE, would He (God the Father) please take this “cup” from “Me”. The “cup” that Jesus was about to “drink” was a metaphor for what He was about to go through, being beaten and scourged, nailed to a cross, and eventually left to die a HORRIBLE DEATH by crucifixion. Jesus was asking the Father if there be any other way by which mankind could be saved, by which a person could go to Heaven, eternal Paradise with the Father, let HIM NOT go through what He was about to go through. But, of course, Jesus always did the Will of the Father. It was the Father’s Will for Jesus to die, not because the Father took pleasure in the death of His Son, but because the Father LOVES mankind and KNEW that this was the ONLY WAY for mankind to be saved (John 3:16)! When Jesus said if this be “possible”, He was NOT asking the Father if it was PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE for HIM to intervene! How do we know this? Because later in the story, His Disciple Peter cut the ear off of a Roman Guard to try to “rescue Jesus”. Jesus then supernaturally put the man’s ear back on his head and told Peter that it was most certainly PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE for His Father to rescue Him; however, it was NOT the Father’s Will.

Matthew 26:53: “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? “

If the Father would have rescued Jesus and not allowed Him to be crucified for the sins of mankind, then our sins would not have been forgiven and NONE of us would be able to enter Heaven, the Kingdom of God.

There is only One Name by which a person can be saved. There is only One Name by which a person can go to Heaven. Jesus is the Door, the Bridge, the Only Way to Heaven. The only way to Heaven is both exclusive and inclusive. All are invited to the Table. Jesus calls all people to His Table, to receive Him as the Son of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

No religion will save anyone. No religion will take anyone to Heaven.

• Christians, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses must realize that our “good works do not save us! We’re saved by Grace alone, through Faith, and not of ourselves, it is a gift from God, not as a result of works so that no man can boast (Ephesians 2:8-10)! Sitting in a pew, or belonging to a Church won’t save us! Only JESUS can SAVE! Jesus is the ONLY PATH to HEAVEN!

• Muslims must recognize that Yeshua Hamashiach, Jesus the Christ, is the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Son of God who shed HIS BLOOD to pay for the sins of ALL MANKIND! Their “god” Allah cannot save anyone or take anyone to Heaven.

• Jewish people must recognize the One whom they pierced and mourn as one mourns for the LOSS of an Only Son. They must recognize that the ONLY way to YHWH, to Heaven, to the Resurrection, is through the Promised MESSIAH YESHUA HAMASHIACH, THE PASSOVER LAMB OF GOD, the Savior of all mankind.

• Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, “new age”, and others, must all must recognize that the TRUTH of the matter is, Jesus Christ is the ONLY PATH TO HEAVEN. There is no reincarnation, there is no Nirvana. There will be no warped version of eternal life on earth through artificial technology, merging man and machines.

It’s becoming increasingly popular for mainstream Christian Churches to preach that there are many paths to Heaven, but this is a LIE from the pit of hell. I wonder how they justify this. Do they think that God the Father sent His Son Jesus down to earth to die for NOTHING?? The Bible tells us that in the last days, some churches will leave “sound doctrine” and preach “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). This is going to become more and more common as we approach the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ, deceiving even the very elect, if that were possible. (Matthew 24:24). The teaching that all “religions” worship the same God…is FALSE! The teaching that there are many paths to Heaven…is FALSE! Do we want everyone to be saved and none to be lost?? Yes, of course we do! But telling people a lie because we’re afraid of their reaction, or because we’re afraid to be called a “bigot”, or because we simply WANT to believe something other than what the Bible tells us is NOT going to help anyone, and it’s NOT going to save anyone! They WILL find the truth out EVENTUALLY! It is far better to find out now, while there’s still a chance to be saved!!!

The truth is there is ONLY ONE PATH to HEAVEN ✝️, and HIS NAME IS JESUS! We see this SAME TRUTH in the Jewish Tabernacle, a shadow of MESSIAH YAHUSHUA (JESUS). In the Tabernacle there was only ONE gate, ONE door, ONE veil — all pointing to Jesus Christ.(MESSIAH).

John 7:  So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

1. the “gate” to the “outer court” (Exodus 27:16).
2. the “door” to the “holy place” (Exodus 26:36-37; 36:37-38).
3. the “veil” to the “holy of holies.” (i.e. “Most Holy”) (Exodus 26:31-33).

All three entrances were made of the same material: a fine white woven linen with blue, purple and scarlet threads running through the material (Exodus 38:18).

Exodus 38:18: Now the curtain of the gate of the courtyard was the work of the weaver, of violet, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the height was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the courtyard.

• Pure white linen speaks of Christ’s purity, sinnless perfection.
• The Blue always points to YHWH, representing Christ’s DIVINITY (God).
• The red threads represent Christ’s HUMANITY (blood),
• the purple represent MESSIAH (The Son of man/Son of God) a combination of red and blue. Messiah Jesus is fully God and fully man.

The same Jesus is portrayed in each (gate, door, veil). There could be no access to God (YHWH), of any kind, whether of comparatively distant worship, or of closest intimacy, but through the one door, the Lord Jesus. “I am the door” (John 10:7-9).

All other paths will lead to eternal separation from the One True TRIUNE God, YHWH, YESHUA, and the Ruach Hakodesh (Holy Spirit) Simply TRUST in the Name of Jesus Christ, put your FAITH in Him as the SON OF GOD who takes away the sin of the world, and you will be SAVED and you will go to HEAVEN! ✝️🙏🏻

YESHUA (JESUS) has invited ALL PEOPLE to His Table, will you accept His FREE invitation of GRACE (God’s riches at Christ’s expense)?