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"After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, 'Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power to the Lord our God' " (Revelation 19:1).

What is that great multitude? Are these voices praising God those of saved human beings now living in heaven? Have any human beings ever ascended to heaven?

The popular teaching is that when Christians die they immediately go to heaven, where they take up residence in their permanent abode.

But can we find such a teaching in the Bible?

Notice John 3:13: "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] who is in heaven."

This scripture makes two significant points. First, these are Jesus Christ's own words. If anyone had gone to heaven, Jesus would know about it. Second, John recorded these words many years after Jesus died and ascended to heaven-still affirming that no one other than Jesus had gone to heaven.

Whose voices, then, did John hear in the book of Revelation? He refers to voices many places in the book. Let's notice two such examples. "And the four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!' Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 'You are Worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created' " (Revelation 4:8-11).

The Bible shows us that many thousands of angels appear before God's throne, and they speak with loud voices. "Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!' " (Revelation 5:11-12).

We have seen that the Scriptures show no human has ever entered heaven. The voices referred to in Revelation 19, then, are those of angelic beings who surround God's great throne.