The Bible says in John 3:13 that no one has ever gone to heaven, but I read in2Kings 2:11 that Eliyah was taken up to Heaven. Please explain

The account of EliYah in 2Kings 2:11 is often used to justify that man goes to heaven after death. With careful study, however, one will find that EliYah never traveled to heaven. One reason we know is the fact that King Jehoram received a letter from EliYah after this incident (2Chron. 21:12).

We believe that the chariot of fire and whirlwind described in this passage were likely manifestations of Yahweh’s Spirit (compare with 2Kings 6:17) and the reference to heaven simply refers to the “first heaven,” which by definition in Strong’s Concordance is “the visible arch in which the clouds move.” Three heavens are spoken of in Scripture.

No conflict exists between John 3:13 and 2Kings 2:11. Yahshua, our authority on heaven, stated that no man had gone to heaven except for himself who also descended from heaven. Additional understanding can be gleaned in the Biblical concept of death and the resurrection. Scripture clearly states that upon death that one loses all thought (Ps. 146:4) and is only awakened to consciousness at the resurrection (Dan. 2:12, 1Thess. 4:13-16).