When I was a young Christian, I heard a song written by Andréa Crouch titled “If Heaven Was Never Promised” that resonated deep in my soul about what my relationship with Jesus meant to me.
The song spoke of the unspeakable joy found in Heaven with its streets of gold and Angels singing for all of eternity. Yet, even if none of the things were ever promised, it was worth just having Jesus in my life.
Many years later those same feelings about Heaven have only intensified as I continue daily to grow closer to Jesus, and He continues to prove Himself more trustworthy every day.
For centuries Christians were taught that they should focus their attention on the blessed hope of Heaven as a way to overcome the struggles and trials of this world because it is not their ultimate home. Within the last century, teaching has emerged that Christians should occupy this world and focus on such things as politics, the environment, improving human potential and society so they can quickly usher in the new heaven and earth.
Too many Christians are content just to get forgiven and go to Heaven when they die! And that’s great, except for the fact that because they are going to Heaven, they often think that they can ignore and avoid dealing with life’s many problems in the here and now! When they find themselves challenged by life’s stresses and pressures, they think they can emotionally and psychologically avoid dealing with those problems by just ‘hoping for the day of the Lord’s appearing.’ This makes it really easy to avoid having to confront their present reality.
When this type of behavior takes place, the “blessed hope” of the Church dissolves into a way to avoid problems. The trouble with this kind of thinking is that it doesn’t allow room to appropriate what God has already done in daily circumstances. The promise of eternal life is not something that starts in the future. Eternal life begins the moment a person receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. A Christian is supposed to be living in the world with an eternal understanding that they are actually no longer of this world, but merely passing through.
Too many Christians carry this negative understanding of what eternal life means. They don’t have to be dead and buried in the grave for eternal life to begin in them. No one can inherit a million dollars when they die. They inherit it when their ancestor dies and wills it to them! Jesus already died so every Christian can inherit His promises in the here and now! Eternal life doesn’t start the day of physical death. It starts on the day a Christian begins dying to self - by repenting of their sin, surrendering their life to Jesus, and submitting to His Lordship.
The Heavens
The Bible does not provide multiple details about Heaven but it does give a minute glimpse. It says that Heaven is not merely a state of being but an actual dwelling place. It is mentioned over 238 times in the New Testament alone. The word “heaven” is also used in the Bible in reference to the Earth’s atmosphere and interstellar space. (Gen 1:17, 20)
Heaven is most commonly understood as the abode of God and the Angels, as well as the final destination of all who have put their faith and trust in Jesus (Ps 2:4; Matt 5:3,12, 22:30; 2 Cor 5: 1, 12).
It is also known in Scripture as the:
kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3),
throne of God (Isa 66:1; Acts 7:48-49; Matt 5:34-35)
great reward (Matt 5:12)
kingdom of the Father (Matt 13:43),
life everlasting (Matt 19:16),
joy of the Lord (Matt 25:21),
kingdom of God (Mark 9:46),
kingdom of Christ (Luke 22:30),
house of the Father (Jn 14:2),
incorruptible crown (1 Cor 9:25),
holy place (Heb 9:12),
city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12),
inheritance of Christ (Eph 1:18),
eternal inheritance (Heb 9:15),
crown of life (James 1:12),
crown of justice (2 Tim 4:8),
crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4).
There are three heavens referenced in the Bible.
First, there is the sky and clouds, or atmospheric heavens. (Gen 1:8, 20,6; Deut 11:11; Lev 26:19; Job 22:14; Dan 7:13; Ps 77:17-18; 104:2-3; Hosea 2:18)
Second, there are the stars of the sky, which are the planets in outer space. (Gen 1:14-18, 15:5; 22:17; 26:4; Deut 1:10; Isa 13:10; 14:13; Eph 4:10, 7:26; Heb 4:14)
Third, there is the Heaven of heavens. (Known as the third heaven - 2 Cor 12:1-9) This is the dwelling place of the Triune God (Gen 1:1; Deut 10:14; Isa 14:12-14, 66:1; 2 Cor 12:2; Rev 21:2,10).
It is a place of beauty (Rev 21:1-22:7), of life (1 Tim 4:8), service (Rev 22:3), worship (Rev 19:1-3), and glory (2 Cor 4:1718). The apostles John and Paul were called to this place (Rev 4:1). Paul was forbidden to reveal what he saw and heard there (2 Cor 12:1-9).
Jesus promised to prepare a place for Born-Again Christians in Heaven (John 14:2). Heaven is also the ultimate destination of Old Testament saints who died trusting God’s promise of the Redeemer (Eph 4:8).
Paradise Found
The Heaven of heavens is far more than being a paradise. The word “paradise” is often misused as a synonym for “heaven” (2 Cor 12:4; Rev 2:7). When Jesus was dying on the Cross, one of the thieves being crucified with Him asked Him for mercy. Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). This “paradise,” also known as “Abraham’s bosom,” is not the dwelling place of the Triune God. It was located in the lower parts of the Earth (Eph 4:8-10; Matt 12:40).
Prior to the Cross and the resurrection of Jesus, the souls of the “righteous” went to this place where they were held captive by the devil against their will (Heb 2:14-15). The unrighteous went to a place called “Hades” which is often mistranslated as “hell” (Luke 16:19-31).
When Jesus died, He went to Paradise and liberated the “righteous” captives taking them to Heaven with Him when He ascended on high. It is now empty (Matt 12:40; Eph 4:8-10).
Jesus has the keys of Hades and of death (Rev 1:18). When a Christian passes from this world through death, they are no longer held captive by the devil but go immediately to Heaven to await the resurrection of the body (2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:21-24; Heb 12:22-24; Rev 6:9-11).
Hades continues to fill up with those who have rejected Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. It will hold them until the end of the Millennium when Hades will deliver up the souls in it to be cast into the eternal Hell (Rev 20:11-15).
The Place called Heaven
Some believe that the Earth may be the future location of Heaven (Rom 8:19-22, Matt 5:5, Rev 21:1; 2 Pet 3:10,13). Others believe that Heaven is a planet located somewhere in the universe. In actuality, Heaven exists outside the dimensions of both space and time. What is known is that the redeemed will go to be in the presence of the Lord forever more.
The Bible does say that the first earth and the first heavens, as they are currently known, will pass from one condition to another as they are renovated through a transition by fire (2 Peter 3;10-13; Isa 65:17; 66:22-24). The Earth will not be destroyed because the “earth abideth forever” (Eccl 1:4; Ps. 104:5, 119:90).
The Capital of the Universe, the New Jerusalem, will be moved from its current location to be among mankind on Earth forever (Rev 21). It is called “new” because it is always fresh and new every morning just as God’s mercies are new every morning. Yet, it is as old as Heaven itself and was promised to the saints of old (Heb 11:1-16; Ps. 93;2, 103:19).
It is over 1,400 miles long by 1,400 miles wide and 1,400 miles high! That equates to almost 2 million square miles per floor. At 5,280 feet per mile that is over a billion square feet! If you allow a generous 12-foot high ceiling per floor that’s over 600,000 floors!
If you gave each Born-Again Christian who has ever lived a generous 2,000 square feet of living space, the New Jerusalem could house over 341 billion people! That is almost 40 times more than the total population of the Earth as I write this! It is clear that God originally intended EVERY human being to live there for all of the eternity.
The Nature of Heaven
It is impossible for human beings to understand the full nature of Heaven. John the beloved made an eloquent attempt to describe it in the book of Revelation, but the reality of Heaven is beyond the ability of finite human beings to explain. The Bible declares:
“That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Cor 2:9 NIV)
The primary object of Heaven is eternal intimacy with God Himself as He is. The central core of Heaven is that Christians will be with Jesus forever! That is why there will be no marriage in Heaven because every Christian is married to Jesus and belongs to Him forever (Rom 7:1-4). This is the great mystery of all eternity.
The Bible says that Heaven is immeasurable. That is because the love of God is immeasurable! (Jer 31:37) Heaven is Holy (Ps 20:6) because Jesus IS the Holy One! (Rev 15:5)
In Heaven, there is found perfect contentment and rest because no one will desire anything else but Jesus alone. To live in Heaven is “to be with Christ.” The Christian lives “in Christ” (Phil 1:23; cf. Jn 14:3; 1 Thess 4:17). This is the true nature of Heaven!
The Beauty Realm
There is indescribable beauty in Heaven because Jesus is the beautiful One! (Rev 21:17-21)
The Sun, the Moon, and the stars aren’t needed because the glory of Jesus illuminates Heaven! (Rev 21:22-26)
It has no night or darkness because Jesus is light! Christians will never know darkness because, in Jesus, there is no darkness at all!
“And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them.” (Rev 22:5 NLT)
The Prophets Daniel and Isaiah were given a glimpse into the Beauty Realm, the Secret Place of God. It so overwhelmed Isaiah that he cried out, “Woe to me!”… ”I am ruined!” (Isa 6:5 NIV) The breathtaking beauty of God ruined him forever. He could no longer be content with what the world had to offer. Any Christian who seeks after God with their entire being will also be ruined forever as they will take on the beautiful “fragrance of Christ” (2 Cor 2:15 NKJV) and become His reflection. The cares of the world and what it offers just won’t mean that much anymore because they will finally understand their true destiny; to “dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple” (Ps 27:4 NIV).
The apostle John, known as John the beloved, was also given a prophetic revelation concerning Jesus when an angel visited him while he was exiled on the island of Patmos (See Rev 1). John made a valiant attempt to describe the indescribable of what he saw and experienced with words we could understand. He provided a tiny glimpse into the transcendent glory of Jesus and the Beauty Realm.
However, the depiction is at best insufficient and severely lacking in its representation but what John is able to describe is just how beautiful beyond description Jesus truly is and how one day soon every Born-Again Christian will “share in the glory to be revealed” (1 Peter 5:1 NIV).
The Bread of Life
Jesus promised the Church that those who remain faithful through trusting-faith in Him would be given hidden manna to eat. The hidden manna is Jesus! He is the bread of life! (John 6:35,48; Rev 2;12-17)
On the night He was betrayed, we are told that the Lord Jesus: “took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19 KJV).
During the Passover ceremony, a portion of the bread was to be wrapped in a napkin and buried or hidden until it was retrieved later. The lesson Jesus was teaching the Disciples at the Last Supper was that He was the bread of life that came down from Heaven. His crucifixion was the breaking and burying - and the blessing would be the resurrection.
Preparing a Place
Jesus also promised His followers that when He left the Earth He was going to “prepare a place” for them (John 14:1-6).
Most people believe they will go to Heaven when they die. It is the great future promise of God to every human being. However, Jesus said He was the only way to get there: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture” (John 10:9-10 NIV).
“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16-17 NIV)
Because Jesus is love incarnate He: “isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9-10 NLT).
Every human being who has ever lived will one day stand before the “great white throne” where the book of life will be opened, and they will be judged according to what they have done.
“If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev 20:11-15 NIV)
No one really knows for sure what will be in Heaven, but I can tell you with absolute certainty what will not be there - tears, sorrow, anger, hatred, pride, prejudice, pain, sickness or disease! (Rev 21:4) Nor will there be any loneliness or separation because death will be conquered forever! (Rev 20:6)
