God's Story
Heaven
By Homer Duncan
Missionary Crusader
The Lord Jesus Christ is preparing a wonderful home in Heaven for all who trust in Him (John 14:3).
The Bible reveals that the grandeur of this magnificent place surpasses the fondest imagination of the human mind. “Eye has not seen, nor has ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
When the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon and beheld the glories of his kingdom, she said, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words I heard until I came and saw for my self, and behold, the half was not told me: Thy wisdom and prosperity exceed your fame of which I was told” (1 Kings 10:6, 7). When we behold the glories of Heaven, we too shall exclaim with the Queen of Sheba, “The half was not told me!”
Three Heavens
The Bible tells us there are three heavens (2 Cor. 12:2). The first heaven is the atmosphere where the clouds form and float. The second heaven is our solar system that men call “Space.” The third heaven is above and beyond these two. It is the abode of God, the dwelling place of angels, the habitation of the heavenly host, and the home of saints. King Solomon called it the heaven of heavens (1 Kings 8:27). The Apostle Paul called it the paradise of God (2 Cor. 12:2-4). Jesus called it His Father’s house, and He told us that there were many mansions in it (John 14:2,3). In this booklet we are limiting our discussion to the third heaven.
The Reality of Heaven
How do we know Heaven is a real place? How do we know some distant city is a real place? We have read about places like London, Paris, Tokyo and Bombay. How do we know that such places really exist? Perhaps they are just the imagination of some fanciful writer. Some of us know that these cities are real places because we have been there and have seen them with or own eyes. If we have not seen them with our own eyes we take the testimony of some credible witness as to their existence, or we have seen them on television. They are real places with real people, with real buildings, with real streets and real parks.
Heaven is more real, more wonderful, and more glorious than any city on earth.
The Bible is the foundation for the faith of every child of God. We believe it is the Word of God, not only because it makes this claim, but because of many infallible proofs. Many writers in the Bible tell us that Heaven is a real place, and they give us descriptions of it.
Very often when we think of Heaven we think of our loved ones who are there; we think of Heaven as a place of happiness where God will wipe the tears from our eyes; we think of it as a place of rest; we think of it as the home of Angles; we think of its street of gold. All of this is true, but the central thing in Heaven is the Throne of God with the Lord Jesus Christ, as our Great High Priest, seated at God’s right hand.
The Heavenly City
Though we must distinguish between Heaven and the Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem, we can learn much of what Heaven is like by comparing it to the Heavenly City. This City is described for us in the twenty-first and twenty-second chapters of the Book of the Revelation. The New Jerusalem is in the shape of a cube (or possibly a pyramid). It is fifteen hundred miles wide, and fifteen hundred miles long, and fifteen hundred miles high. It is made of pure gold as clear as glass. A wall, a half mile high, made of jasper is round about the City. The foundation of this wall is made of twelve precious stones, and the twelve gates are each made of pearl. There is no temple in the City, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. There is no need for the sun or moon to shine in this City, for the glory of God lights it, and the Lamb is the lamb is the light of it. The nations of them who are saved shall walk in this City, and the gates are not shut by day, and there shall be no night there. The river of the water of life proceeds out of the Throne of God and flows down the middle of the street of the City. The tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit for each month in the year. Grows by the side of the river. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
The Wonders of Heaven
- The light of Heaven is the face of Jesus.
- The joy of Heaven is the presence of Jesus.
- The melody of Heaven is the name of Jesus
- The harmony of Heaven is the praise of Jesus.
- The theme of Heaven is the work of Jesus.
- The employment of Heaven is the service of Jesus.
- The duration of Heaven is the eternity of Jesus.
- The fullness of Heaven is Jesus Himself. (Selected)
The Prophet Isaiah describes Heaven in this way:
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphims, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. They were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory. At the sound of their voices the door posts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke” (The Shechinah Glory of God – Isa. 6:1-4).
What a glorious place heaven must be! It staggers our imagination to think of it. Yet the wonder and glory of Heaven are not because of what it is, or where it is, or what it is made of, but the thing that makes Heaven glorious is the presence of the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.
Heaven will be wonderful and glorious because God is there, the Lord Jesus is there, the Holy Spirit is there, the holy angels are there (and what angelic singing we will hear!). The saints of God will be there – Abraham, Moses, Daniel, John, Peter and Paul! Our loved ones will be there – mother, father, sisters and brothers! Our Christian friends will be there. Those that we have led to Christ will be there. Those that we have helped and encouraged through this vale of tears will be there. What a glorious time of fellowship we will have.
Charles Gabriel has written,
When all my labors and trials are o’er,
And I am safe on that beautiful shore,
Just to be near the dear Lord I adore,
Will thro’ the ages be glory for me…
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, glory for Me.
Isaac Watts wrote, “When I can read my title clear to mansions in the sky, I’ll bid farewell to every fear, and wipe my weeping eyes. There I shall bathe my weary soul in seas of heavenly rest and not a wave of trouble roll across my peaceful breast.”
Yes, Heaven is a place of rest. Heaven is a place of security. Can you remember when you were a child and some big bully got after you? How good it was to find safety within the walls of your home. The old world we live in is torn with turmoil and strife. Satan as a roaring lion goes about seeking whom he may devour. How good to know that one day we shall have a place of security where Satan can no longer molest us, and where wars and fighting will trouble us no more.
J.K. Alwood has written,
O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies,
O they tell me of a home far away,
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
Heaven has little meaning for nominal Christians, but it means much to battle-scarred saints, and to those who have been through deep waters.
Heaven is the Beautiful Home of the Soul
Heaven will be Heaven because it is home. What a difference there is between a house and a home! Eating and sleeping in a house does not make it a home. Edgar A. Guest said, “It takes a heap of livin’ in a house to make it home.” A home is a place of love, a place of understanding, a place of sympathy, a place of comfort, a place of security, a place of enjoyment and a place of rest.
How good it is to be able to rest at home after the burdens of the day! How good to know that there is a place of rest when the battle of life is over.
The world is a vale of tears, but in Heaven God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. This world is the land of the dying. Every time your watch ticks, at least three people slip out into eternity. In this world we have open caskets, funerals, and cemeteries, but in Heaven there is no more death. This world is filled with sorrow, pain and suffering, but in Heaven there will be no more pain, for the former things are passed away, and God makes all things new (Rev. 21:5).
Heaven is a Place of Rewards
Though we are not saved on the basis of our good works, but on the basis of what Christ has done for us in His death and resurrection; we will be rewarded on the basis of our works. This is true, both of the lost and of the saved. Unbelievers will be punished in Hell according to their evil deeds (Rev. 20:12, 13), and the righteous will be rewarded in Heaven according to their works (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor 3:9-15). The Christian does not work in order to earn or merit his salvation, but if he is a new creature in Christ, he will bear fruit as he abides in Christ. Even though it is not his work, but Christ working through him, he will be rewarded for all that is done. Therefore,
Let us then be true and faithful, trusting, serving everyday;
Just one glimpse of him in glory, Will the toils of life repay.
Yes, it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be,
When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.
Two Routes to Heaven
One way is by “The Undertaker”; the other way is by “The Uppertaker.”
The Apostle Paul tells us we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Yes, there will be a generation of Christians living on the earth who will not have to go to heaven through the gates of death, for they will be caught up into Heaven, without dying.
Paul describes the “Blessed Hope” in this way. “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them who are asleep. For the Lord, Himself, shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:13-18).
H. L. Turner’s beautiful hymn describes that glorious even in this way:
It may be at morn, when the day is awaking,
When the sunlight through darkness and shadow is breaking,
That Jesus will come in the fullness of glory,
To receive from the world “His own.”
I may be at midday, it may be at twilight,
It may be, perchance, that the blackness of midnight
Will burst into light in the blaze of His glory,
When Jesus receives “His own.”
OH joy! Oh, delight; should we go without dying,
NO sickness, no sadness, no dread and no crying.
Caught up through the clouds with our Lord into glory,
When Jesus receives “His own.”
O Lord Jesus, how long, how long
Ere we shut the glad song,
Christ returneth! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Amen.
Some Previews of Heaven
God has given many Christians a glimpse into Heaven at the death of some loved one. When Stephen was stoned, he said, “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). As many Christians have left this life they have told of hearing the angels sing and like Stephen they have spoken of seeing Jesus. Some have lifted up their arms to take a baby that preceded them in death.
When D. L. Moody went to be with the Lord he said, “Earth recedes; Heaven opens before me.” His son’s first impulse was to try to arouse him from what he thought was a dream.
“No, this is no dream, Will,” he said. “It is beautiful! It is like a trance! If this is death, it is sweet! There is no valley here! God is calling me, and I must go!”
A bit later he said, “This is my triumph; this is my coronation day! I have been looking forward to it for years.” Turning to his wife he said, “Mama, you have been a good wife to me.” Then later as he regained consciousness he uttered these words: “No pain! No valley! If this is death, it is not bad at all! It’s sweet!”
A little later he exclaimed, “What does all of this mean? What are you doing here? This is a strange thing! I’ve been beyond the gates of death to the very portals of Heaven, and here I am back again. It is very strange! This is my coronation day! It’s glorious!”
A few moments later another sinking turn came on, and from it Mr. Moody awoke in the presence of Him whom he loved and served so long and faithfully. It was not like death, for he fell asleep quietly and peacefully. (Taken from The Shorter Life of D. L. Moody by A. P. Fitt).
This does not mean that every child of God will have a glorious entrance into heaven. God is sovereign. He knows what is best for each of us.
When Do Christians Go to Heaven?
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that Christians go to heaven immediately when they die. The fifth chapter of Second Corinthians is the greatest chapter in the Bible on where the soul goes at death. Here the Apostle Paul tells us that we are “absent from the body, and present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). Our body is merely the house or tabernacle in which we live. It is the home of the soul and of the spirit. When death comes to the Christian, when his heart stops beating, when he stops breathing, he goes immediately to be with the Lord.
False religionists who do not know or understand the grace of God have invented the doctrine of purgatory. They rightly reason that no man is good enough to go to Heaven when he dies, and in order to prepare mem for Heaven, they have invented the doctrine of purgatory where theoretically a person can be purged of his sins and thus be prepared for Heaven. They do not understand that salvation is by the matchless Grace of God, nor do they know that Jesus “purged” us of our sins at Calvary. If, as the Bible teaches, Christians are cleansed of all their sins by the precious blood of Christ (1 John 1:7), what possible need is there for them to be purged again?
Soul Sleep
Others have invented the doctrine of “soul sleep.” They teach that Christians sleep until the resurrection. They base this doctrine on a false interpretation of First Thessalonians 4:14 and Acts 7:60.
Will We Recognize Our Loved Ones in Heaven?
When Jesus taught that in the resurrection we would neither marry nor be given in marriage (Matt. 22:30), some people received the erroneous impression that we would not know each other in Heaven. Though there is no marriage in Heaven and we shall be as the angels of God, the Bible makes it abundantly plain that we shall know all things much better in Heaven than we do on the earth. In this world it is part of the strategy of Satan to cause confusion and misunderstanding among Christians. The Apostle Paul tells us, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Cor. 13:12). When Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, they were readily recognized by the disciples. When the rich man in torment saw Abraham and Lazarus in paradise, he not only recognized who they were, but also he addressed them by name.
Do the Ones in Heaven Know What is Taking Place on the Earth?
Perhaps you are thinking, “If Christians in Heaven know what is taking place on the earth, how could they be happy when they see all of the sins, sorrow and suffering in the world?” Our understanding of all of these things is limited, and we cannot fully understand the ways of God. The ones in Heaven have perfect knowledge, for we have seen that they know even as they are known. They can be happy for they know all of the facts and not just part of them as do those of us who live on the earth. The saints in Heaven know when sinners are converted on the earth, for Jesus said, “Joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). Since we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, the writer of the Book of Hebrews exhorts us to run with patience the race that is set before us (Heb. 12:1). The Apostle Paul said that the apostles were made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men (1 Cor. 4:9).
The Locations of Heaven
We do not wish to be dogmatic, but we invite you to think with us about the most likely location of Heaven. The Bible always speaks of Heaven as being up (Deut. 4:39; 2 Kings 2:11). God looks down from Heaven (Deut. 26:15). Christ came down from Heaven (John 3:13). Jesus said, “Hereafter ye shall see the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man” (John 1:51). We are all agreed that Heaven is up, but which way is up? This is no problem for each of us individually, but what about our brother “down under” in Australia? There is but one direction that is up to all of us and that is north. As the earth rotates on its axis, north is the only direction that is continually up. The top of the map is always north.
When Ezekiel saw visions of the Lord, the whirlwind came out of the north (Ezekiel 1:4). Mount Zion, the city of the great King, is spoken of as being on the sides of the north (Psalms 48:2). Job tells us, “He stretches out the north over the empty place, and hangs the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7). Astronomers tell us that there is a vast empty space in the due north where there are no stars. Has God left this space for us as a passage to Heaven?
Heaven is a Prepared Place for A Prepared People
Jesus told His disciples “I go to prepare a place for you,” and while this place is being prepared for us, God is preparing us for this place (Rom. 8:29, 30).
We would not enjoy Heaven unless we were prepared for it. Just as a filthy bum out of the gutter would be out of place in the society of cultured people, so the unregenerate sinner would be miserable in the midst of saints. If a sinner is to enjoy Heaven, he must be changed into a child of God.
The Way to Heaven
There is but one way to Heaven, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes unto the Father, but by me” (Joh 14:6). He said, “I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9). The Apostle Peter said, “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Christ is the only mediator between God and men (1 Tim. 2:5). These are not arbitrary assertions on the part of the writers of the Holy Scriptures. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to God because, (1) He alone is the virgin-born Son of God (Matt. 1:23), (2) He alone died an atoning death for the sins of the whole world (Heb. 9:26), (3) He alone conquered death “He showed Himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs” (Acts 1:3). He was “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4). He alone can say, “I am He that lives, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore” (Rev. 1:18).
We are saved by the Gospel. The Gospel of Christ is stated in this way, “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day” (1 Cor. 15:3,4). The Gospel centers in the death and resurrection of Christ. “He was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). The word gospel means “Good News.” The “Good News” is that whereas you and I are sinners, lost and undone, without God, and without hope, Christ died for our sins. He paid the penalty for our sins. He bore our sins in His own body on the Cross (1 Peter 2:24). He “suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” )1 Peter 3:18). “For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). Since He has paid the price for our sins the Bible says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). The Bible says, “For as in Adam all die, even son in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).
What does it mean to be “IN Christ” and how can we get “IN Christ?” The answer is very clear. What does it mean to be “IN Adam,” and how did we get into Adam? To be in Adam means we are a member of the Adamic or human race. How did we get into Adam, or how did we become a member of the human race? Again, the answer is very clear. We were made members of the Adamic or human race by our physical birth. How then do we get into Christ? Not by a physical birth, but by a spiritual birth. This is why Jesus told Nicodemus, a good, moral religious man, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
Perhaps you are thinking, as did Nicodemus, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” The Bible says, “Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (1 John 5:1). The Apostle John said that as many as received Christ were born of God (John 1:12, 13).
“Now is the Accepted Time” (2 Cor. 6:2)
Everyone wants to go to Heaven when they die. No one wants to go to Hell. God has made wonderful provision for all of us to be saved. He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), but if we are to be saved we must exercise saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear friend, are you sure of your salvation right at this moment? Are you sure you would go to Heaven if you should die tonight? God wants you to know for He has said, “These things have I written unto you that believer on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). If I were to ask you, “Are you a Christian?” Would you be able to answer with assurance in your heart that you are a Christian, or would you say as so many do, “I hope so?”
If you have never received Christ, and you fear that you are lost, will you right now bow your head and your heart and pray a prayer something like this: “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and that I need a Saviour. I want to go to Heaven when I die. I believe that You did on the Cross for my sins; I believe that You were raised again on the third day. I invite You to come into my heart to be my Saviour. I thank You for saving me for Thy name’s sake. Amen.”
Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hears My voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). Jesus will not come into your heart until you invite Him in, and on the basis of His own integrity you can know that He has come into your heart when you invite Him to do so.
Having now received the Lord Jesus by faith into your heart, you are a babe in Christ. As a babe in Christ you need spiritual food so you will grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. Your food is the Word of God, and you must daily feed your soul with it. Write to us telling us that you have received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, and you may request free follow-up literature.
May God’s richest blessing of Grace rest on you, and may He lead you on from victory to victory.
