An intriguing question that most everyone has contemplated, whether they consider themselves to be religious or not, is that of, when a person dies, will they live again? This question was posed in Job 14:14. Is there life after death? One thing is certain about this life, and that is, that we all die. The moment that we are conceived, the aging process begins. We all have a limited amount of time in this life. It matters not how much money is in your bank account, how many earthly possessions you have accumulated, what your social status is, how high up the corporate ladder you have climbed, or what level of power or influence you have attained. One hundred years from now, none of that will matter. We all eventually die and our bodies will turn to dust.
So is this life all there is? The moment that you take your final breath and your heart stops beating, do you then cease to exist, or is there life beyond the grave? Is there a conscious existence beyond this physical world that we experience here with our senses? If so, what is it like? Pondering these questions and thinking about death is not a comfortable subject for many people. It forces you to recognize your own mortality. Life is fragile and in the grand scheme of things, it is very short. The Bible says that life is but a vapor that appears for a short time and then vanishes away. - James 4:14. Nobody is promised tomorrow.
Maybe you have had a loved one pass away recently, as I have, or have attended someone’s funeral. The topic of life and death is fresh in your mind and you might be struggling with some of these very questions yourself. I would like to try to convey to you some of the truths in God’s word that relate to this subject. The Bible very clearly teaches that there is life after death. This life is not all there is for us.
The clear teaching of the Scripture is that the moment you die, your soul is instantly transported to one of two places, either heaven or hell. The Bible does not teach any sort of soul sleep, purgatory, complete annihilation, or reincarnation. You die, then you either go to heaven or hell for all of eternity. If you die and end up in hell, your fate is sealed and you can never get out. For the Christian, the Bible teaches, that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord - 2nd Corinthians 5:8. The Bible teaches that both heaven and hell are literal and physical places, not just a state of mind. The doctrine of hell, or eternal punishment, is a topic for another day. For the remainder of this blog post, I wish to focus on life eternal in the presence of the Lord in heaven.
So, what is heaven going to be like? The Bible says, “But as it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him. -1st Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV). Philippians 1:23 says that being in heaven with Christ is “far better” than being here on the earth under the curse of sin. If you look at the imperfect world around us with all of its beautiful scenery, sunsets, and topography, you can imagine that heaven will be even more wonderful beyond our wildest dreams.
Paul was given a glimpse of heaven while he was still alive in a vision. He writes of this experience in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12. The Lord, however, did not allow him to detail the things that he beheld with his eyes. In the book of Revelation, God allowed the Apostle John to get a glimpse of heaven in a vision as well. He does attempt to express to us from that vision the sheer beauty of heaven (Rev. 21). He writes of gates of solid pearl, architecture made from precious jewels, a crystal sea, streets of gold so pure that they are transparent like glass, a magnificent flowing river, fruit bearing trees. This celestial city is said to have twelve foundations that have the names of the twelve apostles written on them. The Bible says that it has twelve gates, each of which has written on them the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
When most people talk about heaven, they are referring to what is known as the present heaven or in theological circles as the intermediate heaven. It is that place where the soul of Christians go when they die to await their bodily resurrection. It is the dwelling place of God in a perfect environment and where His throne is. Yes, we will be given a new resurrection body someday. It will be an incorruptible body, without sin, sickness, disease, death, or the many other limitations of our current earthly bodies.
All that we know of heaven, we learn from the Bible, God’s word. There is, however, much that we simply don’t know. In addition to that, there is also many misconceptions and wild speculations out there that we see on television or in the movies, that have no scriptural basis.
In the Bible, the word heaven is used to describe primarily three different places. We read of the first heaven in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Heaven here is used to refer to the sky or the earth’s atmosphere. In other places, it refers to the stars, outer space, and the universe. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” -Psalm 19:1. And lastly heaven is also referred to in the Bible as the dwelling place of God. This is the “third heaven” that Paul speaks of in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12. He said that he was “caught up” to this third heaven. That is the heaven that I would like to very briefly talk about.
The exact and precise location of God’s central dwelling place in the present (intermediate) heaven is unknown to us. The Bible does not give us a set of coordinates or a map of where it is. It does reveal to us how to get there, but not exactly where “there” is. The location of the future heaven is given to us and the Bible says that it will be on the new earth that God prepares.
This intermediate heaven is a place without pain or suffering, but it is not the final place that we will dwell forever. The Bible teaches that at the end of human history, at God’s appointed time, He will come down to dwell among His people in a new heaven and a new earth - Revelation 21 and 22. Some scholars refer to this as the eternal state. It will literally be heaven on earth. We will dwell with God on this earth, but it will have been divinely “remodeled” if you will. It will be perfect, as when He first created it, before the curse of sin came upon it. The capital city of this heaven on earth will be the new Jerusalem. This city is alluded to in various places in the biblical text, but most in detail in Revelation chapter 21. It is called different names too; the holy city, the celestial city, the city foursquare, etc. We are given the dimensions of this city as being 1,500 miles cubed! It will be illuminated by the light of the glory of God Himself.
We will have our resurrected bodies and we will live and reign with Him forevermore. There will be no more sin, sorrow, death, pain, wars, or conflict. We will one day live in this perfect environment, with perfect resurrected bodies. Bodies that won’t have the same physical limitations that we currently have. The last time God dwelled with man in a perfect environment on this earth was in the Garden of Eden before the fall.
In Revelation chapter 22 it tells us that there will be a river running through the new heaven and on each side of the river there will be trees. Much like there was in the Garden of Eden. There will be water, trees, fruit, and food to eat. We will be able to communicate and have conversations with others there. There is nothing in the Bible about floating around on a cloud for all of eternity, strumming a harp in boredom. Heaven is going to be a magnificent place with such amazing beauty. It will literally be a perfect environment in the presence of our creator God where we will worship Him and experience joy and pleasure beyond anything our human minds can currently comprehend.
If you would like to do more in depth reading on this topic, I would recommend a book by Chip Ingram titled, “The Real Heaven”, it is published by
Baker Books, 2016. I close this post out with a poem that I wrote on heaven. As always, I pray that it will be an encouragement and a blessing to you.
HEAVEN
There will be no more pain there, no more death, and no more night
No more crying, or need for candles, for the Lamb will be the light
Our hearts can't imagine its beauty, eye has not seen nor ear has heard
Of the place prepared for those that love Him, according to His word
It is the dwelling place of the living God and contains His very throne
John was given a glimpse, and in a vision, its splendor he was shown
The true reality of heaven, words cannot adequately express
Access will be exclusive and it has very strict, code of dress
Your good works won't matter or who you managed to impress
It's reserved only for those that are clothed in His, righteousness
One day heaven will be made new, and brought down to this earth
A brand new city for those who have experienced a spiritual rebirth
Gates of pearl, your own mansion, and a street of gold as clear as glass
Like Eden restored, before Eve was deceived, by that snake in the grass
A majestic river flows, and on both sides, trees that bare 12 kinds of fruit
At death, you are transported in an instant, it won't be a long commute
Contrary to popular belief, Saint Peter does not control entrance through the gate
Whether you accept Jesus and His offer of salvation, that is what seals your fate
Architecture that’s made out of precious jewels and what appears to be a crystal sea
Angels proclaim holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to be
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the saints of old will all be there
To reign with Him forever in that glorious city built foursquare
The only thing made by man will be the scars in our Savior's hands and feet
For me, the best part of heaven will be, when face to face my Jesus I meet
Randy Mlejnek
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