The Good News about Heaven

September 12, 2007

Dear Friend,

ABC did a poll a few years back, asking people their thoughts about heaven. About 90 percent of the people polled believe in heaven; but, interestingly enough, eight out of ten believe heaven is where people exist spiritually, not physically.

Let’s take moment to see what the Bible says about heaven. It clearly shows that heaven exists. It gives some brief descriptions of heaven, and from these we can learn a good deal about the rewards of the saved. The Bible also describes God’s plan for the nation of Israel if they had been true to Him, and many of these prophecies have secondary application to the new earth after the millennium. So let’s take a look at what the Bible says about heaven.

1. Heaven is a real place. Jesus promised, just before He left: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” The word used here for “mansion” can also be interpreted as “room” or “dwelling place.” Jesus reminds us that these are real dwellings (“If it were not so, I would have told you”). Revelation 21 tells us the size of the New Jerusalem, the massive city of heaven. It gives its dimensions of about 1,400 miles square, and the height is the same as the breadth. So that’s 1,400 miles high as well. Now that’s a big city! The Bible tells us that in that city is the tree of life, the river of life, and God’s throne. So I imagine this large city, with dwellings, surrounding the throne of God. Now, if there are rooms in that city and each room is just 10 feet by 10 feet and 10 feet high, that would give us more than 403 trillion rooms! That’s a lot of rooms; no one can say that there is not room in heaven for them. (John 14:1-3; Revelation 21, 22)

2. We’ll have real bodies. We’re not some spirit floating around, hanging out with other spirits. Job said that after his body had been destroyed by worms, he knew that “yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” How can we have the same hope as Job did? The Bible tells us: We’re going to have real bodies! God “will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” We see that after the resurrection Jesus had a real body, not just some spiritual body or a spirit. In fact, we’re told that the disciples were so surprised to see Him in the upper room that first Sunday evening, that they thought He was a spirit or a ghost. But He told them, “Look at My hands and My feet. It is I Myself! Touch Me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” And Paul tells us that the body we have now will be changed, and we’ll have a new body. Just like the old one? No, it’s the same difference between a seed that’s planted and dies, and the resulting plant. Way more glorious. So don’t think that in heaven we’ll have a body like this one, minus the wrinkles; we’ll have a body that is as much different from this one now as a seed is different from a plant. (Job 19:26-27; Philippians 3:21; Luke 24:36-43; 1 Corinthians 15)

3. There are real things to do there. We’re not just going to be in a spiritual state, but with our real bodies we’ll be doing real things. Building houses, enjoying gardens, and enjoying the scenes of nature and wildlife around us are a few of the real things we’ll be able to participate in. And the city. Imagine what we’ll be able to in the New Jerusalem, with all the great people there, as well as the beauty that the Bible only describes in small detail about the city. (Isaiah 11:6-9; Isaiah 65:21, 22; Revelation 22)

4. There will be no more death, dying, pain, crying, or the effects of sin. And the Bible says that God Himself will wipe away all the tears from our eyes. He doesn’t just tell us to stop crying; oh, no! He personally and lovingly wipes the tears away. The marks of sin will be all gone except for one. As one Biblical authority tells us, “One reminder alone remains: Our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought.” The Great Controversy, page 674. (Isaiah 25:8; 33:24; 35:5, 6, 9, 10; 65:17-19; Luke 20:36; Revelation 7:14; 21:4)

5. God will be there. Revelation 21 tells us that after our planet and our atmosphere are all cleansed by fire, God will make a new heavens and a new earth. Then He will move the center of His government to this small world that rebelled against Him and that He died to win back. And for eternity, when we want to see God and talk with Him, we won’t have to travel to a distant place, or wait for God to come and visit us. He says: “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:1-6; Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13)

As one translation puts it: “What God has planned for people who love Him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!” 1 Corinthians 2:9, CEV. I want to be there, don’t you? Don’t ever lose sight of what God has offered us. Make time every day to read the Bible and pray and actively seek God. It’s well worth it!

Have a great week! I’m praying for you.

Mark