What Is Heaven Like?

He leads me …

We do not have to be Christians long before we start to wonder what the ultimate goal is as a Christian. We become believers, we serve the Lord here on Earth and then go to Heaven.

Then what?

 Well, Heaven will be much better than people think. Let us look at what the Bible says.

Heaven Is Not One Long Never-Ending Church Service

 Some people mistakenly think that believers will be stuck in a boring church service in Heaven forever. But this is not what the Bible says.

 Of course God is worthy of worship day and night, forevermore. There are angelic beings that worship around His throne day and night who do that (Rev. 4). There is constant worship in Heaven, but it is just one part of what we will be doing there. (Acts 3:21; Rev. 20:1-6; Isa. 2:1-4; 9:6-9; 11:1-16; 51:1-8; 60-62; 65:17-25; Ps. 2:6-12; 110:1-7; Deut. 8; 28; Mt. 5:5; 6:10; 17:11; 19:28; 28:19; Acts 1:6; 3:21).

The Bible does not give a lot of details, but there is enough for us to know that it will be completely fulfilling and exciting.

Heaven Is a Place Where God Has His Way Completely

Heaven is a place where God’s will is included in everything. Remember that God is perfect love. He is not going to be bossing us around. He will be working in with us. This is why Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10 ESV).

At the moment we are not part of God’s perfect design because sin gets in the way. This also includes sickness, crime, war, and death, but in Heaven, there will none of these and no more tears, no pain, and no death (Rev. 21:4).

Heaven is where God dwells. (Deut. 26:15). It is also where those who have experienced God’s saving grace will go. The fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control will be in their complete fullness with everyone there too.

Will We Know Our Loved Ones?

There is nothing in Scripture that indicates that we will not recognize family and friends. Paul was looking to be with the Thessalonians along with the rest of the believers in Heaven (1 Thess. 4:13-18).

In fact, in his book Heaven, Randy Alcorn says that relationships among God's people will continue in ways even better than what we have here now. Once the curse causing man’s work with the ground to be a struggle is lifted (Gen. 3:17-19), we may live out many of the ‘could have beens’ that were taken from us during this lifetime. This is because we will be restored to the New Earth to fulfill God's original plan of caretaking the universe for His eternal glory.

Heaven and Earth Will Be Joined Together?

Heaven and Earth will come together with Jesus as the head over everything (Eph.1:10). Revelation 21-22 tells us that Heaven, also called the New Jerusalem, will descend to Earth.

Our new home will be the New Heaven and Earth, but it will be so much better than we can begin to imagine. For example, Earth will be as Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden. But it will not just be returned, it will be fully restored and fulfilled.

The tree of life in Genesis 2:9 will be accessible again (Rev. 22:2), and we will get to see God’s face like Adam and Eve did (Rev. 22:4).

This New Earth will be our eternal home. We will be with the Lord forever as He lives with mankind again. (Rev. 21:1-3; Isa. 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:13; Eph. 1:9-10)

We Will Carry Out Meaningful Work in Heaven

Heaven is often described as a place of ongoing retirement and relaxation, but this is not the case.

 The Bible says that we will have resurrected bodies like the one that Jesus had after He rose from the dead. Jesus is called the first fruit (Col. 1:15, 18) and we will have a body like His. 

 Will we eat in Heaven? Remember that the resurrected Jesus prepared the disciples a meal and ate bread and fish with them. (John 21:4-14). The Bible also speaks of food in God’s Kingdom (Luke 22:29-30; Rev. 2:7; 21:5-6; 22:2).

 Will we get bored in heaven? Not at all. The difference between how we live now, and what it will be like for eternity is that on the New Earth, the curse causing man’s work with the ground to be a struggle will no longer be in effect (Rev. 22:3-5; Gen. 3:17-19). Instead we will be involved in fully rewarding and important work.

In his book Heaven, Randy Alcorn says that he believes that on the New Earth there will be natural wonders, animals, trees, rivers, cities, houses and architecture. We will laugh, eat and drink, tell stories, make crafts, build, garden, care for animals, play, enjoy sports and physically demanding activities. We shall also tend, manage and rule the earth the way that God originally intended.

We will do all this - all to God's glory. Why?

Because we will still be beings created in God's image, which means we are creative and intelligent. And, we will be restored to the New Earth which has no sin and death—to fulfil God's original plan of caretaking the universe for His eternal glory. We will rule and reign over God’s creation (Rev. 22:5), to serve and bring the New Earth to its fullest potential (Matt. 20:25-26)

This means that our life on this earth is an internship for the future work in Heaven. Our work now, whether it’s caring for family, working in an office, or serving others, all matters to God and to our eternal future.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58 ESV)

We will find that Heaven is an amazing and beautiful place, full of God’s glory. It is going to be everything we love about this world without any of the things that make it bad. What an amazing place to look forward to.[1]

[1] This blog is with thanks to David Kim who is a husband, a father, pastor of a church in Northern California, and a life-long student of the Scriptures (https://pursuitbible.com/what-is-heaven-like/) and Randy Alcorn who is the author of more than 40 books and the founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM). He served as a pastor for fourteen years, holding degrees in theology and biblical studies, and has taught on the adjunct faculties of Multnomah University and Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Randy resides in Gresham, Oregon, with his wife, Nanci

(https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/five-things-you-should-know-about-heaven-randy-alcorn)