What is Heaven Like?
Photo by Susan Shanklin on Earth.
By Tom Shanklin
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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:1-6, AV)
As Jesus was about to go to the cross and die for the sins of the world, He gathered His disciples and spoke into their future. He knew that they would have trials on the earth and suffer persecution, and some would die. They would need a glimpse of Heaven to see them through. “Don’t let your heart be troubled,” He said. “You believe in God, believe also in Me.”
The Bible is our travel guide to lead us to Heaven. It is the only reliable source of information about Heaven’s architecture, inhabitants, and scenery. Not only did Jesus give us a portrait of Heaven, but others like Isaiah, Ezekial, and the Apostles Paul and John also described Heaven as well. The Bible paints an accurate and beautiful picture of Heaven. By study and prayer, we can acquire an inward image of our Heavenly home.
Jesus said that there are mansions in Heaven. The word mansions in the King James Bible is a translation of a Greek word meaning dwelling place. In other words, we will have homes in Heaven, and they will be very, very nice. If Jesus is preparing a dwelling place for me, I don’t believe that it will be a hobnailed tarpaper shack in the woods. It will be a spectacular home, fit for a King’s kid.
Here on earth, we put a great deal of energy into preparing a home. Large portions of our income go toward mortgages or rent, taxes, insurance, and utilities. Building, remodeling, and maintaining a home also requires a tremendous investment of time and money. But in Heaven, everything is paid in full. This is what they call, in the real estate business, “turn-key.” Walk up to the door, turn the key, enter in, and start living. Although I still have more to do on earth, I’m looking forward to Heaven. No more remodeling! Praise the Lord!
As Christians, we will spend eternity with God in Heaven, but just a paltry few years here. Think about it! If we were going to spend a week in Florida on vacation but spend a lifetime living somewhere else, where would our emphasis be? Would we invest all our research, time, money, and attention on Florida or on our true home? Well, our true home is Heaven, and yet, too often, most of our focus is on earthly things.
The Bible says that we are to set our affection on things above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. That is where our true hope is—and our true citizenship.
The Apostle Paul, a man who had experienced Heaven, said that he had a conflict about whether to stay on earth and fulfill his ministry or to depart and be with Christ, which is far better!
Think of it! Heaven is far better than earth. Who has enjoyed a beautiful orange sunset on the prairie or a beautiful fall day in northern Minnesota or butter pecan ice cream, or the sand squishing in between your toes on an ocean beach, or the arrival of a newborn baby? Of all the wonderful things that we might experience on earth, Heaven is better by far!
Not only does Heaven excel over the good things of earth, but it also has none of the bad things. There will be no sin, so there will be no crime or social problems or wars, or disease. Also, there will be no politics or political ads. There will be no stress over bills or pain in relationships. All the struggles of life will be over, and there will be peace. Sounds good to me!
While Heaven is the place where God lives and where the righteous will live after leaving earth, there also is a place called hell, which is a place of torment and eternal separation from God. In His mercy, God sent Jesus to die for our sins so that we could go to Heaven … and not go to hell. God does not want anyone to go to hell! He wants them to turn back to Him and receive eternal life.
I think many people come to the Lord to escape the horrors of hell, but if we could catch a glimpse of Heaven, it would help us to know the goodness of God and the glorious future that He has for each of us. This life has its share of troubles, but the day is coming when God will wipe away all of our tears and give us rest in His presence. A vision of Heaven will carry us through the trials, persecutions, and pain that we experience in this life. It will also give us an accurate perspective and help us to live a worthy life on earth.
Heaven is a real place but in a different realm. You cannot take an airplane or a spaceship to get there. You must go by the way of the cross. That’s why Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jesus is the only way to Heaven!
Heaven is not a place of death but eternal life in the presence of God. The physical death of a believer is a transition. Only the body is affected. We leave our body (our earth suit) behind and are present with the Lord immediately after death.
However, according to the Word of God, we will not live throughout eternity as disembodied spirits. At the end of the age, we will rise again from the dead, and we will have immortal, glorified bodies throughout eternity. There will be no flaws or disease or sickness. Neither will there be tempation or sin, but we will be able to function and enjoy life in the physical realm.
Not only will the Lord give us new bodies, but He will make new heavens and a new earth for us to live in. The present physical heavens and earth will melt with a fervent heat, and God will make all things new. Then the heavenly city where God lives, the New Jerusalem, will come down to earth, and God will live with us forever. We will have tangible bodies and live in a tangible world, and we will have a tangible reality forever. Heaven will not be boring. You will not be just floating on a cloud playing a harp.
Many of us, I believe, are putting all our eggs into one basket, our earthly life, and neglecting to see that there is another basket that is far more important. Our life on earth is fleeting, temporary, and fragile, but our future life is eternal, secure, safe, and stable in heavenly places.
In these end days, it is essential that we have a vision of eternity. As Jesus said, “You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. … But not a hair of your head shall be lost.”
If we comprehend all that God has laid up for us in Heaven, we will not fear what man or beast or devil can do to us. Death cannot hurt us. Our life is preserved in the Son of God.
You can know with assurance that Heaven is your home. It is what Jesus did through His death on the cross and resurrection that opens the door to Heaven. He suffered a death in substitution for your sins so that you could be forgiven and become a child of God. When you receive Him as Lord and Savior, you receive eternal life.
Some scriptures referrenced in this article are John 14:1-6, Luke 16:20-24, Luke 21:16-18, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, Daniel 12:2-3, 2 Corinthians 5:8, 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, Philippians 1:21-23, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 11:10-16, 1 John 5:13, Revelation 21-22, John 1:12, and Romans 10:9-10.