When most people are confronted with the concept of Heaven, they have a vague sense of what it is but cannot explain it in any concrete terms. To some, it is a dream, a distant hope that something better awaits us when we die. To others, it is illogical, irrational. Even some Christians seem to have little confidence when asked about it. But assuming that one even believes in Heaven opens up the door for more questions. Who will be there? Will it be satisfying or boring? And what do we do about the concept of Hell?

Be impressed that the Bible writers never expressed doubt when it came to the certainty of an eternal destination – whether good or bad. There are only two options given:

  • “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live…Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment” (John 5:24-29).
  • “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).
  • “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

If we were to ask every member of this congregation if they wanted to go to Heaven, the response would be a resounding “Yes!”, right? What if we asked our friends and neighbors? I suspect we would still encounter an overwhelming majority expressing a “Yes” answer. So with such desire to get to this otherworldly abode of the soul, why do we waver so much in our understanding of it? And why do we constantly trade the treasures of heaven for the temporary pleasures of worldly treasure?

Is it my singular goal?

I do not want to be a Christian because it makes my earthly life better (even though it does). I do not want to be a Christian because it helps my marriage and my family (which it also does). I do not want to be a Christian because it improves the quality of my time in this world (which Paul might say is debatable [1 Corinthians 15:16-19]). I want to be a Christian because I know that I am dying and I will face judgment at the conclusion of this life (Hebrews 9:27, 2 Corinthians 5:10). Sadly, when we focus too heavily on this life, even the really good things about it, we lose focus on the actual aim of the Christian journey: meeting our Savior in our eternal home. When we make our faith more about its temporary effects, we cannot help it when we lose track of where this road is actually taking us:

  • “Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2-3).
  • “Not that I have obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

It is very easy to put death on the backburner when it is the last thing on my mind – when I am young, healthy, and busy pursuing all of my many activities and goals. Heaven becomes almost like a math equation that does not quite make sense at the moment, but I am pretty sure I can deal with later. Or it is like the idea of retirement when one is first beginning a career – there will always be time to wrestle with it later, we think.

Is Heaven Real?

Perhaps it seems strange that one should even ask the question, but doubt is the weapon of choice when Satan wants to knock us down. After all, it is not easy to walk with Jesus if we are not certain about where we are walking! Any crease in our thinking is an opening for the master of lies to implant the virus of doubt in our system. He has many allies, too! One of the best-known British scientists of our time, Stephen Hawking, had this to say about Heaven: “I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark” (Guardian.co.uk, May 15, 2011). What I find interesting about this statement, however, is how self-serving it is. After all, the assertion that the afterlife does not exist only benefits that person who does not want it to exist. Should we be surprised that an unbeliever has convinced himself that there will be no eternal judgment? I am reminded, however, of what Jesus said:

  • “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you, for 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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).

We have been promised an eternal dwelling place. Faith in Christ, then, is directly linked to trusting His word on Heaven. If He had not prepared Heaven for us, then He would have told us so. As it is, we are assured of a home after this life. Rather than being a fairy story for people afraid of the dark, it is a home that is drenched in light (Revelation 21:23ff), and it is the unbeliever who will be left with terrifying dread and fear (Hebrews 10:31).

What I Should Know About Heaven

Heaven is a banquet feast:

“And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline at table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:10-12). Heaven will be like a feast where we finally get to have everlasting fellowship with those we love, respect, and hold dear. We will meet Saints from ages long ago and have endless communion with them. Far from being a cold, antiseptic, or boring abode, heaven is pictured as a wonderful, joyful banquet, filled with happy guests. There is friendship, warmth, energy, and excitement.

Heaven is rest:

“Blessed are the dead who died in the Lord from now on!  ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them’” (Revelation 14:13). The same idea of rest is also found in Hebrews 4:9-10 and 2 Thessalonians 1:7. We should note that the word “rest” does not mean a total cessation of activity. We will not be bored in Heaven. It will be a satisfying rest from the rigors of the physical existence. “The soul now rests from life’s competition, its toil, sorrow, pain, its mental anguish and especially its sin!” (The Bible On The Life Hereafter, William Hendriksen, p. 59). We will be delivered from restless thoughts, regrets, mistakes, and lost opportunities. After spending a lifetime with a mind that never relaxes, but is always worried about upcoming events, stressful situations, and all of the calamities that usually do not happen, Heaven will be that moment of “peace and quiet” that we never found in this hectic, dangerous world – except it will last for an eternity!

I think about some of the words used to describe the Christian life and find it no small wonder that Heaven will be quite restful. Life is like a battle that takes a full armament to survive (Ephesians 6:10ff). Similarly, it is a fight (2 Timothy 4:7). It is a race (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). We suffer, we toil, we struggle – we use phrases like “tough it out”, “hills and valleys”, and “life’s not fair”. Will it not be such sweet relief to never struggle again? We will finally be in a place where we do not have to worry about what troubles are coming around the corner, or when the good times will run dry. No cycles of night and day, light and darkness, for there will be one, continuously-illuminated day (Revelation 21:23ff).

There will be rest from sorrow and pain, from loss and separation (Revelation 21:3-4). I will never have to attend a funeral, or say goodbye to my loved ones. I will never make the long walk to a gravesite to stare longingly at a cold granite slab. Nobody will hurt me, or be hurt.

There will be rest from sin and temptation. Are you tired of Satan dragging you through the same problems over and over again? Replaying the same prayers for forgiveness? I am exhausted because of my sins, which burden me because of their frequency! In Heaven, I will never have to wonder where the next temptation will come from, or how long I will be able to hold back desires and attitudes which bring me down.

Heaven is good company:

Imagine the conversations we will have in Heaven, not just with great Saints, but with God, Jesus, and the Spirit! There will be good company in Heaven – not just interesting people, or famous people, but clean, righteous people. Revelation 21:27 notes that we will not have to deal with abomination and lies in the afterlife, so that means no arguments, greedy people, pettiness, or filthiness. There will be no more plugging our ears at the sound of profanity, no more embarrassment at a dirty joke. With no lying comes complete trust. We will never need to have our guard up.