Note: All Scripture quotations found in this article are from the text of the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.
Heaven is the place that the Bible says to set your affections on instead of worldly things in this earth. Knowing that we are going to a place like Heaven should occupy our minds and make us happy people. Thank God that we are only pilgrims on this earth and we are going to a far better place after death.
Colossians 3:2 "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."
For the Christian, heaven is called New Jerusalem (Rev. 21-22). It is eternal city with many mansions that Jesus Christ has prepared for Christians. It is also called a place of rest (Heb. 4:9) and paradise (2 Cor. 12:3-4).
2 Corinthians 5:1 "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
John 14:2 "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."
There are three heavens in scripture.
1. The first heaven is the sky where the clouds are located.
Job 35:5 "Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou."
2. The second heaven is outer space where the stars, sun and moon are located.
Genesis 1:14 "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good."
3. The third heaven as we said before is where God himself is located.
Psalms 148:1 "Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. 2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts."
The heaven we are talking about in this article is the third heaven where we are told to lay up treasures. Treasures on this earth will pass away, but the treasures in Heaven are eternal.
Luke 12:34 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
New Jerusalem is equal in length, width and height (12,000 furlongs). It can hold around 49 quintillion people. New Jerusalem is for the people that are saved from Pentecost until the Rapture. These are called the Bride of the Lamb (Rev. 21:9).
Heaven is said to have no tears, crying, sorrow, pain or death. It will have no night or darkness. It is also without hunger, excessive heat or thirst. People will not have to work there, nor pay taxes. There will be no devils, temptations to sin or evil spirits.
Revelation 7:16 "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."
Revelation 21:4 "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
Revelation 22:3 "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."
The people that will not be in Heaven include the Devil, thieves, the fearful (those afraid to trust Christ), the unbelieving, abominable, murderers, whores, sorcerers, idolaters and liars. These will all go to the Lake of Fire to burn forever. Keep in mind if you are saved and do any of the sins above, you are no longer called those things because you are forgiven by the Blood of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 20:10 "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
Revelation 21:8 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Those who are in Heaven include the Trinity (Acts 3:21), angels (Matt. 18:10), cherubs, Enoch and Elijah (Gen. 5:24, Matt. 17:3), Moses (Deut. 34), and all the saved that have died since Pentecost.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."
In Heaven, the saved will have sinless resurrection bodies. The resurrection bodies will be like the bodies of angels, which are wingless male bodies. Keep in mind that every angel in the Bible is male without wings. There are no female angels. This is because God made the woman body to be able to give birth to children. In heaven there is no marriage, so there is no use for female bodies. We are also told that we will have a body like Christ's body (1 John 3:2).
Matthew 22:30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."
Just imagine having a body that never wears out, eyes that do not need glasses and hair and teeth that does not come out. There will be no need for medicine because there will be no diseases or problems with our body.
There will be perfect government in Heaven. This is because God will be the ruler and He is a just and holy God. We will see God face to face in Heaven. The light in Heaven does not come from the sun but from God himself. Everything will be perfect.
Revelation 22:3 "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."
Heaven will be beautiful. The streets will be pure gold and the gates will be made of pearl. The gold there is so pure that it looks as clear as glass, unlike the impure yellow gold found on earth.
Revelation 21:21 "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."
In conclusion, it is obvious that Heaven is an amazing place. Everything there is perfect and we will see Jesus Christ face to face. Anyone would be out of their mind to pass up going to such a place and choosing to burn in the Lake of Fire forever instead. All one has to do is come to Jesus Christ as a sinner and trust His blood atonement for their salvation and they could make Heaven their eternal home.
