“Joy is the business of heaven.” -C.S. Lewis
What will heaven be like? And what will we be like when we get there? The Bible really doesn’t go into specifics about heaven. Why? Because “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). Our minds simply cannot comprehend the glory that awaits us.
But while it’s true we don’t know the details about heaven, the Bible does give us a general idea. What we discover is absolutely mind-blowing.
What will heaven be like?
“Dear friends, now we are children of God and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2).
When we enter heaven will be changed physically and spiritually. John tells us we will be like Jesus. What will that be like? Here are a few things the Bible tells us:
1) We Will No Longer Sin
“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil.1:6) In heaven Jesus will remove our sinful nature and complete making us new creations. Imagine you have a computer program that has problems (Ha! Not too hard to imagine that, is it). But then the new version comes out and everything that is good about the program is left in but everything bad is fixed — and not only that, but many great new features are added. That’s what we will be like in heaven.
2) We Will Not Be Subject to the Laws of Physics
In John 20:19, 26 we find Jesus walking through walls and locked doors to reach the disciples. Elsewhere in the Bible we read about angels that appear and disappear. We will be able to travel anywhere instantly.
3) We Will Still Eat and Touch
We will be able to walk through solid objects and still be able to touch and eat like Jesus did in John 20:27 and John 21:10-15. Paul tells us that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven” (1 Cor. 15:50), so eating will be done for pleasure and not necessity. And Revelation 22:2 tells us that in heaven there will be a tree of life that bears twelve different kinds of fruit each month. Some think that there may be a feast each month when this tree blooms and a time of great fellowship as we gather around to share a meal together.
4) We Will Never Be Sick Again
We currently live in a fallen, imperfect world. People get sick, suffer and die. In heaven that won’t be true. God tells us in heaven there will “no longer be any curse” (Rev. 22:3). And Revelation 21:4 tells us: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Heaven will be a world where, “the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. And the lame will leap like a deer, and the mute tongue will shout for joy” (Isaiah 35:5- 6). There will be no more suffering in heaven.
5) We Will Recognize One Another
You can read Matthew 17:3 for a little insight here. Moses and Elijah appear and talk with Jesus. Peter recognizes both of them even though they both lived many years before him. In heaven, we will know not only our loved ones but everyone else that is there!
6) We Will Have Deeper Relationships
There will be no marriage in heaven (Matthew 22:30). The reason is that relationships will be much deeper than anything on earth. Remember that we’ll be free from sin. Relationships will be pure and free of doubt, jealousy and gossip.
Love, joy and peace — in heaven we will experience these things the way they were meant to be. We can only experience them in part now. While it’s true we love and have joy and peace on earth, we don’t fully experience them because we also know what it is to hate, grieve, and have trouble. In heaven, when these things are removed, we will love and rejoice and be at peace completely.
What Heaven Will Be Like?
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the Throne saying, ‘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. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the Throne said, ‘I am making everything new?’”(Revelation 21:1-4).
1) We Will Live in the New Jerusalem
Revelation 21:2-3 tells us we will have a new home called the “New Jerusalem”. Jerusalem means, “city of peace.” This New Jerusalem is massive! It will be about 1,500 miles wide, 1,500 miles long, and 1,500 miles high. (Revelation 21:15-16). That would make this huge city roughly the size of the moon. The city will have 12 gates with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written on them. The foundation will be twelve layers to it with the names of the twelve apostles written on them.(Revelation 21:12-17).
And the entire city will be made of gold and jewels.
The walls will be made of pure diamond and the city of pure gold – clear as glass (Revelation 21:18). The foundation will be filled with precious stones (Revelation 21:19-21). As God dwells in this city, the light from His glory will shine through these stones producing a brilliant rainbow of colors! Can you imagine such a sight?
2) We Will Be with Christ
More important than anything else is the fact that we will be with our Lord forever. From His throne flows the River of Life. It will be perfect, clear as crystal. And we will see Him face to face (Revelation 22:4). We shall worship Him and be His people and He will be our God.
When we see Christ face to face His presence will dominate heaven the same way the sun dominates the hot summer sky. If heaven had streets of gold, precious gems, and angels singing overhead but no Jesus then we wouldn’t even notice those other things. Because just as the sun illuminates the summer sky, so the glory of Christ illuminates all of heaven.
We will be able to talk to Him, ask Him questions, and listen to Him speak. Imagine hearing His voice – the Bible says it will be “like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder (Revelation 14:2). Imagine the stories He’ll tell, the lessons He’ll teach, the love He’ll share.
Jesus gives us the best description of heaven in Revelation 21 and 22. What’s so wonderful about it is Jesus’ excitement. You can sense that He longs to share heaven with us. When you get to heaven He will smile, put His arms around you, and say, “All this I have prepared for you because I love you. Enjoy my fellowship!”
Then we will live happily ever after forever and ever with our God, Savior and Friend.
“When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.”
How to Get to Heaven…
Heaven is God’s home. God is perfect and so heaven is perfect. Nothing imperfect can ever enter heaven (Revelation 22:14-15).
Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
But God has provided a way to bridge the gap between us and Him…
John 3:16 tells us this: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine. He took your punishment for sinning. He died for your sins so you wouldn’t have to. Now He offers forgiveness to you. All you have to do is acknowledge you are a sinner, and that Jesus, the Son of God, died in your place, and accept Him as your Savior. You can accept Jesus as Savior by praying this prayer:
“Lord, I realize that I am a sinner. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins. I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior now. Please show me your will and help me become the person you want me to be. Amen.”