(extracted from The Facts on Near Death Experiences)
Many fine books have been written on heaven, and we encourage the reader to read these for greater insight into the eternal existence of the redeemed.[1] We will only give a brief thumbnail sketch in this article.[2]
Heaven is not a perpetual vacation—something that would be terribly boring after only 50 years. Heaven is an eternity of purpose and destiny. After the largest conceivable amount of time multiplied indefinitely by the largest conceivable amount of time, eternity has only just begun. Therefore, heaven must not only be beyond our imagination, but commensurate with the nature and demands of a redeemed eternity itself.
Heaven will be an infinitely superb, multi-faceted and glorious paradise because an infinitely superb, multi-faceted, glorious God lives there. Words such as grandeur, exquisite, magnificent, marvelous, resplendent, elegant, and super luxurious are, at best, shadows of descriptions. In fact, we think it will take an eternity of years to explore only part of heaven.
Heaven is a real and substantial place for real and substantial people. In this place, Jesus told us that we would be glorified and exalted with Him. We will reign with Him “forever and ever” (Revelation 20:6; 22:5) and have spiritual bodies (Ephesians 2:6; Romans 8:11-17; Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2). We will also judge (and perhaps rule) the angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).
In heaven, everything that makes life here unpleasant or tortuous will be forever vanquished. Those present in heaven will never experience pain, sadness, sorrow, depression, sickness, death, sin, evil, selfishness, fatigue, or suffering of any kind “for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4; see also 22:3).
Heaven will be a place of indescribable love, beauty, peace, joy, happiness, rest, adventure, excitement, and union and fellowship with God (Revelation 21:4)—multiplied to the degree suggested by what an infinitely loving, omnipotent, and omniscient God would do in eternity for those He willingly sacrificed His only Son for here. Scripture itself teaches that if God has given us His own Son now, how much more will He give us throughout eternity? (See Romans 8:32; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 3:21-23.)
Life in heaven will be beyond our wildest imagination experientially. If heaven, by definition, is devoid of everything old that is negative it must also be saturated with everything new that is positive: “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true’” (Revelation 21:5). Thus, heaven will be a place of eternal security and protection where God’s creation is redeemed and transformed into an absolutely perfect new earth and heavens (cf. Romans 8:18-23; Revelation chapters 21 and 22). In this never-to-be-equaled universe, which could be infinite, we will be able to explore and never exhaust the ability to explore—just as we will never be able to exhaust our exploration of all there is to know and experience of an infinite God.
Obviously, since we are finite beings—there will be never-ending growth in knowledge, truth and wisdom—of God, the creation, angels, and men and women. We will not only have joyous, intimate, personal fellowship with God, Jesus, and the angels but also with billions of redeemed people who lived throughout history—and with whatever else God may have created. Yet service and worship to God will be one of our greatest joys. As suggested by the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-29; Luke 19:11-26), we will also enjoy rewards for service given on earth. These will probably include different positions of honor and authority in heaven. However, all our heavenly blessings and glories will be eternal and indestructible (1 Peter 1:3-4).
But we must also remember that there is far, far more we don’t know about heaven than we do know; its beauties and glories are literally inconceivable to us now. We should expect nothing less from a future kingdom prepared by Jesus Himself, for those He loves and died for (Matthew 25:34; John 14:2). Apart from Christ, there is no such thing as real life—now or forever.
First Corinthians 2:9 only hints at what awaits those who have made Jesus their Lord and Savior: “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the human heart, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” Indeed, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). In sum, we will inherit all that God is and all that God has (1 Corinthians 3:21-23)—in a true paradise as God originally intended it. And, as a result, “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” forever (Matthew 13:43).