By Steve A. Hamilton

Introduction:  Are you ready to live in heaven?  If so, what do you expect to find in heaven?  What will it be like?  The Bible only gives us a glimpse of heaven.  Many people speculate as to what it might look like but I don’t believe anyone can adequately describe heaven.  However, the scriptures reveal some important facts.        

I.  Before Jesus departed this earth life, He said He would prepare a place for us (John 14:2-3).

          A.  Understand that Jesus created the earth in 6 days (John 1:1-3, 14).  He has been resurrected over 2000 years ago.  Can you imagine what heaven will look like after 2000 years of preparing a place?  I can’t begin to imagine, but I’m sure we’ll walk around for the first 1000 years with our jaw on the ground from amazement.

          B.  Jesus says heaven includes many mansions for us.  Again, I don’t know what a heavenly mansion looks like.  Yet, earthly mansions are places of abode that well exceed the necessity of life.  We are captivated by the splendor and lavish surroundings.  I’m sure heavenly mansions will be none the less.        

II.  Heaven will contain beauty beyond our imagination.  The best John could do to describe Heaven was to say it was an entire city of jewels and transparent gold (Rev. 21:18-21).    

III.  The “tree of life” will be in heaven and we will be allowed to eat of it (Rev. 2:7; Gen. 3:22-24).

IV.  Heaven will be a place of perpetual light (Rev. 21:22-27).  There will be no power outages because we will live in the glory of God.  There will be no sin in heaven nor anything that causes sin nor anything that defiles.  No bills to pay (I thought I’d throw that in), no crimes, no hatred, no complaining, no fear.  

V.  Sorrow and sadness will be unknown in heaven (Rev. 21:4; 7:17).  There will be no sickness nor dying.

VI.  There will be no marriages in heaven (Luke 20:35-36). 

          A.  Given that sex outside of marriage is sin and there will be no sin in heaven, there will be no sex in heaven since there is no marriage in heaven.

          B.  Rather, we will be eternal like the angels. 

VII.  Like the angels, we will have a different bodily form (1 Cor. 15:39-44, 50-53).  We will be dressed in robes of white (Rev. 6:11). 

VIII.  Two misconceptions:

          A.  Heaven does not have levels or degrees of reward (Matt. 20:1-16).

          B.  Heaven will not be on this earth (Rev. 21:1).  How will the earth pass away (2 Pet. 3:10-13)?  The Lord will destroy the known heavens and earth in order to use the new heavenly abode.

Conclusion: Knowing this, Peter asks, “What manner of person ought you to be?”  Because the truth is, only the righteous will dwell in heaven.  It is not enough to believe in Christ in order to go to heaven, but we must be righteous as well. 

          Are you ready to live in heaven?  Are you righteous?  Have you put the Lord on in baptism?

Last modified: 05/02/08