Resources by Topic: Heaven

Life in the present Heaven (which theologians call the “intermediate” Heaven) is “better by far” than living here on Earth under the curse (Phil. 1:23). But it’s not our final destination.

In Mere Christianity Lewis lamented that we haven’t been trained to want Heaven: "…when the real want for Heaven is present in us, we do not recognize it."

Watch Randy's workshop session and access links and resources from his breakout session at the 2015 Gospel Coalition National Conference.

In your book Edge of Eternity, the Christian woman who lived for self rather than for the King, upon entering Charis did not get any private time with the King. Is this the kind of reception the carnal Christian receives in Heaven? 

Imagine someone takes you to a party. You see a few friends there, enjoy a couple of good conversations, a little laughter, and some decent appetizers. 

Randy answers this question during a radio interview on the Frank Sontag Show, March 26, 2015.

Randy answers this question during a radio interview on the Frank Sontag Show, March 26, 2015.

Some sincere Christians believe in “soul sleep,” the idea that when we die we lose consciousness until the resurrection. 

At death, the human spirit goes either to Heaven or to Hell. Christ depicted Lazarus and the rich man as conscious in Heaven and in Hell immediately after they died. Jesus told the dying thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

The term “bucket list” was popularized by the 2007 movie of that name. It’s an inventory of things people want to do before they “kick the bucket.”

Most people who’ve enjoyed the children’s stories of Beatrix Potter, C. S. Lewis, or others who wrote of talking animals have probably never seriously considered the possibility that some animals might actually have talked in Eden or that they might talk on the New Earth.

The most exhilarating experiences on Earth, such as white-water rafting, skydiving, or extreme sports, will seem tame compared to the thrill of seeing Jesus. 

Even though I believe we’ll live in time in Heaven, God is certainly capable of bending time and opening doors in time’s fabric for us. 

I think of our lives in terms of a dot and a line, signifying two phases. Our present life on earth is the dot. It begins. It ends. It’s brief.