Resources by Topic: Heaven

Question from a reader: On page 174 of Heaven you talk of the thrill of seeing Jesus in Heaven. You say, “Being with him. Gazing at him. Talking with him. Worshiping him. Embracing him. Eating with him. Walking with him. Laughing with him.” But how will millions of resurrected believers be able to do this? Do we take turns?

Question from a reader: The New Earth is going to be so amazing, wonderful, beautiful, breath-taking, tangible, relational, joy-filled (the list goes on and on) and is also void of pain, suffering, death, sin, and grief. In light of all that, how much will rewards really matter?

Worship involves more than singing and prayer. We’re commanded, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We know that God expects us to do many different things on Earth, such as work, rest, and spend time with our families. So if we are to be joyful, pray, and give thanks all the time, we must worship God even while doing other things. Same deal in Heaven.

What matters isn't what someone else says, but what the Bible says. The Jehovah Witnesses are wrong in many number of areas about the New Earth. However, their belief that there will be a New Earth is correct.

Several people have already asked about my response to the passage of the Health Care Reform Bill and its inclusion of abortion. Yes, I am deeply concerned about its effect on unborn children. However, even though this bill has passed, the righteous cause of the unborn is not over. 

Some of the portrayals of Heaven in my novels Deadline and Dominion are surprising and unconventional.

The Bible speaks of two separate judgments: the judgment of faith, and the judgment of works. The judgment of faith determines our inheritance, whereas the judgment of works determines our recompense.

Service is a reward, not a punishment. This idea is foreign to people who dislike their work and only put up with it until retirement. We think that faithful work should be rewarded by a vacation for the rest of our lives. But God offers us something very different: more work, more responsibilities, increased opportunities, along with greater abilities, resources, wisdom, and empowerment. 

We know by the context.

(Inspired by Deadline by Randy Alcorn, page 338+) Doc Aloud:    Hello?! Heelllooo... Doc Voice:    Where is everybody? Where am I?                    (checks out hands and arms as though they are completely new)

Author Randy Alcorn is quick to point out that the Bible tells us much more about Heaven than we might realize. In Light of Eternity (1999) was his first nonfiction book about Heaven and in it, he addresses all the questions above and a lot more – and it’s all just a re-telling of what Scripture says.

If you’ve ever spent a leisurely day on a golden beach or sailed across the vast ocean or observed the beauty of God’s underwater creatures, you may be surprised that John, taken in a vision to the far future, says that on the New Earth “the sea was no more.”

When we die we go to be with Christ (II Cor. 5:8) which is wonderful. But we are still incomplete, in a pre-resurrected state, anticipating Christ’s return to earth, and our resurrections. The place we’ll live forever will be where God comes down to dwell with us, on the New Earth (Revelation 21:1-3).

Question from a reader: Many people have questions regarding Heaven. How can you be sure that this depiction of Heaven [in your book Heaven] is the correct one?