What Is Heaven Like
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
According to this verse it is impossible to adequately describe what is Heaven like. This verse teaches that eyes have not seen the things that God has prepared for us in heaven. Just stop and think of all the beautiful things that we have seen here on earth.
The Caribbean islands, the beauty of the jungle and all of it’s wildlife, the beauty in a coral reef, the snow capped rocky mountains, or glacier bay in Alaska. There is wonderful beauty all around the world. And yet none of it will compare to heaven. I believe that God did not give us more details about the beauty of heaven because we have no frame of reference to be able to understand the description. Our eyes have not seen anything like it. It would be like trying to describe color to someone who has always been blind. Try as you might to describe the beauty of a sunset. They will never truly understand the beauty unless they can see.
Not only is the beauty of heaven far beyond anything that we have ever seen. But the sounds of heaven are beyond anything that we have ever heard.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard
I have heard many beautiful things in my life. I have sat in the wilderness of the Rockies, miles from the nearest person. Sitting next to a bubbling creek. The birds where singing. The soft sound of the breeze thru the trees and the sound of the water flowing over the rocks. That was a wonderful sound. But that will not even come close to the sounds in heaven.
I have heard some beautiful music in my life. Probably the most beautiful song I ever heard was a veteran missionary from Romania got up in front of the church and sang the value of one. That song really meant something coming from a man who had given his whole life on the mission field. He gave his whole life to save people from the fire. And with a burning in his heart he sang.
Could it be that up in heaven God is sitting on His throne.
Anticipating another sinner will soon become His own.
Years of wasted living and years of toil and strife
Are just about to be over as he receives the gift of life.
Go sound the horn strike up the choir
A sinner is saved
Saved from the fire.
No more in darkness
He’s received my son.
All heaven’s rejoicing
That’s the value of one.
There were tears in the eyes by the time he was done. It was truly a beautiful thing to hear. But that will be absolutely nothing in comparison to the singing that we will hear in heaven.
This verse also says, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. I don’t know about you, but my heart can think up some fantabulous things. I can think of polished marble columns with fancy gold inlaid patterns. I can think of amazing scenery. Just try it sometime. Think up the most wonderful mansion that you can picture. And it is not even close. What God has prepared for us is far beyond the most amazing thing that you can think up in your heart.
It really is impossible to give a description of heaven that our little finite minds can grasp. However, There is much that we do know about heaven.
First we know that Christ will be in Heaven.
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
It says that Christ has entered into Heaven. Jesus is going to be there. The fact that Christ will be there will make heaven what it is. I like the way that John Bunyan put it.
“He may well be called the God of glory, for by His glorious presence, He makes heaven what it is. Rivers of pleasure, tranquil cheerfulness, joy, and splendor perpetually spring from the Divine Presence to all the blessed inhabitants of heaven, the place of His happy residence and seat of His eternal empire.” – John Bunyan
Heaven would not be heaven without Christ. Seeing Jesus in heaven was important to Fanny Crosby. “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I should be born blind?… Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior!” – Fanny Crosby Fanny Crosby wanted Jesus to be the very first face that she ever saw. Heaven without Jesus would not be heaven at all.
Jesus is in heaven and
The Throne of God is in Heaven.
Rev 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and [one] sat on the throne.
Rev 4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and [there was] a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
Notice that the writer is having a hard time describing the beauty of this throne. He says like a jasper. So it was not a jasper. It is just like a jasper. A jasper is the closest description that he could use.
And he said about the rainbow that is about the throne that it is like unto an emerald. The beauty is such that he cannot describe it totally.
Rev 4:4 And round about the throne [were] four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
Rev 4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and [there were] seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Rev 4:6 And before the throne [there was] a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, [were] four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
The sea of glass is like unto crystal. It is not crystal. But crystal was the closest thing that he could think of. There really are no words in the human language to adequately describe heaven.
Rev 4:7 And the first beast [was] like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast [was] like a flying eagle.
Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about [him]; and [they were] full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Rev 4:9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
Rev 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
God’s Throne is in Heaven. And it is a place where men and angels give glory, honor, and thanks to God. It is a place of activity.
Hebrews 12:22-24 tells us several things to be found in Heaven.
Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel.
Innumerable company of angels. The general assembly and church of the firstborn. The Lamb’s book of life. Spirits of just men made perfect. Jesus our mediator. Mount Sion, The heavenly Jerusalem. All of them are found in Heaven.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
The Centerpiece of the Eternal Heaven is the Holy City of God, The New Jerusalem.
What is the Heavenly Jerusalem Going to be Like?
Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.
The New Jerusalem is currently being prepared for us by the Lord Jesus Christ. The old testament saints looked forward to this city. They desired this heavenly Jerusalem.
Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
These verses tell us that the Builder of this great city is God. And that this city is being prepared by Jesus. This is just another place where the Bible says that Jesus is God. The most detailed description that we have of this heavenly city is in Rev. chapter 21.
First we will see how big is this city.
Rev 21:16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
It says that this city is foursquare. That means that it is cube shaped. The length, breadth, and height are all equal. The city measures 12,000 furlongs. There are 8 furlongs to a mile. So that means that this city is 1,500 miles in length and 1,500 miles in breadth, and 1,500 miles high. Heaven is foursquare like a cube. You could set one corner of it on the city of New York. Another corner would reach to Denver, Colorado. From New York one side would reach all the way down to Miami. And the other corner would go on down across the Gulf of Mexico. And this city is just as high as it is wide. God said that this city is foursquare.
This city is huge. We are given the outside dimensions of the city but we are not told how high the levels are. If each level was a mile in height, there would be 1,500 levels. If each level was a half of a mile high, there would be 3,000 levels. If each level was ¼ of a mile high, then there would be 6,000 levels. If the levels were 1/8 of a mile high, then there would be 12,000 levels. We simply do not know. Regardless of the number of levels, There will be plenty of room for all of the saved thru all of the ages. We will not be packed in like a bunch of sardines. There will be elbow room. Jesus is preparing us mansions and not condos.
Now stop and think about the height of it for a minute. Mount Everest is only about 5 miles high. This City is 1,495 miles higher than mount Everest. We are also given the measurement of the height of the city walls.
Rev 21:17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred [and] forty [and] four cubits, [according to] the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
The city is 1,500 miles high, but the city wall is only 144 cubits. A cubit is about 18 inches. That works out to about 216 feet. So the city wall is taller than a 20 story building. And listen to these building materials for the city wall.
Rev 21:18 And the building of the wall of it was [of] jasper: and the city [was] pure gold, like unto clear glass.
Rev 21:19 And the foundations of the wall of the city [were] garnished with all manner of precious stones.
Just think of how much jasper and precious stones that is. Just to walk around this wall one time you would have to walk 6,000 miles. And this wall is about 20 stories high. If that is the beauty of the city wall, just wonder what the mansions must be like. This city has 12 foundations. Even the twelve foundations of this city are made with precious materials. The first foundation [was] jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
Rev 21:20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
There really is no way for us to really grasp the immensity and the beauty of heaven.
Rev 21:21 And the twelve gates [were] twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city [was] pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
This city will have real streets made of pure gold. And this city will have real walls with real gates of Pearl. If the gates are in proportion to the city wall, then these twelve pearl gates are huge. There are 12 gates. That would be 3 gates for each side of the city. I find it interesting that the gates are made out of the pearl. The pearl is the only gem that is made thru suffering. And the only way to enter the city is thru the pearl gates.
Christ is the door.
Joh 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Christ is the only way to heaven. And that way was only made possible thru his suffering on the cross. The only way into the city is thru the pearl gates that were made thru suffering. I believe that this is a picture of the only way to heaven is to enter thru the suffering of Christ on the cross. The pearl was made with suffering but it is very beautiful. Salvation was made possible with suffering, but it is very beautiful. In fact there is no love more beautiful than the love that was displayed on the cross.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And it was not because we were lovable.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
That is the love of God. And that love is beautiful like a pearl. I believe that every time that we see those gates we will be reminded of the love of God. We will be reminded of how we got there and the price that was paid to provide a way to enter into heaven.
Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.
This heavenly city will not need the sun. The glory of God and the Lamb is the light thereof. Can you imagine the brightness of it? Moses saw the back parts of God and his face shown from it. In fact Moses had to wear a veil for a while because his face shone so much. The brightness and the glory of it will be amazing.
Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
It says the nations of them which are saved. That tells me two things. One there will be a multitude saved. It is not a county, or a state, or even just one nation but nations plural. There will be many people in heaven. And Two Nations speaks of diversity. There will be people from America there. There will be people from Japan there, and China, Australia, Greece, Russia, Peru. There will be people from nations all over the globe. There will be white people, red, yellow, black, and brown. Every race, every nationality.
Rev 21:25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
No more night. No more darkness. No need to shut the gates. No house alarms needed. No locks need for your doors. No more where did I put those keys. No police needed.
Rev 21:26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither [whatsoever] worketh abomination, or [maketh] a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
There will be nothing that defiles. No sin. Nothing that works abomination. And no more lies. Only those which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
It is not possible for us to understand exactly how wonderful heaven will be. But God has told us enough to know that without a doubt heaven will be a real tangible wonderful place. And praise God we can know for certain that heaven will be our home. Our heavenly bodies will be real bodies. A body that is recognizable, touchable, able to move around, walk, stand, and sit. We will be able to think, talk, reason, and even eat.
Heaven is a very real solid place. It is made of real materials. Jasper, Gold, Precious Stones. It has real mansions, and real streets. It has real dimensions. We are told exactly how wide, long, and high it is. There will be real mansions there to walk into, real streets to walk on, and real gates to walk thru. Heaven is a real place and I am very glad that the Bible tells us details about what is Heaven like.