Much of the hope of the believer rests on the fact that heaven is real. Heaven is mentioned 728 times in 681 verses of the Bible. If you believe in the Bible, you must believe in heaven. The Bible talks about heaven and hell with maximum reality. Heaven is the place where God and all of the holy angels abide. Heaven is the throne of God and Jesus Christ God’s Son sits on a throne at the right hand of the Father.
As sure as there is a God, there is a place called heaven.
Many powerful messages are given in the Bible to believers about heaven. In hope, we look forward to the great and wonderful day when we shall be with God in that heavenly home. We need to know the reality of that wonderful place called heaven.
Heaven is real.
Genesis 1:1 NKJV In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
From the beginning, heaven described the physical part of the universe and God’s dwelling place. It is the stars and planets, the firmament where rain, snow, hail, and thunder come, and the abode of God.
In the Bible, God spoke to individuals from heaven.
- A glory cloud would descend and God would speak to His people.
- In Noah’s generation, God looked down on the whole human race and saw their wickedness was great.
- In judgment, God opened the windows of heaven and the fountains of the deep and the whole earth was covered with water.
- In Genesis 9, God spoke to Noah and blessed him and established a covenant with every living creature.
- God put a rainbow in the heavens as a sign of His covenant and word.
- In Genesis 19, the Lord rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah out of heaven.
- In Genesis 22, when God was making a covenant with Abraham, He spoke to him from heaven.
- In Genesis 28:10, God spoke to Jacob from heaven and blessed him.
- Exodus 19:16; 20:18, When God came down from heaven, thunder, lightning and a thick cloud descended on Sinai; and there was a sound of a very loud trumpet.
- When Joel 2:30-31 prophesied about the days that would precede the Lord’s return, he said, “I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath; blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord… and whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
- When Jesus ascended back to the Father, a cloud received Him out of their sight, (Acts 1:9-11). Everyone present steadfastly looked toward heaven as He went up. Angels told them, “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heave, will so come in a like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
There is a real place called heaven.
Heaven is where God dwells and where all blessings originate.
Malachi 3:10 NKJV “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” All of the blessing that you are needing comes from God in heaven.
- The bread that fed the Israelites in the wilderness came from heaven, (Exodus 16:4). They knew that God was giving them bread from heaven, (John 6:31).
Heaven is real.
- When Elijah finished his assignment, a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven, (2 Kings 2:11).
- The Apostle Paul spoke of a man who was caught up into Paradise and heard things beyond man’s power to put into words, (2 Corinthians 12:2).
There is a real place called heaven.
- The heavens opened and Ezekiel saw visions of God.
- Ezekiel looked and beheld a great storm, the lightning flashed, and there was fire inside the cloud. Inside the cloud he saw four living beings and high above them he saw a throne. On the throne appeared the likeness of a man and all around was the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around and within it. Ezekiel said, “That is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me.”
- Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up and above the throne stood seraphim who cried out: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of host; the whole earth is full of His glory!”
- John saw that throne of God set in heaven and the glory of the Lord shone as a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald, (Revelation 4:2-3)
Heaven is real!
Jesus spoke of heaven as the Paradise of God.
As Jesus was dying, the man on the third cross said, “Lord remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Luke 23:43 NKJV And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Immediately after that the sun became dark and Jesus cried out, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”
Jesus was teaching about the rich man and a poor man named Lazarus.
Luke 16:22-24 NLT “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead… There, in torment he said, “I am in anguish in these flames.”
Jesus was making a distinction between heaven and the torment of hell. The poor man was sitting beside Abraham at a heavenly banquet.
Heaven is the paradise of God.
It is no wonder that believers throughout the Bible looked for that city whose builder and maker was God. Heaven is the hope of those who have put their trust and faith in God.
2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
The Apostle Paul was confident that heaven is a better place. He was caught up into the third heaven where Christ dwells.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 NLT I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.
Heaven is real! It is the paradise of God.
Revelation 2:7 NKJV “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”
We have been given a glimpse of the paradise that God is preparing in the New Jerusalem that comes down from God out of heaven.
Revelation 22:1-5 AMP Then He showed me the river whose waters give life, sparkling like crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the broadway of the city; also, on either side of the river was the tree of life with its twelve varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the nations. There shall no longer exist there anything that is accursed (detestable, foul, offensive, impure, hateful, or horrible). But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall worship Him [pay divine honors to Him and do Him holy service]. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. And there shall be no more night; they have no need for lamplight or sunlight, for the Lord God will illuminate them and be their light, and they shall reign [as kings] forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities).
Revelation 22:14 AMP Blessed (happy and to be envied) are those who cleanse their garments, that they may have the authority and right to [approach] the tree of life and to enter through the gates into the city.
Heaven is real!
- You will want to go to heaven.
- There is a place of crying and death.
- Heaven is a place without death, sorrow, or crying.
- There is a place of great pain and wailing.
Heaven is a place without pain. There will be no more sickness, sorrow or dying. God is going to take away everything that causes troubles, distresses and woe.
Heaven is a better place.
