When Jesus got resurrected and ascended to heaven, he left with a promise that he was going to prepare the many rooms for the faithful believers he would come back for. Jesus constantly reminded people throughout his ministry to fight for a place in heaven. Even today, the scriptures and religious leaders constantly remind Christians to fight for a place in heaven. This has made curious Christians ask the question, what does heaven look like?
The scriptures imply that heaven is a beautiful and glorified place that every Christian should be yearning to go to. From the sermons Jesus delivered to words shared by those who visited heaven, you can deduce that the place is magnificently made. Jesus told one of the thieves at the cross that they would be together in paradise in Luke 23:43. This means that the place is extremely beautiful and worth struggling to visit for a Christian.
Several biblical scriptures agree that heaven is a place of absolute beauty that has been made superbly. Supported by the words of Jesus Christ, this must be the best place God ever made. Read the article to find out what Jesus said about heaven and the biblical accounts of those who had a chance to visit heaven. The article will also give insights into what a Christian needs to do to get to heaven.
How does Jesus describe heaven?
Jesus describes heaven as a place with very many rooms. This means that the place is vast and spacious enough to hold many people. John 14:2 says, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” this was a promise from Jesus while confirming that indeed heaven was big enough to accommodate all his believers. The word many could even mean infinity since it does not denote a specific number. With this statement, Jesus gave the estimated size of heaven, a vast place.
Jesus refers to heaven as paradise in the gospel of Luke 23:43. The verse says, “And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” The word paradise means an ideal place or a place with the best conditions. This tells us how beautiful and perfectly designed heaven is that Jesus gave it the synonym paradise.
In the book of Luke 16:19-31, Jesus Christ gave the parable of the poor man Lazarus and the rich man. In the parable, Jesus describes the place Lazarus went to as a place full of comfort and good things. While the rich man was facing torment in hell, Lazarus was enjoying himself while seated next to Abraham. With this parable, Jesus described heaven as a very comfortable place with an abundance of everything.
Jesus emphasizes the abundance again in Luke 12:33-34. The verse says, “Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Here, Jesus reveals to us how heaven is full of treasures. Furthermore, he gives another critical detail, the treasures in heaven cannot be destroyed by anything, and they are everlasting and better than heavenly treasures.
Mark 11:45 says, “And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.” Here, Jesus uses the word life in place of the word heaven. This reveals to us that heaven is full of life and hosts beings who are alive.
How does the Bible describe heaven?
Through several verses, the Bible has played its role in trying to describe what heaven looks like. Some bible characters aside from Jesus Christ also had a chance of being given revelations about heaven, and the Bible talks about their experiences too.
Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things, have passed away.” the Bible reveals that everything that took part in making man grieve will no longer be there. Pain will be eliminated forever, and there will only be rejoicing and everlasting life. This is also a revelation that heaven is a happy place and nothing like sadness exists.
Revelation 22:1-5 says, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” This was a revelation of God to John about the appearance of heaven, a very beautiful place.
Hebrews 11:16 says, “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” The Bible reveals that heaven is like a country with better conditions than this earth and is ruled by God.
The best description of what magnificent heaven looks like is from Revelation 21:21-25. The Bible says, “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city does not need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.”
These are just some of the bible verses that have tried to give us a description of how heaven looks like. The more you read the Bible, the more you discover how greatly heaven is described.
Where is heaven?
There are no Bible verses that give us the exact geographical location of heaven. However, some instances from the Bible have tried to deduce where heaven might be located. At the tower of babel, God says, “come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” This is noted in Genesis 11:7. This scripture could suggest that heaven is above the earth. Psalms 103:11 describes heaven as being high above the earth. Jesus is said to have ascended into heaven during his death. In Acts 1:9-11 the Bible describes Jesus as being taken up.
When God takes John to heaven, as described in Revelation 4:1, “After this, I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” He asks him to “Come up here.”
These verses imply that heaven is located high above the earth. More scriptures and bible scholars have supported the notion that there are three heavens.
2nd Corinthians 12:1-9 talks about Apostle Paul being caught in the third heaven although he was prohibited from revealing whatever he saw. If Paul was up in the third heaven, then it means that two more exist. The first is described as the sky or firmament. The second is the outer space that hosts the stars, planets, and other celestial bodies, while the third, which Paul was not allowed to describe, is the dwelling place of God.
How do Christians get to heaven?
Christians believe that believing in Jesus Christ gives one the safety of having eternal life, as promised in the book of John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life .”Christians who die as believers in Christ will have a chance to meet Jesus in the clouds together with those alive during the rapture before proceeding to heaven.
Many Christians already born of Adam’s sin are highly dependent on the grace of God to make it to heaven. As a Christian, you are advised to follow the example of Jesus, live a humble life, obey the commandments of God, show love to everybody and observe the rules of God. You should also be prayerful and repentant and always ask God to remember you when that day comes.
References
What the Bible says about heaven
What the Bible Says About Paradise
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
