Heaven

"Heaven" as a biblical term denotes the chosen dwelling place of God, as well as the eternal destiny of all redeemed children of God. “To be in heaven” means: to remain in Christ with God where there is no longer death, mourning, weeping and pain. Heaven is described as "everlasting joy", "bliss", "peace" and "the righteousness of God". (1. Kings 8,27-30; 5. Moses 26,15; Matthew 6,9; Acts of the Apostles 7,55-56; John 14,2-3; Revelation 21,3-twenty; 42,1-5; 2. Petrus 3,13).

Are we going to heaven when we die?

Some scoff at the idea of ​​"going to heaven." But Paul says we are already established in heaven (Ephesians 2,6) - and he would rather leave the world to be with Christ who is in heaven (Philippians 1,23). Going to heaven is not much different from what Paul said earlier. We may prefer other ways of saying it, but it is not a point to criticize or mock other Christians for.

When most people talk about heaven, they use that term as a synonym for salvation. For example, some Christian evangelists ask the question, "If you die tonight, are you sure you would go to heaven?" The real point in these cases is not when or where they come [go]—they ask simply the question of whether they are sure of their salvation.

Some people think of heaven as a place where there are clouds, harps and gold-paved streets. But such things are not really part of the sky - they are phrases that point to peace, beauty, glory, and other good things. They are an attempt that uses limited physical terms to describe spiritual realities.

Heaven is spiritual, not physical. It is the "place" where God lives. Science fiction fans may say that God lives in another dimension. He is present everywhere in all dimensions, but "heaven" is where he actually resides. [I apologize for the lack of precision in my words. Theologians may have more precise words for these concepts, but I hope I can get the general idea across in simple terms]. The point is: to be in "heaven" means to be in the presence of God in an immediate and special way.

Scripture makes it clear that we will be where God is (John 14,3; Philippians 1,23). Another way of describing our close relationship with God at this time is that we "shall see him face to face" (1. Corinthians 13,12; Revelation 22,4; 1. John 3,2). This is a picture of being with him in the closest possible way. So if we understand the term "heaven" to mean the dwelling place of God, it is not wrong to say that Christians will be in heaven in the age to come. We will be with God, and being with God is rightly referred to as being in "heaven."

In a vision, John saw God's presence eventually coming upon the earth—not the present earth, but a "new earth" (Revelation 2 Cor1,3). Whether we “come” [go] to heaven or whether it “comes” to us does not matter. Either way, we're going to be in heaven forever, in the presence of God, and it's going to be fantastically good. How we describe life in the age to come—so long as our description is biblical—does not change the fact that we have faith in Christ as our Lord and Savior.

What God has in store for us is beyond our imagination. Even in this life, God's love goes beyond our understanding (Ephesians 3,19). The peace of God is beyond our reason (Philippians 4,7) and his joy is beyond our ability to express it in words (1. Petrus 1,8). Then how much more is it impossible to describe how good it will be to live with God forever?

The biblical writers did not give us much detail. But one thing we know for sure - it will be the most wonderful experience we've ever had. It's better than the most beautiful paintings, better than the most delicious foods, better than the most exciting sport, better than the best feelings and experiences we've ever had. It's better than anything on earth. It's going to be a huge one
Be reward!

by Joseph Tkach

Heaven