Is Heaven a Place?
Yes, heaven is a place. We first find out about heaven in the book of Genesis 1:1. The Bible says “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” There are different dimensions of heaven. We see the sky as a heaven. If we go beyond the earth’s stratosphere, that is another heaven. Where the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost reside in the heaven where we attain to go (Ephesians 5:14).
God told Abraham, “And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of the heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 26:4).
John saw revelations of heaven. He recorded what he saw in the book of Revelation. “And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire” (Revelation 10:1).
“And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven. And sware by Him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer” (Revelation 10:5-6).
We know that you must be saved to get to heaven. Being saved means that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Heaven is the reward for living a life that is pleasing to God according to the Bible. We also know that those who are a part of the Abrahamic covenant will be in heaven.
Some of the characters of the Bible were given a vision of heaven. This Scripture gives reference to Jacob’s dream. “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it” (Genesis 28:12).
We know that blessings and provisions come from heaven. “Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no” (Exodus 16:14).
The judgment also comes from heaven. Romans 1:8 declares “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”
Our reward is a house in heaven according to Scripture. 2 Corinthians 5:1-2declares, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heaven. For this, we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.”
Do We Know Where Heaven Is Located?
Where heaven is located has always baffled man. In Genesis 11, the language of the people was confused because they aspired to reach heaven. They decided to build a city and a tower. God saw that the people were one (Genesis 11:6) and that they were very determined. The Lord confound their speech and scattered them abroad so that they were not able to finish their city (Genesis 11:7-8).
No one knows where heaven is. Some people have written books about their revelation of heaven. We just must take their word for it. We do know that wherever the Trinity resides is heaven.
1 Kings 8:30 says “And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.” We know from this Scripture that heaven is where God lives.
Upon further study in scripture in Daniel 2:28 says “But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of they head upon they bed, are these.”
We should aspire to be in heaven where God is. Matthew 5:45 says “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.”
What Do We Know about Heaven?
We know that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost reside in heaven. There are angels that make up the heavenly host in heaven. Luke 2:13-15 says, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven.”
Heaven is a spectacular place. Jesus said “Verily I say unto thee. Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43)
There have been many movies about heaven. There are many songs that have been written about heaven. Listen to BeBe and CeCe Winans “Heaven.” Deitrick Haddon sings about heaven in “Well Done.”
We know that when we get to heaven there will not be any problems for us to deal with. It will be a rest for God’s people (Hebrews 4:9). So, take comfort in knowing that your future is secure when we leave this earth. You have to make sure that you are saved and have fully repented before leaving here. It is best to pray every day and even ask God for forgiveness when you wake up and when you go to bed so that you are covered. The Bible says those who commit sins do not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God (Ephesians 5:1-5).
Understand that God rules heaven. Look to Acts 7:49 where it says, “Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool.” There are also many mansions in heaven. It is safe to assume that everyone has their own mansion (John 14:2). There will also be people of all nationalities in heaven. Scripture says, “After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lord, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;” (Revelation 7:9).
We do know that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. The whole book of Revelation chapter 21 paints the picture. “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adored for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).
A new Jerusalem descends from heaven and it is a magnificent sight. The light of it is compared to a jasper stone. There are 12 gates. The city is like pure gold. There are various stones embedded in the walls. Some are sapphires. Some are emeralds. Others are jasper, topaz, and amethyst just to name a few. There are pearls in the gates and the street is made of pure gold. There is no need for sun or moon because God and Jesus light up the city. All these details are recorded in Revelation 21.
Who would want to miss out on all of this? It is best to get all your relatives saved. It is time to witness to those who you know are lost. Witness to those who have faith in idol gods because if they are not in heaven the alternative is worst, not pleasant, and lasts forever.
Dr. Sandra Hamer Smith is a Christian and wife to Sylvester Smith. She has one stepson, Greg. Smith lives and resides in Memphis, Tennessee. The University of Memphis alumnae has been in education for about 20 years after receiving the call to teach. Dr. Smith primarily teaches language arts. Prior to education, she worked in local and national television news for 13 years including positions as an overnight news anchor, reporter, and assignments editor at two local network affiliate stations. Smith was also a freelance correspondent for BET news. Dr. Smith has freelanced for the Tri-State Defender newspaper and Contemporamagazine. She is the author of the self-published novel GLORY…THE HAIR. Smith is also a playwright and poet. The Tennessee native is a member of Temple of Deliverance COGIC, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc, Omicron Delta Kappa, The Golden Key International Honour Society, and Kappa Delta Pi.
This article is part of our larger resource library of Christian questions important to the Christian faith. From core beliefs to what the Bible says about angels, we want to provide easy-to-read and understand articles that answer your questions about Christian living.
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How Old Is the Earth?
Who Is My Neighbor in the Bible?
What Does God Look Like?
Are Guardian Angels Real?
What Does it Mean to Be Zealous for God?
