What Will Heaven Be Like?

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain.
–Revelation 21:4

What is Heaven going to be like? The Bible says that Heaven is going to be familiar to us.

You may not be too excited about Heaven because it seems so unfamiliar. The fact is, we like the familiar. We do not like the idea of moving to an unfamiliar destination. But Heaven is going to be a familiar place because it is going to be this world, not some other world, in which we will live for eternity. W. A. Criswell once said, “I wouldn’t look forward to God sending me to live for eternity on some planet I know nothing about 100 million miles away. I like almost everything about this earth. The only thing I don’t like are the tears, the separation, and the heartache, but those will be gone forever in Heaven.” In Revelation 21:4, John said, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain.”

Heaven will have no oceans. Revelation 21:1 says, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.” Notice that John did not say there was no water in the New Heaven and Earth–just no oceans.

The New Heaven will have no sun or moon. Revelation 21:23 says, “The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

The New Heaven and Earth will be free from sin. Not only will the oceans and lights in the sky be missing, there will no longer be any sin. Revelation 22:3 says, “There will no longer be any curse.” Furthermore, everybody will know the Lord at that time. Habakkuk 2:14 says, “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”

The New Heaven will have a capital. The centerpiece is the New Jerusalem, an actual city. Hebrews 11:10 says that Abraham “was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Revelation 3:12 calls Jerusalem “the city of My God.” Revelation 21:2 says, “I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” It is going to be unlike any city we have ever seen. In the New Jerusalem, there will be no house of worship, because God and His Son will represent the temple of God. And it is in God’s presence that we will live, and work, play, and worship Him forever. Bible says right now Jesus is in Heaven preparing a place for you. The greatest thing about that are the words “for you.” God is creating Heaven right now with you in mind. The place God is preparing for you is beyond your wildest imagination. Don’t you want to go?

Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Is Heaven A Real Place Or A State Of Mind?” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2016.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.lockman.org)