Heaven Is A Place

John 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Listen to the wonderful Gospel hymn, “Heaven Came Down.” The word “heaven” is mentioned 582 times in the inspired King James Bible. The word “hell” is only mentioned 54 times!

Heaven is the final abode of the saints. While the term may be used to describe the dwelling place of the righteous during the intermediate state, the term more properly denotes the eternal state of the righteous after the resurrection, the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Millennium. All redeemed saints will spend eternity with Jesus. John 16:22, “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” What a glorious day it will be, when my Jesus I shall see!

Heaven Is A Real Place

Heaven is a real place. In the Scripture it is called “a place” (John 14:2), a country (Hebrews 11:14-16), a city (Hebrews 11:10, 16; 12:22; 13:14; Revelation 21:10-27), and a house or mansion (John 14:23). Heaven is more than a condition of the soul, more than a state of mind, more than mere thoughts and ideas. It is a literal dwelling place consisting of material reality. Colossians 3:1 tells us that God the Father and His Son sit on two separate literal thrones.

In addition to the biblical descriptions of Heaven, there are two other biblical truths of the Christian faith which demand that Heaven be a real place. The first is the bodily resurrection and ascension of Christ, and the other is the bodily resurrection of the believers. The nature of Heaven must correspond to these two facts. It is inconsistent, on the one hand, to believe in the bodily resurrection of flesh and bones with the capacity to eat and drink (Luke 24:39-43; Acts 10:41); and, on the other hand, to think of Heaven as only symbolic and allegorical.

Since Jesus ascended into the clouds in a literal physical body, seen visibly leaving by His disciples (Acts 1:11), He must have physically entered into Heaven in the universe.

Heaven Is A Glorious Life

What kind of life will we have in Heaven? Many things could be said at this point, but we can only mention a few selected statements.

First, it will be a life of individual perfection. We will have new, perfect bodies (1st Corinthians 15:42-58); our minds will be renewed (1st Corinthians 13:12); we will have moral perfection, for sin will be completely abolished from our nature and practice (1st John 3:2; Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 21:27). Imperfection is such a part of our experience now that it is almost impossible for us to conceive what our future life in Heaven will be like.

Second, it will be a life of harmonious social relations. People from all walks of life and from all races and nations will be in Heaven (Revelation 7:9), and yet there will be no quarrels, disagreements, crimes, nor wars to taint the fellowship. In Heaven there will be no fear nor mistrust of one another (Revelation 21:24-27). What a glorious day that will be!

Third, it will be a life free from all natural evils. The body will no longer be subject to sickness, decay, hunger, pain, weariness, nor death (1st Corinthians 15:53; Revelation 7:16; 21:4). The ravages of nature will no longer be a threat for there will be a new Heaven and a new earth with these evils taken away (Romans 8:18-22; Revelation 21:1).

During the Millennial reign of Christ, Christians alive today will all have our resurrected bodies (given at the Rapture), free from sin, pain, vulnerabilities, aging and diseases. The waters upon the earth which were poisoned from the asteroid Wormwood shall be healed ( Ezekiel 47:8-9). Wild animals will get along in perfect sweet harmony. The wolf and the lamb will be good friends (Isaiah 65:25).

Finally, we know that Heaven will be a life of unbroken fellowship with God. Our relations with God are so often hindered here on earth because of sin. Sin often hides the LORD's face from us, and our limited understanding causes us to look through a glass darkly. But then we shall see Jesus face to face and behold Him in all His beauty (Isaiah 33:7; Matthew 5:8; Revelation 22:4; 1st John 3:2). This will be one of the greatest joys in Heaven. Oh, happy day it shall be!

Heaven Is An Eternal State

It is sometimes said here on earth, “All good things must come to an end.” However, this is not true of Heaven. Jesus promises treasures in Heaven to those believers who labor for the Kingdom of God that will not dry rot, rust or be ruined by moths. Our clothes won't wear old. Heaven is the eternal state of the righteous. There will be no end to Heaven's blessings and joy. There will be no danger of ever falling from God's grace, nor having Heaven's blessings taken away from us. Heaven will be a world without end. Amen and amen!

A Prepared Heaven

(by Dr. Jack Hyles)

An awesome MP3 sermon series on “HEAVEN” by Pastor James Knox...

1. Heaven 01
2. Heaven 02
3. Heaven 03
4. Heaven 04
5. Heaven 05
6. Heaven 06

Here's some excellent life-changing MP3 sermons by Pastor Jack Hyles about “HEAVEN”...

1. Abel In Heaven
2. Heaven On Earth
3. How To Enjoy Heaven More
4. Heaven Is A Place
5. My Heavenly Body
6. A Prepared Heaven
7. The Heavenly Witnesses
8. What Makes Heaven Happy
9. Heaven Is Jesus
10. What Will We Do In Heaven?
11. The Music Of Heaven
12. As In Heaven
13. The Realities In Heaven
14. What Would Happen If The Lord Would Not Let Me Into Heaven?
15. When The Windows Of Heaven Are Open
16. The Little Boy Who Went To Heaven And Why
17. The Happiest Person In Heaven
18. The Streets Of Heaven Begin On Earth
19. Imperfect People In Heaven
20. How God Tidies Up Heaven
21. Forever Settled In Heaven
22. I Dreamed I Searched For Heaven

The Holy Spirit In Heaven
(Dr. Hyles, chapter 35 from his awesome book, “Meet The Holy Spirit”

Heaven's Door Is Wide Open—Put Down The Pick Axes, The Grappling Hooks, The Shovels & The Jack Hammers!

A Christian Review of The Movie, “Heaven is for Real”

Laying Up Treasures In Heaven

Heaven's Inhabitants (a printed sermon by Pastor Dwight L. Moody)

There Will Be No Need For The Sun In The Future

Revelation 21:23, “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

According to astronomer scientists our sun will not burn out, but will instead transform into a red giant in about 5 billion years, then eventually shrink into a white dwarf. When the Sun becomes a red giant, it will allegedly expand and likely engulf Mercury and Venus, and possibly Earth as well. If Earth survives, it will experience extreme heat, causing the oceans to evaporate and making the planet uninhabitable.

The inspired Holy Bible teaches that God has established the earth on its foundations, indicating it will not be moved forever. Psalms 104:5, “Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.” Ecclesiastes 1:4, “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.” Although some interpretations of Scripture suggest that “forever” may refer to a long period rather than an absolute eternity, I humbly disagree. Forever means forever!

We know that at the end of the 1,000 year Millennium that God will purge the earth with fire. At that time the LORD will not destroy the earth; but rather, He will renovate it with fire and the earth will be transformed (2nd Peter 3:10). 1st Peter 3:11 says “all these things shall be dissolved.” Verse 13 speaks of a “new earth.” That is, a renovated earth.

Our text verse from Revelation 21:23 teaches that “the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” Amen and amen! Jesus Himself will be the light of the heavenly city. Jeremiah 32:27, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”

Our very Savior, the precious crucified, buried and risen Lamb of God, will be our shining light in the heavenly city. Malachi 4:2, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” Are you resting in the Son of righteousness dear reader for eternal life?

The Jews Are Looking For Their Messiah, Not A Savior

2nd Thessalonians 2:1-4, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

Jews traditionally believe in a future messiah, known as the “Mashiach,” who will be a human leader from the line of King David, rather than a divine Savior in Christianity. This False Messiah is expected to bring peace and restore Israel, but the concept does not include the idea of atonement for sin through Jesus' sacrifice. Scripturally, the Jews and Arabs alike will embrace the future Man of Sin, the Antichrist, as their messiah.

Tragically, both Jews and Arabs vehemently reject Jesus as the true Messiah. Consequently they will be woefully deceived and damned. In fact, the whole world will be deceived (Revelation 12:9). I humbly believe that the Rapture could happen at any time. Jesus foretold in mark 13:32-37 that no man, nor even the angels, know the time of His future return. 

Although some good preachers deny that this passage applies to the Rapture, I don't see what else it could refer to if not the Rapture. Mark 13:32-37 cannot refer to Jesus' Second Coming. Here's why. Daniel 12:11, “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.” Christ's Second Coming can be calculated down to the exact day from the middle of the Tribulation. It will be 1,290 days (3 ½ years).

The path to Heaven is very narrow, and few there be that find it (Luke 13:23-24). There is only one true Savior and His precious name is Jesus (Acts 4:10-12).

The Mark Of The Beast: 666

Revelation 13:16-18, “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”

This prophetic truth about the number “666” from Revelation 13:18 is one of the most well known Scriptures (if not the most) by the heathen world. “Judge not” would be the other passage of Scripture. When Justin Timberlake was arrested for a DUI in 2024 after leaving a hotel where he dined, singer Billy Joel was asked the next morning when he ate at the same place what he thought about Justin's arrest. Considering that Mr. Joel is an avowed atheist, I found it amusing that he quoted from Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”

That reminds me of Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” I do not believe there is any such thing as an “atheist,” only wicked unthankful sinners who choose not to glorify God. The vilest sinner knows the truth of God's Word. They know they are sinners. They know there is a holy God who created the universe and all therein, who disproves of sin. They know there is a Judgment Day coming after they die (John 16:8-10).

I read a helpful passage today from Dr. John R. Rice's commentary on “Revelation”...

“Shallow preachers and sensation-mongers have made a great to-do about the number 666. Some have added up the Roman numerals represented by the letters used in the titles and be stretching a point made them come out 666, trying to prove that the pope is the Antichrist, or will be. Others have tried to find the number 666 in the nations of the European Common Market agreement. 

Some sightseeing buses in Israel have the numbers in their license number including 666. Oh, in the minds of some, that must have meaning, that the coming of Christ is near, the Antichrist is about to appear, etc. All this is foolish. It is not good exposition of the Scriptures. 

Note carefully the following facts. 

1. The Man of Sin cannot appear until after the Rapture. If he were alive today, nobody in the world would know it, and he himself would not know it.
2. The Man of Sin must first rise up after the Rapture and assume some power in one of the nations that was in the old Roman Empire. The Bible does not say how long it will be after the Rapture until he appears. It is an indefinite time. 
3. He will not be made known as the Antichrist even at the beginning of the seven years. He will overcome three nations of the old Roman Empire. Which ones we do not know. Then he will form a federation of the other nations of the Roman Empire and come into the world prominence, and only then can he be recognized as having some authority over Palestine and the world; only then can he make a treaty with a remnant that will then be in Palestine, allowing them to have a temple and priesthood and and animal sacrifices and begin the ancient Jewish worship, and Israel will be a nation. Note, it will not simply be that Jews will be allowed in Palestine, but it will be that the Jewish worship of the true God will be begun in Jerusalem in some temple that Jews will then prepare and with the priesthood and sacrifices. Until that covenant of seven years is made with Israel, nobody could possible know who the Man of Sin is. That is the first identifying mark.
4. Even then, he will not begin his awful reign, manifest with the Antichrist and claim to be God on earth, until the midst of the seven years. After three and a half years he will break that covenant. He will have agreed with Jews that they will have seven years of such worship but he will break that treaty and enter into the temple, commit the abomination of desolation, and claim to be God on earth. etc.

Without the Mark of the Beast, no one will be able to sell, trade or buy anything. Also, carefully notice that the Bible doesn't say that the mark will be 666; but rather, the number of the Antichrist (the Beast) himself, “and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” That is very interesting! I humbly agree with Dr. John R. Rice that it is foolish to read into everything that contains the numbers 666. All store barcodes contain three bars of 6, 6, 6. Coincidence? 

Hey, here's another one to consider. The address of United Nation's headquarters is located at 666 11th Street NW, Suite 450 in Washington DC. I do not think these coincidences mean anything prophetic. People sometimes ask me if I think the Antichrist is alive today. I honestly have no idea. I agree with Dr. Rice that if the Antichrist is alive, he doesn't even know it yet. At the proper time, Satan will enter into him to empower the Antichrist.