33. Is there a Heaven?

Key Verses / Passages

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.‍ ‍Genesis 1:1

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?‍ ‍John 14:2

But our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.‍ ‍1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

————————————————————

Discussion

This is a tricky question… does it mean a spiritual place or a physical place?  It can be confusing.  Heaven is definitely a real place but where is it?

“Heaven” is where God is.  We don’t really care, because once we get there we will be with Him. 

The very first sentence declares the heavens were created by God.  Notice that it is plural and and the actual Hebrew word, hashamayim, means “the sky waters” or “waters over the sky” which the Creator split from the waters under the sky.  It was the furthest thing they could see… so that must be where God lives!

Many of the Psalms infer that heaven is a physical place above the sky and that God the Father is exalted above the heavens (Psalm 108:5)

John records Jesus saying that his Father’s house, or residence, contained many dwelling places or rooms.  The Greek words here indicate a family residence.  Jesus was telling his disciples, “Hey, there’s plenty of rooms in my Dad’s house, I’m going home to prepare them for you.”

Jesus uses the word that is recorded in Greek as ouranos meaning the physical sky, air or “the dome above the earth” or “heaven”.   The closest reference to associating the sky with God is Isaiah 66:1 describing the sky as God’s throne and the earth as his footstool.   Jesus’s description of the “realm of the skies”, often translated as the “Kingdom of Heaven”, is not associated with the afterlife; rather it refers to how we live together in the way God wants us to. And despite the many parables using this term, the afterlife is referred to as “standing up” or resurrection.

Philippians 3:20 describes our citizenship in heaven.  In the Greek, we read that our citizenship is in [the] heavens which is plural and the word is literally ouranois, which we have learnt is; “the skies”.

So what do we do with all of this…

Our concept of Heaven as a place where angels flutter about from cloud to cloud playing harps is completely fictional but because angels have been seen in the skies this myth has become prevalent.

It is best to listen to Jesus who says “I go to be with the Father.” (John 14:28) which means that our citizenship is with Him - where-ever He is.

————————————————————

Reflection / Questions

•       Take some time to read and contemplate the following verses:
Psalm 16:11, Luke 23:43, John 17:24, 1 Corinthians 13:9-12, 1 John 3:2, 2 Corinthians 5:8, 2 Timothy 4:18, Revelation 21:1
Just sit and think if you really need to know where God the Father & Yeshua actually are?

•       Jesus conquered death by resurrection!  He has declared that no-one comes to the Father except through Him.  So when we die, if we live in Him (that’s a phrase meaning we truly believe that He paid for our sin) then we will be resurrected with Him.

 ————————————————————

Prayer

Oh Lord - my Lord, thank you for preparing rooms for us in your Father’s house.  When you think I’m ready, please take me to be with you.