Five Things You Should Know About Heaven

1.) Heaven will be populated with three types of beings.

The first and most important occupant of heaven is God (Dan. 2:28).  Isaiah 66:1 says that heaven is His throne. The second group that will be found in heaven are angels (Mt. 22:30, Mk. 13:32), who surround the throne of God (Rev. 5:11, 7:11). The third and final group who will be in heaven are those who trust the Lord as their savior. Phil 3:20 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”  KJV. The word conversation in this verse relates to our modern term “citizenship”). The members of this third  group are not all in heaven right now, but will go there when they die (2 Cor. 5:6) or when the Lord comes back again (1 Thess. 4:17). When they get to heaven they receive new bodies (2 Cor. 5:1-2) that will never grow old and that are not bound to the laws of space and time as we know them. Their bodies will be like the body of Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:21), who was able to walk though walls (John 20:19) and appear places at will.

2.) Those who go to heaven will be in fellowship with God. This fellowship will be unlike anything anyone here on earth can experience. It will be a complete restoration back to the way things were before man sinned. Sin will no longer be possible for man to commit, and there will be no sin in heaven (Rev. 21:27). Man will finally be able to see God, to worship Him and talk to Him to His face.

3.) Heaven will be a place of extreme joy and happiness. There is complete joy in the presence of God (Ps. 16:11). The angels will be singing praises to God in heaven, and so will we (Rev. 15:3, Is. 6:3).There will be no tears there; God himself will wipe them away. Tears will not be needed, because there will not be any more sorrow, death, or pain (Rev. 21:4).

4.) Heaven will be an absolutely beautiful place. It will be full of precious stones, including jasper, sapphire, emeralds, beryl, amethyst, and topaz. There will be a heavenly city of Jerusalem, which will have streets made of pure gold and twelve gates leading into it, each one made of a single pearl. These gates will never be closed. Heaven will have no need of the sun or moon, because it will be lit by God’s glory (Rev. 21). There will be mansions (dwelling places) prepared for all the people who go to heaven (Jn. 14:1-3).

5.) Before going to heaven, every man will be judged for his works. The unbelieving who have not trusted Christ will be judged according to their works, Rev. 20:12. Believers will also have their works judged, but this Judgment has nothing to do with if a person will get into heaven or not. It is a judgment of works to see if that person lived their life for the Lord after salvation. A believer’s works which were for the glory of Christ are compared to gold, silver, and precious stones. The worthless works are compared to wood, hay, and stubble, and when they are tested, they will burn up. If believers have spent their lives serving self or the world, their works will be burned, but if they served God with their lives, they will be given a reward (1 Cor. 3:13-15, Mt.5:12). These rewards will be in the form of crowns given to them by God (2 Tim. 4:8). The Bible speaks of a crown of glory (1 Pet.5:4), a crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8), and a crown of life (James 1:12) which will be awarded to believers.