Is Heaven a real place?

I believe so, yes.

We know from Rev 21-22 that heaven will one day be on a new earth, and that there will be a great city as its capital called the New Jerusalem.  This is clearly seen in the following verses:

Rev 21:1-2 "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband".  God is going to create a new earth (whether He restores the old one or creates a completely new one, I do not know), onto which the New Jerusalem will descend. The city is as beautiful as the bride who will one day live in her.

Rev 21:15 “The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls.”  The enormous detail given about the actual physical measurements and appearance of this city cannot be only to impress the reader with the splendour thereof.   John is not just trying to convey the glorious majesty of this city to us in ways he thinks we might understand – he actually saw this city and is describing to us what he saw – a literal city.

The following verses raise a “Why?” in my heart:

Rev 21:24 “The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.”  Some will live inside this city, some will live outside, meaning that there is a definite border/wall with no less than twelve gates through which these kings have to move to bring their splendor into it. It seems as if there will be a lot of traffic in and out of the city.  Also Rev 22:14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.”  Why bother with gates, if it is only spiritual? 

Jesus told His disciples in John 14:2-3 “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.´  Why does He talk about a definite place, and why refer to rooms, if it were not literal?  Why does He need to prepare them, if it is only spiritual?

When Jesus went to heaven, He told his disciples in Matt 26:29 "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom". Why refer to grapes in His Father’s kingdom, if there are not real vineyards that will produce real grapes in heaven?

Phil 3:20-21 reads “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body“. The body of Jesus after His resurrection was physical (he ate and drank with His disciples) but yet different – He could move through earthly walls and doors, and He ascended in clouds to Heaven without needing equipment to protect His body as He moved through our earthly atmosphere into space.  Jesus said in Luke 24:39  "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have".  Why would we still need such a physical body, which - even if it has enhanced characteristics - still has flesh and bones,  if everthing after this is only spiritual? “Flesh and bones”-bodies can walk on streets, sit on chairs, eat fruit from the Tree of Life, drink water from the river….

We know from what Elisha saw (2 Kings 2:11 “ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”) that there is technology in heaven.  God’s throne also, moves on wheels within wheels (Dan 7:9; Ez 1:16).  It is therefore not impossible to imagine that there is a literal city being constructed there which will one day descend onto the new earth.

Maybe we need reminding of Matt 18:3-4?  “And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  We have to sometimes set our adult analytical minds aside and believe like a child.  It is not necessary to understand everything in the Bible perfectly to be able to believe that it exists. Who can perfectly understand the love of God for us? Who can perfectly understand the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross?  Who can perfectly understand our redemption?  And yet we choose to believe that it exists, because the Bible says that it does, and the Holy Spirit  in us confirms it.

We will do well to remember that Heaven is also the place where our treasure should be stored up (Matt. 19:21), the place of our true citizenship (Phil. 3:20), the place of our inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4-5), and the place of our stored-up hope (Col. 1:5).

May the numerous verses in the Bible referring to Heaven inspire us to become homesick for our future abode!

 

 

25/05/2022

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