What Does it Look Like in Heaven?

eople have wondered about heaven since the beginning of time. The Bible tells us that God made the first people, Adam and Eve, perfect and placed them in a paradise called the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:27-31). God told them they could eat from any tree in the garden except one. They ate from that tree anyway and sinned (Genesis 3:1-6). When they did, God sent them out of the garden.

But there is good news! God still loves us, even though we have all sinned (Romans 3:23). Even though we are no longer perfect like Adam and Eve were before they sinned, God has a special place for us when we die. The Bible calls it Heaven or Paradise.

The Bible says that Jesus went to be with His Father in heaven after He came back to life (John 20:17). He is preparing a place for those who believe in Him (John 14:2-3). It will be a beautiful place where there are no more tears or pain. We will be able to live forever with Jesus and God (Revelation 21:4)!

Heaven is a Real Place

One of the most captivating thoughts that we can ever contemplate is the reality of heaven. Not only is it a real place, but more importantly, it is our ultimate home. The apostle Paul described it as a "better country" (Heb. 11:16).

The Bible describes heaven as the dwelling place of God, with streets of gold, walls of jasper, and gates of pearl (Rev. 21:18-21). It will be a place where there will be no more "mourning, or crying, or pain" (Rev. 21:4). There will no longer be any sin there, because "nothing impure will ever enter it" (v. 27).

The Bible teaches that heaven is a place of great beauty and perfection. God, who is perfect in all His ways, created a heaven that is also perfect. The Bible tells us that God’s “workmanship … is seen in what has been made” (Romans 1:20, ESV). Heaven reflects the image of God. It must be perfect because God is perfect.

God will make the new heavens and earth “as his home” (Revelation 21:3). What this means is that heaven will be a place where people can meet God and have fellowship with Him, as they were designed to do from the beginning. We will see God face-to-face and experience Him as He truly is—not just seeing dim reflections of His glory as we do now (1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 22:4).

The Bible gives us some further clues about what heaven will be like. If we put these together with what we know about God, we can get a picture of how wonderful it will be.

What Does it Look Like in Heaven?

The Bible describes heaven as the dwelling place of God, where he reigns over his people and the angels. It is a place of joy and happiness, where believers will be reunited with their loved ones and will never experience sorrow or death again.

The Bible describes heaven in many ways. It is often called paradise, a beautiful garden filled with trees and fruit (Genesis 2:8-9). The prophet Isaiah describes it as a holy mountain where God lives, attended by angels and saints (Isaiah 14:13). Jesus himself described it as a wedding feast with the Father (Matthew 22:1-14) and a room with many mansions (John 14:2).

While these descriptions are helpful in understanding more about heaven, the truth is we cannot fully understand the glory of heaven until we get there. The Apostle Paul once wrote that what we know now is only partial and incomplete, but one day when we see God face to face, we will know everything (1 Corinthians 13:12). Even then, however, our knowledge will be limited since we will never fully understand everything about God's greatness. Scripture does give us clues into what heaven will look like. 

Heaven is described in Revelation 21:1-4 as having the glory of God, brilliant light, and a great high wall with twelve gates guarded by angels. Inside the city are the Tree of Life and the throne of God and the Lamb (Jesus). There are no temples in heaven because God and the Lamb are present.

There will be no need for sun or moon because God’s glory will shine on it (Revelation 21:23). Revelation 7:17 also teaches us - "For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water.' 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'”

Heaven is described as being bright and full of glory (Revelation 21:11). The Bible says that the heavenly city will have walls made out of jasper and gates made out of pearls. The streets will be made out of pure gold (Revelation 21:21), and the foundations will be adorned with every type of precious stone.

Heaven Impacts the Way We Live 

In our culture, we're often encouraged to focus on the here and now—to strive for success, money, and power, or to seek fame and recognition. While these things aren't inherently wrong, they aren't what's most important. So many people are searching for happiness in all the wrong places—when it's been right in front of them all along!

Jesus tells us that He came down from heaven to rescue us, so that we can live with Him in heaven forever. And even though we can't go there yet, we can live each day with heaven in mind. We can live knowing that true joy and life-transforming peace are possible—and realizing how much power this knowledge gives us to change our lives for good.

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