Some Facts About Heaven
Revelation 21:1-8
In this lesson we are going to discuss some facts concerning Heaven that are found in the word of God. One must remember that for Heaven to be real that Hell has to also be real. You cannot have one without the other. Jesus spoke about both places and the Bible plainly teaches that both places exist. Many people today want to believe in Heaven but do not want to believe in Hell and in the Bible you cannot have it that way.
Jesus spoke about heaven (John 14:1-6)
Paul speaks about saved people going to heaven when they die (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)
What about Paradise?
In the previous lesson (Some Facts about Hell) it was shown that when a person died in the Old Testament they went to either Abraham’s Bosom which is also called Paradise or they went to Hell (Luke 16:19-31). But in 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 Paul says that Paradise is in the 3rd Heaven. So what happened? The answer is simple. When Jesus was resurrected from the dead he took those who were in Abaraham’s Bosom and carried them to heaven. This is described in Ephesians 4:7-11. Therefore when a saved person dies now they are present with the Lord as Paul said.
An important timeline:
Before we get started with the main part of the lesson we need to make a distinction about the passage we are using in Revelation 21:1-8. This passage is dealing with the New Jerusalem that ascends out of Heaven and will be here during eternity. Also the city is connected with the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:2, 9).
When a saved person dies during the church age (age that we are in right now) they go to heaven. At the Rapture of the church age saints (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) all those who have died in Christ will be resurrected and those that are alive will be taken to Heaven. Those taken to Heaven will then stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10 ; 2 Corinthians 5:8-10). Here they are not judged for salvation but are judged on the things done in the body after salvation (if they were not saved they would not be there). While this is going on in Heaven the 7 year tribulation is going on down on the earth. At the end of the 7 year tribulation the Lord Jesus Christ will come to the earth (2nd Advent) and destroy the anti-christ and his army at the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-20). At this point Satan is bound in the bottomless pit and Jesus Christ will set up his 1000 year Millennial Reign (Revelation 20:1-6). At the end of the 1000 year Millennial Reign Satan will be loosed for a short season and then be destroyed at the battle of Gog and Magog and be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10). Then the Great White Throne Judgment will take place and whosoever is not found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire which is the 2nd death (Revelation 20:11-15). Then God will create a new heaven and a new earth. New Jerusalem will descend out of heaven and also be there. We will spend an eternity with the Lord (Revelation 21-22).
You might be thinking wow what was all that about. Well we had do make the distinction about Heaven now and New Jerusalem which will be in Eternity. It is important to understand the timeline because doctrinally what is in Revelation 21:1-8 is going to be Eternity. Therefore after the Rapture of the church there will be a lot of things happening before we get to Eternity and it is important that you understand that.
Putting these things together we can now list some of the important facts concerning heaven and the place called New Jerusalem.
Some facts the Bible gives about Heaven and New Jerusalem:
1) God and Jesus will be there (Revelation 21:3)
- That is really all we need, just to be able to spend eternity with the one who died for us. What a blessing that will be.
2) It is a prepared Place built by God (John 14:1-2 ; 2 Corinthians 5:1)
- Because it is built by God it will be a perfect place. Nothing will corrupt or rot or ever need fixing.
3) There will be no death, sorrow, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4)
- We must remember that this does not happen until eternity because this passage doctrinally takes place there.
- But that is still a great blessing to know that one day there will be no more death, tears, pain, or sorrow.
4) There will be no sin there (Revelation 21:8)
- What a wonderful place where there will be no more sin nor temptation to sin.
How does one get to this place called Heaven?
There is only one way to get to the place called heaven and that is by trusting the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and accepting him as your Savior (Romans 10:9-10). It doesn’t matter how good you are all have come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). It doesn’t matter how much money you gave in church the blood of Jesus is the only payment for sins (Colossians 1:14). It doesn’t matter how many good works you do, salvation is by grace through faith not works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Therefore the only way to get to Heaven is to go by way of the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 14:1-6 ; 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Who will not be there?
In regards to being in the New Jerusalem Revelation 21:8 says that the fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters and liars shall have their part in the lake of fire. Now many can say that they are not sorcerers, murderers, or whoremongers but what about liars. There is not a person on the face of the earth that has not told a lie. That is why Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Now some of you that are saved are probably thinking what if I have told a lie after I got saved. Salvation in the church age includes spiritual circumcision (Colossians 2:9-13). This is the operation of the God whereby he separates between the body and the soul, and the soul is sealed unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). Therefore when we sin after salvation it is the flesh that sins not the soul, remember the new man on the inside is born again and whoso ever is born of God sinneth not (1 John 5:18). So it is our flesh that sins and not the new man on the inside hence we are eternally secure. Even though we may do those things listed in Verse 8 we are not those things.
Therefore if you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your savior then you are lost and cannot enter heaven without him. You should stop right now and ask him to save you from your sins and trust him for salvation so you can go to this wonderful place called Heaven.
Some Facts About Heaven : Handout
Revelation 21:1-8
1) List a reference for both Jesus and Paul speaking about heaven?
- Jesus b. Paul
2) List the references for showing that Paradise has been moved from the heart of the earth to the 3rd Heaven.
3) List the events in order that give us a time line leading up to the New Heaven, New Jerusalem, and New Earth in Revelation 21 & 22.
4) List some facts about heaven from this lesson? (use the back if necessary)