What will heaven be like? (5 amazing things we can know for sure)

I thought a lot about heaven last year, perhaps more than ever. Losing a loved one will do it to you. Within a year of each other, both my dear sister-in-law and my father-in-law left this world and passed through the gates of heaven. Their stories were different, young and old, but they both loved Jesus with all their hearts. And even if the pain persists, we know they are in a much better place. No more cancer, struggle, tears or suffering. No more suffering.

Sometimes I wanted to see how they are, to know what they are doing or if they can look down on us. Over time, I have found that reading the verses in God's Word and studying the sky calmed my heart and brought me hope.

Here is the truth for a world that often seems unfair: this world will pass, it is not all we have. As believers, we know that death, cancer, accidents, illness, addiction, none of these things hold the final sting. Because Christ conquered death on the cross and, because of his gift, we have eternity to look to the future. We can be sure that heaven is real and full of hope, because that is where Jesus reigns.

If you are in a dark place right now, wondering about heaven, take the heart. God knows the pain you bring. It understands the questions you have and the struggle to understand. He wants to remind us that there is glory ahead of us. As we look at what He is preparing for us, as believers, may he give us every ounce of strength we need now, to move forward and boldly share the truth and light of Christ in a dark world.

5 promises from God's Word to remind us that heaven is real and there is hope ahead:

Heaven is a real place and Jesus is preparing a place for us to live there with him.
Jesus comforted his disciples with these powerful words at the Last Supper, just before his journey to cross. And they still hold the power to bring great comfort and peace to our troubled and uncertain hearts today:

“Don't let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in me too. My father's house has many rooms; if not, would I have told you that I will go there to prepare a place for you? And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me so that you can also be where I am. "- John 14: 1-3

What it tells us is this: we must not be afraid. We don't have to live troubled in our hearts and struggle with our thoughts. He promises us that heaven is a real place, and it's great. It is not the image we may have heard or seen just of clouds in the sky where we float playing harps, getting bored forever. Jesus is there and is working to prepare a place for us to live too. He assures us that he will come again and that all believers will be there someday. And if our Creator created us with such uniqueness and power, we can be sure that our heavenly home will be bigger than we ever could have imagined. Because that's how it is.

It is incredible and more than our minds can perceive.
God's Word clearly reminds us that we simply cannot understand all that is still in store. It's so good. Is fantastic. And in a world that can often seem dark and full of struggles and worries, that thought can be difficult even to start wrapping our minds. But His Word says this:

"'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him'" - But God has revealed it to us with his Spirit ... "- 1 Corinthians 2: 9-10

For those who have trusted in Christ as Savior and Lord, we are promised an incredible future, an eternity, with Him. Just knowing that this life is not all we can can give us the perseverance to move forward in the most important moments. difficult. We still have a lot to wait! The Bible speaks much more of Christ's free gift, forgiveness, and the new life that only He can offer than it does exactly "what" to expect in Heaven. I think this is a clear reminder for us to be alert and active in sharing light and love in a world that needs her hope. This life is short, time passes quickly, we use our days wisely, so that many others have a chance to hear God's truth now and experience heaven someday.

It is a place of true joy and freedom, with no more death, suffering or pain.
This promise brings us so much hope in a world that experiences great suffering, loss and pain. It is difficult to imagine even one day without problems or pains, because we are so human and caught up in sin or struggle. We can't even begin to understand an eternity with no more pain and sorrow, wow, that's just mind-blowing, and what great news! If you have ever suffered from sickness, illness or held the hand of a loved one who was in so much pain at the end of their life ... if you have ever felt great anguish for the soul, or have struggled with addictions or walked through pain road through trauma or abuse… there is still hope. Heaven is a place where truly, the old has gone, the new has arrived. The struggle and pain we bring here will be relieved. We will be healed. We will be free in every way from the burdens that now weigh us down.

“… They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain, as the old order of things has passed. ”- Revelation 21: 3-4

No death. No mourning. No pain. God will be with us and dry our tears for the last time. Heaven is a place of joy and goodness, freedom and life.

Our bodies will be transformed.
God promises that we will be made new. We will have heavenly bodies for eternity and we will not succumb to the sickness or physical weakness we know here on earth. Contrary to some popular ideas out there, we don't become angels in heaven. There are angelic beings, the Bible is clear of them and provides many descriptions of them in heaven and on earth, but suddenly we don't become an angel once we go to heaven. We are children of God and have received the incredible gift of eternal life due to Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf.

"There are also celestial bodies and there are earthly bodies, but the splendor of celestial bodies is one type, and the splendor of earthly bodies is another ... When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying what is written will become reality: death has been swallowed up in victory… "- 1 Corinthians 15:40, 54

Other stories and scriptures in the Bible tell us that our heavenly bodies and lives resemble who we are today and that we will recognize the others in heaven we know here on earth. Many may wonder, what about when a child dies? Or some elderly person? Is this the age they keep being in heaven? Although the Bible is not entirely clear on this, we can believe that if Christ is giving us a body that we will have for eternity, and because he is the Creator of all things, he will be the absolute best and much greater than we ever are. had here on earth! And if God is giving us a new body and eternal life, we can be sure that he has a great purpose for us still in heaven.

It is a beautiful and completely new environment of what we have ever known, because God lives there and makes all things new.
Through the chapters of the Apocalypse, we can find glimpses of heaven and what is yet to come, as John reveals the vision he has been given. Revelation 21 details the beauty of the city, its gates, its walls and the extraordinary truth that it is God's true abode:

“The wall was made of jasper and the city of pure gold, pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with all kinds of precious stones ... the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of which was made up of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass… the glory of the Lord gives it light and the Lamb is its lamp. "- Revelation 21: 18-19, 21, 23

God's mighty presence is greater than any darkness we can face on this earth. And there is no darkness there. His words keep saying that in eternity the doors will not be closed and there will be no night there. There will be nothing unclean, no shame, no deceit, but only those whose names were written in the Lamb's book of life. (v. 25-27)

Heaven is real, as is hell.
Jesus spent more time talking about his reality than any other person in the Bible. He didn't talk about it to scare us or simply to stir up conflict. He told us about heaven and also about hell so that we could make the best choice of where we want to spend eternity. And it depends on that, it's a choice. We can know for sure that as much as people want to joke about hell as a big party, it won't be a party. Just as heaven is a place of light and freedom, hell is a place of darkness, despair and suffering. If you are reading this now and are unsure where you will spend eternity, take a few minutes to talk to God and clear things up. Don't wait, there will be no promised tomorrow.

Here is the truth: Christ came to free us, he chose to die on the cross, he was willing to do it, for you and me, so that we can be forgiven of sin and error in our life and receive the gift of life. eternal. This is true freedom. There is no other way we can be saved but through Jesus. He was buried and placed in a tomb, but he did not stay dead. He has risen and is now in heaven with God, he has overcome death and has given us his Spirit to help us in this life. The Bible says that if we confess Him as Savior and Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. Pray to him today and know that he is always with you and will never let you go.