The Potter's House Christian Center in Mesa, AZ

What will heaven be like?

What Will Heaven Be Like?

	Please click on any of the following questions below and you'll be directed to the information answering them.

	What is Heaven?	Can We Understand Heaven?		What Does Heaven Look Like?
	Remember, we must be...		Do you want to go to Heaven?

	What Is Heaven?
	-	Matthew calls it a safe-deposit box (Matthew 6:20)
	-	Luke calls it a permanent guest registry (Luke 10:20)
	-	Luke also calls it a home for the glorified Christ (Acts 7:55-56)
	-	Paul says it is a house built by God (II Corinthians 5:1 and Hebrews 11:10)
	-	John the revelator says it is the ultimate place to have church (Revelation 7:9)

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	*Can We Understand Heaven?*
	"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."--II Corinthians 12:2-4 In this passage, the Apostle Paul relates an experience where Heaven seems so extraordinary that he's not sure whether he had given a vision from the Lord or whether he was actually taken there. He continues on to explain that he heard things that were "unspeakable words". Perhaps these were mysterious words that he heard or perhaps he was experiencing things that were impossible to describe in human terms. Or, even as Adam Clarke eludes to in his commentary on the subject: "The Jews thought that the Divine name, the Tetragrammaton, Yahweh, should not be uttered, and that it is absolutely unlawful to pronounce it; indeed they say that the true pronunciation is utterly lost, and cannot be recovered without an express revelation. Not one of them, to the present day, ever attempts to utter it; and, when they meet with it in their reading, always supply its place with 'Adoni', Lord. It is probable that the apostle refers to some communication concerning the Divine nature and the Divine economy, of which he was only to make a general use in his preaching and writing. No doubt that what he learned at this time formed the basis of all his doctrines." In any case, he is caught up somehow into Heaven with such a wonderful and majesty as not to be able to relate commonly even one detail, except that in fact he had experienced this event! So we can easily conclude that it is not the harp section in God's orchestra in the clouds, as some would have you think--that would have at least been describable. "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which god hath prepared for them that love Him."--II Corinthians 2:9

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What Does Heaven Look Like?

Heaven: The last, the best, and the most incredible of the Revelation...

Revelation 21:1-15

1. 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.

2. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

4. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

5. Then He Who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful."

6. And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.

7. "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

8. "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murders, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

9. "Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."

10. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11. having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

12. Also she had a great and high wall with twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13. three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

14. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

John, the revelator then begins to recount the dimensions as given to him. Loosely translated in modern measurements, they are as follows...1500 miles wide and 1500 miles long, or 2,250,000 square miles at its base. In addition, it is 1500 miles high or approximately 780,000 stories of a building. To give you a practical idea of its immense height, we can say that 780,000 stories is equal to 7,800 Empire State Buildings (New York City, New York, USA), standing one on top of the other straight up--into the heavens. This describes enough room to comfortably accommodate a hundred thousand million or 100 billion people--more than all the people who have ever lived.

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	Remember, We Must Be "Heavenly Minded" to Finish Our Journey to this Wondrous Place
	Consider these practical tips... 1. Live every day of your life for God with this eternity in mind... 2. Allow yourself to have an "eternal" perspective on life... Paul gives this advice to his protégé, Timothy in I Timothy 6:12, " Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.