Key Scripture: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18).



Most Christians seem to believe that going to Heaven means being a disembodied spirit residing in an ethereal world, floating around on a cloud playing a harp. And to say the least, they can't seem to get excited about that picture.



The Bible tells us in great detail what the Millennium will be like, but it gives us almost no detailed information about Heaven, or what might be called the Eternal State. What it does tell us often comes as a great surprise to most Christians because the verses about Heaven have been so terribly spiritualized. For example, the Bible plainly says the Redeemed will live eternally on a new earth, not in an ethereal place called Heaven.



The New Earth

Isaiah was the first to speak of this truth when he spoke of "the new heavens and the new earth" which will endure forever before the Lord (Isaiah 66:22). This truth is repeated in the book of Revelation where the apostle John says he was shown a new earth, "for the first heaven and the first earth passed away" (Revelation 21:1).



John goes on to describe the new Jerusalem descending to the new earth, "coming down out of heaven from God" (Revelation 21:2). And then he states that God Himself will come to live on the new earth: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them" (Revelation 21:3).



This truth had already been revealed to the Old Testament prophets. While being taken on a prophetic tour of the millennial temple, Ezekiel was told by his guide (the Lord Jesus in a pre-incarnate appearance): "Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever" (Ezekiel 43:7).



The Redeemed are going to dwell forever in new bodies on a new earth in a new Jerusalem in the presence of Almighty God and His Son, Jesus. Heaven will come to earth!



The New Jerusalem

The most detailed information which the Scriptures give about Heaven pertains to our eternal abode - the new Jerusalem. Twenty verses in Chapter 21 of Revelation are devoted to a description of it.



The information contained in Revelation 21 is not the first reference in the Bible to new Jerusalem. It is mentioned in Hebrews 11:10 as a city "whose architect and builder is God." Jesus made a reference to it that is recorded in John 14:1-4. He called it His "Father's house," and He said He would prepare a place in it for His Church.



The city is described in Revelation as beautifully decorated, like "a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2). Later, John actually refers to the city as the bride of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9), because the city contains the bride of Christ, His Church.



This implies that at the end of the Millennium all the Redeemed will be taken off the present earth and placed in the new Jerusalem which will most likely be suspended in the heavens. From that vantage point we will watch as God burns up this earth and reshapes it like a hot ball of wax into a new earth, a perfected earth like the one which God created in the beginning. Then, we will be lowered down to that new earth inside the new Jerusalem.



The Size of the City

The City will be spectacular in both size and appearance. It will be in the form of a cube that is 1,500 miles in every direction! And it will reflect "the glory of God" (Revelation 21:11, 16).



The incredible size means the city would stretch from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Atlantic coast of america to Colorado. It would also extend 1,500 miles into the atmosphere.



This tremendous extension of the city vertically into the air is a clue that the new earth may be considerably larger than the current earth. Otherwise, the city would not be proportional to its surroundings.



It is likely that it will have vertical streets as well as horizontal ones because our glorified bodies, which we are told will be like the body of Jesus after his resurrection (Philippians 3:21), will be immune to the current laws of gravity.



The Beauty of the City

And what streets they will be! The Bible says they will be "pure gold, like transparent glass" (Revelation 21:21). In fact, the whole city will be made of pure gold with the appearance of clear glass (Revelation 21:18).



The city will sit on a foundation made of 12 layers of precious stones (Revelation 21:19-20). Each layer will feature the name of one of the 12 apostles (Revelation 21:14). The city will be surrounded by a jasper wall over 200 feet high (Revelation 21:17). There will be 12 gates, three on each side, and each one will be named for one of the tribes of Israel (Revelation 21:12).



And yes, the gates will be "Pearly gates," each one consisting of one huge pearl (Revelation 21:21).



Best of all, God the Father and Jesus will both reside in the city with us (Revelation 21:19-20). Each layer will feature the name of one of the 12 apostles (Revelation 21:14). The city will be surrounded by a jasper wall over 200 feet high (Revelation 21:17). There will be 12 gates, three on each side, and each one will be named for one of the tribes of Israel (Revelation 21:12).



The throne of God and His Son will be in the city, and "a river of the water of life, clear as crystal" will flow down the middle of the city's main street with the tree of life growing on both sides of the river, yielding 12 kinds of fruit - a different fruit each month (Revelation 22:1-2).



That's it. God's Word only gives us a glimpse of Heaven. But what a tantalizing glimpse it is! It's a scene of perfect peace and joy and beauty.



The Activities of Heaven

What will we do for eternity? Again, the Word is strangely silent. All it says is that we "shall serve Him" (Revelation 22:3).



We will probably spend a great deal of our time in worship, singing the psalms of King David, with him directing us. It is likely that our talents will be magnified, and we will be able to sing or paint or write with a majesty and scope we never imagined possible - and all to the glory of God!



Surely we will spend considerable time in the study of God's Word. Think of studying the Gospel of John with the apostle John as the teacher! Or imagine Jesus teaching the Old Testament, even as He did to His disciples following His resurrection (Luke 24:44-45). The Word of God is infinite in its depth, and I believe we will undoubtedly continue learning from it forever.



As we study the Word, we will grow in spiritual maturity in the likeness of Jesus. And since God is infinite, no matter how much we grow in His likeness, there will just be that much more growing ahead of us. In this regard, our spiritual growth will likely pick up where it left off in this life.



Perhaps the Lord will give us the opportunity to see "Instant video replays" of great events in Bible history. And what about tours of the universe? Surely we will be able to travel through space in our glorified bodies and see the miracles of God's creation up close. Imagine visiting all the planets in our galaxy as well as touring thousands of other galaxies!



Reigning with Jesus

We are also told in Revelation 22:3 that we will serve God as His "bond-servants." This surely means we will be given productive work to do. What that work will be, the Scriptures do not say. But there is a hint in Revelation 22:5 where it says we will reign with the Lord "forever and ever."



To Reign implies, of necessity, that we must reign over someone. Who will that be? Again, there is an intriguing clue. Revelation 21:24-27 refers to "nations" that will live on the new earth outside the new Jerusalem. Revelation 22:2 indicates that the people composing these nations will be in fleshly bodies, for it says that the leaves of the tree of life will be used for "the healing of the nations."



Who are these "nations"? This is one of the greatest mysteries of Bible prophecy. There are as many different guesses as there are commentaries on the book of Revelation.



Could they be the Redeemed who accept Jesus during the Millennium? Nothing is said about the ultimate destiny of those who are saved during the Millennium. No promises are made to them of glorified bodies.



Heavenly Fellowship

This brings us to the greatest blessing of Heaven. Revelation 22:4 says we shall see the face of God!



The Word says in Exodus 33:20 that no man has ever seen the face of God. But we will be given that privilege when we fellowship with Him in Heaven.



And that is really what Heaven is all about. We will experience an intimacy with the Lord that transcends anything possible in this life. We were created for fellowship with God (John 4:23), and that purpose will reach its zenith in the Eternal State as we live in God's presence.

The Nature of the "New Earth"

Will the new eternal earth be completely new, or will it be this earth rejuvenated?



The Bible teaches that the present earth is eternal: "Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever" (Ecclesiastes 1:4; see also Psalm 78:69 and Psalm 148:6).



It is true that 2 Peter 3:10 says the current earth will be "destroyed with intense heat," but the same context says that the earth of Noah's time was "destroyed" by water (2 Peter 3:5-6). Noah's earth did not cease to exist, rather, it was "destroyed" in the sense that it was radically changed by the worldwide flood.



God loves His creation, and He is determined to restore it to its original perfection.



The promise of a redeemed and restored creation is reaffirmed in the New Testament. Peter referred to the promise in his second sermon at the Temple in Jerusalem. He told his audience that Jesus would remain in Heaven until the time comes for the "restoration of all things" (Acts 3:21).



Paul elaborates the theme in Romans 8:8-18. He declares that the whole creation is in "slavery to corruption" (verse 21). This is a reference to what physicists call the Second Law of Thermodynamics; namely, that all of creation is running down, moving from order to disorder - that all of creation is in bondage to decay.



Paul then pictures the creation as a pregnant woman waiting anxiously for the moment of delivery when the curse will be lifted and the creation will be redeemed. He says that will occur at "the revealing of the sons of God" (verse 19). That is a reference to the resurrection of the saints.



We are actually living on earth number three, as you will see from the chart below.