Heaven

By Randy Alcorn
A Biblical Overview of Heaven

When a Christian dies, he will not go to Heaven where hell live forever.
Instead, he will go to an intermediate Heaven.
In the intermediate Heaven, all those who died in Christ will wait for:
o the time of Christs return to earth, I Thess 4:13-18
o our bodily resurrection, I Thess 4:13-18
o the final judgment, and Rev 20:11-15
o the creation of the new heavens and New Earth. Is 65:17
God will dwell with us on the New Earth. The New Earth is synonymous
with Heaven. Rev 21-22
Therefore, Gods ultimate plan is not to take us up to live in a realm made
for him, but to come down and live with us in a realm made for us.

What is the intermediate Heaven?

When a Christian dies, he or she enters an intermediate state, a

transitional period between our past lives on Earth and our future
resurrection to life on the New Earth.
The present, intermediate Heaven is in the angelic realm distinctly
separate from Earth. By contrast, the future Heaven will be in the human
realm, on Earth.

Will we be Judged When we Die?

When we die, we face what is called the judgment of faith. The outcome
determines whether we go to the intermediate Heaven or the
intermediate Hell. This initial judgment depends not on our works but on
our faith.
The second judgment is called the judgment of works. Our works dont
affect our salvation, but they do affect our reward. Rewards are
conditional, dependent on our faithfulness.

Gods Earthly Renewal Plan

If God had wanted to consign us to Hell and start over, he could have. He
could have made a new Adam and Eve and sent the old ones to Hell. But
he didnt.
Instead, he chose to redeem what he started with the heavens, the
Earth, and mankind to bring them back to his original purpose.

Heaven by Randy Alcorn

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He plans to restore his creation to their original condition and make

them even better!

Acts 3:21 He (Jesus) must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to
restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
Matthew 19:28 Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all
things, when the son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed
me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Romans 8:20-21 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own
choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation
itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the
glorious freedom of the children of God.

God Will Dwell With Us on the New Earth

Both the Old and New Testament actually say a great deal about the eternal
Heaven. Unfortunately, we dont realize it because when we read passages
about a future earthly kingdom, we assume they dont refer to Heaven.
Isaiah 60:21 Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess
the land (earth) forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my
hands, for the display of my splendor.
Psalm 102:15-16 The nations will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the
earth will revere your glory. For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in
his glory.
Ezekiel 43:2 I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east and the
land (earth) was radiant with his glory.
Revelation 21:2-3 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God And I heard a loud voice form the throne saying, Now the
dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his
people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

Common Misconceptions about Heaven

We will be disembodied spirits instead of having physical bodies

Heaven will be ethereal, unearthly instead of a very real, physical earth

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Misconception #1 We Will Be Disembodied Spirits

Reality: The Promise of Imperishable Bodies
Philippians 3:21 Who by the power that enables him (Christ) to bring everything
under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like
his glorious body.
I Corinthians 15:42 So it will be with the resurrection of the dead. The body
that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor,
it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a
natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
When Paul uses the term spiritual body, he is not talking about a body
made of spirit there is no such thing. Body means flesh and bones.
The word spirit here is an adjective describing the body, not negating its
meaning. A spiritual body is first and foremost a real body.
Paul could have simply said, It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spirit
if that were the case. Judging from Christs resurrection body, a spiritual
body appears most of the time like a regular physical body.

Misconception #2 Heaven Will Be Ethereal & Unearthly

Reality: What Heaven Will Really Be Like
What We Assume About Heaven

The Biblical View of Heaven

Non-Earth

New Earth

Unfamiliar; otherworldly

Familiar; earthly

Leaving favorite things behind

Retaining the good; finding the best

ahead

Static (nothing changes)

Dynamic (productive change)

No time and space

Time and space

Nothing to do

A God to worship and serve

No learning or discovery; instant and

complete knowledge

An eternity of learning and discovery

Boring

Fascinating

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Three Phases of Earths History

The following chart shows the three phases of Earths history: humanitys past
on the original earth; our present experience on the fallen Earth; and our
promised future on the New Earth.
Past
Genesis 1-3

Present
Gen 3 Rev 20

Future
Revelation 21-22

Original mankind

Fallen mankind; some

believe and are
transformed

Resurrected mankind

Original earth

Fallen Earth, with

glimmers of original

New (resurrected)
Earth

No Curse (universal
perfection & blessing)

Sin and the Curse,

blessing selectively
given

No more Curse
(greater blessing,
grace unending)

Sin unknown

Sin corrupts, its power

& penalty defeated by
Christ

Sin forever removed

No death

Death permeates all

Death removed

First Adam reigns

First Adam falls;

second Adam comes

Last Adam reigns with

mankind as co-heirs

God walking with

humans in the Garden

Humans cut off from

God

God dwells face-toface with humans

Mankind able either to

sin or not sin

Mankind enslaved to
sin, empowered not to
sin

Mankind unable to sin,

permanently
empowered

Mankind rules and

expands Paradise

Mankind banished
from Paradise, longs
for return to Paradise

Mankind has unlimited

free access to
Paradise

Gods plan for

mankind and Earth
revealed

Gods plan delayed

and enriched

Gods plan for

mankind and Earth
realized

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In Genesis 3, the earths first radical transition (mankinds fall and first
judgment) can be seen as one bookend of human history. In Revelation 20, we
see the second bookend in the earths last radical transition (Christs return and
last judgment) creating a picture of great symmetry.

In Genesis God plants a Garden on Earth;

In Revelation He brings down the New Jerusalem with a garden at its
center

In Eden, theres no sin, death or Curse;

On the new Earth, theres no more sin, death or Curse

In Genesis, the Redeemer is promised;

In Revelation, the Redeemer returns.

Genesis tells the story of Paradise lost;

Revelation tells the story of Paradise restored.

In Genesis, humanitys stewardship is squandered;

In Revelation, humanitys stewardship is triumphant, empowered by the
human and divine King Jesus.