What Does Heaven (Really) Look Like?

I still remember the conversation that I overheard years ago when a friend was telling his young sons about how wonderful heaven would be.

While he thankfully didn’t mention harps or halos, he explained it as a place where everyone would spend all their time worshiping God.

“But, Dad, that sounds boring!” they responded.

If you want an honest opinion, ask a child, right?

Their father, I’m glad to say, didn’t give an accurate picture of what awaits those who follow Christ. Our destiny is not an unending church service in heaven. As described by Randy Alcorn, author of Heaven, we will have “a resurrected life in a resurrected body, with the resurrected Christ on a resurrected Earth” in the kingdom of God.

What Is the Kingdom of God?

Jesus brought us the good news of his coming kingdom, and we’re not going up to heaven to reach it. It’s coming down to the earth. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus has not only redeemed us but also the entire cosmos.

Jesus’ disciple, John, describes the end of the age in this way: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:2). In what will be God’s final act of redemption, heaven and earth will be joined together, and Jesus, as judge, will put right all wrongs and will reign in our presence as our king in a renewed world without corruption:

 “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

So What About Heaven?

But wait, you say. What about what Jesus said to the dying thief on the cross next to him: “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43)? How does that fit with the timeline of the remade world?

The term paradise, or enclosed garden, is where you can find the tree of life (the one from the Garden of Eden). Adam and Eve were denied access to it after their rebellion against God. Paradise is most likely a description for our current heaven, where we will live in God’s presence awaiting our new heaven and earth. We will see the tree of life again, and “to everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).

So What Will Our Resurrected Bodies Be Like?

After Jesus was resurrected, he lived on earth in his resurrected body for 40 days (and appeared to more than 500 witnesses). He ate dinner with his disciples, he disappeared through locked doors, and he still bore the wounds of the crucifixion, which he invited Thomas to touch so that Thomas might believe. Sometimes Jesus looked familiar to people and sometimes he didn’t.

Like Jesus, we will also be raised to new bodily life. Paul tells us that flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom, but that’s okay—our resurrection bodies will be incorruptible. Whether there is some sort of continuity from our old body to our new body, like Jesus, well, we’ll have to wait and see!

What does the Coming Kingdom Mean for the Present?

Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.”

And until it does, we’re to live like kingdom people in anticipation of our future hope. Nothing good will be wasted or done in vain. What is done on earth in Jesus’ name will follow us into the kingdom (Revelation 14:13).

Every endeavor, every labor, every effort, every kindness—whatever you do for God will somehow go with you into the new world.

So We Won’t Be Bored?

Of course, as noted by the father at the article’s start, there will be constant worship in the new heaven and earth. It will be our natural response to God as we live, eat, drink, work, and play—we will truly be joyful, expressing our thankfulness in whole-hearted loving worship.

But nothing will be boring. We will be with God at home, where everything is just right and where we are deeply satisfied with all of our pursuits. There will be no end to what can be explored and enjoyed and no end to our reverence and awe of God.

My prayer is that just thinking of this future unshakeable kingdom will fill you with profound delight, certainly not boredom!