Death seems a little closer during this time of Covid-19. And with the thought of death follows the question of heaven. Everyone wants to know what comes after this life on earth (or if this life is all there is). This probably helps explain the booming popularity over the last decade of a genre of books sometimes labelled Heavenly Tourism. The basic storyline goes like this: a person dies, they go to heaven, they come back. Then they write a book to tell us what heaven is like. I’ve read a few of them--perused some others.
For what it’s worth, here is my conclusion: at best, who can know if these things are true? At worst, some people are pulling in lot of money by making up stories about the dwelling place of God. Just a few years ago the young man who wrote The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven recanted his whole story saying, “I did not die. I did not go to heaven.… I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible.”
The Bible is enough. Amen. If you want to know heaven is for real then read God’s Word. And what will you find there? Interestingly, the Bible does not give us a lot of details about heaven (maybe this is why we want to know more). The Book of Revelation pulls back the curtain somewhat. However, there is no doubt that the most glorious and central aspect of heaven is made abundantly clear: Luke 23:43 (“Today you will be with me in paradise”); John 14:3 “I will take you to be with me, that you may also be where I am”); 2 Corinthians 5:6–8 (“be at home with the Lord”); Philippians 1:21–23 (“depart and be with Christ”); and 1 Thessalonians 4:14 (“God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him”).
What do all these Scriptures say? In heaven, we will be with Jesus. Being with Jesus is what makes heaven “heaven.” And, believe it or not, that is enough. That’s all we need to know. Jesus is the greatest longing of every heart—whether we know it or not. To gaze upon His beauty, to know His love, to find our joy in Him for all eternity, that is the heart of heaven. If you truly love Jesus now, you will adore heaven then. Jesus makes heaven “heaven.” It is not the streets of gold or seeing beloved family members or even having no more pain. We will be with Jesus—that is heaven.
But Jesus is not only the true destination in heaven. He is the only way to heaven. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” It is not by our good works, but only by trusting in the goodness and work of Jesus that we become members of the Father’s heavenly house.
Do you want to know more about the glory of heaven? Then look to the glory of Jesus in God’s Word. He is enough. Do you want to know the way to heaven—how to become your Father’s child? Then look to the glorious Jesus of God’s Word. He is enough.
