Seven Fundamental Facts About Heaven
By Glendol McClure

In the preceding article, we discussed the subject, Seven Fundamental Facts About Hell. In that article, we mentioned that hell is:

Heaven, although misunderstood by many, is a more comforting subject.

Most people believe they will go to heaven when they die. However, some do deny that heaven exists. To be consistent, those who deny hell's existence must also deny that heaven exists. What does the Bible teach about heaven? Consider now, Seven Fundamental Facts About Heaven.

First, heaven is a real place. The same Bible that speaks of hell also teaches about heaven. To deny hell's existence, one must also deny heaven's existence, and vice-versa. Likewise, if the Bible says heaven is a real place, then that should settle the matter. Since God's "word is Truth" (John 17:17), and God "cannot lie" (Titus 1:2), and since Jesus promised His disciples he would go and prepare a place (heaven) for them (John 14:1-6), without a doubt, heaven does exist.

Second, heaven is a place of unimaginable joy. Unlike hell, heaven is a place of eternal joy and fellowship with Jesus Christ and all the righteous (Ephesians 1:20). It is the place where God dwells (Matthew 6:9). In heaven,

Third, heaven is a place where anyone can go. Because "God is love" (1 John 4:8), He "is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) But the "any" includes only righteous people--those who believe and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Brethren who persist in apathy, ignorance, stubbornness and rebellion, immorality, compromising truth, and such like, cannot expect to go to heaven (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9,10; Galatians 5:16-21; Colossians 3:1-7; 2 Thessalonians 2:7,8; 1 Peter 4:17-18). God will permit only the righteous to be there. Jesus taught, "...strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:14)

Fourth, heaven is an eternal place of bliss. It will not end. Man is unable to comprehend eternity. In this life, time and all good things are swift and fleeting, while bad and difficult times pass by ever so slowly. During moments of joy, "time flies." Consider how quickly time passes. Only 33 years ago, I was 20 years old. "For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." (James 4:14) But, heaven's joys will not end. They will last forever (Matthew 25:46; John 3:16,36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:27,40,47; 12:50; Romans 6:22,23; Galatians 6:8; 1 Timothy 1:16; 2 Peter 1:11).

Fifth, only two classes of people, the innocent and the obedient, will be in heaven. The innocent will be there. The children of Andrea Yates (the Texas mother who meticulously drowned her five small children in the bath tub) will be there, as will others like these children who have died in an innocent state (Matthew 18:1-6).

The obedient will be there:

Will you and I be there?

Sixth, heaven is a place from which there will we will not desire to escape. Those who are in heaven--the righteous of all ages--will be in God's presence. Have you ever left a place because of the bad company? In heaven, there will be no bad company. It is a truly blissful place that earthly beings cannot describe. Although the apostles were inspired, even they did not describe heaven's joys. Paul spoke of salvation's blessings as an "unspeakable gift," or an indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15). What then could he say about heaven?

There could be no better place to go than heaven--the only other place is hell, wherein is the "everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matthew 25:41)

Seventh, heaven is a place we can forfeit or gain. If you forfeit heaven, you gain hell. There is no middle ground; it's one or the other. It is possible to go to heaven, but, we must obey the Lord on HIS terms. Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven... and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:21-27) Will you and I forfeit or gain heaven?


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