Chip Ingram - The Real Heaven: What the Bible Actually Says

My Fathers house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

John 14:23

W hen my grandmother was a little girl, she came to America on a long boat ride from Scotland. Her maiden name was McGregor and her Scottish roots ran deep. There were certain American words she refused to use and a few Scottish ones that baffled me.

As a young boy, I was assigned to help Grandma get ready for her visit to our home. Ill never forget the first time she told me to get her grip. I asked Grandma to repeat what she said, because I assumed I didnt hear her correctly. Then she motioned to me to get her grip and put it in the car. Still puzzled, I walked near where she was pointing and asked her yet again what she wanted.

Now frustrated, Grandma walked over to her small suitcase, looked at me as though I was deaf, and placed it in my hands with the exhortation, Put my grip in the car so we can get going. This funny childhood memory reminds me of why there is so much confusion about Heaven.

As you know, words can have multiple meanings. For example, the word point can refer to the point of a pencil or using your finger to point to something or making a point in a debate. The word right can refer to a right turn or doing the right thing. Well, in the same way, the word Heaven can have multiple meanings. And if we are going to get an accurate understanding of what the Bible has to say about Heaven, our journey must begin with the word Heaven. In the Bible, the word Heaven is used to describe three different places.

Heaven s Meanings

Sky

Stars

Abode of God

First , the word Heaven is used to describe the atmosphere or the sky. Second , the word Heaven is used when talking about the stars and the sun and the universe. In Psalm 19:1, David says, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Later in that same chapter David declares, In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun (v. 4). Third , the word Heaven is used to describe the abode of God. It is the place where God resides, and this usage is primarily where we are going to focus.

In Revelation chapters 4 and 5, John speaks of the throne of God, which is obviously a reference to Gods rule and dominion. But it is also a reference to the place where God abides. Now, we know that God is omnipresent. He is not limited to Heaven. His presence can be found anywhere and everywhere.

For example, in Solomons prayer of dedication for the temple, he prays, But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built ! (1 Kings 8:27). Or listen to Davids prayer in Psalm 139:710, when he speaks of Gods omnipresence.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

However, the place where God resides and where there is no sin and where He is seen in all of His glory... that is HEAVEN. In the chapters ahead we will learn about the present (or Intermediate) Heaven, about what happens to us immediately after we die, and about the New Heaven that will be on the New Earth that God has prepared for us. But since this topic has caused so much confusion, lets start with the basics.

The Bible is full of promises about this place called Heaven. So lets discover some general truths about Heaven that come straight from the Scripture . Well begin with an overview of these truths, and in later chapters, these concepts will be fully developed.

1. Heaven is a real, tangible place (John 14).

Heaven is not a theoretical concept or a state of mind. It is not make-believe or pretend or a figment of somebodys imagination. Just like Miami and London and Tokyo are actual places, Heaven is a real and actual place. In John 14, Jesus told the disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them. He wasnt going to prepare a state of mind. He wasnt going to prepare a concept. No, He was going to prepare an actual place specially created for those who have a personal relationship with God.