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Ebook edition created 2014
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ISBN 978-1-4412-6424-4
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations identified AMP are from the Amplified Bible, copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations identified CEB are from the Common English Bible 2011 Common English Bible.
Scripture quotations identified CEV are from the Contemporary English Version 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations identified ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007
Scripture quotations identified HCSB are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations identified NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations identified NET are from the NET BIBLE, copyright 2003 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.netbible. com . Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified NJB are from THE NEW JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright 1985 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc. Reprinted by permission.
Scripture quotations identified NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified TEV are from the Good News TranslationSecond Edition. Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations identified W EYMOUTH are from the Weymouth New Testament of Modern Speech, ed., Ernest Hampden-Cook (London: James Clarke and Co., 1903).
Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Cover design by LOOK Design Studio
To my wonderful wife, Cindy.
You are my beautiful partner in life, and I love you.
I owe so much to your wonderful wisdom and support.
To my two sons, J.R. and Chad.
I love you too, and am so proud of you both.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Introduction
1. Who goes to heaven?
2. How good must a person be to get to heaven?
3. Do Christians go to heaven immediately after they die?
4. If people die without Christ, will they get a second chance to go to heaven?
5. Is heaven the same now as it will be in eternity?
6. Is Jesus in heaven right now?
7. What did Jesus mean by mansions in heaven?
8. Do people in heaven know what is happening on earth?
9. What does the Old Testament say about heaven?
10. What does the Bible mean by the new earth?
11. What will we do in heaven?
12. Will we have to work in heaven?
13. What will heaven look like?
14. Where is heaven?
15. Will animals be in heaven?
17. Will we be bored in heaven?
18. Will we know our Christian friends and loved ones in heaven?
19. Are there marriages and families in heaven?
20. Will we remember our earthly life in heaven?
21. Is heaven a physical place?
22. What is the new Jerusalem?
23. Will we be singing and playing harps all the time in heaven?
24. Will there be time in eternity?
25. Will we see God in heaven?
26. What will it be like to worship God in heaven?
27. Will we have bodies in heaven?
28. Will we live with the angels in heaven?
29. What is the difference between reincarnation and resurrection?
30. Will everyone be alike in heaven?
31. Will there be any sin in heaven?
32. Will we eat and drink in heaven?
33. What does the Bible say about hell?
34. What do the words Sheol and Hades refer to?
35. Are the stories true about people going to heaven and returning? Are the stories of near-death experiences true? Have people come back from heaven?
36. Dont other religions have a similar teaching to the Bibles teaching about heaven?
37. Is anyone just annihilated at death?
38. Is there such a thing as soul sleep?
39. Do some people go to purgatory after death?
40. How can I explain heaven to my young children?
42. What happens to those who are unable to believe in Jesus, like aborted babies, young children, or those who have a severe mental disability?
43. What should I do if I am afraid of death?
44. How can I be sure Im going to heaven?
45. What is the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20?
46. What does the Bible call the judgment seat of Christ?
47. Will others in heaven know my secret sins on earth?
48. What are heavenly crowns?
49. Why will some believers rule with Christ over the new earth?
50. What can I do to prepare for eternity in heaven?
About the Author
Back Ad
Back Cover
Introduction
J ust scan the Internet. All the polls and surveys taken of Americans over the last ten years or so suggest that more than half of the U.S. population believe in the reality of heaven. This is true of polls taken in Canada and England as well. Heaven is very well-liked. It is universally thought to be a place of great happiness, with freedom from pain and sorrow. So who wouldnt want to believe in heaven?
Our ideas of heaven are drawn from many different sources. Perhaps our ideas are taken from what others have said or from a book we have read. People may have thoughts about heaven influenced by TV and the Internet. The TV show Touched by an Angel , which ran from 19942003, gave us glimpses of how some thought angels from heaven interact with our lives. But how do we know whether any of these concepts about heaven are true?
This book is designed to be your guide to what the Bible says about heaven. The Bible is a collection of sixty-six books in three different original languages. It was written over a span of two thousand years by forty different authors from three different continents. There are an estimated six trillion Bibles in print today, and the Bible is just as relevant now as it was when the first Bibles were copied on papyrus. Perhaps its wisdom on heaven is worth the investigation. Join with me in the exploration of this fascinating subject.
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