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Volume 3 . Issue 13
COUNCIL OF REFERENCE
Dr. Richard Averbeck
Rev. D. Stuart Briscoe
Dr. Paul Cedar
Mr. Dave Coleman
Dr. & Mrs. Larry Crabb
Mr. Roger Cross
Rev. Samuel Farina
Dr. Kenneth O. Gangel
Rev. & Mrs. Lud Golz
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks
Mr. Olan Hendrix
Dr. David Jeremiah
Rev. Knute Larson
Dr. John C. Maxwell
Dr. Bruce McNicol
Mr. Dean Merrill
Mrs. Elisa Morgan
Dr. Ray Ortlund
Dr. Luis Palau
Dr. Gilbert A. Peterson
Rev. Wes Roberts
Rev. & Mrs. Jamie
Rassmussen
Mr. Jim Warren
Dr. Rick Warren
Publishers
David & Catherine
Martin
Editors
Michael & Cheryl
Chiapperino
Heaven
A Quick Focus
The Book's Purpose
Provide a comprehensive biblical
study on Heaven
Increase believers’ longing
for Heaven and prompt them
to live godly lives on Earth
Show how living on a renewed
Earth represents the location
where every believer will spend
eternity
Answer common questions
about Heaven
The Book’s Message
Where do I go when I die? What will
Heaven be like? For centuries believers have
pondered these questions in their quest to
understand the afterlife. Unfortunately, most
assume that the Bible lacks clarity on these
issues; therefore, they resolve that conclusions
must be relegated to one’s imagination.
However, the Bible actually goes into
much further depth than most realize. Although we will never answer every question
to our satisfaction, allowing the Bible to speak
for itself will reveal an eternity that engages
our imagination, increases our yearning for
Heaven, and prompts us to live godly lives
between now and then.
By Randy Alcorn
Tyndale House Publishers
ISBN 0842379428
VIII
Eight Main Points
Two Possible Destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Enjoying the Intermediate Heaven . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Understanding the Reach of Redemption . . . .3
Longing for the Final Resurrection . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Restoring the Old Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Celebrating the Presence of God . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Questions and Answers about Heaven . . . . . 6
Miscellaneous Questions and Conclusion 7
2
22
Possible Destinations
Every civilization has adhered to
some form of belief in the afterlife.
God has placed within every human being an inherent
sense of the eternal.
Clearing Up Misconceptions
If the Bible’s teachings about what happens after death are correct,
then more than 250,000 people every day go to Heaven or Hell. The
mortality rate still remains at 100 percent. Yet only a small percentage
of people have a clear understanding of what Heaven and Hell will be
like.
Harps, white robes, and never-ending church services represent
many believers’ perception of Heaven. On the other hand, many without
Christ think that Hell is going to be one big party.
Even major theologians barely skim the surface when it comes to
their treatment of Heaven. John Calvin never tackled Revelation in his
commentaries. Reinhold Niebuhr said nothing about Heaven in The
Nature and Destiny of Man. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ 900-page theology
uses less than two pages to write about the New Earth and the eternal
state.
Barna’s research shows that the vast majority of Americans believe
in the reality of Heaven and Hell; but they are forming their beliefs from
movies, television, and conversations with friends~not from the Bible.
These misconceptions represent the work of Satan. He creates lies
about Heaven, especially since he was forcibly removed and can no
longer claim residence there. He doesn’t need to convince believers that
Heaven is not real. He just needs to convince them that the place is
boring. “Satan cannot stop Christ’s redemptive work, but he can
keep us from seeing the breadth and depth of redemption that extends to the earth and beyond.”
Using Our Imagination
God has provided glimpses of Heaven in the Bible. We don’t have
so much information that we can claim full knowledge. What we must
do is remove from our minds any preconceived ideas and allow our biblically inspired imaginations to fuel our comprehension of the afterlife.
Instead of looking up into the clouds, we should look around us and
imagine what everything would be like without sin and corruption.
Certainly, Heaven contains many surprises which we will never be
able to comprehend in this life. However, we must not neglect studying
what God has revealed to us in the Scriptures. The Bible says, “Set your
hearts on things above” (Colossians 3:1), suggesting a diligent investigation, an ongoing process. It also talks about God’s people “longing
for a better country” (Hebrews 11:16).
“Perhaps you’re afraid
of becoming ‘so heavenly
minded you’re of no
earthly good.’...On the
contrary, many of us
are so earthly minded we
are of no heavenly
or earthly good.”
Hell~Our Default Destination
Jesus taught that the gate to
Heaven was narrow. Americans
must not grasp that truth because
for every person who believes he’s
going to hell, 120 believe they are
going to Heaven.
The default destination for
every human being is Hell. And
unless something happens to take
care of the sin problem, one will
never make it into Heaven.
Hell is a place of utter misery,
a place of punishment for sins, and
a place where there is no hope for
relief. Many argue that a loving
God would never allow anyone to
spend eternity in Hell. “But if
we understood God’s nature and
ours, we would be shocked not
that some people could go to
Hell...but that any would be
permitted into Heaven.” To deny
the existence of Hell is to minimize
the significance of Christ’s vicarious
death on the cross.
Heaven or Hell~those are
the only two possible destinations
where we will spend eternity. Unless we give our lives to Christ, we
are headed for Hell. There is only
one way to Heaven, and that road
must go through Jesus Christ.
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3
enjoying the intermediate heaven
What will it be like to live in the
Intermediate Heaven? Is it a physical place? Is it temporary or permanent?
The Nature of the
Intermediate Heaven
“Intermediate Heaven” refers
to the place where Christians go
when they die. It is a temporary
place, not to be confused with the
Eternal Heaven, also known as the
New Earth. The Intermediate
Heaven is where we will reside prior
to our bodily resurrection.
Once we die, we will live with
the Lord and with one another
forever. But we will not be in the
Intermediate Heaven forever.
Instead, we will look forward to
Christ’s return to earth, our bodily
resurrection, and our new home
in the Eternal Heaven.
God created Heaven. Therefore,
it had a past prior to the Incarnation. It has a present, which is the
Intermediate Heaven. And it has
a future, which is the Eternal Heaven. Each can be accurately referred
to as Heaven; but they are not
synonymous.
The Intermediate Heaven is located in the angelic realm and is
separate from Earth. The future
Heaven will be located on Earth.
God’s long-term plan is to come
down and live with us in the realm
of a renewed Earth.
A Physical Place?
Without question the New Earth
will be a physical location. Is the
same true for the Intermediate
Heaven? Can human beings exist
outside of space and time? If they
can, it represents only a temporary
status which will be permanently
changed at the time of our bodily
resurrection.
However, we must not assume
that life in the Intermediate Heaven
is merely spiritual. These assumptions stem from an unbiblical belief
that has its roots in Christoplatonism. Plato’s view that the spirit
is good and material things are evil
has had devastating effects that continue to plague Christian thought
today.
identity in Heaven and on Earth.
The people are the same~just relocated. Those in heaven know what
is happening on Earth, can audibly
speak, and possess a deep concern
for justice.
The belief that the Intermediate
Heaven lies in the physical realm
has considerable biblical support.
Genesis teaches that Adam was first
a body and then God breathed a
spirit into the body. At no moment
in time has a human existed without
a body. It seems quite possible that
God might grant us some type of
physical form that will allow us to
function as human beings while we
await the bodily resurrection. Consider Enoch and Elijah, both taken
to heaven without leaving their
bodies, and Moses’s and Elijah’s
physical form in the Transfiguration.
Those in Heaven will remember
their lives on Earth. With improved
minds, they will probably be able
to remember more about their lives
on Earth. “Undoubtedly we will
remember God’s works of grace
in our lives that comforted, assured, sustained, and empowered
us to live for him.”
Life in the Intermediate Heaven
Revelation 6:9-11 provides a
wealth of insight regarding life in
the Intermediate Heaven. From
these verses we learn that there is
a direct continuity between our
People in Heaven, at least to
some extent, can see what is happening on Earth. Hebrews 12:1
refers to the cloud of witnesses in
Heaven cheering believers on. Luke
15:10 suggests that believers in
Heaven will know when someone
decides to follow Christ because
they rejoice in the presence of angels. The biblical evidence also suggests that those in Heaven pray for
those still on Earth (Revelation
5:8; 6:10).
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understanding the reach of redemption
Why is it that many books on Heaven do not even address the subject
of the New Earth? After all, even though the Bible does not fully describe
the New Earth, it does go into much greater detail than most believers
assume.
Where Is Our Eternal Home?
As we live between the times of Eden and the New Earth, we must
never forget that our present state is not our eternal state. Jesus said in
John 14 that He was going to prepare a place for us. That place as
identified in Revelation 21 is the New Earth. “That’s where the New
Jerusalem will reside when it comes down out of Heaven. Only then
will we be truly home.”
The biblical teachings on Heaven are like a jigsaw puzzle. Putting all
the pieces together creates a beautiful picture. Familiar surroundings like
rivers, trees, and mountains will be part of the New Earth. Of course, the
curse of sin will no longer be present. We will live there in our resurrected
bodies. We will serve Christ. We will rest. It will be a place where animals
and children play.
continued on page 4
4
UNDERSTANDING THE REACH OF REDEMPTION
continued from page 3
The Far Reaches of Redemption
“The church is to
be in the bridgebuilding business,
according to the
design of Jesus
Christ. Over this
bridge the church
must travel and
prove its reality
to a disbelieving
world.”
One must not spiritualize what
the Bible teaches about Heaven.
It is a real place. And that place is
right here on Earth, the restored
Earth, that is~Earth as it was before
sin brought judgment upon the
world. Imagine what it would be
like to live on an Earth without sin,
sickness, and crime.
Jesus’ redemption reaches not
only men and women, but the Earth
as well. The climax of history does
not occur with the return of Christ
or the millennial reign, but with the
establishment of His kingdom on
the New Earth. His plan is to bring
Earth and Heaven into the same
realm where He will restore and
renew Earth to its original condition.
To think that God will completely destroy the Earth represents a
weak theology. He has a wonderful
plan. He never relinquished the title
deed; but one day He will reclaim
it. Yes, the Earth as we know it will
come to an end, but not to a final
one. The whole Earth will be redeemed, including people, animals,
trees~everything!
The Curse Is Lifted
God promised a Redeemer immediately after the Fall (Genesis
3:15). He never reverted to a Plan
B or changed His mind.
Who will reign on the Earth?
This question represents the central
storyline of the Bible. Satan wields
much power. He succeeded with
his temptation of Adam and Eve in
the Garden. He tried to tempt the
second Adam, Jesus, but did not
succeed. When Christ died on the
cross, He dealt Satan a deadly blow.
Satan is already defeated, but the
full scope of Christ’s victory won’t
be fully realized until He returns.
When Adam sinned, God brought
a curse upon the whole earth. One
day the Curse will be fully reversed.
The lifting of the Curse came with
a terrible price, the blood of God’s
Son on the cross. His victory guarantees that the Curse will be utterly
destroyed in every realm of our
experience.
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longing for the final resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus Christ
represents the cornerstone belief for
the Christian faith. Unless Jesus
came back to life and is still alive,
Christianity ceases to exist.
Redemptive Continuity
Although Christians give wholesale acceptance to the resurrection,
most tend to spiritualize the doctrine by denying or overlooking a
physical existence in a physical place.
Two-thirds of Americans who believe in the resurrection do not believe they will have bodies after the
resurrection.
The Bible teaches that our bodies
serve an integral role in God’s plan.
They are not merely shells designed
to house our spirits. “Any views
of the afterlife that settle for less
than a bodily resurrection...are
explicitly unchristian.”
One who decides to follow Christ
experiences a transformation. That
same person will experience another
change at death and another at the
final resurrection. Through all the
changes, the person maintains his
identity. This belief is called redemptive continuity. From this life to the
next there is continuity. The same
principle applies to all of creation.
God will not be starting over. Instead, He will restore all things to
their original design.
With His resurrection Jesus embodied this principle of redemptive
continuity. His body had been transformed, but He still possessed the
same body, one that was recognized
by His followers. Our resurrected
bodies will be the same ones that
God created for us. We will live in
physical bodies that have been transformed and restored (Philippians
3:20-21; 1 John 3:2).
The Resurrection and Creation
Most hold a view of the resurrection that is too narrow. Don’t
think that Christ’s redemption is
just for humans. The gospel story
is good news, not just for believers
but for all of creation, including
plants, planets, and animals.
“Christ’s redemptive
work extends
resurrection to the far
reaches of the universe.
This is a stunning
affirmation of God’s
greatness. It should
move our hearts to
wonder and praise.”
continued on page 5
5
LONGING FOR THE FINAL RESURRECTION
continued from page 4
The Bible teaches that the whole
creation groans, awaiting our final
resurrection (Romans 8:22). Why
does it groan? Because humanity
is inseparably linked to the Earth.
When mankind fell in the Garden
of Eden, all creation experienced
the judgment of God. The Earth
awaits our final resurrection so it
also can be restored to its original
design.
Changing Our Vocabulary
We need to change our vocabulary so that it accurately communicates biblical truth. How many
times at a funeral service have we
heard the words, “We will never
see him/her again on Earth”? Such
statements are erroneous if we accept what the Bible teaches. For
believers, we will see each other
again on this Earth. We will hug
one another again on this earth.
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restoring the old earth
In Hebrews 11 the great heroes of the faith were reported to be
longing for a better country. They were not referring to the Intermediate
Heaven but to the time and place where God would rule on Earth and
remove all death, suffering, and heartache.
When and Where?
Regardless of the many interpretations of the Millennium, most agree
at that some point the old Earth will end. The thrust of this book is to
stress that the old Earth’s ending marks the beginning of the New Earth.
One of the dominant Old Testament prophetic themes (especially Isaiah)
includes the messianic reign of God’s kingdom. Where is the kingdom
located? One key text, Isaiah 65, reveals the location as the New Earth.
The prophetic language of Isaiah is nearly identical to that in Revelation
21. If Isaiah’s prophecies about the Incarnation are to be taken literally,
then why should not his prophecies regarding the establishment of God’s
kingdom on the New Earth? God has future plans for the Earth.
Destroyed or Renewed?
Will God destroy the Earth and start from scratch, or will he transform
it into a new one? Some verses seem to imply that the Earth will be
destroyed completely (Luke 21:33; 2 Peter 3:10). On the other hand,
the Bible also provides evidence that the Earth will remain forever.
Certainly the Earth will not remain as it is now forever. How do we solve
this dilemma?
God will destroy the Earth, but not in the sense of an absolute, final
destruction. Rather, the destruction will be temporary until He reverses
the destruction through the resurrection and restoration. God’s judgment
through the Flood was universal but not permanent. Neither will His
judgment through fire be eternal.
We often refer to Heaven as
our future home. Home represents
familiarity. Home is a place with
family, a place where we belong,
a place that God is preparing that
will far exceed our imagination. Our
greatest of experiences on Earth are
merely foretastes of what our home
in Heaven will be like.
“The things
we love are not
merely the best
this life has
to offer~they
are previews
of the greater
life to come.”
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celebrating the
presence of God
To long for Heaven is to long
for God. Being with God for eternity is the ultimate blessing of
Heaven. Every other pleasure we
experience will pale in comparison.
The Ultimate Joy
On this Earth we can enter the
presence of God at any moment of
any day through prayer. On the
New Earth we will be able to live
in His presence in our resurrected
bodies. Can there be any greater
joy than this?
Familiar or Unfamiliar?
Will we recognize places on the New Earth? One of the most common misunderstandings about Heaven is that our surroundings will be
unfamiliar. But biblical evidence teaches the opposite. Many of our assumptions can’t be justified with God’s Word. We have reduced Heaven
to a place that older people want to go to as a preferable option to suffering and disability. “But the Bible portrays life in God’s presence,
in our resurrected bodies in a resurrected universe, as so exciting
and compelling that even the youngest and healthiest of us should
daydream about it.”
“To see God will be
our greatest joy, the joy
by which all others
will be measured.”
continued on page 6
6
CELEBRATING THE PRESENCE OF GOD
continued from page 5
The greatest attraction in Eden
was the presence of God. The worst
part of the Curse was that God removed His presence. When we die,
our experience will be wonderful
as we enjoy living in the presence
of God. But it is not certain that
we will fully see the face of God
then. The time we eagerly await is
the day when God will establish the
New Earth because on that day we
will actually see God’s face. There
can be no greater joy than this.
Living with God
On the day that God restores
the Earth to its original design,
Heaven and Earth will marry. No
longer will humanity reside in one
place and God and His angels in
another. Believers will be able to
visit with God anytime they wish.
God won’t send a delegate. He
Himself will live with us (Revelation 21:3). Not that we would ever
want to, but no matter how far we
travel on the New Earth, we will
never go far enough to leave His
presence.
We’ve all imagined what it would
be like to walk alongside Jesus as
the disciples did. On the New Earth,
we will have that opportunity. We
can talk with Him, laugh with Him,
discuss a book with Him, and even
play ball with Him. Certainly, being
with Christ will be the ultimate
prize of Heaven.
Will There Be Space and Time?
Worshiping God
If you’ve ever had a moment
when you have experienced the
very presence of God, you can
testify that the experience was
anything but boring. In the New
Earth we will forever explore the
beauty and mysteries of God. “In
Heaven, we’ll be at home with
the God we love and who loves
us whole-heartedly. Lovers don’t
bore each other.”
Most people don’t understand
how thrilling worship will be. They
have stereotypically connected worship with church services, which
are to them boring. God’s Church
(the people of God) will be in Heaven; but there will be no temple
and no biblical evidence which indicates there will be church services.
Worship extends far beyond
singing and prayer. We won’t be
on our knees all day praising Jesus.
But He will be continuously first
in our thinking. And that is worship.
In reality, worship cannot be
ho-hum. As each day passes in the
New Earth, we will discover that
God becomes more and more fascinating. The more we get to know
Him, the more we will want to
know Him. We will never be able
to get enough of God.
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questions and answers about heaven
What Will the New Jerusalem Be Like?
In Revelation 21-22, the place where God and His people will live
eternally is called a city fifteen times. The fact that the city is described
using many physical descriptions suggests a physical, geographical location.
Revelation 21:15-16 reveals the actual dimensions to be the equivalent
of 1,400 miles in length, width, and height. The notion that these figures
might have some symbolic importance does not negate the possibility
that these represent the literal dimensions of the New Jerusalem.
We should not worry about Heaven being crowded because the
ground level of the city will be approximately 2 million square miles.
Of course, we do not know exactly how the living quarters will be established. But combining our imagination with the biblical measurements,
the height would allow the city to have more than 600,000 stories. Billions and billions of believers could reside there.
This city will be completely different from today’s city. Imagine all
the benefits of culture, the arts, and natural wonders, but none of the
disadvantages of crime, pollution, sirens, and homelessness.
Eden existed in space and time.
The New Earth will also exist in
space and time. We will be delivered
from all evil; but space and time are
not evil. We will still be finite beings
in the sense that we cannot be in two
places at one time. When we meet
with others, it will be at a specific
place at a specific time.
One of the great hymns of the
faith says, “Time shall be no more.”
We naturally assume that this phrase
is biblically based. But it is not. John
Newton had a more biblical response
when he wrote, “When we’ve been
there ten thousand years.” The Bible
is filled with references which provide evidences of time in Heaven.
We will live in chronological sequence where one step always follows the previous. But we will no
longer live under the pressure of
time.
Will There Be Sun, Moon, and Oceans?
Some have cited biblical evidence
to indicate that there will be no sun
or moon in the New Earth (see Revelation 21:23; 22:5). No verse indicates the absence of the sun or
moon. Instead, the verses suggest
that these celestial bodies will not
be needed because the glory of God
will outshine them.
When the Bible indicates there
will be no more night (Revelation
22:5), it is speaking figuratively of
the crime, evil, prostitution, and
other acts of evil that often occur
during the cover of darkness. We
must remember that God created
the nighttime and that it existed
before the Fall.
The same principle can be applied
when dealing with the verse which
indicates that in the New Earth there
will be no sea (Revelation 21:1).
To the people in Bible times, the
sea brought tremendous fear. The
waters separated nations and drowned
loved ones. Everything in the New
Earth is upgraded. Why would God
take away from us the joy of walking
on sandy beaches and enjoying the
sound of waves crashing to the shore?
Could it be that we will be able to
dive without tanks and stay under
water for hours? Could it be that
we will be able to play with water
creatures? Why not?
continued on page 7
77
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT HEAVEN
continued from page 6
Will We Lose Our Identity?
Jesus called people in Heaven,
such as Lazarus, Abraham, Moses,
and Elijah, by their names. Names
represent identity. Who we are on
earth, we will be in Heaven (except
without the bad parts).
“Death is a relocation
of the same person from
one place to another.
The place changes, but
the person remains
the same.”
We do not become angels when
we die. We will have emotions, but
they will not be distorted. We will
have desires, but they will not be
unholy.
Jesus didn’t become someone
else when He died. He was the same
person after the resurrection as He
was before. God says our names
are written in the Book of Life.
And He will call us by our names.
We will be ourselves in Heaven.
What Will Redeemed
Bodies Look Like?
Our bodies will be restored to
the natural beauty of Eden. They
will not need any cosmetic touchup. If we are tall on Earth, then
we will probably be tall in Heaven.
No one will look identical to another. Without the curse, our bodies
will be perfectly suited for eternity.
They will no longer face the ills of
heart disease, arthritis, or cancer.
We won’t have to try to look beautiful because we will be beautiful.
We will not lose our gender in
Heaven. Jesus remained a male after the resurrection. Human bodies
are not genderless. Adam and Eve
did not wear clothes until after the
Fall. But in the intermediate Heaven, people are described as wearing clothes. So, evidently, in the
New Earth we will wear clothes
but not because of temptation
or shame.
The Bible does not speak with
absolute clarity about the appearance of our age in Heaven. In Isaiah
we read of little children playing
with the animals. Could it be that
when children die, they will begin
their days in the New Earth at they
same age? If that is the case, then
believing parents would be able to
still raise their children, the joy
they missed while on earth.
Will We Recognize Others?
Nothing from the Bible suggests that there will be a total mem-
ory lapse of things that happened
or people we knew on Earth. One
of the greatest joys of living in Heaven for eternity is re-establishing
relationships with loved ones. In
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, Paul,
dealing with end times, speaks of
the comfort that believers will have
when they are reunited with their
loved ones. So, yes, we will recognize one another.
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miscellaneous questions and answers
Miscellaneous Questions
Will there be marriage and family in Heaven? Jesus taught that the
institution of marriage would end. But He never suggested that the deep
relationships of family, including parent-child, would ever cease. The Bible
teaches there will be continuity between this life and the next. Certainly,
this teaching includes relationships among family. We will pick up where
we left off.
Will there be sex in Heaven? Sex is a beautiful gift from God that
existed before the Fall. However, since the institution of marriage will
not exist, then this is one example where the doctrine of continuity does
not hold. Could it be that God will fulfill this human desire in some higher
form?
What about our loved ones in Hell? Won’t that fact spoil the joys of
Heaven? The Bible gives no indication that believers in Heaven will be
ignorant of Hell. But we will certainly see things from a much better perspective. God will be our source of joy, and nothing will be able to interfere
with that joy.
“Of this we may be absolutely certain:
Hell will have no power over Heaven;
none of Hell’s misery will ever veto
any of Heaven’s joy.”
Will there be national and ethnic identities? Yes. God will preserve
our designed uniqueness. Revelation 5:9-10 teaches that God has redeemed
people from every tribe, language, people, and nation, and that these redeemed ones will reign in the New Earth. However, racism and social injustice will be completely erased from our existence.
Will there be animals in Heaven? As Isaiah 11 teaches, how can a
child lead the calf and the lion if there are no animals in Heaven? How
can the leopard lie down with the goat? Animals and mankind will enjoy
the redeemed Earth. Not only will there be animals in Heaven, but biblical
evidence informs us that they will actually engage in giving praise to the
Almighty God (Revelation 5:13).
continued on page 8
8
MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS AND CONCLUSION
continued from page 7
Will our pets be restored in
Heaven? Actually, this is not a stupid question as some would suggest.
Why do people of all ages find such
joy and companionship in their
pets? It is because we possess a
God-given affection for animals.
Although we cannot say definitively, is it beyond God’s power to restore a pet to the New Earth? Of
course not. Perhaps God will create
some new animals. Perhaps He will
bring some animals back to life.
Or perhaps He will do a combination of these two possibilities. We
must remember that Christ’s redemption covers not just humans
but all of God’s creation.
Conclusion
How should we live now in
light of Heaven? We should anticipate Heaven as our home. Home
is a place of refuge. Our work and
vacations may take us to many exciting places. But there is still no
place like home. Home is where
we relax, where we entertain guests,
and where we work on projects.
“Our true home in Heaven will
have all the good things about
our earthly homes, multiplied
many times, but none of the bad.”
The fact that our true home is
in Heaven should motivate us to
make sure we invest our days on
Earth in deeds of service that have
eternal value. We should make
every effort to lead as many people
to Christ as possible. We should
recognize that every choice we
make each day has a direct influence on the world to come. We
should seek to live a Christ-centered, righteous life. We should do
all we can to feed the hungry, minister to the sick, and provide hope
to the hopeless.
“As a Christian, the day
I die will be the best day
I’ve ever lived. But it won’t
be the best I ever will live.
Resurrection day will be far
better. And the first day
on the New Earth~
that will be one big step
for mankind, one giant leap
for God’s glory.”
CBS
Volume 3, Number 13
Publisher
David & Catherine Martin
Editors
Michael & Cheryl Chiapperino
Published on the World Wide Web at
ChristianBookSummaries.com.
The mission of Christian Book
Summaries is to enhance the ministry
of thinking Christians by providing
thorough and readable summaries
of noteworthy books from
Christian publishers.
The opinions expressed are
those of the original writers
and are not necessarily those
of Christian Book Summaries
or its Council of Reference.
Heaven by Randy Alcorn, copyright
2004 by Eternal Perspective Ministries. Summarized by permission of
the publisher, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 351 Executive Drive, Carol
Stream, Illinois. 516 pages. $24.99.
ISBN 0842379428. This book is available at most Christian bookstores,
at any online publisher (such as
Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, or
Parable.com) or by calling Tyndale
House Publishers at 1-800-323-9400.
The author: Randy Alcorn is the
founder and director of Eternal
Perspective Ministries, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to teaching
biblical truth and drawing attention
to the needy and how to help them.
Alcorn is the author of 20 books.
He and his wife, Nanci, live in Gresham, Oregon. They have two married daughters.
Summarized by: Ken Kelly. A graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Kelly has
served as senior pastor of Chapin
Baptist Church in Chapin, South
Carolina since 1986.