Resources by Topic: Heaven

Our instincts tell us that this fallen world isn’t our home—we were made for someplace better. I’ve never been to Heaven, yet I miss it. Eden’s in my blood. The best things of life are souvenirs from Eden, appetizers of the New Earth.

Randy writes: "The promise of no more tears or crying is after the end of the world, after 'the old order of things has passed away' and there’s no more suffering on earth (Rev. 21:1-4)."

That’s a fascinating question to ponder. Randy has said this about technology on the New Earth: “Some people expect the New Earth to be a return to Eden, with no technology or the accomplishments of civilization. But that doesn’t fit the biblical picture of the great city, the New Jerusalem.”

Randy was interviewed by Mike Linch on his podcast Linch with a Leader. They discuss Randy’s background and journey to faith. They then dive into the question everyone has, “What will Heaven really be like?”  Randy answers some of the deepest questions on what is waiting for believers in eternity.

I would encourage you to exercise caution when it comes to Emanuel Swedenborg’s religious writings. 

Those who were single on Earth (like the Apostle Paul or Amy Carmichael) are certainly not second class to those who were married on Earth, both now and for eternity. The promises of God, of being part of His bride, of being fully satisfied in Him, are enough for all of us. 

Randy shares how conversations with Nanci in the time before her death have helped him look forward, with a biblically-grounded imagination, to the great reunion in Heaven. 

In this clip from his interview with Mike Linch, Randy addresses an idea that people commonly hold: that Hell will be a place of partying and fun, and Heaven will be boring and dreary. He reminds listeners that anything that has brought us joy comes from God and will be absent from Hell. 

In this clip from his interview with Mike Linch, Randy talks about sports and competition on the New Earth. Will we be able to compete without the sinful parts of a competitive nature?

I believe there’s one central explanation for why so many of God’s children have such a vague, negative, and uninspired view of Heaven: the work of Satan. Our enemy slanders three things: God’s person, God’s people, and God’s place—namely, Heaven.

I can’t speak for other believers, but as a fellow human on this sin-cursed planet and hosting a mind that’s been sin-tainted, I can say that putting “God in a box” is a very convenient way to exercise the control we like to pretend we have over our circumstances. 

The feedback you shared reflects a typical dispensational view that turns New Earth passages into millennial passages. For instance, you referenced Isaiah 65 and the Millennium, yet Isaiah 65 specifically says it’s talking about the New Earth.

On the one hand, the genetic abnormalities that people experience are a result of the Curse, which we know will be reversed forever on the New Earth, after the resurrection. On the other hand, it’s absolutely true that Down Syndrome people are precious and there is something that often shines through in them that is very special.

We tend to think of everlasting life as something that begins after the Resurrection or after we die when in reality it starts the day our lives are returned to us through Christ’s work of salvation. Likewise, we think of the bride of Christ in individual terms instead of as the Church.