“No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.”—John 3:13 (NKJV)

Heaven. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t want it to exist. I mean, who doesn’t want there to be a heaven, right? Even in some abstract or ubiquitous form. When confronted with the death of a loved one, everyone wants that person to be in “a better place.” Heaven’s pull on the human heart is undeniable. 

But you’d also be hard pressed to find someone who can give you a clear, accurate, and definitive description of heaven. Look across the timeline of humanity, all the way up to 2018, and you’ll see more takes on heaven than you can keep track of! 

Just about everyone has adopted an opinion. These views have been molded and shaped by books we read, music we listen to, movies we watch, celebrities we admire, and on and on it goes. And the views are far-ranging and often contradictory, which means a lot of people must be wrong.

Here’s the thing: Nobody who has lived their entire existence on earth can serve as an authoritative source of information on heaven. I’ve never been to Paris. I can do a lot of research on it, but I can’t be as accurate about it as someone who has lived there. Similarly, to know the truth about heaven, we need the Word of One who has been there.

Fortunately, there is One (and only One) who fulfills that requirement. Jesus Christ, who was eternally existent in heaven prior to His incarnation as a babe in Bethlehem, has revealed the heavenly realities to humanity. What He says about heaven stands. Any contradictory statements are not credible. Why? Because, again, He is uniquely qualified above all others to speak on the place He inhabited before being born into our earthly race.

Jesus had a lot to say about heaven in Scripture, and everything He said was based on the unwavering insistence that it is, in fact, a real place. The Lord never spoke of heaven as being a state of mind, a concept, or anything less than an actual and tangible place. It’s a running assumption that’s never, ever, broken during His life on earth.

Again, He’s the only authority on heaven, and it would be foolish to accept anything that does not agree with what His Word says. And the first thing we need to see and accept that He says is that it’s real! Don’t think any less!

DIG: What foundational reality does Jesus give us concerning heaven?

DISCOVER: Why is this reality so needed today?

DISPLAY: Who shapes your concept of heaven and why?