All human imagination is insufficient to picture the glory of heaven. Paul was granted a glimpse of the third heaven (2 Cor 12:2). In another context, he writes about the hidden wisdom of God, which the Spirit of God already makes known to us here on earth, and comments: “What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no one has entered into the heart. of man, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9). How much more does this description apply to the still invisible glory of God and to heaven! The Bible does not give us a complete picture of heaven, but it does describe it in many facets, some of which we will consider here. Faith will be able to perceive it in a foretaste; the sight will be indescribable.

  1. Heaven, an empire : All the empires of this world are disappearing, their earthly power is only limited. The German Empire of 1871 has not reached fifty years. The Third Reich was touted as the millennium, but ended in ruins after 12 years. Heaven, on the other hand, is an eternal kingdom (2 Peter 1:11) that will have no end. It is an “immovable kingdom” (Hebrews 12:28). It is the longed-for heavenly homeland (Heb 11:16), in which God’s rule will be fully recognized with perfect government. Those who belong to Christ will reign with him forever and ever (Rev 22:5; Luke 19:17+19).
  2. Heaven, the Father’s house : Unlike all earthly houses and dwellings, heaven is an imperishable place: “For here we have no lasting city, but we look for the city which is to come” (Heb 13:14). God Himself prepared this city (Heb 11:16b), and the Lord Jesus is the designer of the eternal abode: “In my Father’s house are many mansions …. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). All who belong to Christ have eternal citizenship here; they are members of God’s family (Ephesians 2:19). In the “Our Father” it says: “Our Father who art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9) and in John 17:24 the Lord Jesus prays: “Father, I will that where I am, they also may be with me, thou hast given them, that they may see my glory”. Heaven is our Father’s house because God lives there (Genesis 24:7; Psalm 115:3; Matthew 6:9). It is also the dwelling place of Jesus. From there he came to us into the world (John 3:13; John 6:38), and there he was taken back after his ascension (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:11). When he returns in power and glory, he will go out from there and take his people with him.
  3. Heaven, our homeland : During the last war, millions of East Prussians, Pomeranians and Silesians lost their former homeland. From generation to generation, people lived in these areas until the day of flight or expulsion. The author himself was an eyewitness to these terrible events. Humans are designed for home. Nietzsche lamented his lack of a spiritual home with the words, “Woe to him who has no home!” In this world there is only a temporary home, which is why Paul writes to the Philippians (3:20), “But our home is in heaven , Since then we also wait for the Savior Jesus Christ, the Lord.”
  4. Heaven, a place of joy : Even by earthly standards, the celebration of a wedding is an occasion of special joy. Heaven is described in the Bible in the image of the wedding feast as an eternal feast of joy: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride is ready” ( Revelation 19:7). Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who patiently bore the sin of the world and blotted it out on the cross, is now the bridegroom and his church is the bride. Jesus describes this saved group from all peoples, tribes and nations in Luke 13:29: “And there will come from east and west, from north and south, those who will sit at table in the kingdom of God.”
  5. Heaven, a place without sin : Our world is permeated with the consequences of sin: suffering, anguish, pain, screams, sickness, war and death. But in heaven “nothing will be forbidden” (Revelation 22:3). God will be all in all, and he himself will make all things new: “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain; for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). With that vision, Paul can also endure temporal affliction: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).
  6. Heaven, Coronation Place : Everything we do in this life in the name of the Lord Jesus has an eternal dimension. It has a lasting character. That is why Paul can say at the end of his earthly journey: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith; “Therefore the crown of righteousness is prepared for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me at that day, not only to me but also to all who love his coming” (2 Tim 4:7-8) . The exalted Lord also speaks of such a coronation in Revelation 2:10: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of (eternal) life.”
  7. Heaven, our goal : The highest goal we set for ourselves as human beings is: to reach heaven through faith in Jesus. In 1 Peter 1:8-9 the apostle points to this goal: “Him (=Jesus) you have not seen, and yet you love Him; … and rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious, bringing to you the goal of your faith, which is the salvation of souls”.