Does the Bible tell us what heaven is like?

from the old testament

• Heaven is repeatedly described as the place where God reigns (Deuteronomy 26:15; 1 Kings 8:30; Psalm 11:4; Isaiah 66:1).
• Prophetic visions portray heaven as a place of overwhelming holiness and majesty (Isaiah 6:1–5; Ezekiel 1:26–28).
• Some passages in the Old Testament hint that the faithful will dwell with God beyond this life (Psalm 16:10–11; 73:24–26).
• The Old Testament also looks beyond the present world to a future restoration called the “new heavens and new earth” (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22).

from the new testament

• In the Bible, the word "heaven" occurs 276 times in the New Testament alone.
• John speaks of heaven as the Father’s house where believers will dwell (John 14:2–3).
• After His resurrection, Jesus entered heaven and now reigns there (Acts 1:9–11; Hebrews 1:3).
• John’s vision shows heavenly worship around God’s throne (Revelation 4–5).
• Paul describes being with Christ after death as far better (Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8). Therefore, heaven is for those who are saved where we will be in God’s presence.
• In heaven, we will never again suffer separation, because death will be dead and gone and will never steal from us again (Revelation 20:6). There will be no illness, no doubt or fear, and no sin.
• The most wonderful part of heaven will be the continual presence of God, from whom flow all good things and all blessings (1 John 3:2). He, the Lord our Savior, will be with us always, and we will be able to praise and thank Him perfectly for His sacrifice, for taking our sins on Himself, and for His provision of our eternal home in heaven.
• Paul said he was "caught up to the third heaven" but was not allowed to say what he saw there (2 Corinthians 12:1-9). If there is a third heaven, what are the other two? Scholars agree that the first heaven is what is also called the sky, or the firmament, and is the space that contains clouds, the breathable human atmosphere that hangs above the earth. The second heaven refers to what we call "space" or the area where stars, planets and galaxies are found.
• The third heaven, which Paul was told not to describe, is where God dwells with the angels and the souls of Christians, having had a place prepared for them by Jesus Christ (John 14:2).
• The saints of the Old Testament also have a home in heaven, having died trusting in God's future promise of a Redeemer (Ephesians 4:8).
• It is true for those before Christ's death and afterward—those who looked forward to His atonement and those who, like us, look back—that whoever believes in Him shall never perish but have eternal life with God (John 3:16).
• The Bible ultimately points to a renewed universe where God dwells with His people (Revelation 21:1–4; 2 Peter 3:13). This is the new heavens.
• The apostle John saw the city of heaven and, unlike Paul, was told to write down what he saw. This is part of the book of Revelation, the spiritual vision of the end times and the coming of Christ. In Revelation 21:10-27, John saw heaven and the new earth, full of the "glory of God" (Revelation 21:11), which is the presence of God.
• Because God's presence is light, the new heavens will not need a sun or a moon, because the Lord Himself is its light (Revelation 22:5).
• The city in heaven will have twelve foundations, each made of a different precious stone, on which will be written the names of the twelve apostles. It will have streets of gold so pure that it is transparent. It will have twelve gates, each one bearing a name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and each gate made of a single, giant pearl (Revelation 21:12-14).
• Flowing through the city will be the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1). Along the river will stand the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit—yielding a different fruit each month—and its leaves will be “for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2; cf. Genesis 2:9; Ezekiel 47:12).
• In the new heavens and earth, there will be no sorrow there, no pain or tears (Revelation 21:4). It is wonderful to imagine what heaven will be like, but the reality is that heaven will be more beautiful and good than we can imagine (1 Corinthians 2:9).

implications for today

“Heaven is a wonderful place, filled with grace and glory, I want to see my Savior’s face, heaven is a wonderful place.” Though it might seem like just a simple song about heaven, this tune sums up the joyful anticipation that a believer has in being in God’s presence and glory for eternity after death. The greatest promise of heaven is not its beauty but the fact that we will be with the Lord Himself, free from sin, sorrow, and death. Knowing that such a future awaits encourages us in our day to day lives. It helps us remember that God, whose presence we will be in forever, is near today. In fact, His Spirit lives within believers and refines us so we can experience and help others see the reality of heaven today. It encourages us to endure the difficulties of today, knowing that they are producing good in us now and for eternity. It helps us live with eternal priorities rather than temporary ones (Colossians 3:1–4; 2 Corinthians 4:16–18).

At the same time, the reality of heaven reminds us that eternity is real and that every person will one day stand before God. The Bible calls us to respond now by turning from sin and trusting in Christ, the only way to eternal life (John 14:6; Romans 10:9–10).

For those who belong to Him, heaven is not wishful thinking but a certain hope anchored in the resurrection of Jesus (1 Peter 1:3–4). Until the day we meet Jesus face to face, we must live today with eternity shaping us—in how we live and share our faith—and longing for the day when faith becomes sight and we will forever dwell with our Savior.