What will Heaven be like?

[John Anthony]

How do Christians envision it–say after the Last Judgement when earthly life has ended for all? Will heaven’s denizens be somewhat as they were on earth or very different? If they still have individual personalities, in what ways will they differ? What will they be doing? Anything other than a continual veneration of God? What if any personal relationships will there be between individuals? Will they still have individual preferences?

My questions are not a veiled attack on the idea of Heaven. I really want to know how Christians think about immortality, and how they picture the state of immortality that they call Heaven.

[Karen]

Good question. I'm not quite sure how I picture it, but one thing I do know is that we won't all be floating around on clouds "up there". Scripture speaks of "a new heaven and a new earth", so I envision people in their resurrected bodies on earth, living as we were intended to when God first created us: in loving harmony and peace with one another, suffused with the presence of God. We will still have our own unique personalities, but purged of sin and so able to be completely our true selves for the first time.

Rev 21:1-4 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Edited to add: and of course there will be plenty of books (see my sig). :)

[Stanley Anderson]

[Kolbitar]

[MotherLodeBeth]

Along this whole idea of what heaven will be like I have a question about the idea of that in this house of God there are many mansions. And how does this idea of heaven being a place, city etc and mansions and our bodies being temples of God all come together? Or do they?

~Beth

[John Anthony]

[provis]

I love the way Lewis depicts heaven in The Great Divorce. I cannot imagine what is will be like.

[sehoy]

[Genie]

[magpie]

I believe that we will retain our personalities because our personhood is a gift from God.

I believe that we will be given new and glorified bodies (the mortal will put on immortality), but I have not a clue what they will be like.

Most of all, I believe that while we may or may not be reunited with loved ones, our attention will be so completely focused on enjoying the presence of God that all else will be secondary (including our surroundings whatever they may be).

[Stanley Anderson]

[Steve]

[Tony]

[wood-maid]

[simplicity]