SOME people think that it is impossible to
know about heaven because no one has ever come down from there to tell us about
it. Perhaps they have forgotten that Jesus said: “I have come down from heaven.”
(John 6:38) To some religious leaders, he also said: “You are from the realms
below; I am from the realms above.” (John 8:23) What did Jesus say about
heaven?
Jesus confirmed that heaven is where Jehovah
resides. He called God “my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 12:50) But Jesus
used the word “heaven” in more than one sense. For example, he referred to the
earth’s atmosphere as “heaven” when he said: “Observe intently the birds of
heaven.” (Matthew 6:26) Nevertheless, Jehovah lives beyond the atmosphere. The
Bible says: “There is One who is dwelling above the circle of the earth.”—Isaiah
40:22.
Does the “Father who is in heaven” live among
the stars? The physical universe is also called “heaven” in the Holy
Scriptures. For example, one psalmist wrote: “When I see your heavens, the
works of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have prepared, what is
mortal man that you keep him in mind?”—Psalm 8:3, 4.
No, Jehovah God does not have to live inside
the physical universe that he created any more than a carpenter has to live
inside a cupboard that he makes. Thus, when King Solomon dedicated the temple
in Jerusalem to Jehovah, he said: “Will God truly dwell upon the earth? Look!
The heavens, yes, the heaven of the heavens, themselves cannot contain you; how
much less, then, this house that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27) If Jehovah
does not dwell in the physical heaven, what is the heaven where he does dwell?
Although men have studied the physical
heavens with powerful telescopes and some have traveled to outer space, what
the Bible says remains true: “No man has seen God at any time.” (John 1:18)
Jesus explained why when he said: “God is a Spirit.”—John 4:24.
A spirit is a form of life higher than a
human. A spirit is not composed of physical material, such as flesh and blood,
that can be seen and felt by human senses. So when Jesus said that he used to
dwell alongside his Father in “heaven,” he meant that he used to have a form of
life that is more glorious than any physical form of life. (John 17:5; Philippians
3:20, 21) This spirit realm where Jesus used to live with his Father is
what the Bible calls “heaven.” What is it like? What happens there?
A Place of Happy
Activity
The Bible describes heaven as a hive of
activity. It mentions hundreds of millions of faithful spirit creatures who
live there. (Daniel 7:9, 10) Each of these spirit creatures has his own
distinct personality. How do we know that? In all observable creation, no two
living things are exactly alike, so we can be sure that in heaven, there is
great diversity as well. Remarkably, all these heavenly personalities work
together in unity, thus providing an admirable contrast to the earth today,
where people rarely cooperate well.
Notice how the Bible describes activity in
heaven. “Bless Jehovah, O you angels of his, mighty in power, carrying out
his word, by listening to the voice of his word. Bless Jehovah, all you armies
of his, you ministers of his, doing his will.” (Psalm 103:20, 21) So a lot
of work is being done in heaven. We can be sure that it is satisfying work.
Angels have a long history of happy service
that goes back to a time even before the earth was created. According to the
Scriptures, when Jehovah founded the earth, the sons of God “joyfully cried out
together” and “began shouting in applause.” (Job 38:4, 7) One of God’s
heavenly sons was even privileged to work along with God in the creation of all
other things. (Colossians 1:15-17) This appealing description of happy activity
in heaven may raise questions in your mind about heaven and mankind.
Were Humans Intended
to Go to Heaven?
Since angels were serving God in heaven
before the founding of the earth, the first man and woman were evidently not
created to populate the heavens. Rather, God said to that first human pair: “Be
fruitful and become many and fill the earth.” (Genesis 1:28; Acts 17:26) Adam
was the first of a new form of earthly life, able to know God and to serve him
faithfully. He was to father a race of humans whose home would be the earth. “As
regards the heavens, to Jehovah the heavens belong, but the earth he has given
to the sons of men.”—Psalm 115:16.
People do not normally want to die; death is
not natural for humans. God mentioned death to Adam only as the punishment for
disobedience. Had Adam obeyed, he would never have died.—Genesis 2:17; Romans
5:12.
Not surprisingly, then, God said nothing to
Adam about going to heaven. So the earth was not to be a proving ground where
people would be tested to see if they were fit for heaven. Man was created to
live forever on earth, and that purpose of God will yet be fulfilled. The Bible
promises that “the righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will
reside forever upon it.” (Psalm 37:29) Clearly, humans were not originally
meant to go to heaven. Why, then, did Jesus promise heavenly life to his
apostles? Did Jesus mean that all good people will go to heaven?
Do All
Good People Go to Heaven?
AFTER Jesus’ final meal with his apostles on
the evening before his execution, Jesus promised to reward them with a place in
heaven. He said: “In the house of my Father there are many abodes. Otherwise, I
would have told you, because I am going my way to prepare a place for you.”
(John 14:2) Why would Jesus provide them a place in heaven? What will they do
there?
Jesus had in mind a special assignment for
his disciples. During that same evening, he said: “You are the ones that have
stuck with me in my trials; and I make a covenant with you, just as my Father
has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom.” (Luke 22:28, 29) God had promised
Jesus that he would be the King who would provide for one of mankind’s greatest
needs—good government. Jesus will save people from affliction and will crush
those defrauding them. Although Jesus will have subjects extending “to the ends
of the earth,” his throne will be in heaven.—Psalm 72:4, 8; Daniel 7:13, 14.
However, Jesus will not rule alone. Hence, he
promised his apostles a place in heaven. They were the first ones chosen to “rule
as kings over the earth.”—Revelation 5:10.
How many go to heaven? As in any government,
the rulers in God’s heavenly Kingdom are few in comparison with all the people
who live under its authority. To those who will rule with him, Jesus said: “Have
no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the
kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) That “little flock” will finally number 144,000.
(Revelation 14:1) That number is small in comparison with the millions who will
enjoy endless life on earth as loyal subjects of the Kingdom.—Revelation 21:4.
Thus, not all good people go to heaven. About
good King David, the apostle Peter plainly said: “David did not ascend to the
heavens.” (Acts 2:34) John the Baptist was a good man. Yet, Jesus indicated
that he would not be exalted to rule as a king in heaven. “Among those born of
women,” Jesus said, “there has not been raised up a greater than John the
Baptist; but a person that is a lesser one in the kingdom of the heavens is
greater than he is.”—Matthew 11:11.
Will You Receive the
Reward of Good People?
To receive the reward of living forever on
earth, what must a person do? Jesus said: “God loved the world so much that he
gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him
might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Notice that God’s
love for the world leads him to make everlasting life available to all, but
only those “exercising faith” actually receive that reward.
Faith needs to be based on accurate
knowledge. (John 17:3) You can demonstrate that you are a good person by
learning more about Jehovah’s purpose for man. Respond in faith to what you
learn. And be assured that the opportunity of life without end is really open
to you.
What Does the Bible
Say?
Question:
What happens to good people at their
death?
Answer:
“As for the dead,
they are conscious of nothing at all.”—ECCLESIASTES 9:5.
Question:
What hope do good people have for the
future?
Answer:
“The hour is coming
in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his [Jesus’] voice
and come out.”—JOHN 5:28, 29.
Question:
Where will the majority of good people
live?
Answer:
“The righteous
themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—PSALM 37:29.
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