In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:2,3)
After Jesus was resurrected, following his appearance to some 500 people, He ascended to an actual place - Heaven. Before this happened, during the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples that He was going to prepare a place for us!
Jesus made two awesome promises with this statement:
1) "I will come again" - Jesus will come again and receive us to Him.
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (God the Father)
(John 6:38)
During his earthly life, Jesus made it clear many times that He had come from heaven and that He would return there.
And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
(Luke 24:51)
And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 8:11)
We shall know each other!
To be able to sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we would have to be able to recognize them and know who they were. This verse lets us know that we will know our loved ones too. Christians we knew and loved during our earthly life will be with us in heaven too!
Heaven is God's Home
The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven...
(Psalm 11:4)
Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory...
(Isaiah 63:15)
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:3)
Jesus said:
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
(Matthew 5:4)
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
(Matthew 5:8)
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:10)
Jesus told his disciples:
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
(Matthew 5:11,12)
Jesus said:
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
(Matthew 5:16)
Jesus taught us to pray:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name...
(Matthew 6:9)
Heaven is the Home of Angels
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven...
(Luke 2:13-15)
Heaven is a place so amazing, it is almost beyond our comprehension!
Jesus asked Nicodemus:
If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
(John 3:12)
Earthly Trials will Not Exist in Heaven
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
(Colossians 1:5)
For we which have believed do enter into rest...
(Hebrews 4:3)
Jesus said:
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
(Revelation 3:5)
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
(Revelation 22:5)
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
(Rev 21:23)
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
(Isa 25:8), (Rev 21:4)
No More Pain!
For those of us who have been abused, rejected and unloved in this life...for those who have suffered because of war, poverty, disease, crime, depression, natural calamity, death of our loved ones or any other cause of pain this is an awesome promise! In heaven, God himself will wipe away every tear we have ever shed!
Once we pass through those heavenly gates, all earthly pain and sorrow will be gone FOREVER!
We will have the awesome privilege of conversing with the prophets and saints of old!
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
