What does the Bible say about heaven?

The Bible passages below can be used in sermons, prayers, pastoral care, or worship planning focused on heaven.

In Genesis

Above the earth are the heavens, below the earth is the underworld. Above our heads are the sun, moon, and stars and all manner of good things, whereas the things below the earth are often associated with grim places such as Hades, or Sheol, and the realm of the dead.

The Bible repeatedly declares God to be the creator of the heavens and the earth, but already early in the Bible God's dwelling became associated with heaven, as in Genesis 21:17 and Genesis 22:11-18, when, first to Hagar and then to Abraham, an angel of God is depicted as calling out from heaven.

In the Psalms

By the time you get to Psalms, heaven and the heavens sometimes refer literally to the sky above. But just as often, heaven refers to the location of God's throne, the place from which God rules the cosmos.

In biblical visions

When people in the Bible receive visions of God (Isaiah 6, Revelation 1-5), it is to the heavens and to God's heavenly throne room that they direct their gaze.

In the New Testament

Particularly in Matthew, the realm of God is referred to as "the kingdom of heaven" even as Jesus taught the disciples to pray to "Our Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:9). Also, Jesus' ascension as recorded in Acts 1 has long been conceived as Jesus' return to heaven, to a realm above us where he now sits at God's right hand. In popular parlance, heaven is often shorthand to refer to where we go after we die and where we will spend eternity with God, thus propagating the idea that our eternal dwelling will be in another realm decidedly unlike this present creation.

However, the New Testament in particular promises the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, even as Revelation 21 depicts the realm of God coming down from heaven to this creation, where the dwelling of God will be with humanity forever. In that sense, heaven as the distinct dwelling of God and earth as our niche in creation will be merged into one, as we dwell in a restored creation that will be full of the glory of God.

Sermon ideas about heaven

Following are sample excerpts from Zeteosearch sermon resources about heaven:

• "Oh, Lord, Oh, Lord! Take the lead of our minds; place them on heaven and heavenly divine things. Oh, God, our Captain and King!" Sermon Illustration or Prayer by William H. Wiggins Jr. from The African American Lectionary
• "Through Jesus, the kingdom of heaven is ushered in and makes a difference in life on earth. The kingdom of heaven isn't strictly a location on the other side of the grave." Sermon Preparation by Chris Seidman and Joshua Graves from Ministry Matters
• "Mainline Protestants became shy in talking about heaven, emphasizing social reform and theologies intending to make Christianity relevant to modern culture. This often led to viewing heaven as simply part of the Christian story, held up along with all the other valid 'stories' of a postmodern world." Article about Church History by Jeffrey Burton Russell from Christian History Institute