Heaven is a Physical Location

Excerpts from “A Place Called Heaven” by Pastor Robert Jeffress

(Notes from a radio broadcast in August 2022)

The Book of Revelation gives us insightful clues about the characteristics of Heaven:

Heaven will be a physical place – When Jesus told His disciples about the “Father’s house,” He used language that describes a real location; language like “topography” which details the actual, physical features of land on a map.

Heaven will be new – Revelation 21:1 tells us the current Heaven and Earth (along with all the elements) will be destroyed in intense heat and fire.  It is destroyed because of sin, so that the new Heaven and Earth can be pure environments.

Heaven will be full of splendor – It will be a place of peace, protection, permanence, and unimaginable beauty.  And because God dwells there, His glory will cause the city to shimmer like the luster of a diamond under the noonday sun.

The New Heaven will have no oceans – speculations about the earth’s oceans say that 71% of the earth is oceans.  There will be no need for oceans or salt.

There will be no sun or moon – Revelation 21:23 says that Jesus will bring all the necessary light and it will illuminate all of the Heavenly spaces.

Heaven will be free from sin – This is very good news!  All residents in Heaven will have God’s righteousness, which means no sin.  Everyone will choose to do what is right, true, noble, pure, lovely, and admirable.

There will be a capitol city called the New Jerusalem and it’s size will be that of a cube that measures 15,000 miles wide, 15,000 miles long, and 15,000 miles high—the equivalent of a 167,000 story building.  The total size is 2.25 million square miles.

The city will have 12 gates – There will be no need to ever lock the gates because there will be no evil in Heaven.

The city will have 12 huge foundational stones – These stones will be named after the 12 apostles and will be full of splendor because their brilliance will be that of a gemstone.

The city will have a crystal clear river with a Tree of Life on either side of the river.  The Tree of Life was the original tree in the Garden of Eden, so it bears fruit.  The Book of Revelation tells us that in Heaven, it will bear 12 kinds of fruit.

There will be no temple like the ancient one currently in Jerusalem.  God’s presence is all that is needed.

There will be no crying, pain, or sickness in Heaven.  God will give everyone new bodies made for Heaven—bodies that will live on for eternity.

Heaven was perfectly designed for all of humanity.  We were made for Heaven and it was made for us!  It will be beyond our wildest imagination!!