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Is Heaven God's Reward for the Righteous?

Is the reward of the righteous an eternity in heaven? It seems 78 percent of Americans believe it is (National Review, Nov. 9, 1998). Through the centuries this has been the hope taught by traditional Christianity.

What would going to heaven be like? What would we do when we got there? How does the Bible describe heaven?

Beliefs about heaven as the reward of the saved have varied considerably through the centuries. Traditional pictures of heaven typically show an entrance with a rainbow arching over it, often marked by a bridge of gold or glass. St. Peter is usually represented as the doorkeeper. The inhabitants are shown accompanied by angels, or they may appear as angels themselves, having apparently sprouted a pair of wings.

Another common view in the popular consciousness has the inhabitants walking among the clouds plucking harps. The decor of heaven often features jewels, stars, candles and trumpets.

These ideas may represent views of the classical heaven as envisioned by artists, but men have had other ideas about what they think heaven may be like. Theologians and philosophers have adapted their concepts through the centuries, influenced by the society around them.

"Monks and friars, depending on whether they felt more at home in the countryside or in the city, preached a heaven defined primarily in terms of environment" (Colleen McDannell and Bernhard Lang, Heaven: A History, 1988, p. 108).

In other words, religious teachers, depending on their own experiences and preferences, have foreseen an urban paradise or something more rural. "Heaven became a city ... or the visionary experience of celestial castles. Accounts of the other world resonate with descriptions of golden streets, jewelled buildings, and richly dressed residents" (ibid.).

Men of the Renaissance era envisioned a spicier paradise. "In its boldest form, the new theology envisioned heaven as a place of erotic human love in the bucolic setting of a comfortable natural landscape" (ibid., p. 112).

An eternity in heaven doing what?

The relationship the heavenly inhabitants might have with God has been debated. A modern author describes the interaction with God this way: "There the saints shall eternally, without interruption, feast their eyes upon Him, and be ever viewing His glorious perfections" (John MacArthur, The Glory of Heaven, 1996, p. 221).

Others believe that, if this is all they are to do forever, heaven may prove to be a boring place. As one writer put it, the prayer of many could be: "Please God, don't take me to heaven yet ... I haven't even been to Hawaii!" (MacArthur, p. 49).

The modern Christian concepts of heaven present a diverse landscape. Another writer said: "I have a theory that heaven will offer faithful Christians whatever they sacrificed on earth for Jesus' sake. My mountain-climbing friend who intentionally lives in a slum area of Chicago will have Yosemite Valleys all to himself. A missionary doctor in the parched land of Sudan will have her own private rain forest to explore" (Philip Yancey, "What's a Heaven For?," Christianity Today, Oct. 26, 1998).

For many the most important aspect of heaven is the opportunity to see their loved ones again. "By far the most persuasive element of the modern heaven for many contemporary Christians is the hope of meeting the family again. Countless 'in memoriam' sections of newspapers throughout Europe and America reflect the belief that families parted by death will be reunited" (MacDannell and Lang, p. 309).

God does have a plan that will reunite loved ones, as we will see. But the popular ideas of heaven fall far short of capturing the majesty and purpose of God's plan.

Do people go to heaven at death?

The popular belief is that a good person goes to heaven immediately when he dies. But for the traditional Christian things aren't quite that simple. According to this view, the body goes to the grave, but the soul ascends to heaven.

The Westminster Confession of Faith, written in the 17th century, states, in part: "The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls, (which never die nor sleep,) having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies."

But does this concept agree with the Bible? Do the Scriptures state that righteous pe ople go to heaven when they die?

David, the king of Israel and author of many of the Psalms, whom God called "a man after My own heart" (Acts 13:22), did not go to heaven at his death. The apostle Peter, speaking under God's inspiration, stated: "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day" (Acts 2:29). He then added that "David did not ascend into the heavens" (verse 34).

David is included in Hebrews 11:32 among those who died in faith, and in verse 39 David is one of those of whom it is said: "And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise."

Jesus, speaking about 1,000 years after David's death, said: "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man ..." (John 3:13). This means that Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets and all other righteous men and women who lived before Christ's first coming did not go to heaven. They were buried in the grave as David was.

The view that a person's soul goes to heaven at death-though held by many in good faith-cannot be found in the Bible. It results from a misunderstanding of the Scriptures and confusion over what the Bible does teach about the resurrection.

Why a resurrection?

Theologians widely acknowledge that the Bible speaks of a resurrection, even if they're not sure what it means or when it takes place. The most common view is that at the resurrection the body rises to be reunited with the soul in heaven. But, as we pointed out earlier, the concept of the immortality of the soul-the soul as existing as something apart from the body-is not biblical. It takes its origins from the Greek philosophers rather than the writers of the Bible.

We might pose this question: If it were true that at the resurrection the body is to rise to be united with the soul in heaven, why would God do things this way? What purpose would the resurrection serve? Why keep the body in the grave? If the righteous go immediately to heaven at death, why wouldn't God send the complete being-soul and body -to heaven simultaneously, instead of keeping soul and body apart through the ages? Or why even have a resurrection? If the soul goes immediately to heaven, why bother with bringing bodies back to life?

The inescapable fact is that, according to popular teaching about heaven, there is no logical reason for the resurrection.

Why is there confusion about how the resurrection fits with the traditional view of heaven? Perhaps it is because support for the idea of going to heaven at death is not found in the Bible.

What is the Kingdom of Heaven?

Many people believe they will go to heaven because Jesus spoke repeatedly of the Kingdom of Heaven. In Matthew 5:3 He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Three other verses in Matthew 5 refer to the faithful entering the kingdom of heaven. The phrase Kingdom of Heaven appears in the book of Matthew a total of 32 times.

However, note that Matthew is the only biblical writer who uses the term kingdom of heaven. Other Bible writers use the term Kingdom of God. For example, Luke, in recording the same event described above, records Jesus' words as: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" (Luke 6:20). The terms are interchangeable. The term Kingdom of God is used 69 times in the New Testament, mostly in the Gospels-Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

As we will see, Jesus did not tell His disciples they should expect to go to heaven. He spoke instead of a kingdom originating from God in heaven that is to be established on the earth at His second coming. Notice Jesus' explanation that He would come to join His followers on earth at His return rather than have them ascend to heaven to be with Him where He currently resides.

After Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, He spent 40 days teaching His disciples, instructing them about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). After this He joined His Father in heaven. Let us notice the instruction His disciples received after He rose into the sky.

"Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven'" (Acts 1:9-11).

Jesus spoke repeatedly of His return to establish the Kingdom of God on earth (Matthew 25:31-34; Luke 21:27-31). He will return to earth and establish His Kingdom here-not in heaven. In what is commonly called the Lord's Prayer, He instructs His followers to pray to their heavenly Father, "Your kingdom come" (Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2). That kingdom is the true goal of every Christian (Matthew 6:33); we are to pray for its arrival.

In Luke 19:12 Jesus spoke of Himself in a parable, comparing Himself to "a certain nobleman [who] went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return." The "far country" is His Father's dwelling place, which is in heaven. Jesus will bring the Kingdom of God to earth at His return.

Matthew sometimes refers to it as the "kingdom of heaven" because it is a kingdom of heavenly, divine origins. Notice also that it is called the kingdom of heaven and never referred to as a kingdom in heaven. (To better understand what the Scriptures teach about the Kingdom of God, be sure to request your free copy of the booklet The Gospel of the Kingdom.)

Christ's Kingdom established on earth

One Old Testament prophecy is specific about Jesus' return, telling us exactly where He will arrive back on earth to establish His Kingdom. "And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east ... And the LORD shall be King over all the earth" (Zechariah 14:4, 9).

The incident we read about in the book of Acts that describes Jesus' ascension tells us that it was on the Mount of Olives that He last talked with His disciples, and it was from the same mountain that He rose into the clouds in their sight. He will return to the same mountain to begin His reign in the Kingdom of God.

In Matthew 5:5 Jesus tells us, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." This verse and many others describe the saints ruling on earth in God's Kingdom. For example, Revelation 5:10, speaking of the resurrected saints, says: "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth" (NIV).

The reward of the saints is eternal life in the Kingdom of God. This will be given to them when Christ returns, but, as we have seen, Jesus will reign with them on the earth rather than in heaven.