5 Things the Bible Reveals about Eternity in Heaven

1. Isaiah’s Glimpse of Heaven

One of a few people in the Bible who actually saw a glimpse of it and was allowed to tell others is Isaiah. In Isaiah chapter 6:1-4, Isaiah said, “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. ² Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

The whole earth is full of His glory!”

⁴ And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.”

A Seraph is a type of angel. Seraphim is simply the plural, according to Bible Gateway.

The thing to keep in mind here is that Isaiah is trying to take earthly words from around 700 BC and describe something that’s spiritual in nature. He would be using what’s familiar to him in his day and time to try to describe something he’s never seen, heard, or experienced. But the bottom line here is that the angels are clearly worshiping God as Isaiah looks on, and the presence of the Lord has totally filled the place.

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2. Stephen’s Glimpse of Heaven

In the book of Acts, the disciple Stephen saw a glimpse of heaven just before he was murdered for preaching the Gospel. In Acts 7:55-56 it says, “ But he [Stephen], being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’”

It’s significant that Jesus is standing in this particular passage. One could compare it to a standing ovation for Stephen, and also preparing to receive him into heaven since Stephen was murdered only minutes afterward. 

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3. The Apostle John’s Glimpse of Heaven

John had the best glimpse of all. In Revelation 4:2-5, the apostle John said, “I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. ³ And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. ⁴ Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones, I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”

John goes on to say in verses 6-8 that there’s a “sea of glass, like crystal” in front of the throne and that he saw four living creatures. One is like a lion, another a calf, a third “had a face like a man,” and the fourth living creature “was like a flying eagle.” Each creature had six wings and “were full of eyes around and within.” These creatures also worshipped continuously and said, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

As the elders heard and saw the worship of the creatures, verses 9-11 state that the elders also worshiped the Lord, threw their crowns before His throne and said, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”

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4. There Will Be Rewards and Crowns

Jesus speaks of rewards and crowns being given for various reasons:

• Enduring persecution – Matthew 5:11
• Doing kind deeds in secret – Matthew 6:1-4
• Victor’s Crown for those who are faithful in their walk with the Lord - 1 Corinthians 9:25–27
• Crown of Rejoicing for Christians who lead others to Christ – 1 Thessalonians 2:19
• Crown of Righteousness for those who are looking for and eagerly anticipating His return (or appearing) – 1 Timothy 4:8
• Crown of Glory for Pastors and Elders who are faithful and rightly focused examples to those whom they lead – 1 Peter 5:1-4 

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5. There Will Be Special Dwellings

Jesus spoke about going away to prepare a special place for those He loves and who love Him. Some versions of the Bible say He’s preparing a mansion, others say large rooms. In addition, there will be meaningful work for believers to do. Christian Bible teacher Dr. David Jeremiah suggests that the work will be enjoyable because it resonates with the spiritual gifts and talents God has placed in us. There will also be special leadership roles He assigns to believers, depending on how faithful they were with what He entrusted to them when they were alive on earth. 

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