what is heaven?

[IceMan84]

Just curious about something...I know we spend a lot of time talking about what hell is not, but what do you actually think heaven is? Do you think it is similar to the Garden of Eden where it is a physical location and we have physical bodies? Or is it just more spiritual rather than physical in nature? Or is it just something that is pointless for us to try and understand at this point?

[Lefein]

Most people say to me: "To know what Heaven will be like, look at creation before the fall".

It came to me one day like this.  Heaven isn't the goal, Deathless Creation is, and here is the goal of God, of which we are joint heirs in Christ;

"God made everything Good, but he's going to make everything Glorious."

God is not abandoning physical reality like many people want to teach, he's going to redeem it, and glorify it.  Physical reality is still, and is just as much; God's creation, just like our spirits, and spiritual reality.  Heaven, in essence...will be Reality as it should have been, glorified; "Pre-fall Garden of Eden", but above, and beyond it.

We where made naked, without shame, walking in the presence of God in the cool of the evening: Garden

We are remade to be given robes of glory, and crowns, in glorified bodies, full of glory (beyond being without shame), with the presence of God dwelling in us always, as well as being around us always: New Creation

[Quaesitor]

Exactly. to quote NT Wright:
God won't throw away physicality, everything that God has created is perfect, God doesn't create trash.
The resurrection is the hope of Glory, Heaven is God's realm not ours, we were  created to live on earth on a glorified earth it will be!

[WhiteWings]

New heaven , new earth, new body, new ....
To me that sounds like the new creation is very much the same as the current one. Vastly improved but still recognizable as what we call earth.
Maybe like the first car build compared to a modern car. Very different but still look similar enough to call both a car.

[micah7:9]

ICor. 2:13-14   13.  which things we are also habitually speaking – not in words taught by human wisdom (or: not taught within thoughts or ideas whose origin is human wisdom), but rather in ones taught by spirit (or: within ones taught whose source and origin is [the] Spirit), habitually evaluating, deciding, combining or contrasting spiritual [matters] together by spiritual [means] (or: constantly matching or comparing/contrasting things pertaining to spirit with things in spirit/[the] Spirit; progressively collectively-judging spiritual ones for spiritual [reasons]).


14.  But a soulish person (a human which is dominated by, or living focused on, his breath [= the present transient life], or by those things which characterize the soul [emotions; will; intellect]) does not normally accept (or: habitually get or welcomingly receive the offer of) the things of God's spirit (of the Spirit of God), for they are stupidity (foolishness; nonsense) to him (for him; in him), and he continues unable (habitually has no power) to intimately and experientially know [them], because they continue being sifted and held up for spiritual examination (are normally evaluated spiritually above; are constantly brought back for spiritual separation and discernment; are progressively re-evaluated spiritually).(Jonathan Mitchell Trans)

I cant begin to discern a "place called heaven" if I begin with my earthy understanding of what I "think heaven is." Heaven is " lofty, it is high up," it is not a logistical, physical "place." Now the Kingdom of God/Heaven is within me (Luke 17:21) I believe Rev. 21:1 and 2 is happening or will happen within the believer.  My :2c:

[IceMan84]

Thanks for the replies. I also tend to think heaven will be more a physical place, such as the garden pre-fall.

[thinktank]

Interesting question, also similar to 'he that has this hope within him purifies himself even as he is pure'

I think that heaven goes beyond the garden of eden, for what man has any idea the kinds of things that await in store for them in heaven, sounds that are not recognizable and rich cartoon like colours, instead of the greyish cement like colours we have today. I think this is one reason people are so addicted to Tv, and their computers because the colours are so much richer than those in real life.

The first man Adam was of the earth and so had limitations to earthly existence, but the second man the lord from heaven is not limited and can ascend to heaven and descend, so do we also in this manner receive this ability?, I believe so, for when we see him as he is we shall be like him.