One area of theology that I feel is not taught about very often in church is the topic of heavenly rewards. As a result, I've seen even mature Christians show some confusion about some aspects of these amazing rewards that we can look forward to one day receiving from God.

I feel that this confusion and/or lack of teaching on this topic can set Christians up for two possible errors:

1. We may feel worried when we think about heaven and fear that we will be disappointed with how few heavenly rewards we will receive.
2. We may feel discouraged when we compare our lives, spiritual gifts, and ministries with those of other Christians who we imagine may receive more or better heavenly rewards than we will.

Neither of these errors will inspire and encourage us to do what we can now to maximize our use of the gifts and talents God has given us. It also will not make us feel hopeful when we think about going to heaven, or excite us to think about Jesus coming back to take all true Christians to heaven at the Rapture.

Additionally, I have heard some non-Christians claim that they don't want to go to heaven if some people are going to have more heavenly rewards than others, or if some people will be in higher positions of ruling authority than others. Supposedly, to these critics, it wouldn't be 'heaven' if everyone isn't totally equal.

I have mentioned heavenly rewards in a number of my blog posts because it's a topic I love to think about and write about. However, it would likely be time-consuming for someone to go through and find the relevant sections of my posts to put all the pieces together on this topic. Even then, I may have missed covering some aspects of heavenly rewards if this information wasn't related to the arguments I was making in those posts.

Therefore, I feel it is worth doing an in-depth study on this topic in order to clear up any misunderstandings Christians may have about heavenly rewards, and which can consolidate my thoughts on all aspects of this amazing topic.

But to keep the length reasonable, I will split this study into two different blog posts.

In this first post, I will examine the heavenly 'rewards' that every single Christian can look forward to receiving, regardless of our behavior in this life now. As a quick introduction, these are:

• eternal life
• immortal glorified bodies
• customized homes in the New Jerusalem
• a divine inheritance

Thus, we may question whether these are truly 'rewards', given that there is nothing anyone must do in order to earn them — that is, besides believing the good news that eternal life is a free gift given to all who trust in Jesus as their Savior (e.g., Romans 6:23).

However, I feel that covering this topic is important because it shows that the bulk of what Christians typically think of as heavenly rewards will actually be given equally to every single true Christian.

Then in my next post, I'll look at the heavenly rewards that Christians can earn, depending on our behavior in this life.

I hope that by the end of this post, you will be encouraged by everything that Christians can look forward to once we are in heaven. I also hope this can reassure Christians that no one will be disappointed by how amazing our eternal lives will be, regardless of how many good works we did or how well we served God in our lives now.

Eternal Life

Unfortunately, some Christians mistakenly claim that true believers in Christ can somehow lose our eternal salvation unless we continually strive to keep our faith strong and/or do good works.

For example, John Wesley taught that if Christians don't persevere in good works, then our faith will eventually fade and we will lose our salvation.1

However, this idea is simply not true, as shown by a single Bible verse:

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

So the very first instant that anyone believes the good news that Jesus died for their sins so that they can have eternal life for free, that person is immediately and permanently sealed with the Holy Spirit, which guarantees that they now have eternal life that can never be lost.

This sealing of all true Christians continues to the day of our bodily redemption, which will occur at the Rapture for all Christians who have ever lived from the day of Pentecost until that day that Jesus appears in the clouds to take us to his Father's house (Ephesians 4:30, Luke 21:28, Romans 8:23, Philippians 1:6, 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, John 14:1-3).

Jesus said he would never cast out or lose anyone who puts their faith in him:

All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. (John 6:37-40, NIV)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. (John 10:27-30)

So it is impossible for anyone who has ever truly believed in Jesus to lose their salvation, regardless of what happens to them or what they do in this life. That includes falling away from faith, committing terrible sins, and anything else we might think of. I've written more about this topic in my posts here and here.

Of course, there are very good reasons why Christians should hold onto our faith, do good works, and try to avoid sinning. Some of these reasons will be discussed in my next post. However, doing these things is not required in order to earn or maintain our eternal salvation.

If we had to do anything to earn or maintain our salvation, it would no longer be a gift, but a wage that God owes us for our work (Romans 4:4). But the Bible is clear that eternal salvation is a free gift, so that no one can brag about saving ourselves (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 6:23, 3:23-25).

Thus, eternal life is not a reward that Christians must either earn or keep from losing through anything we do. But in a sense, we can think of eternal life as a reward that God freely gives to everyone who has faith in Jesus.

And if this is true for eternal life, then it is also true for the Rapture, as I've argued in my post where I explain why all true Christians will be raptured, not just those who were 'good enough' when this amazing event happens.

Immortal Glorified Bodies

So if every true Christian is guaranteed to experience eternal life in the New Heaven and New Earth, then we will also all receive immortal bodies in which we will live forever.

In this section I will examine everything the Bible says about our future bodies, and also look at what some other Christian theologians have speculated about these bodies. I will argue that the quality of Christians' resurrected bodies does not depend on our level of holiness or our obedience or performance in this life.

Thus, there is no reason for Christians to worry that our immortal, resurrected, glorified bodies will not be as good as we might hope they will be.

Because this section is somewhat long due to the amount of detail I go into, if you're not interested in this discussion, feel free to click this link to skip down to the next section about Christians' eternal homes in heaven.

Jesus as the Prototype of Christians' Resurrected Bodies

So what will Christians' resurrected bodies be like? There's not a ton of detail in the Bible, but there are some hints.

The Bible does clearly say that our bodies will have the same nature as Jesus' resurrected body did (Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Corinthians 15:49, 1 John 3:2), and likely, the same capabilities.

For example, Jesus was able to instantly appear wherever he wanted, even inside a locked room (John 20:19, 20:26). Yet he wasn't a disembodied spirit, because he could be touched with hands and could eat food (Luke 24:36-43).

In order to avoid any confusion, it's important to clarify that just because our resurrected bodies will have a similar nature to Jesus' body, it doesn't mean we will all look exactly like Jesus.2 The Bible shows that our bodies will still have differences between them, so we won't all look identical.

For example, when describing these new immortal bodies, Paul says that we can imagine our current bodies as being like a sort of seed that after it dies (or is raptured), sprouts into different kinds of wonderful plants:

But someone may ask, "How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?" ... When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. (1 Corinthians 15:35-38, NLT)

Or we could compare the diversity of our glorified bodies to the variety of all the stars and planets which are all unique and beautiful in their own ways (1 Corinthians 15:40-41).

But each person's immortal glorified body will share at least some similar positive traits:

That's how it will be when our bodies are raised to life. These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever. These ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong. As surely as there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies. And our physical bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, CEV)

What is a Spiritual Body?

Okay, but exactly what is a 'spiritual' body?

Sometimes people use Mark 12:25 to claim that resurrected people will become angels:

For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. (Mark 12:25)

But in context, all that Jesus is teaching here is that resurrected people will not marry one another. It doesn't mean that we become pure spirits, like angels are (Hebrews 1:13-14), even though angels are shown in the Bible as sometimes appearing like humans and as also being able to interact with physical reality (e.g., Genesis 19:15-16, Matthew 28:2, Acts 5:19).

Indeed, in my blog post about what it means for humans to be made in the image of God, I explain that humans are actually superior to angels, because having physical bodies means that we can be indwelt with the Holy Spirit in a way that angels cannot. This means that redeemed humans who are indwelt with the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-11) are actually partakers of God's own divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

So even though 1 Corinthians 15:44 mentions "spiritual" bodies, we know this cannot mean a state of disembodied existence, since there is no such thing as a non-physical body. As Randy Alcorn explains in his book Heaven (2004):

A non-physical resurrection is like a sunless sunrise. There's no such thing. Resurrection means that we will have bodies. If we didn't have bodies, we wouldn't be resurrected! 3

Thus, Alcorn goes on to say,

When Paul uses the term "spiritual body" (1 Corinthians 15:44), he is not talking about a body made of spirit, or an incorporeal body — there is no such thing. 'Body' means corporeal: flesh and bones. The word 'spiritual' here is an adjective describing 'body', not negating its meaning.... When Paul says that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God," he's referring to our flesh and blood as they are now: cursed and under sin. Our present bodies are fallen and destructible, but our future bodies — though still bodies in the fullest sense— will be untouched by sin and indestructible They will be like Christ's resurrection body— both physical and indestructible.4

Alcorn believes the reason why so many Christians today think that heaven and our future bodies must be non-physical is due to the influence of Platonic thought. Platonism is a variety of ancient Greek philosophy which claimed that physical things are somehow bad, corrupt, or unworthy of divinity. But this idea is never found in the Bible.5

Indeed, Paul compares our current bodies to being like a temporary, flimsy, weak tent we live in, while our future immortal bodies will be as strong and permanent as a building. In this analogy, Paul says we don't actually desire to be "unclothed" (i.e., become a disembodied spirit), but we long to be "further clothed" with an even better, immortal, glorified body (2 Corinthians 5:1-5).

So then what is the difference between a physical body and a spiritual body?

One possibility is that it means that right now, our bodies are limited by physical reality. We're subject to things like gravity, physics, biology, aging, and more which put limits on what we can do. A spiritual body, in comparison, such as Jesus' resurrected body, does not seem to have these same limits, as shown by how he could appear inside locked rooms and ascend to heaven.6

It would certainly be fun to be able to swim without needing to breathe, fly whenever we want, run without getting tired (e.g., Isaiah 40:31), or explore outer space without needing a spacesuit. These might be some of the amazing things that our spiritual bodies will be able to do.

Will We Look Like Ourselves?

However, some Christians may worry that these new bodies may not be as good as we might hope. In particular, due to the influence of cultural beauty standards, we may even hope that our eternal bodies will be dramatically different from our bodies now.

I remember seeing a movie in which the main character played by Robin Williams meets his deceased daughter in the afterlife. Yet to his surprise, his daughter now appears to be ethnically asian, rather than white. His daughter says she was so influenced by how her dad had once complimented the beauty of an asian flight attendant that she always wanted to be asian.

Similarly, the movie later reveals that a black man who the main character had been interacting with was in reality the man's deceased son. Presumably, the implication is that his new body revealed his true self in a way that his former body did not.7

But I think we really wouldn't be ourselves if such fundamental bodily traits were altered so dramatically. I am only who I am because of who my parents were, because of who their parents were, and on and on back to Adam and Eve. I believe I wouldn't really be myself in heaven if my glorified body suddenly became so different that it no longer looked at least somewhat like myself with respect to these basic sorts of details, such as being approximately the same height, build, ethnicity, gender, and so forth.

For example, Job was confident that when he would be resurrected, he would be recognizable as himself, rather than someone else (Job 19:25-27). Elijah and Moses were also somehow recognizable by the disciples when they made post-death or post-translation appearances on Earth (Matthew 17:3-4).

As Anthony Hoekema points out,

There must be continuity [between our current bodies and our future resurrected bodies] for otherwise there would be little point in speaking about a resurrection at all. The calling into existence of a completely new set of people totally different from the present inhabitants of the earth would not be a resurrection.8

So if we can expect there to be continuity between our current bodies and our future bodies, then presumably, there will be just as much diversity in heaven as there is among people on Earth now. Thus, I like what Randy Alcorn suggests when he says,

God will decide what our perfect bodies look like, but we certainly shouldn't assume they'll all look alike. Different heights and weights seem as likely as different skin colors. Racial identities will continue (Revelation 5:9, 7:9), and this involves a genetic carryover from the old body to the new. I'm speculating, but it seems likely that people whose bodies were tall will have tall resurrection bodies; those who were short will likely be short. The naturally thin will be thin, and the naturally thick will be thick. But all of these sizes will be healthy and appealing, untouched by the Curse [of nature due to Adam and Eve's first sin] or disease or restrictions, and we'll each be perfectly happy with the form God designed for us.9

However, due to living in this fallen world, some people have suffered from various medical or genetic conditions that have significantly affected their bodily size, shape, or other traits such as skin color (e.g., vitiligo or albinism). In these cases I'm confident that these people, if they are eternally saved, will experience greater changes in order to restore their bodies to what they should ideally have been without these conditions.10

And it's not only these people who will experience bodily changes. In reality, every person's DNA has been somewhat degraded. This degradation is a result of tiny copying errors which occur during the imperfect biological process of combining parents' DNA to create a child in this currently-fallen world.

These copying errors are then passed down to this child's future children, in addition to any new copying errors these children's DNA would gain, and on and on. Thus, each future generation's DNA is slightly more degraded than the previous generation's was.

This is why it was no problem for Cain to marry one of his sisters (Genesis 4:17), or for Abraham to marry Sarah his half-sister (Genesis 20:11-12). But by the time of Moses, God put in restrictions regarding who is allowed to marry one another (Leviticus 18:6-17).

Today, with the help of science, we can say that part of God's reasoning behind instructing close relatives to not marry one another was so that inherited genetic copying errors would not accumulate in the same places of their children's DNA as quickly, because this would lead to their children having the sorts of medical problems that happen today when people become genetically inbred.11

But presumably, to create our glorified bodies, God could go back through each person's ancestral lineage and 'undo' all these copying errors to create perfected DNA for each person that still respects our heritage.12

So what could we expect our perfected bodies to be like?

In his book The City of God, the early church theologian Augustine shared his thoughts about Christians' future resurrected and glorified bodies.13 Some of Augustine's ideas are clearly speculative, and it must be noted that Augustine doesn't have any more information than we have in the Bible to work with. He was also influenced by his ancient Roman culture and philosophy, just as we are all influenced by our modern culture.

However, Augustine does have a few inspiring quotes and encouraging ideas that I agree with. Regarding our glorified bodies, Augustine suggests:

Every man shall receive his own size which he had in youth, though he died an old man, or which he would have had, supposing he died before his prime.14

Augustine believed our prime age is around thirty — the same age Jesus was when he was crucified.

Personally, I don't think we need to pin down a precise age, but we can say that each person will be totally perfect, with no signs of physical degradation due to aging. Likewise, no one will be stuck as being an eternal child or teenager, because these bodies have not yet grown into their full stature as defined by the potential of their DNA.15

But then, would it mean that people who died as children will suddenly be resurrected as full-grown adults?

Although it's never mentioned in the Bible, Randy Alcorn proposes an interesting answer to this question when he speculates that children may be resurrected with bodies that will look about the same age they were when they died. Then these children will be allowed to grow up in their glorified bodies as they naturally would have in their mortal bodies, as a way for them to not miss out on the childhood and teenage years they never experienced. Eternally-saved parents may then also be able to help raise the children they lost in this life,16

If true, then I would suspect that resurrected adults who never had the opportunity to be parents in this life might also be able to have some of their dreams fulfilled by serving as parents and mentors to resurrected children whose parents did not make it to heaven. And if you're curious, I've written more about the question of the salvation of infants and children in my post about whether people can believe in Jesus after death.

So overall, there are a number of theologians who make a good case for the idea that our resurrected bodies will be, at the very least, the genetically-perfected versions of our current bodies.

However, some Christians who have struggled to accept and/or love their current bodies might find this claim underwhelming, if not slightly discouraging. But hold on, and keep reading, and I think these feelings will disappear.

But Will We Like Our Resurrected Bodies?

Given what was said in the previous section about the diversity of bodily shapes and sizes we can likely expect to see in heaven, I think some Christians might still be nervous about the idea of potentially being one of the 'thicker' or 'larger' body types, if this is our current build.

The same feeling might occur for anyone who dislikes some aspect of their current body, and dreads the idea of still having this feature in their resurrected body. These concerns are likely a reflection of our current culture's beauty standards.

For example, Western culture is often obsessed with being thin, sometimes combined with artificially-enhanced curves for women that no woman who is normally that thin would likely have. And for men, there is pressure to have very little body fat, to be like the chiseled models and bodybuilders who may take all sorts of supplements and adhere to ridiculous workout regimens to maximize their muscles' size and definition.

Yet a look into history reveals that in different places and different times there have been a wide variety of various shapes and sizes of people that were thought of as being beautiful or handsome by different cultures, even though these are different from today's very narrow and almost-impossible ideas of what the perfect man or woman should look like.17

I think that in heaven we'll be able to appreciate many more types of beauty without being limited by the images we see in today's media or the expectations of current human cultures.

The same goes for the types of clothing we will likely wear in eternity. Even though clothing came about as a result of Adam and Eve feeling shame after they first sinned (Genesis 3:7, 3:21), the Bible does speak about people in heaven wearing clothes (Revelation 3:4, 6:11). Thus, as Alcorn notes, "It appears we'll wear clothes — not because there will be shame or temptation, but perhaps because they will enhance our appearance and comfort".18

In my opinion, fashion is an important part of culture, and it's also a great way for people to express themselves and have fun dressing up for different sorts of occasions. So I don't see why we would have to all dress the same forever in heaven. And in fact, not every style of fashion is suited for every body type, so a variety of bodies would seem to naturally lead to a variety of different styles of clothing, such that everyone could wear the style(s) that suit their bodies and personalities the best.

However, as a result of this discussion about the possible diversity and variety of bodies in heaven, Christians might still worry we might not totally like our resurrected bodies if our bodies won't necessarily conform to the 'perfect' body type we currently imagine we would like to have for all eternity. So here, I would like to share a few more quotes that I hope can encourage us about what we can look forward to our bodies being like in heaven.

Returning to the early church theologian Augustine, he suggests that:

Overgrown and emaciated persons need not fear that they shall be in heaven of such a figure as they would not be even in this world if they could help it. For all bodily beauty consists in the proportion of the parts, together with a certain agreeableness of color. Where there is no proportion, the eye is offended, either because there is something awanting, or too small, or too large.19

So basically, Augustine believed that everyone's glorified bodies will be their own perfect size and shape, even though this may vary from one person to another. No one will be considered as being ugly, either in their own opinion, or in the opinion of others, because that would decrease everyone's eternal happiness.

Although men will still be men, and women will be women, Augustine says no one will lust over each other's bodies, but we will praise and glorify God for the beauty he gives everyone. Like Adam and Eve before they sinned, no one will feel shame for any part of their bodies.20

And in case we might worry that our eternal bodies won't be as good as we hope they will, Alcorn notes that,

The most beautiful person you've ever seen is under the Curse, a shadow of the beauty that once characterized humanity. If we saw Adam and Eve as they were in Eden, they would likely take our breath away. If they would have seen us as we are now, they likely would have been filled with shock and pity.21

I find this quote is helpful to remember whenever I look in the mirror and feel dissatisfied with myself due to comparing myself to various celebrities I admire.

If even the people who I think are so beautiful today are affected by the curse of nature caused by Adam and Eve's sin (Romans 8:19-23), as well as the ongoing degradation of humanity's DNA that we discussed earlier, then surely, every single Christian's glorified body will automatically be far better than any body we've ever seen in this fallen world.

What About People With Disabilities?

In the past, I think this question wouldn't have even been asked. It was obvious to the early church author Augustine that resurrected, glorified people will not suffer from any disabilities or physical handicaps, whether mental or physical:

No infirmity shall remain in the mind nor in the body itself.22

It is strange to me that this position should now be controversial. During my PhD I became aware of some modern advocates of what is called disability theology. These authors typically claim that what our society today often calls 'disabilities' and other conditions that affect the development of the human body which cause individuals to be differently-abled should not be thought of as flaws that need to be fixed or healed, but are instead simply alternative ways of being human.23

The implication of these disability theologians seems to be that some people will still be deaf, blind, or paralyzed in heaven, because it is simply how God intended them to be.24

I have even heard of one Christian author who supposedly claimed that he did not want his son who has Down Syndrome to be healed from this condition in heaven, out of fear that it would change his son's personality (presumably, for the worse). I think such a fear is misplaced, since it should be obvious that no one in heaven will be less loving, less kind, less sweet, or less charming than they are now, even though these traits may be expressed differently depending on the individual's age and level of mental development.

And in contrast to these advocates of disability theology, there certainly are some disabled Christians who have written about how much they look forward to having non-disabled bodies in heaven, such as the quadriplegic Joni Eareckson Tada.25

Personally, I'm convinced that when Jesus healed people from all sorts of physical problems such as lameness, blindness, and more (e.g., Matthew 4:23, 9:35, 11:4-5), it was a demonstration that disabilities are not in alignment with God's good will for people. The Bible also says that in Jesus' earthly Millennial Kingdom anyone who had disabilities will be healed (Isaiah 35:5-6, 29:18). So how much more would this be true in the New Heaven and New Earth?

I believe the same would be true for any sort of physical or mental issues that cause people to suffer in any way, no matter how small, or that would keep people from enjoying any part of God's created world. This would therefore include any condition that would otherwise prevent someone from doing anything that God has generally created the human body to do (i.e., walk, run, talk, see, hear, sing, taste, eat, etc.). So no one on the New Earth will have food allergies or dietary sensitivities, no one will need glasses or hearing aids, no one will have diabetes, no one will have missing limbs or birth defects, and so forth.26

Ultimately, we will have to let God make the decision about how he intended his created people to be, rather than claim that God must do what we expect. Thus, I hope that differently-abled Christians wouldn't become so identified with their body's current condition that they could not humbly accept that God has the authority to remake their glorified bodies in whatever way God chooses.

However, there is another approach to disabilities in heaven which might take things too far in the opposite direction.

At one point in his book Heaven, Randy Alcorn seems to imply that people who were disabled, simply due to the fact that they temporarily suffered physical impairment in this life, may be rewarded by being given greater bodily abilities in their resurrected bodies than those of us who were not disabled.

When thinking of his friend David who currently has cerebral palsy, Alcorn writes, "I see him running through fields on the New Earth. I look forward to running beside David... and probably behind him".27

I would prefer to say that Christians who were disabled in this life may have greater appreciation for their resurrected bodies than a Christian who has never suffered in this way.28 Yet I highly doubt that God would 'punish' non-disabled Christians by giving us lesser abilities in our glorified bodies than Christians who were disabled.

The Bible never teaches that someone will be automatically better off than others in heaven simply because they suffered more than others in this life. That is, unless it relates to being persecuted for sharing the gospel, because Jesus promised that this sort of suffering will be rewarded in heaven (Matthew 5:11-13, Luke 6:22-24).

Augustine speculated that perhaps Christians who were tortured, maimed, or martyred for Jesus' sake will have these wounds still visible but somehow 'glorified' in their resurrected bodies as eternal marks of 'honor' for what they suffered,29 but again, this is his speculation.

The resurrected body of Jesus did have some sort of visible and touchable remnants of his wounds from his crucifixion on his side, hands, and feet (Luke 24:39, John 20:27). However, Jesus' wounds remaining in some form on his resurrected body could be a special exception, since it was his sacrificial death which bought eternal salvation for everyone (Hebrews 10:10-14), whereas other Christians' wounds received as a result of torture or martyrdom do not buy or earn anyone's eternal salvation.

Freedom From All Illness and Injuries

However, it won't be only our improved appearances and restored abilities that will thrill us, but also the fact that our resurrected bodies will never again experience aging or suffer from illness or injuries.

Because just like for people who had disabilities, Jesus also healed people suffering from various medical conditions and illnesses (Matthew 8:1-4, 8:5-13, 8:14-17, Luke 17:11-19, Mark 5:25-34), and Jesus even instantly healed bodily injuries (Luke 22:50-51). Thus, we can say that these things also do not represent God's good will for his people.

As strange as it is, there is a reference to the Tree of Life in the New Jerusalem as having leaves that are for the "healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:2). Perhaps this means these leaves will be used during Jesus' Millennial Kingdom as a way of providing medical care to the still-mortal people of the world, who would still be at risk of suffering from illnesses.

I once had a dream in which I imagined I was in heaven. I don't recall the details of my surroundings, but the main thing about that dream that has stuck with me was the overwhelming sense of relief and peace I felt due to the realization I had that from that moment onward, nothing bad would ever happen to me ever again.

There were no illnesses or injuries I'd ever have to fear, no worries about aging, no worries about starving to death, or indeed, dying or suffering from anything. Even my tiniest problems such as acne, bad hair days, sore muscles, stubbed toes, or dry skin were all in the past.

As someone who is at times a slight hypochondriac, that single fact all by itself, regardless of any of the rest of the heavenly rewards discussed in this article, would be enough to make me extremely happy for all eternity. If you have a moment, I would challenge you to attempt to imagine this reality, so that you might also get a tiny sense of how amazing it will be to have an immortal, glorified body.

The Difference Between Resurrection and Glorification

Everything that has been said so far about our future resurrected bodies is, I think, still partly limited by our current understanding of what human bodies are like right now. However, our glorified bodies may be not just the perfected versions of our current human bodies, as amazing as that would be, but our future glorified bodies may include additional supernatural upgrades beyond anything we could currently imagine.

After Jesus' resurrection, he was apparently still recognizable by his disciples if he wanted to be (Luke 24:13-16, 24:30-31), not just by his appearance, but also his voice (John 20:15-16). Presumably, the resurrected (but not yet glorified) Jesus also still looked and sounded like a typical human man, so that no one was alarmed by seeing him hang out with his disciples for the next forty days before his ascension to heaven (Acts 1:3).

During his earthly ministry, we are told that Jesus wasn't particularly attractive (Isaiah 53:2). But for a brief moment, three of Jesus' disciples apparently got a special glimpse of Jesus' heavenly glory when Jesus was transfigured in front of them. It says his face changed and his clothes became bright white (Luke 9:29).

Building on this, in the Book of Revelation, John's vision of the glorified Jesus was dramatically different from Jesus' resurrected appearance. Jesus is described by John as having pure white hair, eyes like fire, skin like bronze, and a voice that sounded like many rushing waters (Revelation 1:14-15). That's definitely a significant and truly-supernatural upgrade, I'd say.

So since we're told that our future immortal bodies will be like Jesus' body as we saw earlier in this post, then we will also surely be overjoyed with our glorified bodies that will likely be just as amazing as Jesus' body as shown in the Book of Revelation.

If this is correct, then I think there's a possibility that we may be able to switch back and forth between these ultra-glorious 'supernatural' bodies and a more normal-but-perfected version of our bodies that we had in this life, depending on the situation.

For example, I imagine that glorified Christians may be able to switch back to the normal-but-perfected versions of ourselves when we are helping Jesus rule the world during his Millennial Kingdom. This ability would make it easier for us to interact with the still-mortal people who will repopulate the world after the Tribulation. That way, resurrected and glorified Christians would not totally blow these still-mortal people away with our supernatural glory.

After all, even the Israelites couldn't handle how Moses' face shone with some sort of supernatural light or brightness after Moses had been in God's presence on Mount Sinai, and so Moses wore a veil over his face (Exodus 34:29-35).

But this is just my speculation. Clearly, God will work it out somehow to make sure that interactions between his resurrected/raptured and glorified saints and the still-mortal regular humans will not be a problem during the Millennial Kingdom.

So to end this section, we can conclude that the perfection of our glorified bodies is not a 'reward' for Christians, since our happiness with our eternal bodies and the beauty of our future bodies does not depend in any way on our performance in this life. Every Christian's glorified body will be exactly the way God wants it to be, and it will be totally healthy, unique, and far better than we can imagine right now.

But just as we will all receive amazing new bodies, we will also all receive incredible physical homes to live in, as will be discussed in the next section.

Eternal Homes in the New Jerusalem

One of the most notable features of the New Heaven and New Earth in the Book of Revelation is the glorious city called the New Jerusalem. It's described as being absolutely massive, presumably, big enough for everyone who will ever be eternally saved to live in.

When you take the dimensions of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:16 and lay it out on a map as a square with sides about 1380 miles (2221 kilometers) or so, the base of the city would cover over half of the continental United States, or most of Europe up to Russia's border. And that's not including the city's height, which is the same as its width.

This city will be designed and built by God himself (Hebrews 11:10, 11:16), and will be made out of materials that will never degrade and are infinitely precious (Revelation 21:18-21).

Jesus promised us that

In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.(John 14:2-3)

In the King James Version, the Greek word for "rooms" in the above verse is translated as "mansions". Some theologians like to emphasize that this word doesn't literally mean "mansion" and say we should think more about it as a "dwelling place" or simply a "room" within the larger "Father's house" of the New Jerusalem.30

Now, surely, even a room within the New Jerusalem would be far better than any home we could hope to have in this world.

Right now, every home we've ever lived in is temporary, and so we don't feel permanently safe or secure. Even having a permanent home that no one could ever take away from us and that could never be destroyed or ruined by natural disasters would be a major source of peace and joy, regardless of the size of this home.

But I think that those who downplay the term "mansion" and insist on translating John 14:2-3 as simply literal "rooms" within the Father's "house" limit the New Jerusalem to being basically just a single large building with hotel-like suites for each Christian. This arrangement might suit some Christians, but I doubt it would satisfy everyone equally.

It would also seem to limit God's creativity and generosity to claim that he can only give a single room or two to each Christian, when even in this life, people typically enjoy homes that have different rooms for multiple purposes, or a variety of rooms each with different views and types of decor.

So I like how Lee Brainerd points out that a proper understanding of what these heavenly dwelling places will be like shouldn't be based only on the specific meaning of these Greek or English words. Instead, we must consider God's character and promises regarding how gracious God will be to Christians in heaven (1 Peter 1:13), and how glorious the Bible describes the city of the New Jerusalem as being (Revelation 21:18-21, 22:1-5). Thus, Brainerd argues there is no exegetical reason to interpret John 14:1-3 as referring to only some sort of shared heavenly dorms or micro-apartments.31

I don't even see why our heavenly homes would have to be limited to just one home per Christian, when God could easily give each Christian multiple homes in different regions of the New Heaven, New Earth, and/or the New Jerusalem depending on what God knows we would each like. So in addition to our primary heavenly home, why shouldn't Christians hope to also receive from God a vacation beach house, a ski cottage, a secluded lakeside retreat, a treehouse in the forest, a country estate, a city condominium or penthouse, or something we haven't even imagined yet? Maybe even all of the above!

Therefore, I don't think we need to put such strict limits on what John 14:2-3 says. God as the creator of everything does not experience any level of scarcity or any reason why he couldn't give every person the mansion of their dreams, especially if it brings his people joy and glorifies God's amazing creative abilities.32 The New Jerusalem will definitely be large enough that nobody's home will have to be small, if they don't want it to be.33

Furthermore, Brainerd reminds us that there is nothing we can imagine that is greater than what God, as the creator of the entire universe, could create for us (Ephesians 3:20, 1 Corinthians 2:9). God knows exactly what architectural and interior design elements would thrill each of us, and so our heavenly homes will be totally perfect, such that there will be nothing about them we would ever want to change.34

Unfortunately, I've heard some Christians say something like "Oh, when I get to heaven, I'll probably just have a shack to live in. Or maybe a doghouse." Presumably, they are just trying to be humble. However, I think this phrase actually dishonors God by implying that we won't be totally thrilled with the amazing homes that Jesus has been spending nearly the past two-thousand years building for us.

Such a thought might also reflect the faulty assumption that the size or quality of Christians' eternal homes in the New Jerusalem is going to depend on how 'good' of Christians we were in this life. But I don't think this assumption is correct. It wouldn't fit with God's character or with God's unlimited creativity for God to have any slums on the outskirts of the New Jerusalem for the 'worst' Christians, while the 'best' Christians receive entire golden skyscrapers all for themselves in the center of the city.

Now, there are likely some people who would truly love to have a tiny home in heaven, such as a little rustic cottage surrounded by nature. In that case, I do not believe that God would force these people to live in a huge golden palace in the middle of the city if it wouldn't suit their personality or preferences.

At the same time, some people who have been stuck living only in small homes in this world might dream of having a large mansion with enough rooms for all the activities they imagine they would wish to do if they had the time and resources to do them.

But even then, I've watched enough tours of luxury homes on YouTube to realize that there are only so many sitting areas and eating areas that a home needs. Homes really do reach an upper limit in terms of their size before it becomes ridiculous and impractical.

I've heard some architects say that the reason why luxury homes just keep on getting larger and larger is because they now incorporate many amenities that in previous decades were unnecessary because people in the past were more willing to go out and use the public versions of these amenities. For example, we can think of swimming pools, movie theaters, libraries, tanning salons, bars, gyms, spas, dance clubs, game rooms, arcades, bowling alleys, basketball or tennis courts, and so forth.

Now, it is true that having one's own smaller version of these things in our own homes would be convenient, in some ways. Having private versions of these amenities would let us use them whenever we want with no travel time, no lines, no need to dress up, no need to share them with others, no need to book reservations, no waiting for the server to come to our table, no disappointment due to sitting in a less-than-ideal seat at the movie theater, and so forth.

I can definitely imagine the freedom and peace that I would feel from having every amenity I could ever want to use in my own home, rather than having to go out in public and interact with people if I'm not in the mood for it — especially with people who are annoying, rude, untrustworthy, sketchy, or potentially dangerous.

However, in heaven, no one will fit any of these descriptions. As Jonathan Edwards argues, heaven will be a world of love,35 and every person there will love perfectly. We will all act according to the perfect fruit of the Spirit, like Jesus himself did (Romans 8:29, 1 John 3:2, Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 1:6). This will resolve every social issue and interpersonal difficulty that could make interacting with others unpleasant.

Thus, in heaven I think it would likely be more enjoyable to actually go out and interact with others, rather than for each person to hide away from the world in giant isolated mansions where everyone swims alone in their own pool, reads alone in their own library, or bowls by themselves in their own bowling alley.

Presumably, God will design the New Jerusalem to perfectly accommodate everyone who will be there, so that there will be no overcrowding or need for lines or reservations that would prevent us from doing whatever we want to do at the exact time we want to do it. And our homes could still have private versions of these public amenities if God knows it would bring us joy to use them or to invite others over to enjoy them together.36

But this is all just to say that because God knows each of us perfectly, he can design a perfect home for each of us that will be the exact right size, shape, and style for each of us so that we will be eternally thrilled to live in them. Our homes will be in the perfect neighborhoods, with all the nearby amenities we could want, with the perfect neighbors who will be not too close but not too far away, either. So in some sense, the entire New Jerusalem will be our home, as will our neighborhoods, and our individual dwelling places.37

And so as for our glorified bodies, there isn't any reason why God would not give every Christian this same blessing, even though the details of our homes will vary according to our personalities and desires.38

A Divine Inheritance

Finally, every Christian will receive a divine inheritance from God:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32)

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Now in these verses it's not totally clear what this inheritance will be, but if we put together some more verses, it starts to become clearer.

First, we could say that God owns everything in the universe because God created it all (Genesis 1:1). Since Christians become God's adopted children and heirs (Romans 8:23, Galatians 4:4-7), then in the New Heaven and New Earth we will also, by extension, own everything (e.g., Luke 15:31).

We are also told that the entire universe was made by Jesus, through Jesus, and for Jesus (Colossians 1:16, John 1:1-3, 1:9-11). Jesus is also the heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2). Yet Christians are promised that we will also be heirs of God and co-heirs along with Christ:

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:16-17)

This verse might make it appear that we have to suffer due to our faith in Christ in order for us to become a co-heir of Christ or to be glorified with Christ. But obviously, as discussed above, all Christians will receive glorified bodies, and all Christians are adopted children of God.

And every Christian suffers in some way or another, even if it is just the suffering of living in this sinful world (2 Peter 2:7-8) or the inward groaning due to the suffering of living in these imperfect bodies (Romans 8:23).

Even people who only make the choice to finally believe in Jesus on their deathbeds end up suffering in their last few minutes, and their deaths can be a testimony to others about the truth of the gospel. So their suffering is still for Christ's glory, even in this situation.

I highly doubt there is any Christian who never suffered at all due to his or her faith. I've written more about this topic in my posts on how suffering is useful for Christians and why God doesn't make Christians' lives perfect right now.

The Bible says that everyone who overcomes will inherit all things (Revelation 21:7, KJV), and we know that everyone who has faith in Jesus as his or her Savior is an overcomer (1 John 5:4-5). So we shouldn't say that only some Christians "overcome" while others don't, or say that some Christians only "enter" the kingdom while other 'better' Christians "inherit" the kingdom.39

Thus, when some Bible verses talk about inheriting eternal life (Matthew 19:29, Mark 10:17, Luke 10:25) or inheriting God's kingdom (Matthew 5:5, Matthew 25:34), it is likely referring to how eternal life will be about more than simply living forever. Our eternal lives will be infinitely amazing because we will able to eternally enjoy all the wonderful things that God will create for us:

What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)

As a result, we won't need to worry ever again about anyone depriving us of anything or shutting us out from anything, because the whole universe will be ours to explore and interact with.40 There could never be a greater inheritance that anyone could receive than this.

Randy Alcorn notes that Christ's kingdom will eternally increase (Isaiah 9:7). Alcorn interprets this verse as meaning that in the New Heaven and New Earth, we won't just be limited to this one planet, but God's kingdom will expand to billions of new planets and galaxies that we will also get to explore and rule over.41

In the New Heaven and New Earth, everything that we want or need will be available to us or provided for us, or God could create something specifically for us, if it doesn't already exist:

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

God is a good parent who loves to give good things to his children (Matthew 7:11). Human parents today, due to various constraints, sometimes have to often tell their children 'no' when the child asks for something good, such as a new toy or another scoop of ice cream. In this life, God does not allow Christians to have everything we've ever wanted, and God has good reasons for this as I explore in my post about why God doesn't make our lives perfect right now.

But in heaven, there will be no reason for God to deny us anything that would make us truly happy. The only exceptions will be the additional heavenly rewards that God will give out to Christians as a consequence of how well we served him in this life, which I will examine in my next post.

So this is just to say that again, there is an amazing inheritance for every Christian to look forward to in heaven, and this inheritance does not depend on anything we do in this life, other than believe in Jesus as our Savior. Thus, anyone who tries to scare Christians by saying that we will be eternally unhappy or disappointed if we don't do enough for God in our lives now is simply wrong.

Conclusion

So in this post we've examined the most important 'rewards' that every single Christian will get to look forward to in heaven, simply as a result of believing in Jesus:

• eternal life
• a glorious immortal body
• a perfect home custom made for us by God in the New Jerusalem.
• an inheritance from God that will include the entire universe

Therefore, anything else that God may give as a heavenly reward to Christians that does depends on our good works and service to God in this life will not affect any of these above things.

But Isn't This Unfair?

But if I'm saying that every Christian will receive these 'rewards' in heaven regardless of how long or how well they served God in this life, it might appear to be unfair. The person who only believes in Jesus moments before he or she dies will receive the same eternal blessings as someone who has been a Christian their entire lives, has worked hard and sacrificed in various ways to serve God, and has perhaps even suffered persecution for his or her faith.

Yet Jesus told a story about an owner of a field who hires workers to work in his field. Some workers are hired at the start of the day, some at midday, and some only an hour before the workday would be over. At the end of the day, the owner pays all the workers a day's wage, regardless of how long they actually worked (Matthew 20:1-16).

The workers who worked the longest grumble about this, but the parable ends with the owner basically saying to them, "Why should you care if I choose to be generous with my own money?" (Matthew 20:13-16).

I think this story addresses any 'unfairness' Christians might currently feel about the above situation.

However, there are still even more heavenly rewards which the Bible reveals do depend on our obedience to God in this life, in a few different ways. These other rewards will be more like 'bonus points' to add on top of an already-incredible future that is waiting for us, all thanks to God's grace and the price Jesus paid on the cross for our sins to save us from eternal death.

These rewards will be examined in my next post, where I'll discuss how these heavenly rewards can be earned and why Christians would want to earn them.

Footnotes:

• 1. John Wesley was clearly confused on the gospel when he said that although we're saved only by faith, good works are still necessary for salvation because if we neglect to do good works, then "we cannot reasonably expect to be justified at all. Therefore both repentance and fruits meet for repentance are in some sense necessary to justification". John Wesley, "The Scripture Way of Salvation", in The Works of John Wesley Vol. 2, ed. Albert Outler (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982-1984), 162.
• 2. Augustine, The City of God, Book XXII, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 2. Ed. Philip Schaff, trans. Marcus Dods (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887). Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. Chapters 15, 16, and 17.
• 3. Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 112.
• 4. Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 123.
• 5. Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 51-53,475-482.
• 6. Lee Brainerd, "The Glorious Resurrection Body", Soothkeep at YouTube, May 9, 2023.
• 7. This was the movie "What Dreams May Come" (1998). I would caution readers that this movie's theology is thoroughly unbiblical, so no Christian should interpret it as being an accurate depiction of heaven or hell. The movie also does not correctly teach who goes to heaven or hell, which in reality is based only on one's personal faith in Jesus Christ, or lack thereof.
• 8. Anthony A. Hoekema, The Bible and the Future (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979), 251, as quoted by Randy Alcorn in Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 115.
• 9. Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 289-290.
• 10. I don't know how God will restore the very small number of people in this world who are born intersex due to biological or genetic abnormalities, so that will be up to God. We can trust that these people will be perfectly happy with however God creates their glorified bodies.
• 11. See more on this topic in Chapter 8 of The Creation Answers Book 8th ed. (Creation Book Publishers), by Don Batten, David Catchpoole, Jonathan Sarfati, and Carl Wieland.
• 12. Lee Brainerd, "The Perfect Me", Soothkeep at YouTube, July 14, 2024.
• 13. Augustine, The City of God, Book XXII, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 2. Ed. Philip Schaff, trans. Marcus Dods (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887). Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.
• 14. Augustine, The City of God, Book XXII, Chapter 15, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 2. Ed. Philip Schaff, trans. Marcus Dods (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887). Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.
• 15. This is also suggested by Randy Alcorn, who quotes Hank Hanegraaf as saying "Our DNA is programmed in such a way that, at a particular point, we reach optimal development from a functional perspective. For the most part, it appears that we reach this stage somewhere in our twenties and thirties.... If the blueprints for our glorified bodies are in the DNA, then it would stand to reason that our bodies will be resurrected at the optimal stage of development determined by our DNA." Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 297-298, citing Hank Hanegraaf, Resurrection (Nashville: Word, 2000), 133-134. Alcorn also cites Thomas Aquinas as another major past theologian who thought people would be resurrected around the age of 33, which is the age that many scholars believe Jesus was when he was crucified (Alcorn, Heaven, 297).
• 16.Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 298, 356.
• 17. Randy Alcorn writes: "I heard someone say that in Heaven we'll all have sculpted bodies, without any fat. This comment reflects a yearning for our bodies to be healthy, fit, and beautiful. I expect our bodies wil be good-looking, but not with a weight-lifting, artificial-implant, skin-tuck, tanning-booth sort of beauty. The sculpted physique our culture admires would be regarded as freakish in other places and times. Some cultures consider what we call slimness as unhealthy and what we consider plumpness as a sign of vitality and prosperity. The same genetic tendencies that make some people unattractive by one culture's standards make them attractive in another. Our new bodies, I expect, will have a natural beauty that won't need cosmetics or touch-ups. As for fat, because God created fat as part of our bodies, we'll surely have some, but in healthy proportion." Randy Alcorn, Heaven, 289.
• 18. Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 296. He suggests there will be a variety of styles of clothing including everything from historical robes to modern T-shirts, jeans, and flip-flops, as well as a variety of colors, to match the wide ranges of clothing that people have enjoyed wearing during our earthly lives: "Because resurrected people retain their individuality and nationality ... and because many ethnic groups wear colorful clothing, we should expect this on the New Earth" (Alcorn, Heaven, 296-297).
• 19. Augustine, The City of God, Book XXII, chapter 19, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 2. Ed. Philip Schaff, trans. Marcus Dods (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887). Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.
• 20. Augustine, The City of God, Book XXII, Chapter 17, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 2. Ed. Philip Schaff, trans. Marcus Dods (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887). Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. Randy Alcorn agrees: "We'll never be genderless because human bodies aren't genderless. The point of the resurrection is that we will have real human bodies essentially linked to our original ones. Gender is a God-created aspect of humanity." He goes on to say that people who cite Galatians 3:28 to claim that resurrected people in heaven will be genderless are misunderstanding that verse. Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 295. I agree that this verse doesn't refer to our resurrected bodies but is emphasizing the equality of all people within the Church, whether they are Jewish or non-Jewish, or male or female, and so there is no room for discrimination against any Christian within the Church.
• 21. Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 289.
• 22. Augustine, The City of God, Book XXII, Chapter 16, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 2. Ed. Philip Schaff, trans. Marcus Dods (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887). Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.
• 23. This statement is based on discussions with my fellow doctoral student and friend who was himself 'differently-abled'.
• 24. For example, the evangelical theologian Amos Yong, in his book Theology and Down Syndrome: Reimagining Disability (Baylor University Press, 2007), writes "the redemption of those with Down Syndrome … would consist not in some magical fix of the twenty-first chromosome but in the recognition of their central roles both in the communion of saints and in the divine scheme of things", as quoted by Elizabeth Lynch in her review "Theology and Down Syndrome: Reimagining Disability", at TheologyForum.wordpress.com, February 21, 2008.
• 25. And Joni is not the only one: "Joni tells of speaking to a class of mentally handicapped Christians. They thought it was great when she said she was going to get a new body. But then she added, 'And you're going to get new minds.' The class broke out in cheers and applause. They knew just what they wanted — new minds". Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 294-295, citing Joni Earackson Tada, Heaven: Your Real Home (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), 53.
• 26. Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 294-295.
• 27. Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 294.
• 28. Otherwise, the same principle could apply for any situation regarding heaven: would Christians who suffered by living in slums automatically be rewarded with larger homes than other Christians who were blessed to live in regular-sized homes in this life? Would Christians who society deemed to be less physically attractive be automatically rewarded with more physical beauty in their resurrected bodies than other Christians who were more attractive in this life? Or Christian who were less intelligent be rewarded with greater intelligence? Would Christians who were obese in this life be thinner than others in heaven? Such an argument could go on and on, but if it were so, at least when it comes to our glorified bodies, then I don't see how there would be the genetic 'carryover' that Alcorn also seems to endorse which would ensure we will still be 'ourselves' in heaven, but minus any genetic flaws and problems due to living in this fallen world.
• 29. Augustine, The City of God, Book XXII, Chapter 19, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 2. Ed. Philip Schaff, trans. Marcus Dods (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887). Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.
• 30. For example, Alcorn argues "Unfortunately, that rendering [as 'mansions'] is misleading if it makes us envision having massive lodgings on separate estates. The intended meaning seems to be that we'll have separate dwelling places on a single estate or even separate rooms within the same house." Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 333.
• 31. Lee Brainerd, "Rapture Nugget — Many Mansions", Soothkeep at YouTube, August 15, 2022.
• 32.For an encouraging discussion about how amazing our eternal homes will be, see the YouTube video by Lee Brainerd, "Rapture Nugget — Your Rapture Mansion", Soothkeep at YouTube, November 24, 2023.
• 33. "We don't need to worry that Heaven will be crowded. The ground level of the city will be nearly two million square miles. This is forty times bigger than England and fifteen thousand times bigger than London. It's ten times as big as France or Germany and far larger than India. But remember, that's just the ground level. Given the dimensions of a 1,400-mile cube, if the city consisted of different levels (we don't know this) and if each story were a generous twelve feet high, the city could have over 600,000 stories. If they were on different levels, billions of people could occupy the New Jerusalem, with many square miles per person. If these numbers are figurative, not literal (and that is certainly possible). surely they are still meant to convey that the home of God's people will be extremely large and roomy." Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 250.
• 34. Lee Brainerd, "Rapture Nugget — I Go To Prepare A Place For You", Soothkeep at YouTube, April 14, 2023.
• 35. Jonathan Edwards, "Heaven Is A World of Love", The Works of Jonathan Edwards Vol. 8, ed. Paul Ramsey (Jonathan Edwards Center: Yale University, 2008), 366-397.
• 36. Randy Alcorn says, in reference to Luke 16:4-9, "Do I believe Jesus is suggesting we'll actually share lodging, meals, and fellowship with friends in God's Kingdom? Yes. I'm aware that some readers will think this far-fetched. But that's only because when we think of Heaven, we don't think of resurrected people living on a resurrected Earth, living in dwelling places, and eating and fellowshiping together. But isn't that exactly what Scripture teaches us?" Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 335.
• 37. Randy Alcorn notes how he thinks of 'home' in many different ways, and seems to imply it will be the same in Heaven, where in some way, the entire new Heaven and New Earth will be our home, the New Jerusalem will be our home, our neighborhood within the New Jerusalem will be our home, and our specific dwelling within that neighborhood will also be our home: "When I've flown home from overseas and landed in New York, I feel I've come 'home,' meaning I'm in my home country. Then when I land in Oregon, I'm more home. When I come to my hometown, everything looks familiar. Finally, when I arrive at my house, I'm really home. But even there I have a special room or two. Scripture's various terms — New Earth, country, city, place, and rooms — involve such shades of meaning to the word home." Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 334.
• 38. "Heaven isn't likely to have lots of identical residences. God loves diversity, and he tailor-makes his children and his provisions for them. When we see the particular place he's prepared for us — not just for mankind in general but for us in particular — we'll rejoice to see our ideal home." Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 334. Alcorn quotes C.S. Lewis, who says "Your place in heaven will seem to be made for you and you alone, because you were made for it — made for it stitch by stich as a glove is made for a hand." Alcorn, Heaven, 282, citing C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (New York: Macmillan, 1962), 147.
• 39. Lee Brainerd, "Inheritance In The Heavens", Soothkeep on YouTube, October 22, 2024. For example, Ken Yates at the Grace Evangelical Society claims that all Christians 'enter' eternal life/God's kingdom, but only some Christians who have overcome all of the sins listed in 1 Corinthians 6:10 will 'inherit' eternal life/the kingdom. Ken Yates, "Make Inheriting Your Goal (1 Corinthians 6:10)", Grace Evangelical Society, July 25, 2018. Instead, if we take this verse in its context, Paul is telling the Corinthian Christians to not take their personal disputes to unbelievers because the unbelievers who act in these sinful ways are not going to inherit God's kingdom. Christians should attempt to act better than unbelievers do because of our knowledge of the gospel and the incredible status we will have as heirs of God in the New Heaven and New Earth, and we are qualified to judge things in this world because in the future we will even judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). See Onorato Diamante, 1 Corinthians 6:9 is NOT Teaching What A LOT of People Think! Allow Me To Explain..., on YouTube, December 16, 2023. We could interpret Ephesians 5:5 and Galatians 5:21 similarly.
• 40. Lee Brainerd, "Inheritance In The Heavens", Soothkeep on YouTube, October 22, 2024. Now, a critic might claim that if nothing will be denied to Christians in heaven, then we will be able to wander straight into each other's homes and do whatever we want there, or take whatever we want from others. But this behavior would demonstrate an attitude that is not formed by perfect love for others. As noted earlier, in heaven we will each have our own homes and perhaps even our own land, and this ownership means these things will be under our personal control. However, we won't need to worry that anyone would trespass when we don't want them there, because disrespecting another person's private space or property would be unloving, and no one will be unloving in heaven.
• 41. "It may be that Christ's government will always increase because he will continually create new worlds to govern (and, perhaps, new creatures to inhabit those new worlds.) Or perhaps it will always increase because the new universe, though still finite, may be so vast that what Christ creates in a moment will never be exhaustively known by finite beings. From what we know of our current universe, with billions of galaxies containing millions of billions of stars and untold planets, this is certainly possible.... If Christ expands his rule by creating new worlds, whom will he send to govern them on his behalf? His redeemed people. Some may rule over towns, some cities, some planets, some solar systems or galaxies." Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2004), 232.