The No. 1 Best Seller of books on Amazon.com in the category of Christian Living (and now made into a movie) is a book called Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back.
It is the story written by the 3-year-old’s father, Todd Burpo, a Wesleyan pastor living in rural Nebraska. Todd recounts the story of his son Colton’s mystic vision of heaven while the boy nearly died from a rupturing appendix in the spring of 2003.
Not too long afterward, he told his parents that he saw them praying for him outside the operating room. When they asked how he knew what they had been doing he said, "Cause I could see you....I went up out of my body and I was looking down and I could see the doctor working on my body…And I saw you and Mommy. You were in a little room by yourself, praying; and Mommy was in a different room, and she was praying and talking on the phone."
Colton, who is now 14 years old had other revelations which included:
angels singing "Jesus Loves Me" to him;
his sitting on Jesus' lap;
meeting John the Baptist and the angel Gabriel;
petting Jesus' rainbow-colored horse;
his descriptions of Jesus' wounds and attire, including a crown with a pink diamond that Jesus wore;
the many kids that were in Heaven;
his description of everyone there having wings like the angels--all except Jesus, that is;
his being recognized by his great grandfather, who died decades before Colton was born;
and the description of God as "really, really big."
Colton claims that he had met his other sister in Heaven…the baby that his mother miscarried and was never told about. He says, "In heaven, this little girl ran up to me, and she wouldn't stop hugging me....She said she just can't wait for you and Daddy to get to heaven" (p. 96).
So you have people today buying books and flocking to movies on the subject of “life after death” and most of these people will tell you that they believe in a place called Heaven. Even the unbeliever will say when a loved one dies that “He is going to a better place.”
But what most people don’t agree on or don’t know altogether is how people get there. And, if they do get there, what form will they take.
The Bible teaches that before we can really begin to talk about Heaven…before we can really begin to prepare for Heaven…we need to understand the Resurrection. Our entrance into Heaven is based on our understanding and acceptance of what the Bible teaches concerning the Resurrection.
We take our text from 1 Corinthians chapter 15. In this letter, Paul is writing to a group of people that had come out of a Greek and Roman culture that did not believe in a resurrection. Most of the Greek philosophers (Epicureans, Stoics, Sinica, Celsius) denied resurrection.
The Stoics believed that man contained a divine spark that originated from Deity. Stoics longed for death because it would shed them from the body, which was nothing more than a prison and corpse. Death would liberate their divine spark and return it to God.
When Celsius was told that Christians believed their bodies would be raised from the dead, he responded by saying, “The bodily resurrection of Christians is the hope of worms, for what soul of a man would any longer wish for a body that had rotted in the ground?”
So the believers in the city of Corinth were saved out of this kind of culture and thinking and wrestled with the concept of a bodily resurrection as they tried to live for Christ. So Paul writes this section in 1 Corinthians to help them.
Today we have people who say they believe in Heaven, but if you asked them, would deny that Jesus was miraculously raised from the dead. So the Word of God is speaking to them too.
If there is no resurrection, Christ has not been raised from the dead
(1 Cor 15:13 NKJV) But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
This is a very important hurdle to get over because Jesus was a man, albeit, a sinless man. But in order to pay for our sin, He had to die our death as a human being, not an ephemeral spirit, as the Greek philosophers might say.
Paul uses a conditional clause called a contrafactual or contrary to fact statement to tell the Corinthian believers that if they accepted as true that there is no physical, bodily, resurrection, then Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead.
If there is no resurrection, you don’t have a testimony
(1 Cor 15:14 NKJV) And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
Our future in heaven hinges on Christ being raised from the dead. We live because He lives! The Christian’s testimony is that “Christ died for our sins, was buried and raised from the dead on the third day!” We might even add, “He ascended into Heaven and is coming back again one day soon and very soon!”
But if Christ is not risen this changes things… “Christ died for our sins, was buried…” and that’s it.
There is a greeting among Christians that goes back some 1500 years or more. When Orthodox Christians would meet on the street, rather than say “Hello” one would say, “Christ is risen!” and the other would reply, “He is risen indeed!”
Now how would that sound if all Christians would be able to say is: “Christ is dead; He is dead indeed.” If Christ is not risen, we have nothing to preach about; nothing to testify about. We can all go home—our message is empty.
If there is no resurrection, your faith is empty and in vain
(1 Cor 15:14 NKJV) And if Christ is not risen,… your faith is also empty.
If Christ is not risen, our faith is null and void. The Bible says in Hebrews 11 that “faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.”
None of us have seen Heaven. But we do have the hope of Jesus' words in John 14:2-3 where He says, “In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
In fact, all of our faith hinges on the fact that Jesus is risen. We can’t have faith in or hope for the fulfillment of any of His promises if He is not alive.
In John 4 Jesus tells the woman at the well, “The water I give … will be a fountain springing up to eternal life.” How’s He going to do that if He is not risen?
He told His disciples in Matthew 16, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Hell has certainly prevailed if He is not risen.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6, “Don’t worry about what you are going to eat, drink and how you will clothe yourselves…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” How is He going to meet the needs of millions and millions of His children all around the world if He doesn’t have the power to raise Himself up from the dead?
We could go on and on. If Christ is not risen your faith is empty.
If there is no resurrection, you are a liar when it comes to saying anything about God.
(1 Cor 15:15 NKJV) Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up; if in fact the dead do not rise.
(1 Cor 15:16 NKJV) For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
If Christ is not risen we are all liars. If the dead do not rise, then everything we’ve ever told others about Jesus and Heaven and salvation, and the peace of God, and the power of God and the love of God is a lie.
And, the ironic thing is that at the end of the book of Revelation we find these words: “Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are dogs, sorcerers, sexual sinners, murderers, idolaters, and all who lie in what they say and what they do.” (Rev 22:14-15)
If there is no resurrection, you are still in your sins
(1 Cor 15:17 NKJV) And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
If Christ is not raised then we are still in our sins. And, if we are still in our sins, we are not on our way to heaven, but to a Christ-less eternity where we will burn forever in the lake of fire.
If Jesus did not rise from the dead, God has not accepted His death as payment-in-full for our sin—we must still pay for our sins because Jesus didn’t.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed the command of God not to eat of the forbidden tree, humanity was plunged into a cesspool of sin and iniquity.
Mankind was separated from God.
Death became a reality and all creation was subject to it
All men die, all animals dies, all plant life dies
Earthquakes, pestilence, disease
Humans have lost sight of the purpose for which they were created (to glorify God, not self)
Innocence was lost…physical and spiritual death resulted
Humanity thrust in a state of depravity
When you and I hear about how human trafficking is on the increase and our children are being abducted and sold into slavery we have hope that they will be found and we pray that God might somehow, someway, provide an escape from all this mess.
Revelation 21:4 says that “God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won't be any more death. There won't be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared.”
But if there is no resurrection, you and I are still in our sins…there is no hope for this world.
If there is no resurrection, the dead in Christ have perished
(1 Cor 15:18 NKJV) Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead then our loved ones in Christ, those who have died in the Lord, did not “go to a better place.” They are trapped in that other place…they are in hell paying for their own sins.
Certainly, Christ didn’t pay for them if He hadn't risen.
If there is no resurrection, we are to be pitied more than all human beings
(1 Cor 15:19 NKJV) If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
Christians are mental cases. We’ve been deceived. We have no Savior, no forgiveness, no spiritual gifts, no reason to praise and worship God, no future, no rewards and no hope. If Christ is not risen, what we have in this life is the best life has to offer and for many of us that is not much and when life is over, we jump from the frying pan into the fire. But Christ is risen! He lives!
Paul says, if Christ hasn’t been raised from the dead, this life is all we have and we might as well say with everyone else, “Let’s eat, drink and party hearty for tomorrow we die.”
Many years ago Bill and Gloria Gaither who were expecting a child. Gloria began to get depressed realizing the kind of wicked and cruel world they would have to raise this child in. Then God gave them the words to the song Because He Lives.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, All fear is gone
Because I know, He holds the future
And life is worth the living, Just because He lives
Benefits of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
In raising Christ from the dead God was setting his seal of approval on the redemptive work of Jesus.
The New Testament constantly affirms that the death of Jesus was not merely the death of a martyr in a righteous cause, but a sacrifice initiated by God himself to pay for the sins of the human race. In some incredible way Jesus was making our forgiveness possible. Passages such as these are typical: "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8); "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28); "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their sins against them" (2 Corinthians 5:19).
In raising Christ from the dead God was setting his seal of approval on what Christ had done. In one of his final words from the cross Jesus had cried: "It is finished" (John 19:30). The Greek word here has a number of meanings. In the business world it meant the payment of a debt. One could say that the resurrection is the receipt for the payment that had been made. His death and resurrection were part of the one act. Paul says, "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification" (Romans 4:25). His sufferings on our behalf make our forgiveness possible - but it is the risen Christ who offers that forgiveness to us and guarantees it for us.
In 1 Corinthians 15: 42b–44, focusing directly on the Resurrection body, Paul gives 4 sets of contrasts to show how the Christian will benefit from the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead:
The Resurrection guarantees the follower of Jesus will get a new body, a glorified body.
No more sickness and death… The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. (vs. 42)
No more shame because of sin….It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. (vs. 43a)
No more frailty in temptation…It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. (vs. 43b)
No more limits to the time/space sphere…It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. (vs. 44) Our bodies will be like that of Jesus’ glorified body!
Followers of Jesus Christ will get a new body! Like Jesus, the resurrected body of a believer will have flesh and bone, but will be dramatically changed (Luke 24:39; 1 Corinthians 15:50).
The resurrection body of Jesus was glorified and altered from the way it was before Jesus crucifixion. Perhaps this explains why even Mary did not recognize Him at first (cf. John 20:14–16).
In Luke 24:31 Luke writes that after His meeting with two of His disciples on the Emmaus road He vanished from their sight. The Bible shows that Christ could appear and disappear bodily. His body could pass through solid objects—such as the grave clothes, or the walls and doors of a closed room.
Now don’t think that Jesus was a ghost or a phantom. The Bible lets us know that His resurrection body was a real and very much tangible body. Luke 24:42 tells us that Jesus’ resurrected body was even capable of ingesting earthly food. Jesus ate a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb in presence of His disciples.
Forty days after His resurrection from the dead and after appearing to some 500 people Jesus would ascend into heaven. Luke 1:8-11 describes the event of this day:
8“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11who 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.”
The fact that Jesus ascended into heaven in His resurrected body demonstrated that His body was already fit for heaven. This lets us know that the Christian’s new, glorified body will be created just for Heaven!
This is what Paul is referring to in Philippians 3:21:
(Phil 3:21 NKJV) Christ…who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Back in 1 Corinthians 15 Paul writes:
(1 Cor 15:51 NKJV) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed;
(1 Cor 15:52 NKJV) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(1 Cor 15:53 NKJV) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Most of us know that an astronaut must be outfitted with special gear to provide his body with oxygen and to equalize his body pressure with the pressure of space and to protect Him from the harmful rays of the sun.
In order to enter into the atmosphere of Heaven one must be outfitted with a glorious body to be able to stand in the presence of glory.
A careful survey of the Bible would reveal that when men would be exposed to even a fraction of the glory of God they would die (Ex. 20:19; Deut 5:25; Judges 13:22), or go blind (Acts 9:6-9) or at least be overwhelmed by their own sinfulness (Isaiah 6).
Paul says that Christians are citizens of Heaven who are eagerly awaiting the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform their lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working (energeia) by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
The Bible says that the same power that Jesus has to maintain control and sovereignty in creation, He uses to transform these lumps of clay we live in, to bodies conformed to His own glorious body.
Followers of Jesus get a new body! Our bodies will be transformed in order to withstand the glorious atmosphere of Heaven.
In order to help you get a better grip on what it means to be a citizen of Heaven it would help to get a better understanding of what Heaven is all about. In order to get this understanding, let’s look briefly at 53 facts about Heaven taken from Wilmington’s Book of Bible Lists.
Heaven is being prepared by Christ Himself John 14:2-3 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
It is only for those who have been born again. John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
It is described as a glorious city, likened to pure gold and clear glass. Rev. 21:11, 18
The name of this city is the New Jerusalem. Rev. 21:2
It is in the shape of a cube, with the length, width, and height being equal. Rev. 21:16
Its size is 12,000 furlongs, roughly 1,400 miles long, wide and high. Rev. 21:16
The city rests upon 12 layers of foundational stones, with each layer being inlaid with a different precious gem. Rev. 21:19-20
Each foundation has one of the names of the 12 apostles on it. Rev 21:14
The wall around the city is made of pure jasper. Rev 21:18
The height of the wall is approximately 216 feet. Rev 21:17
The wall has 12 gates, three on each of the four sides. Rev 21:12
Each gate is made of solid pearl. Rev. 21:21
Each gate has on it the name of one of the 12 tribes of Israel Rev. 21:12
An angel stands guard at each gate Rev. 21:12
The gates will never be shut. Rev. 21:25
The palaces may possibly be made of ivory. Ps. 45:8
The River of Life is there to insure everlasting life. Rev. 22:1
The Tree of Life is there to insure abundant life. Rev. 2:7; 22:19
It will bear its fruit each month. Rev. 22:2
The throne of God will occupy the central palace. Rev. 4:2; 22:1
It is likened to wheels of burning fire with an emerald rainbow canopy. Dan. 7:9; Rev. 4:3
It is surrounded by 24 small thrones. Rev. 4:4
Near it stands the brazen layer, described as “a sea of glass, like crystal.” Rev. 4:6
Beside the throne are four special angels who worship God continually. Rev. 4:8
The golden altar is there, with bowls of incense. Rev. 5:8; 8:3; 9:13
The menorah, or seven-branched lampstand fixture, is there. Rev. 1:12; 4:5
The holy Ark of God may be there. Rev. 11:19
The main street of the city is composed of transparent gold Rev. 21:21
The city will shine with and be enlightened by God’s glory. John 17:24; Rom. 8:18; Rev. 21:11, 23; 22:5
It is a place of holiness. Rev. 21:27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
It is a place of beauty. Ps. 50:2
It is a place of unity. Eph. 1:10
It is a place of perfection 1 Cor. 13:10
It is a place of joy. Ps. 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
It is a place for all eternity. John 3:15; Ps. 23:6
There may be a tabernacle Rev. 15:5; 21:3
There will be no temple Rev. 21:22
There will be no sea Rev. 21:1
There will be no tears. Rev. 7:17; 21:4
There will be no sickness. Rev. 22:2
There will be no pain. Rev. 21:4
There will be no death. Isa. 25:8; 1 Cor. 15:26; Rev. 21:4 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
There will be no more thirst or hunger. Rev. 7:16 "They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
There will be no more sin. Rev. 21:27
There will be no more judgment upon sin. Rev. 22:3
There will be no need for the sun or moon. Rev. 21:23
There will be no night. Rev. 21:25; 22:5
The city will be the Bridegroom’s gift to the bride, Christ’s Church. Rev. 21:2, 10
It will be shared by saved Israel. Heb 11:10, 16
It will be shared by the holy angels. Dan. 7:10; Heb. 12:22; Rev. 5:11
The Father will be there. Dan. 7:9; Rev. 4:2-3
The Son will be there. Rev. 5:6; 7:17
The Holy Spirit will be there. Rev. 14:13; 22:17
3 Activities in Heaven
1. Singing Isa. 44:23; Heb. 2:12; Rev. 14:3; 15:3
2. Serving Rev. 7:15; 22:3
3. Learning 1 Cor. 13:9, 10
Paul says back in Philippians 3:20 that this “Heaven” is where our citizenship is. In other words, Heaven is our real home, it is our commonwealth, it is the place to which we, as Christians, have a hope and an expectation to spend eternity one day.
He goes in verse 20 and says that Heaven is the place from which “we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Heaven is the place where all who have surrendered their lives to Jesus will one day reside. It is also the place where Jesus is expected to arrive from when He returns to get His Bride, the Church.
