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The Big Question: What Is Heaven?

When we finally pass on from this world to the next, what awaits us? Departed family members? A choir of angels? As long as people have strived for heaven, they’ve wondered what it will be like. Can we even imagine something so wonderful? Over the years, writers, theologians and philosophers have tried. And we’ve collected their thoughts.

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1 of 14 Phillips Brooks, clergyman

“Heaven is the soul finding its own perfect personality in God.”


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2 of 14 Max Lucado, author of 'When God Whispers Your Name'

“We may speak about a place where there are no tears, no death, no fear, no night; but those are just the benefits of heaven. The beauty of heaven is seeing God. Heaven is God’s heart.”

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3 of 14 Thomas Guthrie, preacher

“Heaven is the day of which grace is the dawn; the rich, ripe fruit of which grace is the lovely flower; the inner shrine of that most glorious temple to which grace forms the approach and outer court.”


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4 of 14 Sir Walter Scott, poet

“Love rules the court, the camp, the grove, and men below, and saints above: For love is heaven and heaven is love.”


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5 of 14 C. S. Lewis

“Heaven is not a state of mind. Heaven is reality itself. All that is fully real is Heavenly.”

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6 of 14 Greg Laurie, pastor and author

“Heaven is a paradise, a city, a country…and so much more that we can’t begin to wrap our finite minds around it. But one thing I do know: Jesus is expecting me, and He’s prepared a place for me.”

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7 of 14 Mitch Albom, author of 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven'

“That’s what heaven is. You get to make sense of your yesterdays.”

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8 of 14 Matthew 13:44-45

“‘The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.’”

 


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9 of 14 William Barclay, theologian

“For the Christian, heaven is where Jesus is. We do not need to speculate on what heaven will be like. It is enough to know that we will be forever with Him.”


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10 of 14 Confucius

“Heaven means to be one with God.”

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11 of 14 Billy Graham

“Heaven will be the perfection we’ve always longed for. All the things that made Earth unlovely and tragic will be absent in heaven.”


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12 of 14 Florence Nightingale

“Heaven is neither a place nor a time.”

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13 of 14 Alexander MacLaren, minister

“Heaven is endless longing, accompanied with an endless fruition—a longing which is blessedness, a longing which is life.”


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14 of 14 John Burke, author of 'Imagine Heaven'

“Heaven will be a thriving, joyful, festive place, where families and friends work together and then gather for feasts and parties to celebrate and enjoy life with the Giver of Life.”

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