When we were young, we seldom thought about the afterlife since we were so focused on this one, but as we grow older, we become more curious. I believe in visions and dreams, but I do not know anyone personally who claims they have been to heaven. However, I’ve heard a few people say they have.
Even though near-death and out-of-body experiences about heaven are common, I’m not going to discredit those who really believe they have encountered a glimpse of the other side. May we realize that all we have to base our theology on is the Bible, and it’s worth noting that Jesus makes a profound statement about this in John 3:13.
Years ago, while teaching eschatology classes, I began studying the end times and focusing on what the next life will be like. There are a few places in the Bible that give hints as to what we will see and do in heaven. Still, like other subjects, much of it is controversial because of different interpretations and whether the text should be understood as literal or symbolical. We read in 1 Corinthians 2, “Eye hath not seen, not ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him.” But if we keep reading within the context of the passage, we see that God does reveal spiritual truth through the Holy Spirit.
I praise God for all the letters I receive from those who are blessed by these messages, but we all know the minute I start talking about doctrines, many feathers will be ruffled. So, to prevent anger and hard feelings, I try to focus on subjects about the Christian life that most of us can agree with. Even though many believers do not study on their own, have never graduated from seminary or are daily prayer warriors, Christians are not lacking in the area of having strong opinions about what they believe. For the majority, the religious knowledge they have accumulated throughout their lives has come from what they heard someone else say, but we have been commanded by God in 2 Timothy 2 to rightly divine the Scriptures for ourselves through unbiased research and diligent study.
There is also a faithful group of truth seekers who attend adult Sunday School classes and Bible studies and study on their own, which gives them confidence to draw their own conclusions. I admit that my views have changed over the years as the more I learn, the more I see things differently. I do not think this is a bad thing seeing that as we mature, we are developing and expanding in our wisdom and understanding. When talking about our eternal abode with God, let us agree that, as his children, where we are going and what it will contain is not as important as being with the One we love more than anyone or anything.