Bible Study

What Will Eternity Be Like?

After the final judgment, believers will live forever with the Lord. What will everlasting life be like? What will we do? Although the Bible doesn’t describe every detail, it does offer a remarkable amount of information about our eternal home.

1. Where will it be?
   
   Although Christians go to heaven after death, they remain there only temporarily. Believers will live forever on a renewed, renovated earth that has been purged of all evil, death, and decay (2 Peter 3:10, 13).
   
   Part of the new earth will be a heavenly city laid out as a cube or pyramid (Rev. 21:16). It is large enough to house believers from all time, from all nations (Rev. 21:24-26).
   
   Note: For simplicity, “heaven” in this study will refer to our existence on the new earth. “Earth” will refer to the world as we presently know it.
   
   
   • How is the heavenly city similar to earthly ones (Rev. 21-22)?
     
     
     
   • List a few ways it is different.
     
     
     
   • How did Jesus comfort His disciples before the crucifixion (John 14:1-3)? What do you think this passage means?
     
     
     
2. What kind of bodies will we have?
   
   Philippians 3:20-21 promises that we will be given a body similar to Christ’s.
   
   
   • Is Jesus’ resurrection body tangible and physical (Luke 24:36-43)?
   
   
   Because of the curse of sin, our earthly bodies get sick, die, and decay as a result of disease or trauma (Gen. 3:13-19).
   
   
   • How will our heavenly bodies be different (1 Cor. 15:42)?
     
     
     
3. Will people recognize us in our new bodies?
   
   After Jesus’ resurrection, the men who walked along the road to Emmaus were kept from recognizing Him (Luke 24:15-16). The implication is that otherwise they would have known the Lord.
   
   
   • Was Jesus recognizable other times after His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:4-7)?
     
     
     
   • When does Mary know she is seeing Christ (John 20:14-17)?
     
     
   
   
   These passages indicate that we will somehow look familiar and our voices will be similar. Our personalities will also remain unchanged, except that they will be cleansed from unrighteousness.
   
   
   • Why did Paul tell the Thessalonians that “we do not grieve as do the rest who have no hope” when a loved one dies (1 Thess. 4:13-18)?
     
     
     
   • What does the story of the transfiguration seem to indicate about whether we will recognize biblical heroes (Matt. 17:1-4)?
     
     
     
4. What kind of activities will the new earth have?
   
   
   1. We will enjoy intimate fellowship with God and perfect harmony with other believers. Our eternal relationships will be far more intimate than the best marriage here on earth.
      
      
      • What will be different about how we relate to the Lord in heaven (1 Cor. 13:12; Rev. 21:3; 22:4)?
        
        
        
      • On earth, friendships sometimes end painfully. Why will this not be a characteristic of heavenly relationships (Rev. 21:4)?
        
        
        
      • Will we be married in heaven to our earthly spouse (Matt. 22:23-30)?
      
      
      Marriage was designed in part to be a picture of the relationship between Christ and His church (Eph. 5:31-32; Rev. 19:7-9). Once we have the fulfillment of that reality, we will no longer need the illustration. If this disappoints you, remember that nothing in heaven will be less than what God has provided for us now.
      
      
   2. We will serve the Lord (Rev. 22:3). Contrary to popular thought, heaven is not a place of everlasting retirement.
      
      
      • On what basis will we be given more responsibilities in eternity (Matt. 25:20-21)?
        
        
        
      • For whom should we do our earthly work (Col. 3:23-25)? Why?
        
        
      
      
      Although everyone is of equal worth in God’s sight, we are not going to have equal places of authority or service in His kingdom (1 Cor. 3:9-15). (For further explanation, see our study on rewards.)
      
      
   3. We will worship the Lord.
      
      Our responsibilities in the heavenly city will differ according to our deeds in this life, but our focus will not be on people who earned more rewards. There will be only one celebrity in eternity—the triune God.
      
      
      • What does the throne of the Lord resemble (Rev. 4:5)?
        
        
        
      • Jasper is as clear as crystal, sardius is blood red, and emerald is green. Why do you think John chose these stones to describe God’s appearance (Rev. 4:3)?
        
        
        
      • The elders may represent the church and Israel, or they may be 24 specific believers honored for outstanding service. What reason do they give for worshipping the Lord (Rev. 4:10-11)?
        
        
      
      
      In this world, we sometimes feel intense joy and excitement as we praise the Lord. Imagine the ecstasy we will feel in seeing our holy, awesome God face to face—and in worshipping with believers from every nation and generation (Rev. 7:9).

Closing: Don’t be afraid that heaven will be boring or disappointing. We can be assured that the God who created so many delights for us to enjoy in this age will prepare something even greater for us in eternity.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your Word, which gives us a glimpse of the heavenly kingdom. Help us live in light of our ultimate destination, remembering that You will reward every act of righteousness. Enable us to share with non-believers how they can spend eternity with You too. Amen.

-Dr. Stanley’s book “Eternal Security” (1990) was used in the preparation of this study.