What will heaven be like? Randy Alcorn presents a thoroughly biblical answer, based on years of careful study, presented in an engaging, reader-friendly style. His conclusions will surprise readers and stretch their thinking about this important subject. Heaven will inspire readers to long for heaven while they're living on earth.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
According to Alcorn (The Treasure Principle; Deadline; Safely Home), the subject of heaven rates as one of the least accurately discussed subjects in the whole of Christendom. Even seminarians fail to give appropriate time and attention to heaven as described throughout the Bible because other themes take pre-eminence both chronologically and preferentially. Alcorn is likewise astounded that the majority of Christians who do take time to consider heaven often possess faulty, nonbiblical assumptions, one of the most common being the misconception of heaven as a place of unending church services. The author, who is also the founder of the nonprofit organization Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), has spent years studying what the Bible says about heaven, and in this compelling and comprehensive resource, he offers every conceivable question about heaven, or the "New Earth," as a Christian believer's ultimate destination. Alcorn answers the expected queries on heavenly life as well as quirkier ones: will Christians drink coffee in heaven? Will there be homeownership, and what about sex? Will our pets be in heaven? Evangelical scholars and laypersons alike will appreciate Alcorn's expansive—though perhaps long-winded—musings on this neglected subject, a real boon in a time when many people are eager to understand what happens after death.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM). Prior to 1990, when he started EPM, he served as a pastor for fourteen years. He has spoken around the world and has taught on the adjunct faculties of Multnomah Bible College and Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
513 of 531 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
In his new book on heaven, appropriately titled HEAVEN, Randy Alcorn tells the story of an English vicar. When asked by a colleague what he expected after death, he replied, "Well, if it comes to that, I suppose I shall enter into eternal bliss, but I really wish you wouldn't bring up such depressing subjects."
If we're honest, a lot of us might agree with that vicar. The thought of spending eternity floating about on a cloud, strumming the proverbial harp, sounds a bit, well, boring. Huckleberry Finn certainly thought so.
"She (Miss Watson) went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do was go around all day long with a harp and sing forever and ever. So didn't think much of it.... I asked her if she thought Tom Sawyer would go there, and she said not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that because I wanted him and me to be together."
It's exactly this kind of bland vision of eternity that Alcorn's book seeks to dispel.
"The pious Miss Watson had nothing to say about Heaven that appealed to Huck. What would have attracted him was a place where he could do meaningful and pleasurable things with enjoyable people. In fact, that's a far more accurate description of what Heaven will actually be like. If Miss Watson had told Huck what the Bible says about living in a resurrected body and being with people we love on a resurrected Earth with gardens and rivers and mountains and untold adventures --- now that would have gotten his attention!"
Indeed, and it got my attention too. Despite my education at a Bible college, I've spent little time thinking about or studying the logistics of eternity. And I'm not alone. Whereas heaven used to be on the forefront of the collective Christian mind, it receives little attention these days. Alcorn suggests a number of reasons for the waning interest in heaven, but the bulk of his polemic effort is to stoke curiosity and he does a tremendous job.
For example, do you realize that the place you go when you die is not the place where you will spend eternity? I'll let Alcorn explain:
"The answer to the question 'Will we live in Heaven forever?' depends on what you mean by Heaven. Will we be with the Lord forever? Absolutely. Will we always be with him in exactly the same place that Heaven is now? No. In the intermediate Heaven, we'll be in Christ's presence, and we'll be joyful, but we'll be looking forward to our bodily resurrection and permanent relocation to the New Earth."
Alcorn goes on to quote theologian Wayne Grudem who says, "Christians often talk about living with God 'in heaven' forever. But in fact the biblical teaching is richer than that: it tells us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth --- an entirely renewed creation --- and we will live with God there.... There will also be a new kind of unification of heaven and earth.... There will be a joining of heaven and earth in this new creation."
"Oh yeah," I thought to myself. "The New Earth!" If you've studied Revelation you know that Christ will return to remake the world after the Tribulation and Armageddon and all those staples of the Christian imagination take place. This is clear regardless of when or if you think the rapture will actually happen. Somehow I had never integrated Revelation's teaching on the New Earth with my thoughts about eternity. Indeed, it seems to support Alcorn's idea that the place we go when we die is only intermediate, temporary lodging until we can move to Earth part 2.
Frankly, I find the idea of living on a perfect earth full in a resurrected body in God's presence to be incredibly compelling. Forget the clouds. Where did we get that idea anyway?
HEAVEN is divided into three sections: a theology of heaven, questions and answers about heaven, and living in light of heaven. So after he explains his views on heaven, he provides practical answers to questions everyone has wondered about at one time or another. In HEAVEN you can find answers to questions including: "Can people see what's happening on the Earth from heaven?" "Will we experience time in heaven?" "Will the New Earth be like Eden?" "Will we maintain our own identities in heaven?" and "Will our resurrected bodies have new abilities?" And that's just scratching the surface. HEAVEN is nothing if not comprehensive.
It's important to note that, despite his clear conviction about his understanding of heaven, Alcorn is quick to welcome any biblical evidence that he has come to the wrong conclusions about eternity. Being biblical is his utmost priority.
"From the beginning, I want to make it clear that it's vitally important that this book be true to Scripture. I believe that most of my conclusions, even those that significantly depart from current evangelical thinking, will stand up to biblical scrutiny. Inevitably, however, some may not. In the context of prophetic statements, the apostle Paul says, 'Test everything. Hold on to the good' (1 Thessalonians 5:21). It's up to you to test by God's Word what I say, hold on to the good and reject the bad."
Such humility is refreshing, as is Alcorn's vision of the afterlife. It turns out that Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer might want to go to heaven after all.
--- Reviewed by Lisa Ann Cockrel
If we're honest, a lot of us might agree with that vicar. The thought of spending eternity floating about on a cloud, strumming the proverbial harp, sounds a bit, well, boring. Huckleberry Finn certainly thought so.
"She (Miss Watson) went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do was go around all day long with a harp and sing forever and ever. So didn't think much of it.... I asked her if she thought Tom Sawyer would go there, and she said not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that because I wanted him and me to be together."
It's exactly this kind of bland vision of eternity that Alcorn's book seeks to dispel.
"The pious Miss Watson had nothing to say about Heaven that appealed to Huck. What would have attracted him was a place where he could do meaningful and pleasurable things with enjoyable people. In fact, that's a far more accurate description of what Heaven will actually be like. If Miss Watson had told Huck what the Bible says about living in a resurrected body and being with people we love on a resurrected Earth with gardens and rivers and mountains and untold adventures --- now that would have gotten his attention!"
Indeed, and it got my attention too. Despite my education at a Bible college, I've spent little time thinking about or studying the logistics of eternity. And I'm not alone. Whereas heaven used to be on the forefront of the collective Christian mind, it receives little attention these days. Alcorn suggests a number of reasons for the waning interest in heaven, but the bulk of his polemic effort is to stoke curiosity and he does a tremendous job.
For example, do you realize that the place you go when you die is not the place where you will spend eternity? I'll let Alcorn explain:
"The answer to the question 'Will we live in Heaven forever?' depends on what you mean by Heaven. Will we be with the Lord forever? Absolutely. Will we always be with him in exactly the same place that Heaven is now? No. In the intermediate Heaven, we'll be in Christ's presence, and we'll be joyful, but we'll be looking forward to our bodily resurrection and permanent relocation to the New Earth."
Alcorn goes on to quote theologian Wayne Grudem who says, "Christians often talk about living with God 'in heaven' forever. But in fact the biblical teaching is richer than that: it tells us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth --- an entirely renewed creation --- and we will live with God there.... There will also be a new kind of unification of heaven and earth.... There will be a joining of heaven and earth in this new creation."
"Oh yeah," I thought to myself. "The New Earth!" If you've studied Revelation you know that Christ will return to remake the world after the Tribulation and Armageddon and all those staples of the Christian imagination take place. This is clear regardless of when or if you think the rapture will actually happen. Somehow I had never integrated Revelation's teaching on the New Earth with my thoughts about eternity. Indeed, it seems to support Alcorn's idea that the place we go when we die is only intermediate, temporary lodging until we can move to Earth part 2.
Frankly, I find the idea of living on a perfect earth full in a resurrected body in God's presence to be incredibly compelling. Forget the clouds. Where did we get that idea anyway?
HEAVEN is divided into three sections: a theology of heaven, questions and answers about heaven, and living in light of heaven. So after he explains his views on heaven, he provides practical answers to questions everyone has wondered about at one time or another. In HEAVEN you can find answers to questions including: "Can people see what's happening on the Earth from heaven?" "Will we experience time in heaven?" "Will the New Earth be like Eden?" "Will we maintain our own identities in heaven?" and "Will our resurrected bodies have new abilities?" And that's just scratching the surface. HEAVEN is nothing if not comprehensive.
It's important to note that, despite his clear conviction about his understanding of heaven, Alcorn is quick to welcome any biblical evidence that he has come to the wrong conclusions about eternity. Being biblical is his utmost priority.
"From the beginning, I want to make it clear that it's vitally important that this book be true to Scripture. I believe that most of my conclusions, even those that significantly depart from current evangelical thinking, will stand up to biblical scrutiny. Inevitably, however, some may not. In the context of prophetic statements, the apostle Paul says, 'Test everything. Hold on to the good' (1 Thessalonians 5:21). It's up to you to test by God's Word what I say, hold on to the good and reject the bad."
Such humility is refreshing, as is Alcorn's vision of the afterlife. It turns out that Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer might want to go to heaven after all.
--- Reviewed by Lisa Ann Cockrel
160 of 168 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Pastor, seminary professor, speaker, and writer Randy Alcorn has written a monumental opus on heaven, humbly titled "Heaven." I often have taught that our views of heaven are too heavenly and not earthy enough. Alcorn's entire book communicates the same message.
His theme is continuity--all that is beautiful about life on earth continues in the new heaven and the new earth. All that is horrible about life on earth is healed in the new heaven and the new earth.
Notice the phrase "new heaven and new earth." When you do, consider Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." What is heaven? Some ethereal, non-physical place where spirit beings sit on clouds playing harps eon after eon after eon after boring eon? Hardly!
In Alcorn's biblically accurate hands, heaven becomes what God designed the Garden of Eden to be--a physical place of beauty, a relational place of harmony, and a purposeful place of meaningful, creative work without weeds.
Read Alcorn's "Heaven." It could and should change how you live on earth now. It could and should change how you view how you will live for all eternity. This is clearly the best book on heaven that I have ever read.
Reviewer: Dr. Robert W. Kellemen is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction, and Soul Physicians.
His theme is continuity--all that is beautiful about life on earth continues in the new heaven and the new earth. All that is horrible about life on earth is healed in the new heaven and the new earth.
Notice the phrase "new heaven and new earth." When you do, consider Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." What is heaven? Some ethereal, non-physical place where spirit beings sit on clouds playing harps eon after eon after eon after boring eon? Hardly!
In Alcorn's biblically accurate hands, heaven becomes what God designed the Garden of Eden to be--a physical place of beauty, a relational place of harmony, and a purposeful place of meaningful, creative work without weeds.
Read Alcorn's "Heaven." It could and should change how you live on earth now. It could and should change how you view how you will live for all eternity. This is clearly the best book on heaven that I have ever read.
Reviewer: Dr. Robert W. Kellemen is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction, and Soul Physicians.
73 of 76 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Perspective is what is often needed in our lives as we face difficult or challenging circumstances. Even if our lives are going great perspective is so helpful. Randy's book on Heaven does just that--gives perspective. By seeing the whole picture--at least as much as God has shown us at this point--we are encouraged to move forward in life. If we are facing tough times it is so helpful to know that present difficulties pale in comparison to what God has provided for us. If life is great, Randy's book reminds us to not try to find heaven in what we do, who we are, or in our material success.
As a seminary educated person, I was surprised at how little I knew about this subject. As the saying goes, I know what I know, but I don't know what I don't know. Randy's book showed me a lot that I don't know.
As a seminary educated person, I was surprised at how little I knew about this subject. As the saying goes, I know what I know, but I don't know what I don't know. Randy's book showed me a lot that I don't know.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book, I have read it once and am reading it again!
I would reccommend this book, it opens up so much to think about concerning what Heaven may be like. I feel it would be very comforting to those who read it.
Published 4 days ago by J. Harris
5.0 out of 5 stars
Such an Encouragement
An Amazing book - He did a great job of pulling scripture and coming to conclusions Biblically based - a must read
Published 5 days ago by Linda Hostetler
4.0 out of 5 stars
Joyful Reading
Although the author could have made this book shorter (he tends to repeat himself) - I enjoyed this. Happy to be going home someday!
Published 6 days ago by Carleen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book
My wife enjoys reading this book. She recommends her friends read that book. She thanked her cousin for recommendation. Thanks!
Published 8 days ago by Chas
2.0 out of 5 stars
Scripture based?
I question the true Scriptural basis for many of his conclusions. To say that there will be literal books in heaven because the word book is mentioned in the Bible is a bit of a... Read more
Published 8 days ago by Larry Staton
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heavn, I can't wait!
WOW! What a FANTABULOUS! OUT OF THIS WORLD, BOOK! A COMLETE EYE
OPENER! GET IT! So mind blowing! I can't wait to be with OUR INCREDIBLE, GOD!!!
OPENER! GET IT! So mind blowing! I can't wait to be with OUR INCREDIBLE, GOD!!!
Published 8 days ago by Ivette Torres
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is an interesting book
There is so much to read these days, but this is not just a good read, it is filled with how living a better life really makes a difference.
Published 10 days ago by It is a wonderful day!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can't wait to go!
Very interesting and true to scripture. If we are going to spend eternity in Heaven, we should get to know how great it is going to be!!!! Thank you Randy.
Published 14 days ago by margo j. steinsdoerfer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid
Best book on Heaven I've read. Does a great job of putting together what God in the Bible says about Heaven
Published 16 days ago by WebPastor
3.0 out of 5 stars
It couldn't hold my interest
I purchased this book because my sister wanted us to read it together to get an in site about Heaven. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Dianne Kelly
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More About the Author
Randy Alcorn is an author and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a nonprofit ministry dedicated to teaching principles of God's Word and assisting the church in ministering to the unreached, unfed, unborn, uneducated, unreconciled, and unsupported people around the world. His ministry focus is communicating the strategic importance of using our earthly time, money, possessions and opportunities to invest in need-meeting ministries that count for eternity. He accomplishes this by analyzing, teaching, and applying the biblical truth.
Before starting EPM in 1990, Randy served as a pastor for fourteen years. He has an MA degree in Biblical Studies from Multnomah University and an Honorary Doctorate from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon and has taught on the adjunct faculties of both.
A New York Times bestselling author, Randy has written more than forty books, including Courageous, Heaven, The Treasure Principle, and the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home. His books in print exceed seven million and have been translated into over fifty languages. Randy has written for many magazines including EPM's issues-oriented magazine Eternal Perspectives. He is active daily on Facebook and Twitter, has been a guest on more than 700 radio, television and online programs including Focus on the Family, FamilyLife Today, Revive Our Hearts, The Bible Answer Man, and The Resurgence.
Randy resides in Gresham, Oregon, with his wife, Nanci. They have two married daughters and are the proud grandparents of five grandsons. Randy enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, tennis, research, and reading.
Before starting EPM in 1990, Randy served as a pastor for fourteen years. He has an MA degree in Biblical Studies from Multnomah University and an Honorary Doctorate from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon and has taught on the adjunct faculties of both.
A New York Times bestselling author, Randy has written more than forty books, including Courageous, Heaven, The Treasure Principle, and the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home. His books in print exceed seven million and have been translated into over fifty languages. Randy has written for many magazines including EPM's issues-oriented magazine Eternal Perspectives. He is active daily on Facebook and Twitter, has been a guest on more than 700 radio, television and online programs including Focus on the Family, FamilyLife Today, Revive Our Hearts, The Bible Answer Man, and The Resurgence.
Randy resides in Gresham, Oregon, with his wife, Nanci. They have two married daughters and are the proud grandparents of five grandsons. Randy enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, tennis, research, and reading.
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