“When we all get to heaven,” we used to sing when I was a kid in church.
The idea of heaven has run through our culture in various ways. We fall in love and say it’s like heaven. We eat an amazing pizza and call it heavenly.
Cartoons give us images of little babies with wings playing harps on clouds or perhaps a gate where Peter checks your reservation.
We shouldn’t trust the world’s idea of heaven anyway, but what about those of us who follow Jesus? With biblical literacy lacking more and more in our society, what do we know about the biblical idea of heaven?
Here are seven myths about heaven that aren’t biblical.
1. Heaven Is a Boring Place
Many have the idea of heaven as standing or sitting around in this perfect place like there’s nothing to do when we get there. It seems fairly boring, but the Bible speaks of a very active reality.
Heaven is a realm filled with joy, worship, and fulfillment (Revelation 21:4). Contrary to monotony, the Bible portrays heaven as a dynamic and vibrant space.
The promise of rest in heaven is accompanied by a depiction of continuous worship, service, and the privilege of reigning with Christ (Revelation 22:3; 2 Timothy 2:12). Reigning with Christ implies activity and purpose, even within perfection.
Finally, God is infinite, and we have an eternity to explore the depths of intimacy with him and each other. We will always be experiencing more in Christ.
All this challenges the notion of an uneventful afterlife, emphasizing the richness and diversity of experiences awaiting those who enter his eternal Kingdom.
2. Everyone Goes to Heaven Automatically
When people pass away, in our grief, we often talk about the person who died like they are in heaven. No matter their beliefs or life, we assume they are in heaven and speak as such.
Only in circumstances when the person was a horrendously evil person, like Hitler, do we express they are in hell.
However, the Bible teaches something different. There is a clear biblical teaching that salvation and entrance into heaven are contingent upon faith in Christ (John 14:6; Romans 10:9).
Jesus specifically states the majority of people do not make it to eternal life but to destruction.
Wide is the path to death and narrow and difficult the way to heaven (Matthew 7:13-14). This is contrary to what most people believe.
The Bible emphasizes the exclusivity of Christ as the way to eternal life. According to biblical doctrine, we are to repent unto Christ and seek the coming Kingdom of God.
This repentance includes acknowledging King Jesus as the Son of God, trusting in his sacrifice, confession, and obedience to Christ through the Spirit.
This emphasis on a personal relationship with Christ refutes the idea of automatic inclusion in heaven for all.
3. Heaven Is a Cloudy Place
The myth of heaven being a cloudy place, with people idly sitting and playing harps, lacks biblical support. Although heaven is often portrayed metaphorically, the Bible provides a more nuanced and diverse description.
In Revelation 21:10-27, heaven is presented as a place of grandeur and splendor, using vivid imagery such as precious stones, crystal-clear rivers, and streets of gold.
This biblical depiction challenges the simplistic notion of a cloud-filled and monotonous realm. The rich and diverse terms used to describe heaven introduce a more profound and awe-inspiring vision of the eternal abode for believers.
Rather than a static and cloudy environment, heaven is presented as a place of unparalleled beauty and dynamic richness, far beyond the oversimplified imagery often associated with this myth.
These descriptions may be metaphorical since it would be difficult to describe an eternal, divine realm in human terms. Human language may not be able to properly contain the reality of another dimension.
Even still, these metaphors are designed to activate our imagination to a heaven of complex beauty, noise, and activity.
4. We Become Angels in Heaven
People talk about loved ones who pass away as if they look out for us and protect us from the afterlife. Making it to heaven, it’s implied, includes getting our wings and becoming an angel to serve God.
However, the Bible never supports the idea that humans transform into angels in heaven. Instead, Scripture distinctly maintains the separation between angels and humans, each with their unique roles and purposes.
Hebrews 1:4 underscores this distinction, clarifying how angels are ministering spirits sent to serve God and those who inherit salvation. Angels aren’t former humans but other created spiritual beings designed to fulfill specific functions.
Scripture further says we will one day rule over the angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-6). This should make sense. The disciple of Christ is a new creation born from God in Christ. And if we are to reign with him, then the angels would be under our purview.
This doesn’t mean humans in heaven aren’t involved at all. The author of Hebrews writes about how a “cloud of witnesses” encourages believers on earth from heaven (Hebrews 12). The context seems to show these are saints who have gone before.
5. Life in Heaven Is the Same as on Earth
Our earthly experience often influences our idea of paradise. This world and earth are all we’ve experienced. Heaven will be like the earth, then, only perfect in every way, right?
The description of the Millennial Reign in Revelation 20 (after Jesus’ return) does suggest a thousand years of such a life. Time will move along the same pace, and we will reign with Christ on earth for a thousand years.
However, after the devil is released for a time and God puts the enemy in fire once and for all, the earth as we know it will pass away. We will then see a New Heaven and a New Earth (Revelation 21).
Taking into account the dimensions of the New Jerusalem, reality has seriously shifted. While all details aren’t given, it’s no longer the earth we know, hence the designation New Heaven and Earth.
Furthermore, 2 Peter 3:8 hints at a different perception of time in heaven, stating that with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day. This suggests a non-linear understanding of time in the divine realm, at least a different perception.
While the Bible uses metaphorical language to describe certain aspects of heaven, this challenges the oversimplified notion that life in heaven is a mere continuation of life on Earth, emphasizing the unique and incomprehensible aspects of the eternal realm.
6. We Will Forget Earthly Life in Heaven
When we get to heaven, we’ll transition into an eternal realm where life is vastly different. While some people think humans become angels or ghosts, others believe we will completely forget our old life upon arrival in the next life.
The Bible suggests a continuity of memory for believers. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man, found in Luke 16:19-31, provides insights into this aspect of the afterlife.
In the parable, both Lazarus and the rich man retain their identities and memories after death. The rich man, while in torment, remembers his past life and even recognizes Lazarus.
This parable challenges the notion of complete forgetfulness in heaven, indicating that aspects of earthly existence, including personal identities and memories, persist in the afterlife.
The parable underscores the enduring nature of consciousness beyond earthly life and suggests a recognition of one's past experiences.
In a narrative from Old Testament history, King Saul commits a sin by asking a witch to bring his mentor Samuel up from the grave to get advice. Oddly enough, this succeeds, and Samuel further addresses Saul and reproves him.
These are but two examples of how we will remember our earthly life once we get to heaven.
7. We Will Have No Personal Identity in Heaven
Along with the belief we won’t remember our earthly lives in heaven, some people think we will have no personal identities.
So much of our identity now is based on earthly aspects: our race, language, education, memories, etc. If the earth passes away and those are no more, then so must our personal identity.
Unfortunately, Eastern or Asian mysticism influences this idea, and the Bible gives a different picture.
God knew us before we were formed in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5); before we sinned or rebelled against him, he had an idea of who we were. God is a redeemer, and redemption brings us to his complete design.
The scriptures indicate that believers will indeed retain their identity, albeit in a transformed and perfected state. In 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, believers are promised new, imperishable bodies. This assurance implies a continuation of personal identity, albeit in a glorified form.
In Revelation, different languages and tribes are worshipping God (Revelation 7:9), which shows us we will retain some of our earthly distinctions, even within transformed and new bodies.
Instead of erasing personal identity, the biblical narrative suggests an enhancement and perfection of who believers are, free from the limitations and imperfections of their earthly bodies.
We have so much to look forward to in heaven with Christ. Far from boring or dull, the Heavenly Kingdom is a place of activity, purpose, identity, and unending beauty.
God gives us these visions and images of heaven to bring us hope. Our journey, including our pains and sacrifices, will end in joy.
Peace.
For further reading:
5 Myths about Eternity That Are Not Biblical
5 Myths about Hell That Are Not Biblical
5 Things Christians Believe about Hell That Aren’t True
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/NORIMA
