These reviews originally appeared on amazon.com

I received this book as a Father's Day gift and I'm not quite sure what I was expecting when I looked at the title. I suppose maybe a moderately dry theological treatise that would appeal mostly to the intellect rather than the emotions. Perhaps something that poured over the pages of Revelations or Ezekiel dealing with arcane details like the dimensions of the New Jerusalem and the spiritual meanings thereof.

So when I read the liner notes that suggested "...this may well be the single most life-changing book you'll ever read," I was more than a little skeptical and figured this would go down as the all-time biggest example of over-promising and under-delivering.

While it might be a bit of a stretch to say it was the most life-changing book I've ever read, I readily admit—it was life-changing. I will never look at heaven, or even this life, the same way again.

Perhaps like many, I assumed that the Bible had relatively little to say about the details of heaven—even though I've read through the Old and New Testaments several times. Frankly, I found myself wondering how the author could fill nearly 500 pages on this topic without engaging in rampant speculation or page after page of minutiae.

I think most people, if they are quite honest, have turned heaven into a kind of cosmic retirement home—peaceful but not what you'd call "exhilarating." Another view of heaven I've often heard repeated is one long, never-ending worship service where we spend eternity engaged in a single activity. Now, nobody likes a rip-roaring worship service more than I do with good music, exhilaration, dancing, and all the other aspects of creative worship. But, let's face it. If that's all we're going to be doing in heaven, it would eventually get boring.

Alcorn challenges us to think about heaven more as a return to Eden...about what life would have been like had sin never entered the world. A place where people do the things they were created to do—run, sing, compete in athletics, paint, learn, sculpt, write, read, debate, build cities, develop new technologies, travel, explore, eat, tell jokes, love, study, compose and perform music, garden, and every other field of human endeavor. Alcorn also challenges to think of all these things for what they really are: a form of worship. And before you dismiss this view of the afterlife as almost blasphemous because its so—so earthly, let me just encourage you to give Alcorn the chance to make his case biblically. He'll do it. (Hint: if we are supposed to be disembodied spirits playing harps on fluffy clouds, why does the Bible say God is going to create a "new earth"? Is it just for show...or maybe...just maybe, is it supposed to be inhabited?)

The more I thought about this, after getting over the initial auto-immune response that tends to reject this view in favor of an over-spiritualized heaven, the more it made perfect sense. It wasn't so much an "Aha!" moment as a "Well duh!" moment. The analogy Alcorn uses is the "fish out of water" comparison. If you take a fish out of the environment he was created to live in, just how fulfilled do you think it would be? In the same way, if you take man—a physical being made to enjoy the physical world—out of this environment and tell him his eternity will be some kind of ethereal place of spiritual contemplation, wispy clouds, and wind chimes, it's pretty hard to get passionate about making it your final forwarding address.

Alcorn does an outstanding job of showing that heaven is a place we'll want to be. He dispels the myths by using the Bible—not just conjecture—to show us what it will really be like, so for those who are concerned that this can't possibly be a book with much more than speculation, rest assured that he'll buttress it all with a solid biblical foundation.

Some will no doubt relegate a book on heaven to the "by and by" category. "Yes," they'll reason, "it's probably a great read, but isn't focusing so much on heaven a form of escapism—living in the future rather than dealing with the present?" Or, like myself, they'll wonder if the liner notes aren't over-promising when they claim it will be "life-changing." After all, doesn't "life changing" have connotations of changing the here and now—not the hereafter?

To which I can only respond: read the book. You'll see for yourself that it doesn't under-deliver.

I think that this book is very interesting on the heaven topic. Most Christians, if you ask them, really don't have a perception of what heaven is suppose to be like. The author breaks a lot of his chapters down into questions that a Christian may ask. I also like the fact that this book also does look at the other side of heaven. Most books don't like to talk about hell but, like the author, I agree that it is something that needs to be discussed.

An astounding look at life after death and resurrection. Excellent explanation of what we can expect to do and see in heaven. Highly recommended.

Randy Alcorn has beautifully described Heaven in his novels. Now he has thoroughly researched and brought forth explanations of Heaven in this non-fiction book.

Alcorn exhaustively writes about all topics related to God's Kingdom of Heaven. This book is a comprehensive text relying on scriptures and other writers to give the full picture of Heaven to the readers.

The one downside of the book is that it reads much like a textbook on the subject, but does have its share of stories to liven it up some.

Christians need to read this book or a similar book to gain an accurate idea of Heaven. If Christians lived on earth in anticipation of the reality of Heaven, nobody could casually standby and remain apathetic toward the call of Christ to eternal life with him in paradise. Alcorn produces a book to light that fire of hope and enthusiasm in readers.

I was struck by how often C. S. Lewis is quoted by Alcorn...almost literally on every other page. Several other contemporary writers like John Eldridge and Philip Yancey do the same. It is remarkable the influence Lewis has had on this book.

The book Heaven by Randy Alcorn is a must-read for anyone wondering what heaven will really be like. It uses passages from Genesis to Revelation talking about heaven.

Knowing the theological background of Mr. Alcorn, I have one problem with his book. He gives no basis for hope concerning infants and small children, up to the moment of reason, for them to get to heaven. My theological background allows, and even mandates, baptism of infants and small children. I then have hope based on teachings of Jesus of seeing them in heaven. Mr. Alcorn can only hope for the sake of hope based on nothing. It is also a bit repetitive, but he keeps putting new information in each chapter to keep you reading. The repetition may not be bad as he keeps stressing the key points of being a believer in Jesus.

That being said, this is still the best book I have read concerning what heaven will be like. I have given this book to many people who are looking for God and need a reason to serve him. It has given me some insight into questions I have had about the Bible since my youth. Knowing the God I wish to serve, the assumptions made in the book may not even be large enough to describe what heaven will be like.

When you pick this book up, be aware you will not be able read continuously without putting it down for a while to think. If you are a believer, it will answer or validate many assumptions. If you don't know if you want to know God, it will give you a reason to continue searching for him. Have a Bible handy, you will want it.

I read pretty much everything I can find that is written about Heaven and what eternal life will be like. Randy Alcorn did a great job of telling what the Bible has to say on the subject and then he shares his own ideas and thoughts as well. Very factual and very inspiring. We may not know everything there is to know about life after death but this book will get you thinking. It also is excellent in refuting some of the old time traditional misconceptions about Heaven. I highly recommend it!

Randy Alcorn is at the top of my list of all-time favorite authors. I've read every book he's written, some twice, and some three times. This book is a stunner. Took my breath away, over and over and over. There are no words to describe my gratitude, relief, joy and excitement over what I learned about Heaven in this book. I cannot wait to go there, and I am not exaggerating. Learning for the first time in my life about the reality of Heaven has caused a paradigm shift in the way that I think and the way that I live. For the first time in my long Christian life, I have the motivation and right attitude to share the gospel with others. I've given this book as gifts to half a dozen people, and just ordered more for Christmas. I've written all 40-some unsaved people on my prayer list and begged them to read this book. Next to the Bible, this is the most important book any believer (or unbeliever!) should read.

I've always had questions about heaven... where is it? What is it? I've wondered if it were possibly another dimension. I had heard snippets of ideas about heaven but nothing concrete. This book has stirred up so much excitement within me... I never dreamed heaven might be the way Randy Alcorn describes it. I have recommended this book to everyone I know. Since I read it a couple of weeks ago, I don't think I've had a single conversation that hasn't ended up discussing heaven... the place and the book. This book has given me new hope and determination to do whatever it takes to carry on in my Christian walk and to encourage others to come with me.

This is the most compelling read I have picked up in a long time. It revitalized me for the work to be done on earth. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in Heaven, and Randy Alcorn gives his reader vivid ideas about what we have to look forward to! I think this can actually be a wonderful evangelical tool, because he so thoroughly answers the question many seekers ask: "Why should I choose Christianity?"

A great read indeed.

This is no Far Side or Alien Encounters view of Heaven and the afterlife. If you've grown up with the view most Americans have of Heaven, this book, drawing from hundreds of Biblical scriptures, will radically change how you view Heaven! You'll find yourself getting hopeful and excited...for the first time, realizing that this time on Earth is just the introduction to a long and exciting adventure that awaits believers in Heaven.

I used this book to lead a women's Bible study, and women young and old found themselves first saying, "Wow—this seems way out in left field...I've never thought of Heaven like this!" Then they began realizing that Alcorn's book is scriptural—not just a couple of verses out of context—but truly a cover-to-cover in-depth look at what God Himself wrote in His Word about the place of Heaven. As we continued reading through the book, the excitement and delight built. This book radically changed my perspective on Heaven and ranks as one of the top 5 books I've ever read. I highly recommend this book. It will motivate you to live your life in such a way that God will be pleased with you at the end of it. And it will motivate you to look Heavenward with delight. Get this book!

This book gets me excited about what the Bible has to say about what Christians have in store for them.

Heaven is a wonderful book, awe-inspiring with every turn of the page and each new paragraph, invoking the greatest memories and sights and scenes and characters of this present world and imagining them, with the joy, fun, and splendor of those moments, ever magnified in a world which is synonymous with joy itself and the home of the Throne of God. Alcorn's mediations on heaven, which have been backed by the mountains of research he culled from the Bible and from the hodgepodge of various pieces of literature and Christians, forms what is probably the most insightful book on what the Bible says about Heaven to this date and past.

In the book's beginning, Alcorn reminiscences about Paul when he asks his readers to keep whatever good there is and discard any that is bad. So far, the only thing I can understand to be a little out of line, but not quite wrong, with Alcorn's conclusions are the association of believers with Christ, which he sees as the believers (church) being a Bride, and Christ the Bridegroom. That conclusion is apparent to me to be out of line with how many of the apostles and Christ himself views the believers, which is as fellow brothers and soldiers of Christ, with the New Jerusalem reserved as the Bride. Other than that, I'd say well done, faithful servant. Never has such a book made me feel as though I beam with the radiance of a star studded nebula for such a long time, as I continue to muse on Heaven even now. So how great is the coming age to be!!

I am just beginning to read this book, which has enlightened me from what I have read and I look forward to completing the book. It's a little early to be telling you how I enjoyed the book, but from what I read it is excellent and informative.

Mr. Alcorn ties in all his observations about Heaven to specific scriptures, refuting many of the most common preconceptions we have. Very good reasoning about why we should be looking forward with great anticipation to being in God's presents in Heaven.

This book gives such a positive look into what heaven is going to be like. It is a great comfort to those that have lost loved ones. When they say to keep your eyes on the prize, this book helps you to visualize that prize. An absolutely excellent read for anyone.

Once I began reading this book, I couldn't put it down. Mr. Alcorn gives a different, but Biblical, perspective on the greatest mystery of all. Amazing! I recommend it heartily to anyone wishing to know what Heaven will be like.

This book will dramatically change your outlook on the life that's to come. If you're the type of person that is afraid of death, this book will give you a reason to look forward to it! It will dramatically change the way you live your entire!

Cheers to Randy Alcorn for discovering what "Heaven" will really be like. It is not the sugarcoated picture that most folks think of with singing and floating in clouds. Thank you, Randy, for a great revelation of what it will be like. It has given me a new perspective of what to look forward to.

This is one of the best and most complete books about Heaven that I have read. Alcorn has made an exhaustive study from the Bible references to Heaven, making his comments in a very readable way, causing one to enlarge one's thinking and imagination about the future home of those who belong to God's family through acceptance of Christ's death on the cross for their sins. He is not afraid to tackle many different aspects about what heaven will be like, yet he is not totally dogmatic about his conclusions when the Scriptures aren't absolutely clear. I highly recommend this book.

Believe it or not, the Christian Heaven has received a bad rep. (Randy capitalizes the word because it's a real place.) Too many people believe Heaven will be boring. We'll strum harps and lounge about on clouds with nothing to do. Others think we'll float bodiless in a formless, timeless void, stripped of all our personality. Heaven is pictured as such an alien country that it repels, not attracts. After all the struggles in this life, this is all we have to look forward to?

I had misgivings about a book titled Heaven. In my studies, the kingdom of Heaven will take place on earth. The Millennial Reign of Christ takes place on earth. The saints will rule on earth. The Lamb's throne will be on earth. Even the Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem, comes down from Heaven. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed. Randy shows how Heaven will be only a temporary abode, that this world, with all its familiarity, will indeed be our future home (did not God look at His creation and say it was "very good"?).

Randy addresses many popular questions about Heaven with answers that were more satisfactorily answered here than I've seen elsewhere. Where Scripture does not plainly state an answer, Randy still manages to tease out clues from the Word and common experiences to convince us that whatever the final answer is, Heaven will be extremely satisfying.

Will our pets be in Heaven? How about dinosaurs? (Why not dinosaurs?) Will we still eat and sleep? Will we enjoy arts, entertainment, and sports? Will we be married? What will happen with the relationships we've developed? These questions and more are covered extensively in the second half of the book.

Noteworthy to me, because of my studies on living with the end in view, is Randy's observation that stepping from this life into the next is like stepping though a door. We will retain our personalities and abilities gained in this life. If we died faithful, we will enter faithful. If we buried our talent here, it will be absent there.

Finally, Randy traces our muddled, metaphysical concepts of Heaven back to several Church Fathers who thought the physical body was evil. From them we learned to allegorize the many physical descriptions of Heaven. This corruption of the plain biblical text robbed us of genuinely looking forward to the next life.

If Heaven is near the bottom of your list of places you'd like to see, you should get this book. If Heaven has always summoned a sense of unease or confusion, this book is for you. This book may well be the single most life-changing book you'll ever read.

If you have ever wondered about heaven, read this book! (If you haven't, maybe it's time that you did. If you are a Christian who isn't interested in heaven, might I politely suggest that you analyze how your walk with the Lord is right now? This is definitely a topic that is VERY important to Christianity. I once heard it said that the New Testament has more references to heaven than chapters. Since the Bible considers it so important, shouldn't we as well?).

In any case, I can't recommend this book enough. My understanding of Heaven has improved greatly. Heaven isn't just a theoretical topic for theologians but an intensely important—and practical—topic for Christians. Do you believe and/or hear any of the following:

The Bible doesn't say much about heaven and/or we can't know much about it—"we can't even begin to imagine what it will be like."

"I'll find out about heaven when I get there."

We won't have physical bodies in heaven (Jesus certainly does; He was Resurrected in the exact same body that was crucified, although obviously a glorified body, which He still has today. Otherwise how is it that He still had the nail prints in His hands, which He showed to the apostle Thomas to prove that it was really Him? He spent a great deal of time proving to the Apostles that He was really resurrected in a physical body and that He wasn't some kind of spirit. Also, Adam and Eve certainly had physical bodies in Eden. The Bible is clear that we will be raised in the very same bodies we have now, which will be glorified. They will be the exact same kind of body we would have had in the Garden of Eden if Adam and Eve hadn't sinned).

Heaven will be boring and/or we won't have fun (since when is Satan the creator of fun?)

We won't have relationships in heaven with anyone but God and/or all we will do is sing hymns all day and we won't want to do anything that isn't "spiritual" (Adam and Eve certainly related to each other and, if they had had children while in the Garden of Eden, they certainly would have related to them as well; also, Jesus certainly had human relationships while He was on earth and there is every reason to believe that He still relates to people in a personal, face-to-face manner in Heaven just like He did on earth. Eden was certainly not an eternal church service—"Ok, we'll sing #21 followed by #605, followed by a sermon and announcements"—type deal.)

We won't eat, drink, sleep, or do any other "normal" activities in heaven. (Why not? Didn't Jesus eat, sleep, and drink, and didn't Adam and Eve do so in Eden? Why shouldn't the wedding feast of the Lamb be a literal feast?)

Heaven is our final dwelling place. (The Bible actually says that the New Earth, rather than Heaven, is our final dwelling place; the present Heaven, the intermediate Heaven where believers who die before the return of Christ go, comes down to earth—cf. Rev. 21)

"We will not remember our lives on earth when we go to heaven." (Sure we will; the martyrs in Revelation, for example, certainly seemed to remember what happened to them on earth)

We will not know what is happening on earth when we go to heaven.(Again, see the martyrs in Revelation; not only did they remember what happened to them while they were on earth, they were aware that they were not yet avenged, thus implying that they had at least some knowledge of what was happening on earth.)

We will lose our memories, our personalities, or will otherwise not be continuous with our earthly selves. (Absolutely not; there is continuity with who we are on earth. We are the same people in a glorified body.)

There will not be arts, culture, government, literature, etc. in heaven. (Why not? there were in Eden, at least these certainly would have developed if Adam and Eve hadn't sinned.)

Or numerous other similar misconceptions.

If you believe and/or have heard these things, read this book. These, and many other things, are common misconceptions about heaven. Too many people see material, earthly things as somehow "evil" and nonmaterial things as somehow "more spiritual." Randy Alcorn shows that this is actually based on Platonism, which was a philosophy that taught that matter was evil and spirit was good. (Those who have studied church history will recognize that these ideas were very important in the Gnostic heresy). He shows that the misconceptions listed above, and many, many more are incorrect, and shows what the Bible really says about Heaven.

I used to think that the Bible didn't say much about Heaven, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Alcorn shows that the Bible says a lot about Heaven. Not only can we, we should. As Alcorn says, if you were going to move to, say, Brazil, wouldn't you want to find out something about the country before you got there? Absolutely. No one moves to a new country without having any knowledge of it in advance. Would you ever move to a new country and say "we'll find out about it when we get there?" Saying that about Heaven makes even less sense.

Too many Christians don't anticipate Heaven like they should because they don't understand it. Some secretly admit that they are even dreading going to Heaven because they think it will be boring, like we will be going to an eternal church service, and a boring one at that. Alcorn gives an example of a new convert who asked a more mature believer whether we would have fun in Heaven. She immediately replied, "Oh, no," looking surprised that he'd even asked such an "obvious" question. And why not, might I ask (and Alcorn asks in the book as well)? Which verse is that? As Alcorn points out, this type of reasoning shows a profound misunderstanding about Heaven, who God is, etc. As he points out, didn't God create fun in the first place? If not, then who did—Satan? And yet we know that Satan cannot create anything. This idea that we won't have fun in Heaven is neo-Platonism reminiscent of Gnosticism, Manichaeism, Docetism, and other forms of dualistic heresies that teach that matter is "evil" vs. spirit which is good.

With regards to whether this book is speculative, sure, he does have to speculate somewhat by his own admission, but not as much as one would expect. I was expecting that this book would contain a great deal of speculation (partially because I bought into the all-too-common assumption that the Bible doesn't have much to say about Heaven, which couldn't be further from the truth!), but the book actually contains very little. I think that most of his conclusions are either based directly on Biblical exegesis (and I do believe that his reading of the Bible is the most straightforward reading of Scripture I've seen on the matter) or follow naturally from his other premises. With regards to the New Earth, the Bible is clear that there will be a New Earth and that that is our final dwelling place:

"Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." (2 Pet. 3:13)

"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them [and] [be] their God. 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.' Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.'"

This book will strengthen your faith and your walk with the Lord and will encourage you greatly, giving you hope for Heaven and joy and peace on earth. I can now actually anticipate Heaven without dreading the unknown or fearing being bored to death. I even recall a nightmare I once had (before reading this book, of course) in which I went to Heaven and was bored silly. That's one fear I can be completely free from now, and I am free to eagerly anticipate Heaven.

If you haven't read this book yet, I urge you to buy it right away and read the whole thing. I close now with a few quotes from C. S. Lewis:

"Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind."

"If we really think that home is elsewhere and that this life is a 'wandering to find home,' why should we not look forward to the arrival?"

"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this."

To my delight this book is very different. I grew up and preached in churches where heaven was never ever talked about, or if its was; it sounded horrible. I did a lot of studying on my own to form my opinion on what heaven will be like. Using both logic, scripture, and philosophy I made firm my view on heaven and preached it. I never saw a book that even remotely spoke of the same heaven I envisioned, so I thought about writing a book. Randy beat me to it....

This book is a joy to read and is doctrinally sound (I am fundamentalist conservative)! Alcorn paints a beautiful picture of a heaven that is more like home, than a distance spiritual realm. His picture fits scripture. While I don't agree with a few points that he makes (i.e. restorationism) I must say that these squabbles about minor details amount to about 3 pages of the text.

If you are looking for a book to invigorate your walk with God, give this a read. It's a light and fun read that will truly affect your life. It will once again focus your hope upon the coming of Christ and the glorious place we have awaiting us. I must say that it affected my personal life, family life, spiritual life, and my preaching. I reclaimed that awe about heaven that I had as a child. Trust me, whether you are a theology junkie like me, or a Christian living book freak, this book is a must read!

This book has renewed my excitement about my eternal home, and it has encouraged me to review my life and what I am doing for the Lord. I found the research and biblical references to be excellent. I particularly appreciated the author's invitation and suggestion in the Preface to test and check his facts and speculation against scripture. Although I am familiar with the Biblical scriptures regarding Heaven, I am always interested in new perspectives to consider. For example, in Part I, the author proposes that the New Earth will be a restored Earth. I have found no scripture to support this speculation. II Peter 3:7-13 clearly states that Earth and Heaven will be dissolved, and there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth. I believe dissolved clearly means to exist no more; however, I welcome his insight and his ideas. I absolutely love the Question and Answer section (Part II). It has provided me with some excellent biblical answers to pass on to others. I believe this book is an outstanding witnessing tool to give to others who are curious about Heaven, but have not made a commitment to Christ. My only disappointment about this book is that the author quotes so many different modern translations of the Bible. I had to look up all the biblical references in my King James 1611 Bible, because I don't trust man's attempts to improve God's perfect word.

Randy Alcorn is a writer whose work on the subject of heaven is certainly extensive. The founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries, he has spent significant effort to point Christians toward the reality and important of eternity in such nonfiction books as In Light of Eternity and Money, Possessions, and Eternity as well as novels such as Safely Home and Edge of Eternity. The simple title of this book and its considerable length seems suggest it is meant to be his magnum opus on the subject.

The book is divided into three parts: "A Theology of Heaven" (5-228), "Questions and Answers about Heaven" (229-436), and "Living in Light of Heaven" (437-458). The author himself exhorts the reader not to skip the first section to get to the later ones, because the first section is foundational to everything else, and this certainly is the case; Alcorn's theology of heaven determines much of what he says in his question and answer section. Therefore, this review will be primarily concerned with what is said in Part I.

His theology is largely very good and is largely exegetical. The "Theology of Heaven" section would be immensely helpful in many ways to a new believer or to one who has not studied the subject of heaven from a Biblical perspective. In it, he contrasts what Scripture says with the all-too-common view of angels with harps sitting on clouds. He argues powerfully and convincingly that the Christian should look forward to heaven (and, in one chapter, why the unbeliever should not) and should not dread it as dull or boring in the least.

Alcorn asserts rightly that the New Earth will be a physical place. He rejects the notion that the earth will be merely spiritual in nature, and devotes quite a large amount of Part I of the book to demonstrating that the New Earth is physical in nature. In doing so, he argues against a philosophy called "Christoplatonism"—a term he freely admits he coined himself (459)—which is a system of belief that spiritualizes the truths about heaven in the same way as such early church fathers as Origen and Clement of Alexandria instead of believing in a literal, physical heaven.

While it is certainly true that there are those today who hold to such a position, the magnitude of the problem is not what he makes it to be. In fact, he has to go to quite obscure sources to even find such a position being espoused in relatively modern theology (460). It seems that Alcorn assumes that the reader knows very little about a biblical view of heaven, and the book is directed at that kind of reader who instead gets his ideas of heaven from popular culture (6-7).

This is the dangerous aspect of the book. Someone without much prior knowledge of Biblical theology or skills of discernment may be won over to some questionable doctrines. While his core belief and primary argument that the New Earth is a physical place is most important and is certainly true, Alcorn presents a number of novel views about other aspects of heaven that are questionably biblical at best and plainly speculative at worst.

One example of this is Alcorn's interpretation of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 as a passage that can be used for doctrinal study of heaven and hell. Such an interpretation denies the nature of parables (and he readily admits that this is indeed a parable), which is to teach one main point and not to give a treatise on every detail contained in the story. He also uses Revelation 6:9-10 to say that the martyrs in heaven could see what was happening upon the earth, assuming that they couldn't know unless they could see the earth from heaven (69). But that interpretation ignores that they had just come out of the tribulation and could remember what was happening, a point Alcorn himself makes in the previous thought (68). Such interpretive inconsistencies are scattered throughout the book. Most of the book contains biblical truths and should be esteemed, but the new and controversial ideas he presents are all supported very poorly. For example, Alcorn uses a questionable, spurious text from "older manuscripts," along with a parallelism that is not actually there, to argue that the New Heaven and New Earth are a restored earth, not a totally new earth, based on Peter 3:7-13 (145-151).

He often uses passages that describe the millennial kingdom as if they were intended to describe the New Earth. Further, it is often difficult to ascertain what (or if) he is even trying to argue regarding the distinction between the millennium and the eternal state. Although he claims to be a premillenialist, he blends together the millennium and the eternal state in quite a confusing way.

Other problems include illogical arguments (along the lines of, "Jesus didn't say this, therefore he meant the opposite") and defending controversial points with stories from fiction novels—even his own (131-33, 156, 54-55)! He also often assumes that because something is good on earth that it will be present in heaven (318), even though he does not hold to this principle when addressing the subject of marriage.

Other than what is affected by faulty theological views of heaven, his answers to common questions in Part II are very good. He is biblical and scholarly and he covers a wide range of subjects and the most common questions that are able to be answered by Scripture.

The best parts of the book are those which encourage the reader to be heavenly-minded. Alcorn argues the importance of esteeming eternal life above this life. He asserts quite rightly that heaven has been relatively neglected in my systematic theology works and especially in Bible courses where eternity is the last subject taught and is often not reached by the end of the term.

The last two chapters, which comprise Part III, are excellent exhortations to think on heaven and anticipate spending eternity there.

Overall, this work is good for those with a culturally-dictated view of heaven who are seeking a Biblical primer and for those who are interested in the questions and answers in Part II. There is not really much that is both good and new for the would-be reader who already holds to any form of premillenial eschatology and uses a literal-historical-grammatical hermeneutic to interpret the Bible. This is not a groundbreaking manifesto on the nature of heaven by any means, but simply an organized work that mixes a few new ideas with a traditional scholarly conservative Biblical view of eternity.

This reader was eagerly anticipating reading this book as something to learn more about the heaven he hopes for, but was disappointed as he found nothing more than a modified dispensational view joined with some quirky, questionable speculations. Although Alcorn certainly has an inerrantist view of Scripture and seems to have nothing but good intentions (he openly invites anyone with biblical ground for disagreement with anything in the book to contact him), in many places the reader would be wise to heed his advice from the preface to test the book by Scripture to discern its truthfulness.

The format of the book is well-done, allowing the reader to quickly find his topic in the table of contents. A page index of bibliographical sources would be helpful, but that does not detract from the otherwise well-organized character of the book.

This is the best book on the subject of Heaven and what we will find and experience when we get there. I found it to be so informative and comforting that instead of flowers I gave this book to two different friends when they lost a close family member. Both of them found it to be a source of comfort for them. We intend to do this in the future and give the book to other friends.

Have you ever wondered what Heaven would be like? Have you wondered if we will have bodies? What will we do in Heaven? Will our pets be in Heaven? What is Heaven going to look like? What in the world are we going to do for an eternity? Maybe you have asked these same questions, I know I have always wondered what is eternity going to be like?

Randy Alcorn does an excellent job of dispelling myths that we have conjured up ourselves. Maybe, you, like me pictures myself in flowing white robes, flying around, playing the harp. The way Heaven is described in this book is of a dynamic place, much like Earth, but much better, bustling with a large city, animals, people, and so much to do.

Alcorn breaks the subject of Heaven down into many different aspects. Will we have bodies? Will we enjoy food? Will we know everyone? Will we live in a house? He answers so many questions. He will answer questions that you never yet asked. The major point of this book is that Heaven is a wonderful place, and we aren't going to be bored.

I like that Randy Alcorn will discuss a subject, add and discuss passages in the Bible that pertain to the subject matter. Heaven was discussed in the Bible in many places, but often we fail to connect the dots to paint the full picture. I like that his style isn't too heavy in commentary, but well-balanced with Biblical scriptures.

This book is so completely uplifting. For me, reading this book filled me with joy. He describes Heaven in concrete ways, answering questions that we all might have. I would highly recommend this book to most people. Perhaps if someone is grieving the loss of a loved one, or even suffering a long term illness this book will give them hope for what is yet to come.

Although the theme of the book is heaven, a contrast is drawn to it with a vivid description of hell. Alcorn cites the Biblical reference Luke 16:19-31, the rich man and Lazarus. He states that hell is every bit as real (rightfully so) as heaven, and as such, should pose a dire warning to the unbeliever just as heaven should be a source of comfort and reassurance to the believer.

It is important to note, as Alcorn does, that Jesus while on earth spoke more frequently and more passionately on the subject of hell than he did of heaven. Only by God's grace (love + mercy = grace) that through the shed blood of his only begotten son that we can escape the eternal wrath of His righteous and holy judgment to enjoy and revel in the eternal reward He provides to those who believe and accept His gift of unmerited salvation.

This is a must read for all believers of Christ. Learn, thru Scripture, your destination and how to prepare for Heaven. This is what life and death and the cosmic struggle of God and evil are all about.

I have previously had the pleasure of reading a couple of novels that Randy Alcorn wrote that touch on the subject of heaven. This book goes far beyond those and is a potentially life-changing book for Christians.

Although I have been a Christian for several years, I have never had any excitement about pondering Heaven prior to reading Deadline and Dominion by Mr. Alcorn. Those started changing my thinking and this book contributed greatly in that regard.

Many Christian pastors and teachers have done a great disservice by portraying Heaven as a boring place. Although not intentional, the effect these teachings have had is highly de-motivating to many.

A typical view of many is similar to the fictional Huckleberry Finn. When Miss Watson told Huck about 'the good place,' she depicted it as a place where one would listen to harp music forever. Huck asked her if Tom Sawyer would be there and she indicated he would not. Huck said that he was glad about that as he wanted to be with Tom.

In contrast to that, Alcorn uses numerous Scriptural references to make his case that Heaven is in fact an adventure that just keeps getting better.

In my experience, it is rare to hear sermons or teaching on Heaven or else the message is usually similar to the Huck Finn experience. What a shame. Not only does that diminish the longing for Heaven in Christians, it also reduces their effectiveness on Earth. As Dr. Alcorn says: "It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this."

One insight that he shared in the book that I found particularly apt is this: "For Christians, this present life is the closest they will come to Hell. For unbelievers, it is the closest they will come to Heaven." That truism should really help stimulate Christians to share with those who are currently unbelievers.

Alcorn points out the following: "Every person reading this book is dying. Perhaps you have reason to believe that death will come very soon. You may be troubled, feeling uncertain, or unready to leave. Make sure of your relationship with Jesus Christ. Be certain that you're trusting him alone to save you—not anyone or anything else, and certainly not any good works you've done. And then allow yourself to get excited about what's on the other side of death's door."

Although I highly recommend this book, it may seem too lengthy for many potential readers. If that is the case, I would really encourage you to read the two novels I mentioned above by this same author. They may give you enough of a taste for the subject that you will be ready to read this too. You won't regret it.

Truly, I didn't ever want to go to the heaven I had heard about.

But, the true heaven in the Bible will be so beautifully unspeakable and this book brings the truth to life. It was time to change from what I had been taught as a child and read the scripture as an adult. Now, I know that I am not going anywhere. I have always loved this earth and God gave it to us. The good work He started in us....He will complete. As Randy said, "Very few pastors teach about heaven." And if you want peace unspeakable, order the CDs or the book. I bought both.

Thanks, Randy for taking the time to teach us the truth.

My brother-in-law told me about the book and suggested that I purchase a copy. I did and found the book to be an excellent biblical explanation of Heaven. However, I do think that Mr. Alcorn goes just a little too far in explaining some aspects of what will be going on in the New Earth. Some things we just cannot know for sure and we should not use speculation to prove a point.

Other than that, I would recommend it to anyone who has recently had a Christian loved one die.

No eye has seen no ear has heard…but God is revealing it to us by His Spirit.

Alcorn has done an excellent job of gathering together all that the scriptures say about heaven and has put together an excellent work on the subject! If you want to know what the Bible says about heaven this is a good starting place. It will spark the imagination and reveal our eternal home in ways you have probably never thought of.

The only catch with this book is the need for the reader to separate the facts presented from the authors imagination that accompanies it.

Overall, this is one of the best books I have ever read!

This is an excellent book about the topic of Heaven. It answers any questions you have and many you have never thought of! It goes into detail about many aspects of Heaven that most people do not even know will be there. For anyone who is interested in knowing more about Heaven and what it will be like, this book is great.

When I first read the quote on the cover of the book "Other than the Bible, this may be the most life-changing book you will ever read, (by Stu Weber)" my first thought was, "Yeah, right." Since reading the book, however, I have decided that it is true. I keep purchasing more copies for my friends and family—this book will truly give you an eternal perspective, changing your Christian walk dramatically. It is the most biblical, well-researched book on heaven I have ever read, with more Bible verses than other text, and is difficult to put down once you've started. This book takes what we may have already read in the Bible and makes it truly clear—I had many an "A-ha!" moment reading it. I now look forward to Heaven with anticipation based on biblical fact. A must-read if you want to see what God has in store for us in eternity!

This is a wonderful book. A lot of research and heart has gone into it. I read some and then absorb it and then read some more. It is like eating a wonderful tasty meal. It has answered some of my questions and provoked a lot of thought. I would highly recommend it.

After losing both of my parents, I have a natural interest in heaven. After reading this book, I am so much more excited, not only for them, but also for myself for when I get there. It is encouraging to find out that the things I wanted to believe about heaven really are biblical. A definite textbook on heaven, not light reading, but worth it with its life-changing perspective!

This book has really deepened my insight on the scriptures about Heaven and brought me into an even deeper understanding of God's great ever present personal love for each one of us. This is a great book that is able to bring hope and comfort to anyone who has lost a loved one.

How many people have gone to church for years and years and never heard a sermon on Heaven? I was one of them, so I was intrigued by the title of this book. (It also helped that the author went to seminary with the pastor of the church I attended at the time.)

This is an inspiring, Bible-based read that had me entranced from beginning to end. It changed all of my preconceived notions of what Heaven is, where it is, what it will be like, etc., while using Biblical references to back up its assertions. I had no idea how much the Bible had to say about Heaven, even though I've read the Bible for years.

This is an awesome book—one of the best Christian books I've ever read.

I have read many books on heaven but this is the most scripturally-accurate and most thought-provoking one yet. He covers just about any question I've ever had on the subject. I read this book after losing my father in a car accident. It gave me so much peace and comfort knowing what he was enjoying and experiencing in Heaven and reassured me as a believer that I would one day share those things with him. This book helps you realize that heaven is not some far away place that we can't even conceive of but very similar to earth but without the flaws and consequences of sin. Every aspect is backed up with scripture rather than merely someone's opinion. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Pastor, seminary professor, speaker, and writer Randy Alcorn has written a monumental opus on heaven, humbly titled Heaven. I have often 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.

Heaven is another great book by Randy Alcorn. This book tackles so many hard questions concerning the present and future home of Christians that I found it hard to stop reading and highlighting what I read. Alcorn uses logic to paint an intriguing and exciting picture of our real home, the one we are originally designed for.

As Randy addresses in the beginning of the book, we believers know little about our future home. The actual physical characteristics of Heaven and the inhabitants are not usually addressed from the pulpit, especially to the degree at which they are discussed in this book.

The following excerpt explains our dilemma quite well:

Imagine you're part of a NASA team preparing for a five-year mission to Mars. After a period of extensive training, the launch date finally arrives. As the rocket lifts off, one of your fellow astronauts says to you, "What do you know about Mars?"

Imagine shrugging your shoulders and saying, "Nothing. We never talked about it. I guess we'll find out when we get there." It's unthinkable, isn't it?

I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people (Leviticus 26:11-12).

If you have questions about Heaven, and I can't imagine you don't, this book is a great place to start. Heaven is a book that challenges the reader to look deeper into what the Word teaches about our everlasting home:

Will there be marriage, families, and friendships in Heaven? Will we recognize each other in Heaven? Will we have our own homes in Heaven? Will we sleep in Heaven?

As an author myself, I highly recommend this book. In fact, I highly recommend any book written by Randy Alcorn. He is today's C. S. Lewis.

Heaven by Randy Alcorn has got to be the best book I've ever read. Last May my best friend/cousin, died in a car accident. She was 17 years old. At the time I was devastated. She and I did everything together, we knew everything about each other, and now I had no idea what she was doing while she was up in heaven and I was down here on this earth. I had been a follower of Christ for 14 years but never really looked into what our lives will be like someday when this world is gone and our new world is here.

My cousin's parents ended up giving me a copy of this book. At first this book can be a little intimidating, I must admit. It is very long. But as soon as I read the first page, I found it hard to put down. I am only on page 47 of the book now but it is so amazing how much I've learned and how much I have been able to share with my friends now about Christ and Heaven.

I recommend this book to anyone! Whether you are grieving the loss of a loved one and wandering where they are, if you or someone you know is searching because you/they feel like something is missing in their life, or even if you are a Christian who needs a little spiritual uplift. Randy really puts the topic of Heaven out there and makes you realize that this world's possessions don't mean a thing in the end. The only thing that is going to matter is if you have a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Someday we will all face judgment before God and even though we deserve nothing but torment in Hell, God has offered us a perfect life, in a perfect place, with a perfect God through his son Jesus Christ. Christ's invitation is out there for everyone, we just need to accept it. After reading this book and hearing Randy's description of what Hell will be like, I don't think anyone will, could possibly reject Christ's invitation.

I have checked the book out today from my local bookstore and started reading it right away. I've always thought of Randy Alcorn as an excellent author, both fiction and nonfiction. His book Deadline is one of the most influential books in my Christian walk. He has also done a fine job exploring the pro-life worldview in comparison to the pro-choice in his book ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments.

Now he has stunned me again in his book Heaven. The issue of this book is one I am sure we all as Christians love, but to be honest, a subject hard to consider. As Alcorn points out, we hear discussions for hours and pages on end about the Beatitudes or life as a race (from the letters of Paul), and even whole series on the End Times...but when we try to talk about Heaven, what it is like before the New Earth and what the Bible says will be like in the New Earth, we are stumped. Furthermore, I know we've all seen plenty of cartoons where it shows people sitting on clouds and well...either looking off in the distance or wishing for a magazine to read. Not exciting ideas. We should not focus on this world. We may have taxes, we will have good days and bad, but this is not our home. This world is but a pale shadow of what God offers us through His Love. Jesus IS the ladder that brings us from this world to our true world, our true universe, with the Lord God.

In this book, though, I have found a wealth of information that truly brings a sense of excitement to my heart and soul...I can't wait to see what God has to offer those He loves. Worship, yes. Adventure, yes. Love and joy, yes. We should be excited about what is to come. God wants us to be with Him. That was why, despite Adam's fall, God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross. That is why there is the resurrection and the life found in the Son who leads us out of love to the Father. Here's a little clip that I love that Alcorn speaks of in his book (page 22):

If you're a Christian suffering with great pains and loss, Jesus says "Be of good cheer" (John 16:33, NKJV). The new house is nearly ready for you. Moving day is coming. The dark winter is about to be magically transformed into spring. One day soon you will be home—for the first time. Until then, I encourage you to meditate on the Bible's truths about Heaven. May your imagination soar and your heart rejoice.

Randy Alcorn has written an almost exhaustive work on Heaven that may challenge the way many Christians view eternity. Having been a Christian for over 30 years, I for one view Heaven differently after reading the book.

The premise of the book is that there is an intermediate heaven to which believers go when they die and that the eternal heaven is actually a restored Earth. The author's views, though scripturally based in most cases, will still challenge many, whom if they are honest, find that their views of many things in the Christian life are merely a compilation of what their teachers and pastors have taught.

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.

I have read several books on heaven and I believe this book is the most comprehensive book I have read on this topic. He provides answers to many abstract questions that we all have that are both reasonable and biblically sound. Even though the subject matter is deep, it is written so you can easily understand and follow. This is a book to both read for enjoyment and to assist you in studying God's Word the Bible. I highly recommend it.

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."

"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."

"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."

I have read over 100 books on the subject of Heaven and I have never read one that touches the soul as Randy Alcorn does in his book called Heaven. It is so informative, easy to read and understand and he backs up everything with scripture. There is not a more important subject than where one will spend eternity. Randy Alcorn has spent 25 years writing this book and it shows. When you are reading this book, you know the Holy Spirit has to be revealing this to him because it is so profound and clear and when you look up the scriptures yourself, it is crystal clear to you. I have the book and the book on Audio. Both are magnificent and would make excellent Christmas gifts because it is a destination that we all are going to be going to.

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