Resources by Topic: Heaven

In this clip from a talk with students in the Torrey Honors College at Biola University in 2012, Randy says that the nature of the the New Earth is physical. He explains that some theologians say the present Heaven is completely immaterial, but he points to examples in Scripture that support the physicality of the present Heaven.

In this clip from a talk with students in the Torrey Honors College at Biola University in 2012, Randy explains that Heaven is the central dwelling place of God, where His throne is. But one day, God will bring Heaven down to the New Earth to dwell with His people.

In this clip from a talk with students in the Torrey Honors College at Biola University in 2012, Randy shares how the deaths of friends and family members compelled him to ask questions about both the present and the future Heaven. The tangibility of the last two chapters of Revelation and the lack of teaching, even in seminaries, led him to explore the New Earth further.

Randy spoke to students at Sattler College in Boston. Drawing from Scripture, he paints a picture of the New Heavens and New Earth. Randy explains that the present Heaven is temporary, pointing to the ultimate reality of resurrected life on a renewed earth. He challenges common assumptions about Heaven and shows how the future Heaven is far more physical, joyful, and culture-rich than many believers imagine.

“Therefore [in light of our eventual resurrection], my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). How do we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain? Because of our bodily resurrection.

The vast majority of fascinating scientific discoveries that will ever be made have not yet been made, and have hardly begun to be. And I believe a very large share of those discoveries will be centered in God’s animal kingdom. 

What awaits you in Heaven is a wonderful and amazing relationship and fellowship with Jesus, your Savior, and with all of God’s people. That will be your forever family in all the truest and best sense of the phrase.

In his conversation with Sean McDowell, Randy  shares about his booklet Grieving with Hope. They discuss how a belief in Heaven shapes grief. Randy gets personal as he shares what he has learned through the experience of losing his wife Nanci that can help Christians better grieve through loss, heartbreak, and pain.    

Heaven’s inhabitants ­don’t simply rejoice over nameless multitudes coming to God. They rejoice over each and every person (Luke 15:4-7, 10). That’s a powerful affirmation of Heaven’s view of each person as an individual, whose life is observed and cared for.

I suggest giving less weight to the labels society puts on neurodivergent people and spending more time on learning all you can about who Jesus was and is and how you can emulate and follow Him best.

In 2012, Randy spoke to students in the Torrey Honors College  at Biola University and answered questions about Heaven.

Years ago, as a pastor, I hesitated before preaching on Christ’s second coming because I was weary of the prophecy obsession, which was less about Jesus than endless speculation. Yet a healthy emphasis on Christ’s return is vital for believers, since “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior” (Philippians 3:20).

When Paul uses the term spiritual body, he is not talking about a body made of spirit, or a nonphysical body—there is no such thing. A body, by definition, is physical—flesh and bones. The word spiritual here is an adjective that describes the body; it doesn’t negate its meaning.

I believe, based on what I know about God and His character and the nature of the New Earth (the forever Heaven which will come after our resurrection), that if both you and your mom were Jesus followers here, your focus will not be on whatever happened between you but will be on the One who died to have an uninterrupted relationship with you.