In April 2016, Randy Alcorn was interviewed on the subject of Heaven by Bob and Geri Boyd on Issues in Education Radio. In this clip, Randy talks about the Intermediate Heaven and how it's not our final destination. For more information on Heaven, please visit: http://store.epm.org/product/heaven. 

Life in the present Heaven (which theologians call the “intermediate” Heaven) is “better by far” than living here on Earth under the curse (Phil. 1:23). But it’s not our final destination.

“Paradise” in the original language means something like, “a beautiful, manicured, park-like ‘garden.’”

When a Christian dies, he or she enters into what theologians call the intermediate state, a transitional period between our past lives on Earth and our future resurrection to life on the New Earth.

When we die we go to be with Christ (II Cor. 5:8) which is wonderful. But we are still incomplete, in a pre-resurrected state, anticipating Christ’s return to earth, and our resurrections. The place we’ll live forever will be where God comes down to dwell with us, on the New Earth (Revelation 21:1-3).

Unlike God and the angels, who are in essence spirits (John 4:24; Hebrews 1:14), human beings are by nature both spiritual and physical (Genesis 2:7).

Jesus told the dying thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). The apostle Paul said that to die was to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23), and to be absent from the body was to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Throughout the book, "intermediate" Heaven was changed to "present" Heaven.