“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 21:4
The Bible divides the life of man into three stages: the period from birth to death in a physical body and a physical world; between death and resurrection, which is a life without a physical or glorified body; and the final, or eternal, state in the resurrected, glorified body. No believer has entered the eternal heaven yet, just as no unbeliever has entered the eternal hell yet.
Man cannot attain eternal life through any means. It is a free gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8–9). This knowledge comes only through Christ. The unrighteous cannot receive it, and the believer can never lose it. Eternal life guarantees heaven for the believer immediately at death and, ultimately, eternal heaven after the first resurrection.
There are three heavens. The first is the atmospheric heaven. It is the location of the sun, moon, stars, and heavenly bodies (Genesis 1:14–18). The second heaven is the heavenly kingdom of Satan. This is a spiritual place, not a physical one, and is the realm of the principalities, powers, world rulers of this present darkness, and the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Satan was thrown down to this sphere after he tried to ascend into the highest heaven and supplant God.
The third heaven is the highest heaven. It is the dwelling place of God (Deuteronomy 10:14). It is the location of God’s throne and the dwelling place of His angels. It is also where Christ sat down at the Father’s right hand, where we are seated with Him in the heavenly place, and where He intercedes for us.
This is where the believer is to lay up their treasure, where his affection is to be, and where he will be rewarded with his imperishable and undefiled inheritance. He or she will receive their crowns there, and there will be degrees of rewards.
Because the eternal heaven is indescribable and incomprehensible, God could not give us anything but general characteristics of heaven. What He did tell us about it should totally excite the spirit with joyful anticipation concerning the things God has prepared for those who love Him.
It is a place/state filled with the glory of God and His joy because none of the things that cause unhappiness on earth can enter there. It is a place/state of blessedness and rest and intense pleasure. There will be no more tears or pain, no more sickness or death, and no hunger or thirst. We will be satisfied with the Bread of Life and the Water of Life.
There will be no sun or heat or night. After all, sleep is to restore tired bodies, and our glorified bodies will never get tired. There’s no marriage, because the fulfillment of marriage will take place in the marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9); no temple, because God and Christ are the temple. Finally, there will be no sun or moon, because the Lamb is the Light.
God is populating heaven from every group of people He has ever created, and they will all be around the throne glorifying Him. They will have been purchased with the blood of Christ and will be standing before the throne!