What do you believe about heaven?

“In the poorest of countries and in places of persecution our brothers and sisters believe in a real Heaven like you can never image.”

So often we get lost in the comforts of our lives, that we lose sight of the great glory that awaits us. Pastor and host of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram encourages us to embrace the truth that heaven is real. We can’t get so caught up in this world that we forget the reality of the next.

Those who are standing for Christ at the risk of their death remember that they’re going to a place after this one.

“The hope of heaven, the reality that this isn’t all there is, sustains them. As a result we hear these amazing stories of faith of willfully, joyfully giving their lives, being beheaded, forgiving their enemies, a lot of that is because of their worldview. They read the same Bible, as we do, but they don’t skip over 1 and 2 Peter. They hang on to 1 and 2 Peter.”

Have you thought about what will happen when your last breath is drawn? Chip Ingram walks us through what the Bible tells us will take place when we, as Christians, die.

1. Angels usher your soul directly to heaven.

2. You immediately enter the presence of God.

3. You are conscious and in command of your faculties, thinking, feeling, speech, and memory. Luke 16.

4. You participate in the magnificent worship service with angels and believers before the throne of God in Christ. Revelation 4-5.

5. You’re aware, to some degree, of activities and events on earth. Revelation 6.

6. You recognize and communicate with believers who preceded you to heaven. Luke 9.

7. You’ll be joined by all living Christians when Jesus raptures the church from the earth to be judged for rewards at the Bema seat. You’ll then enjoy the marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven with Christ His bride.

8. You will await God’s judgment of the earth at the end of the great tribulation. You will be bodily resurrected to reign and judge with Christ for a thousand years on the earth.

9. You will witness the justice of God and the judgment of Satan, the wicked angels, and the wicked dead at the great white throne.

10. You’ll witness the new heaven coming down on a new earth, in which will live forever and ever in a perfect environment with a God who loves you.

Suffering lasts for a time, but ultimate joy is coming for those who are in Christ. Scripture assures us that glory is coming.


Chip Ingram is a Christian pastor, author, and speaker. He is the founder and teaching pastor of Living on the Edge, an international radio ministry, and the senior pastor of Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, California. Chip Ingram shares more of what Scripture tells us about Heaven in his book, .

Featured Songs: No Other Name by Hillsong; Find Me at the Feet of Jesus by Christy Nockels; God of Forever by Steven Curtis Chapman

Key Scriptures: Colossians 3:1-4; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 4-5

The real heaven