Where is Heaven?

Deuteronomy 26:15 NKJV

15 Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as You swore to our fathers, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’

Today, I want to continue our series about Heaven. We will answer various questions about heaven, including,

Last week we discovered, What is Heaven?

Where is Heaven?

Who Goes to Heaven?

Why do we need a New Heaven?

Today, I will answer the question, [Where is Heaven?]

I am a very directionally oriented person. I think I have always been this way, but it increased when I began traveling full-time as an evangelist.

It is somewhat hard for people in cities to comprehend WHY they need to ask for specific directions when they come to Vulcan. I have had many family members end up going through Sam A. Baker, and then remark how curvy the roads are.

People have become dependent on GPS and Maps on their phone to get around, that giving directions are nearly non-existent.

When Bekah and I go somewhere new, I will pull up the directions on my phone, but first I will study the map to see what highways, interstates, and roads we will take.

Not everyone likes this gift I have. Recently we were with a relative and I asked where do I need to turn. They answered, just keep going straight. I repeated my question. I got the same answer.

Then I asked, as I go straight, where will I stop and which way will I turn and what is the name of the road? They answered, just keep going straight.

Then they got specific about the directions. I suppose my face told the story, he means business!

I can give directions and I can take directions on how to get somewhere. But I have wondered, what are the directions to heaven?

Of course, we know that we have to get saved and then die to get to heaven. But what about specific direction? They do not exist.

We do not say, turn left out of the church for about five miles, then turn right on 49 and follow to 72, turn right on 221, then left onto 67, then right on Karsch and right on Walton drive. That is not the way to heaven, that is the way to the Mexican Restaurant!

I have thought about songs that prove this point that we really don’t know the physical location of heaven:

Soon I shall see Him in that home ABOVE, I’m in the glory land way.

We are looking for a city built ABOVE.

Oh they tell me of a home FAR BEYOND the skies, or they tell me of a home FAR AWAY

Heaven is just beyond the blue horizon, just beyond the starry sky, FAR ABOVE this land of sorrow, way ABOVE each tear and sigh

Just a few more weary days and then I’ll Fly AWAY

With these directions, we know heaven is ABOVE, FAR AWAY, FAR BEYOND, and AWAY.

I like these songs and they put within us the reality that heaven is out there somewhere. They prove the point that heaven is not of earth, it is a place for God, HIs holy habitation.

Last Sunday, we focused that while heaven is a place for God, it is also a place for us. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. We will one day live with Him in a place called heaven.

With that foundation, I want us to see, heaven is FAR ABOVE and FAR AWAY, but heaven is also a lot closer than we realize.

I am not speaking of the shortness of life, our arrival to heaven is close.

I mean spiritually, heaven is near to us. Throughout Scripture, we will find that the reality of heaven is close to the beliver. How can I say this?

When we come to Christ and walk with the Holy Spirit, we enter a supernatural dimension filled with unseen realities. Paul referenced this when he told the Church to:

2 Corinthians 4:18 NKJV

18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

This earth is FULL of what we CAN see. But what is in this unseen real?

Within this unseen dimension is heaven, full of:

angels

the throne room of God

heavenly beings

How does this unseen realm affect us?

Stored up in heaven are:

answered prayers

healings

miracles

God’s presence

revival

salvations

And I believe that God is just waiting to OPEN UP THE HEAVENS and pour out on earth what is in heaven.

So back to my original question? Where is heaven?

True, heaven is in an undisclosed place far from here. But spiritually, heaven is close, it is near to the us.

I want to look at three examples of the nearness of heaven. In different times in history, God has opened heaven and brought His habitation down to our habitation.

We know one day we will GO to heaven. But there are moments when God BRINGS heaven to us.

Where is heaven? Heaven is [Near the Runner], [Near the Righteous], and [Near the Redeemed].

Let’s begin

1. Near the Runner

Genesis 28:12–17 NKJV

12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

When we think of going to heaven, we understand what it takes to enter there— salvation. Heaven is a perfect place, void of sin.

In heaven there are no:

cowards

unbelievers

murderers

sexually immoral people

those involved with witchcraft

idol worshippers

and all liars

They are absent from heaven. But what about on earth? Remember, heaven is near to this earth. Heaven is full of God’s blessings just ready to come down on people.

Does the presence of heaven only come down on the good? Or will God extend mercy to those who are running from Him?

Jacob is the perfect example of God opening heaven upon someone who does not deserve to experience what heaven has to offer.

His name meant deceiver and at this time in his life, he was on the run because he had cheated his brother out of his inheritance. None of this was kept from God.

He knew every wrong decision Jacob made, but God also saw in Jacob what no one else could see. He had a plan for Jacob and He did whatever was necessary to bring the plan to pass.

As Jacob is on the run for his life, he has a dream. He saw a ladder come down from heaven and he watched as angels ascended and descended.

Before we see what God spoke to him, notice what God did— He opened heaven. He came down from FAR AWAY to get close to Jacob.

Why? Because He had a message for him.

I am God

I will be with you

I will make you a part of my plan

I will bless you and your descendants

I will bring you home safe

I will help you reconcile with those you cheated

Jacob was not worthy to go to heaven, so God brought heaven down to him, but in required Jacob to make the right decision.

When he woke from his sleep, he determined to let God make a change. He realized he had an encounter with God. And notice what he explained— he was at the GATE of HEAVEN.

How could that be?

God brought heaven near to him, as he ran for his life.

At some point, we all are like Jacob, running deeper in deeper in sin. We know what we’ve done, but we cannot see what God did behind the scenes.

FAR AWAY in heaven, God takes notice of our lives. He understands our destiny, but realizes it is stalled because of sin. The Holy Spirit begins to convict us and then we finally come to that point where we realized we need the Lord.

When we give our lives to Jesus, heaven opens and deposits to us the gift of salvation.

It reminds me of the song— my sins were washed away and my night was turned to day, heaven came down and glory filled my soul!

If we have someone on our heart who is running from God, we need to pray heaven down on them. Heaven is near the runner, just waiting to pour out salvation!

Where is heaven? It is close— God will open HIs habitation and it will collide with our lives— near the runner.

2. Near the Righteous

Matthew 3:13–17 NKJV

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

All of humanity was like Jacob, running deeper and deeper into rebellion against God. To fix this problem, God had a plan. It was not a new plan, but one that set in motion when Adam and Eve chose evil over God.

The plan involved the Father sending His Son. The plan came to pass as Jesus left His holy habitation to come to our home, earth, and live amongst people for over three decades.

One of his first public acts was to have John the Baptizer baptize Him in the Jordan River. John knew Jesus and believed Him to be the Messiah.

Because of Jesus’s greater role, he wanted Jesus to baptize him, but Jesus refused. Why?

He needed to fulfill all righteousness.

What is righteousness? Doing what is right and pleasing to God. Or, being in RIGHT relationship with God.

Why was it right for Jesus to be baptized? Did He need to make a public declaration of sin? How could He when He is sinless?

Jesus came with one purpose, to offer salvation to sinner. To do that, He needed to identify with sinners. By getting baptized, He was obeying what God expects of people, setting the example for us.

As Jesus lived righteously, how did God respond?

He goes down in the water, as soon as He came up, HEAVEN OPENED. Remember that FAR AWAY place, suddenly, it was close. Near to the who was lived righteously.

What happened when heaven opened on Jesus— the Holy Spirit came upon Him and the Father spoke and gave His seal of approval for Jesus.

This was not the only time Heaven opened over Jesus.

Matthew 17:1–2 NKJV

1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

Matthew 17:5 NKJV

5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

After fulfilling the righteous requirement of God, He worked with His disciples to show them how to live.

The disciples were runners and hardly righteous. Peter was quick tempered and had a foul mouth. James and John were more concerned with power and position. They were consumed with THIS place, their home.

But Jesus had a plan, He would let them have a glimpse of His holy habitation. Heaven came down on Jesus and He was transfigured before them, giving them a glimpse of heaven.

Just as it was at His baptism, a voice came from heaven to speak, giving His approval.

When we stop running from God and realize His closeness, He will bring heaven down to us. Then, it is imperative that we live a RIGHTEOUS life.

We stay right with God. When we do, the Holy Spirit will come upon us and God’s glory can overwhelm and overtake us.

Where is heaven? It is near! It is close! It is not as FAR AWAY at is seems. Heaven is near the runner, near the righteous, and...

3. Near the Redeemed

2 Corinthians 12:1–4 NKJV

1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about an experience concerning the nearness of heaven. Before we look at that, notice, Paul fits the category of every point in this message.

He ran from God

He thought he was righteous, but it was self-righteousness

He came to Jesus and was in RIGHT relationship with the Lord

He was redeemed, bought with the blood of Christ

Paul wrote a number of times about life after death. It is from him we read about the hope of the Lord’s coming. Paul had many revelations and experiences with God.

But one happened to him that was so special, he only shared it once and chose to write about it in the third person.

God opened heaven to him and he heard words he could not repeat and saw sights he could not describe. Why did Paul include this experience in his letter?

The Corinthian Church was inundated with false apostles who boasted about all they had experienced from God. They became prideful and arrogant about their supposed visions and revelations.

Unlike the false apostles who boasted about THEIR close connection God and their spiritual superiority, Paul had a different outlook.

He wanted them to know, heaven was close to me, not because of me, but in spite of me. God, who redeemed me, was gracious enough to ALLOW me to experience the joys of heaven during a brief vision.

Heaven is near to the redeemed, not because of us, but because of God. Paul was not alone in his heavenly experience.

Revelation 4:1–2 NKJV

1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.

John the Revelation, was an apostle who was one of the first to follow Jesus. He too once ran from God, but was in right relationship with Jesus and lived a redeemed life, bought back from the enemy.

He was over ninety years old, sentenced to a life of hard labor for his faithfulness to God. And what did Jesus do? He came down and opened heaven to him.

He showed him a glimpse of the throne room and revealed to him His secrets.

Heaven is near the redeemed!

Close:

Do we see the pattern?

Heaven is FAR AWAY, but spiritually, heaven is very near.

I know one day I will go to heaven, but in this life, I have experienced a bit of heaven on earth.

I was like Jacob, running from God, but He brought heaven to me, convicted me of my sins, showed me there was a better way.

I repented of my sins, and am not in right relationship with God, seeking to live a righteous and holy life. Through salvation, He opened heaven to me and filled me with the Holy Spirit.

I realize it is not anything I did, but because God redeemed me, He bought me back from a life bound by sin. There have been times when I have prayed and gone to Him it felt that heaven was so close!

Where is heaven?

It is closer than we realize!

If heaven is so close, why then do people seem to be so comfortable with this world?

Last week I focused on how this world is not our home and one day soon, we will get to go to heaven! But what about the meantime?

What do we do now?

We must continue to remember— heaven is near. It may seem far away, but the blessings that God has stored in heaven are just waiting to come down here!

Remember the way Jesus instructed us to pray:

Matthew 6:9–10 NKJV

9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

ON EARTH, as it is in HEAVEN!

Jesus gives us permission to pray for HEAVEN to come close to us.

I believe right now in heaven, God has stored up treasures for us. Heaven will be a place of perfection. Heaven will be a place without any sickness, problems, pain, division, confusion, or questions.

But until we get to heaven, we should pray with authority— let heaven invade my life. Let me live under an open heaven.

God opens heaven over the runners

God opens heaven over the righteous

God opens heaven over the redeemed

Let God open heaven over this church!

Oh God, look bring your holy habitation to us!