# What does the Bible say about heaven? > What the Bible says about heaven — verses on God’s presence, living hope, and new creation, with humility where Christians differ, plus one next step. Source: https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/heaven By Andrew Kittridge, Founder of Lumin · September 6, 2026 Verses are chosen for the question being asked. Topic pages quote the King James Version (public domain). The public reader and iPhone Bible tab use the Lumin Translation, rendered from Hebrew and Greek with AI and then checked for clarity and fidelity. Glosses in answers are original summaries, not a second Bible. Open the named passage; AI is not the interpreter. [How we cite Scripture](https://www.lumin.faith/about#how-we-cite) Heaven in Scripture is first God’s realm and presence, then the hope of being with Christ, and finally a new heaven and a new earth where God dwells with his people. The treasure is God himself, not a tour of rooms. Christians discuss how “today… paradise,” being at home with the Lord, and the resurrection of the body fit together. This page will not invent a map, a date, or a picture of your mansion. ## Heaven in the Bible - **Psalm 16:11** — In God’s presence there is fullness of joy; at his right hand are pleasures forevermore. - **Psalm 73:25-26** — “Whom have I in heaven but you?” — God himself is the treasure, even when flesh and heart fail. - **John 14:1-3** — Jesus tells troubled hearts he prepares a place and will take his own to himself. - **Luke 23:43** — To the thief: “Today you will be with me in paradise” — often cited for hope between death and resurrection. - **2 Corinthians 5:1-8** — An earthly tent versus a building from God; away from the body, at home with the Lord. - **Philippians 3:20-21** — Citizenship is in heaven; we await a Savior who will transform our lowly body. - **1 Thessalonians 4:16-17** — The Lord descends; the dead in Christ rise; then we are always with the Lord. - **Revelation 21:1-5** — A new heaven and a new earth; God dwells with his people and wipes away every tear. ## Highlighted verse > And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. > > — Revelation 21:3 (King James Version) ## Reflection The through-line is presence: fullness of joy with God, Jesus preparing a place, a people always with the Lord, and — at the end — God dwelling with them on a renewed earth. Isaiah 65:17 and 2 Peter 3:13 promise new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells. 1 Peter 1:3-4 calls the inheritance kept in heaven a living hope. That is enough to live on without a speculative floor plan. Christians differ on how to chart the intermediate state and the new creation — how “today in paradise” and “at home with the Lord” relate to the resurrection and Revelation 21. Lumin will not pick a novel chart. Read these texts with your church. For death, grief, and salvation, use those pages. Hell is a separate page; do not collapse them into one hub. ## One next step Read John 14:1-3 and Revelation 21:1-5 slowly. If you are grieving, sit with the promise of God’s presence rather than a map — then talk with a pastor about the hope your church confesses. ## FAQ ### What is a key Bible verse about heaven? John 14:1-3: Jesus prepares a place and will take his own to himself. Revelation 21:1-5 promises a new heaven and a new earth where God dwells with his people and wipes away every tear. Psalm 16:11 locates fullness of joy in God’s presence. ### How should Christians think about heaven? Hope in God’s presence and in a renewed creation, without inventing maps, dates, or mansion tours. Read John 14, 1 Thessalonians 4, and Revelation 21 with your church. Heaven is a separate page from hell on this site. ### Do Christians agree on what happens after death? Christians differ on how “today you will be with me in paradise,” being at home with the Lord, and the resurrection / new creation fit on one chart. This page names the discussion. It does not pick a novel Lumin map. Ask a pastor what your church confesses. ## Related questions - [What does the Bible say about death?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/death.md) - [What does the Bible say about hope?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/hope.md) - [What does the Bible say about hell?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/hell.md) ## Related guides - [Ask with Scripture you can open](https://www.lumin.faith/ask.md) - [Read the chapter with Bible Coach](https://www.lumin.faith/bible-coach.md) - [The Lumin Covenant](https://www.lumin.faith/trust.md) --- Answered by Lumin, a Christian AI app for iPhone and iPad that gives short, Scripture-cited answers with one next step. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lumin-bible-ai-companion/id6754889412