The Bible describes heaven above all as being with Jesus: "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). God "hath prepared for them a city" (Hebrews 11:16), where "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Revelation 7:17), and His servants "shall see his face" (Revelation 22:4).
Heaven is on many minds in the holiday season, especially for anyone facing a first Thanksgiving or Christmas without someone they love. People also look up heaven verses for a funeral or sympathy card, a child's questions, a sermon, or their own hope. The Bible does not answer every question we have, and Christians read some details differently, but it is clear about the center: God's presence, no more tears, and a home prepared for His people. These twelve King James verses show the place prepared, what Scripture says heaven is like, and how heaven changes the way we live now. For grief, see lost loved ones; for death and resurrection, see death.
A place prepared
1. Hebrews 11:16
"But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."
The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 lived as strangers on earth because they desired a better country. That homesick feeling many believers have is not a mistake. God is not ashamed to be called their God, and He has already prepared the city.
2. John 17:24
"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."
Jesus prayed this the night before the cross. At its heart heaven is being with Jesus, where He is, and seeing His glory. Everything else about heaven flows from that. See glory of God.
3. Luke 23:43
"And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise."
Spoken to a dying thief who had nothing to offer but a request: "Lord, remember me" (Luke 23:42). Today: no waiting room, no earning it. It is one of the most comforting verses to read at a bedside. See salvation.
4. Psalms 17:15
"As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."
David's hope at the end of a psalm about enemies who live only for this life (Psalm 17:14). I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. Many Christians hear in this a hope of waking in God's presence after death. Seeing God's face is the deepest satisfaction there is.
What heaven is like
5. Revelation 21:2
"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
John sees the holy city coming down from God, prepared as a bride. Heaven and earth are finally joined, and the next verse says "the tabernacle of God is with men" (Revelation 21:3). Two verses later comes the promise that God "shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Revelation 21:4). See new creation.
6. Revelation 22:3-4
"And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads."
No more curse reverses what went wrong in Genesis 3. Moses was told, "Thou canst not see my face" (Exodus 33:20); in heaven God's servants shall see his face. And they will serve Him: heaven is not boredom but joyful, meaningful work.
7. Revelation 21:21
"And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."
This is where the pearly gates and the street of gold come from. Christians differ on how literally to read John's images; many take them as real but beyond our words, others as symbols of beauty and worth. Either way, the point is that heaven is more glorious than anything we know.
8. Hebrews 12:22-23
"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,"
Believers already belong to the heavenly Jerusalem, with angels and with the spirits of just men made perfect: those who have died in faith, now complete. Your name is written in heaven (see Luke 10:20). See new creation.
Living now with heaven in view
9. Luke 12:33
"Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth."
Jesus calls generosity a way of storing up a treasure in the heavens that faileth not. Money given in love is not lost; it is moved somewhere safer. The next verse says "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:34). See giving.
10. Hebrews 10:34
"For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance."
Early believers had their property seized for their faith, and they took it joyfully, because they knew they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Heaven in view loosens our grip on things that can be taken away.
11. Luke 6:23
"Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets."
Luke's version of the beatitude for people hated for following Jesus: leap for joy, your reward is great in heaven. Suffering for doing right is never wasted. See persecution.
12. Philippians 1:23
"For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:"
Paul was torn between wanting to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better, and staying to help the churches (Philippians 1:24). Heaven was not an escape fantasy for him; it was a real hope that made him braver about living, and he chose to stay and serve. Paul also urged believers to "seek those things which are above" (Colossians 3:1).
A short prayer
Father in heaven, thank You for preparing a place for Your people and for the promise that we will see Your face. Comfort everyone who is missing someone this season, and wipe away the tears You see. Keep my eyes on the things above, help me store up treasure in heaven, and let Your will be done in my life on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Write out a verse of hope each day with our free Nov–Dec Scripture writing plan · Bring your grief to God with the 30-Day Prayer Journal · Keep heaven's promises close with the Scripture Memory Cards
Frequently asked questions
What happens when we die, according to the Bible?
Most Christians believe that believers go to be with Christ at death, "absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8), and await the resurrection of the body when Christ returns (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Traditions differ on some details: Catholic teaching includes purgatory, and some groups, such as Seventh-day Adventists, teach that the dead rest unconscious until the resurrection. All agree that the final hope is resurrection and new creation. See the rapture.
Will we recognize our loved ones in heaven?
The Bible does not give a detailed answer, but its hints are hopeful. After his baby son died, David said, "I shall go to him" (2 Samuel 12:23). At the Transfiguration the disciples knew Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17:3), and Paul comforts grieving believers that they will be together "with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). See lost loved ones.
Is heaven a real place?
Jesus spoke of it as one: "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2). Scripture describes both heaven now, where Christ sits at God's right hand (Colossians 3:1), and a future new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1). Christians differ on how literal the descriptions are, but they agree heaven is real.
Who goes to heaven?
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). Heaven is a gift received by trusting Christ, not a reward earned by being good enough, as the thief on the cross shows (Luke 23:43). See salvation; for the opposite question, see hell.
Grief can feel heavier in the holiday season. If sadness will not lift, talk with a pastor, a grief group or a counselor. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, in the US call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about death · Bible verses about lost loved ones · Bible verses for a funeral · Bible verses about grief · Bible verses about the rapture · Bible verses about new creation · Bible verses about hell · Bible verses about deliverance
Explore more: All Bible verses by topic · KJV Bible verses · Verse of the day · Prayers · Bible study · Bible reading plans
