When you read descriptions of Heaven in the Bible, it doesn’t take long to see that Heaven is very different from earth.  Read the two Scriptures below and you will see how different they are.

In Isaiah 57:15, God describes Himself and Heaven in this way: “For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, ‘I dwell on a high and holy place…’”

Genesis 6:12 describes the earth and its people in these words: “God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh [people] had corrupted their way upon the earth.”

What is the main difference between Heaven and earth?  Heaven is a holy place, but earth is corrupted by sin.

Heaven is the home of the Holy God. The word “holy” carries the idea of separated, set apart, and cut off.  It speaks of God’s infinite purity and goodness.

Psalm 145:17 proclaims, “The Lord is righteous in all His ways…”  Habakkuk 1:13 says, “Your eyes are too pure to approve [look at] evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor…”

God is separate and cut off from everything sinful and evil.  He always tells the truth.  He is good and pure in everything He is and does.  He doesn’t compromise with sin and He cannot tolerate evil in His presence.

Heaven, God’s “holy habitation”, is completely free from any impure thing or person (Deuteronomy 26:15; Revelation 21:27).  It is free from the effects of sin. Those who are in Heaven experience love, joy, and peace.  They have nothing to fear: no sorrow, pain, or death (Revelation 21:4).

How different this is from our earthly experience!

Yet, in the beginning, our earth was much more like Heaven.  Genesis, the first book of the Bible, records the story of creation and tells how our world was corrupted by sin.

God created the heavens and the earth and its inhabitants.  He created Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, in His image, to be holy and free from sin.  He created them to have fellowship with Him.  When God finished His creative work, He declared that everything was “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

God placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden.  They enjoyed face-to-face fellowship with Him and were not afraid…until one day, they willfully chose to disobey their Creator.  They listened to “the deceiver”, Satan, and rebelled against God’s authority.

Adam and Eve’s choices brought sin, spiritual death, and separation from God upon them and everyone born since then (Romans 5:19).  It brought fear, guilt, anger, sorrow, pain, sickness, physical death, and all the other problems we experience on earth.

Their sin also brought a curse upon the physical heavens and earth.  Genesis 3:14-19 lists the curses that God instituted because of their disobedience.  Romans 8:22 says that the whole creation is groaning under the curse.

But God, in His mercy and compassion, has provided a way for sin’s curse to be removed – from us, the people He created, and also from the physical universe.  He sent His own sinless Son Jesus Christ from Heaven to die on the cross for the sins of mankind.  Then He raised Him from the dead.  After appearing alive to hundreds of eyewitnesses, Christ returned to Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:6; Ephesians 1:20).

Those who turn from sin and accept the shed blood of Christ as God’s remedy for sin, receive eternal salvation.  Salvation is forgiveness of sins and a restored relationship with God.  It is the only door to Heaven.

Someday, God will create new heavens and a new earth free from sin and its corruption.  This is where we who have received Christ will enjoy perfect face-to-face fellowship with God and Jesus – forever.

2 Peter 3:13
“But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

Do you have assurance that you will go to Heaven when you die? Read  “How Can I Know God?” today.

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