what will we do in heaven?

Musician4Jesus said:

Basically I mean, what will we do in heaven? I know that we will spend all of eternity worshiping Jesus and God. However what exactly does this entail? Would it also involve serving and ministering to God and other Christians in heaven?

Does it involve fellowship with Christ as well as worship (as in will heaven consist of both).

By fellowship I don't mean worshiping him, I mean talking to Him, having a conversation w/him like you would another human being. Will you still be studying the Bible, or will that be unnecessary since the Word of is God Christ manifested? Basically we study the Bible now, because it's God incarnate, God manifested. However since we'll be in the presence of God and Jesus, whom created the Bible, will studying the Bible (as in reading it from the book itself) be necessary since we'll be in the presence of God?

Click to expand...

Have you never experienced Divine Liturgy? You can lose track of time when you've been participating in the Kingdom of Heaven. You don't know whether you're in heaven or on earth- that was what converted Russia- and it worked with me as well. I wanted nothing else once I experienced it. At eternity of worship is not bad AT ALL.

there is a book out there called heaven, by randy alcorn, it is a good book, but it is kinda long winded, longer then it needs to be to try and make a point that many of us have total misconceptions of what heaven will be like. There is also a kids version if your not as ambitious but I haven't ckecked that one out

In the book of Job the bible says that the Sons of God (Angels) came together before the Lord to present themselves to him and Satan came also and God asked where he had been.

The bible says that some of us or the Saints will judge nations and peoples.

Paul said in Ephesians that there are rulers, authorities, powers, principalities in the heavens, that means that there is a lot more going on up there than just worship. There are rulers besides God and places to rule besides earth and in this case those rulers were evil and they contended with us over our souls and God's plan on earth. (Yeah that's in Ephesians 6)

The point is there is alot going on up there besides one long worship service. In Daniel Micheal had to fight his way to earth to answer Daniels prayer because the powers of darkness hindered him. I think it was 29 days, I forget the number. He said he was dispatched the day Daniel prayed but it took a literal period of time because of resistance to reach Daniel.

If there are rulers, authorities, people to judge, angels who have to come present themselves to God at certain times and report in to him... that means that there's a whole nother world up there, theirs business, culture, life, it isn't simply a worship service around the throne for eternity.

It's sorta like they're the Transformers and we're the Aborigines in Transformers 2, they're up there in their vast world with their grand plans that reach across galaxies and they know all about us and we know practically nothing about them except that they're big and scary.

They know all about us but our understanding only reaches about 10,000 miles in any direction which isn't even a blip in space.

The bible says that some of us or the Saints will judge nations and peoples.

Click to expand...

Amen briareos, and we will also judge angels:

"Know you not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" (1 Cor. 6:3)

If we see the high place God puts man in relation to the rest of creation we can see why His judgements are so harsh for our rebellion.

"Until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom." (Daniel 7:22)

"Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" (1 Cor 6:2)

I believe we will be doing more than worship.

I know we will eat...

Luke 22:30
that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom,
and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

I know that there are different creatures in Heaven to see...

Ezekiel 1:14
And the living creatures ran back and forth,
in appearance like a flash of lightning.

I know that we will have intimacy with God because we will be given
a name that no one will know except us and of course the
one who gave us the name.

Revelation 2:17
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.
And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written
which no one knows except him who receives it.”’

I know that God will give rewards....

Matthew 5:12
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven,
for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I know that we will no longer suffer from the effects of our old sin nature.

Revelation 21:4
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no
more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain,
for the former things have passed away.”

Paul was caught up into Heaven and He was awe struck...

The Vision of Paradise

2 Corinthians 12

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.

Romans 8:18
[ From Suffering to Glory ] For I consider that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us.

I am sure there is so much more to be added but you get the idea.
As wonderful as God is and as wonderful as this world and creation is,
it will be surpassed in the new Kingdom that God will bring when Christ returns.

2 Peter 3:13
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.


Revelation 3:12
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God,
and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and
the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out
of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

Revelation 21:1
[ All Things Made New ] Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for he first heaven and the first earth had passed away.
Also there was no more sea.


Revelation 21:2
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Don't worry, the new Heaven and earth will beyond all your
expectations and you won't be bored...

When Jesus spoke of Heaven, it was often in parables. In Matthew 13, He compares it to a dozen things, such as a man who finds a "treasure hidden in a field."

I don't think Heaven is something we can fully understand in this lifetime.

But there are some things we know. There have been some very good posts up until now, explaining these things. One thing I want to add is the change of focus. In this life, our existence is centered on survival, on multiple levels. We have a drive to survive physically, so we eat and drink and take care of our bodies.

We also feel a desire to survive through the legacy of the next generation, and so we have children, or enrich the lives of others' children.

Lastly, and most importantly, this lifetime is about spiritual survival. What we do in this life determines whether we live in Heaven, or exist in death in Hell.

But once we get to Heaven, survival will no longer drive us, because we have already survived. That need will be thrown aside to make room for something more eternal. We may grow weary of the struggle for survival, but we will never grow weary of worshiping God.

Pal Handy said:

God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.

Click to expand...

This is extremely off topic but is this why mormons believe there are like 7 different heavens? Surely there is only one heaven right?

blankCrossfire said:

This is extremely off topic but is this why mormons believe there are like 7 different heavens? Surely there is only one heaven right?

Click to expand...

Paul was referring to a commonly known model of the universe at the time. By the "third Heaven," Paul was referring to the invisible realm of God that we cannot normally see.

For more info: What is the "third heaven"?

Haven is described as a city in the Bible we will be perfect every flaw we have will be washed away. We will continue on worshiping God loving and being happy experiencing more joy than we could ever imagine. The tree of life will come down to the new Earth and we will eat from it for eternity.

GrayAngel said:

Paul was referring to a commonly known model of the universe at the time. By the "third Heaven," Paul was referring to the invisible realm of God that we cannot normally see.

For more info: What is the "third heaven"?

Click to expand...

Thanks man

I am not sure what we will do in Heaven. Regardless of what we will do there, I definitely want to go and hope I do go there!

Hell is the absence of all that will be in Heaven.

In Heaven the light will come from God who will illuminate His kingdom.

Hell will be total darkness.

Heaven will be free from pain and suffering.

Hell is filled with pain and suffer.

Heaven will be filled will love and peace.

Hell will be full of cursing and unrest.

No wonder Christ warned again and again not to reject His gospel.

There are some things about our future that we simply are not given to understand or know. Daniel sought for understanding of the visions he saw and one time the angel told Daniel to go on his way instead of answering him because the book and word is sealed up until that day.
Somethings we simply are not meant to know and not meant to tell anyone. Daniel was told to seal up what he saw and when he asked what some of it meant was told to just go about his business.

The verses I referenced were

Job 1.6 and 2.1
The sons of God (Angels) came the Lord to present themselves to him, two different times.

I think that is indicative of some sort of culture.

The verse that says that we and saints will judge people, nations and Angels further implies culture. Soldierofsoul showed the verse for that.

Ephesians 4.12
Shows that heaven contains rulers, authorities, principalities in the heavenly places.
To me this further displays the aspect of culture, places and kingdoms to rule, other rulers, good and bad besides God.

The sense that there is a very real culture there comes from the verses that Angels in heaven can be rulers over places that need to be ruled, Angels have to come present themselves to God at certain times and their will be peoples Angels, nations who have to be judged.

Some, or many, may disagree with me on this, but as a born-again Christian, Heaven is not now really even a consideration to me. I do not operate on earth with Heaven as my goal, as to seeking a reward.

I seek to fulfill that which GOD has pre-ordained for me to do with my life, if I decided to follow Christ Jesus, through His substitutional sacrifice on my behalf. My focus is on reading the manual for living in that calling and then doing it to the level that the Holy Spirit empowers me to do so.

My focus is on serving my Savior and Lord, not on the "reward" for doing so. I do not serve Christ for a reward. I serve Christ because He loved me enough to die for me. If there were no Heaven, I would still serve the LORD. In fact, I don't even consider Heaven in the equation.

Tomorrow, (Heaven) will take care of itself. Today I must live for Christ Jesus, my LORD and Savior, because yesterday, HE paid the price to purchase my salvation with HIS blood. In Him, time is not. He is yesterday, today, and tomorrow, always right now.

What will we do in Heaven? I don't understand the question. What are we doing today is much more relevant.

Be blessed,
Lee52

According to my sources (other Christians, mostly), we will be:

- Floating around on clouds

- Worshipping God every moment we are there (predominantly on our faces)

- "Ruling and reigning" with Christ (yet they can never explain WHAT that actually means, sadly)

- Some teach we will still be working however (that sounds fun)

- That's about it, as far as I am told.

Most I know teach we will lose our gender, possibly our memories and will possess no free will there. Of course, marriage, love, sex, and other normal things we experience here will be gone too. Yup.

Blueforest said:

According to my sources (other Christians, mostly), we will be:

- Floating around on clouds

- Worshipping God every moment we are there (predominantly on our faces)

- "Ruling and reigning" with Christ (yet they can never explain WHAT that actually means, sadly)

- Some teach we will still be working however (that sounds fun)

- That's about it, as far as I am told.

Most I know teach we will lose our gender, possibly our memories and will possess no free will there. Of course, marriage, love, sex, and other normal things we experience here will be gone too. Yup.

Click to expand...

1. The floating on clouds thing is just a popular, but inaccurate, visual of Heaven. Just like that of Hell, where the demons are floating around with pitch forks. Heaven is described as a city, with streets paved with gold and such. We won't know how much of that is literal, though, until we see it.

2. Worshipping God is a big part of it, but there are a variety of ways to do that. Singing is one way out of many, but the focus is always on appreciating who God is and what He has done.

3. I don't know exactly what it means, either. There seems to be a hierarchy, where the last will be first and the first will be last. But the Bible says that we will all lay down our crowns in front of Him, so God is the still the one who will reign.

4. We will work, but it won't be tiresome work. It's like when you find a job you love to do. It doesn't drain you because you enjoy it.

5. There won't be sex in Heaven, but we will all be married together. We won't miss sex at all when we get there. There will be things a million times more pleasurable there. None of the "normal things" we do on earth will even be able to compare.