Topical Bible: Heaven: The Future Dwelling Place of the Righteous: The Wicked Excluded From

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Heaven, as depicted in the Holy Scriptures, is the ultimate dwelling place prepared by God for those who are righteous and have been redeemed through faith in Jesus Christ. It is portrayed as a place of eternal joy, peace, and communion with God, where the redeemed will experience the fullness of God's presence and glory.

Biblical Descriptions of Heaven

Heaven is often described in the Bible as a place of indescribable beauty and splendor. In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John provides a vivid depiction of the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem: "The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb" (Revelation 21:23). This imagery emphasizes the divine radiance and purity of heaven, where God Himself is the source of light.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, speaks of the unimaginable wonders of heaven: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). This passage highlights the incomprehensible and glorious nature of the heavenly realm, reserved for those who are in Christ.

The Righteous Inherit Heaven

The Scriptures affirm that heaven is the inheritance of the righteous, those who have been justified by faith and have lived in accordance with God's will. Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, promises, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8). This beatitude underscores the necessity of purity and righteousness as prerequisites for entering heaven.

Furthermore, Jesus assures His followers of their place in heaven, saying, "In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?" (John 14:2). This promise provides comfort and hope to believers, affirming that heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.

The Exclusion of the Wicked

The Bible is unequivocal in its teaching that the wicked will be excluded from heaven. In the book of Revelation, it is stated, "But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life" (Revelation 21:27). This passage clearly delineates the moral and spiritual qualifications required for entry into heaven, emphasizing the exclusion of those who persist in sin and rebellion against God.

Jesus Himself warns of the separation of the righteous from the wicked in the final judgment: "Then He will say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels'" (Matthew 25:41). This solemn declaration underscores the reality of divine justice and the eternal consequences of rejecting God's offer of salvation.

The Hope of Heaven

For believers, the hope of heaven serves as a source of encouragement and motivation to live a life pleasing to God. The Apostle Paul writes, "For our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). This anticipation of heavenly citizenship inspires Christians to persevere in faith and holiness, looking forward to the day when they will dwell eternally in the presence of their Savior.

In summary, heaven is the promised future dwelling place of the righteous, characterized by the presence and glory of God. It is a place of eternal reward for those who have been redeemed by Christ, while the wicked, who reject God's grace, are excluded from its blessings. The hope of heaven remains a central tenet of the Christian faith, offering assurance and joy to believers as they journey through this life.

Nave's Topical Index

Galatians 5:21
Contentions, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
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Ephesians 5:5
For this you know, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
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Revelation 22:15
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie.
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Library

His Future Work
... a new heaven and a new earth, the eternal dwelling place of redeemed ... "And I saw a
new heaven and a ... His present Work may end and then His future, kingly work ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the work of christ/iii his future work.htm

The Rent Veil
... might be put in its place at some future time. ... is one of the greatest joys out of
heaven to be ... sing with Moses, "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 34 1888/the rent veil.htm

The Psalter of Solomon.
... of the Gentile world in the great future; though he ... Great is our God and glorious,
dwelling in the highest ... hath ordained lights in the path of heaven to divide ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the psalter of solomon.htm

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
... 4). The temple of the Lord was the dwelling-house of ... above all the things that were
under heaven, even 'to ... I come, therefore, in the second place, to show you ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm

Of the True Church. Duty of Cultivating Unity with Her, as the ...
... For why does Moses promise a future period, when the people who ... hear thou their prayer
and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 1 of the true.htm

2 Samuel xxiii. 1-7.
... which, at last, all power in heaven and on ... that, in the Spirit, he there foretells
the future. ... 159] [Hebrew: bwbt], literally, "in the dwelling" (compare Psalm ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/2 samuel xxiii 1-7.htm

The First Apology of Justin, the Martyr
... that they will be counted worthy of dwelling with him ... saying that we give the second
place after the ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/the first apology of justin.htm

The Sibylline Oracles.
... as the seer unfolds the mighty future, he claims ... he recalls the Hebrews, especially
those dwelling in foreign ... bloody hue shall fall from heaven, then shall men ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the sibylline oracles.htm

General Principles of Interpretation. 1 Since the Bible Addresses ...
... represents the church espoused to Christ; dwelling, so to ... which their denial of a
future resurrection rested ... blessed immortality with God in heaven; "The wicked ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxiv general principles of.htm

Letter Xciii. (AD 408. )
... the prophetic books were figures of the future, there was ... few in number, and therefore
unknown, dwelling in some ... four winds, from the one end of heaven to the ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter xciii a d 408.htm