HEAVEN: NEARER THAN WE IMAGINE

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Heaven: Nearer Than We Imagine

By Dr. Daniel Folarin

Many picture heaven as a distant place somewhere beyond the stars. Scripture leads us to a better way of thinking. Heaven is God’s realm, the invisible dimension of His rule and glory, and it often intersects our world. When the veil lifts, we see what was always near.

Heaven and Earth in Scripture

In Genesis 1 we are told that God made the heavens and the earth. Verse 7 speaks of waters above and waters below, language that reflects how the world looks from our vantage point. The Bible often speaks in phenomenological terms, that is, human description based on what people see. This is not primitive science. It is pastoral and theological language designed to teach us about God’s ordered world. The point is not a map of the sky. The point is that God creates, separates, and governs with wisdom.

When Jacob saw a ladder set up on the earth with its top reaching to heaven, he learned that God’s realm could meet him in a specific place. He woke and said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it. Heaven was not far away. It was hidden and then revealed. The prophets and the apostles experienced this same unveiling. When the heavens open in Scripture, it means God grants revelation and access, not that a hole appears in the physical sky.

What People Mean by “Up”

When believers say heaven is up, they often mean that God is higher in majesty and authority. The Psalms lift our eyes to the Lord who is enthroned in the heavens. Jesus was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight. None of this forces us to imagine a location somewhere above the clouds. Up, in Scripture, speaks of transcendence and enthronement. It helps our hearts grasp that God is above all, not that He is measured by miles.

Third Heaven and the Realm of God

Paul speaks of being caught up to the third heaven. In the biblical world, the first heavens are the sky, the second the starry expanse, and the third the dwelling of God. This is not a stack of layers in space. It is a way of naming realms. The third heaven is the realm of God’s immediate presence. Hebrews tells us that our Lord passed through the heavens as our High Priest and entered the true sanctuary. He did not travel to a distant galaxy. He entered the Father’s presence and now ministers for us there.

The Ascension and the Coming Appearing

At the ascension a cloud received Jesus. That cloud recalls the glory that filled the tabernacle and temple. The risen Christ entered the glory of God and was enthroned. The New Testament does not teach a long return flight when He comes again. It speaks of an appearing, an unveiling. When Christ who is your life appears, you also will appear with Him in glory. The language means revelation. What is now hidden will be seen. Heaven is near, and in the appearing of Christ the veil will lift.

Genesis 1:7 and How We Read the Bible

Genesis 1:7 is a helpful example for how to read. Waters above and waters below do not require us to choose between faith and modern science. The verse reflects how things look to us and uses that to teach truth about God’s ordering work. In the same way, language about up does not pin heaven to a point in space. It communicates that God is exalted over creation. Once we understand this, the whole Bible opens. We see that heaven and earth can meet in worship, in prayer, and supremely in Jesus Christ.

New Creation and the Union of Realms

Revelation 21 shows a new heaven and a new earth and the holy city coming down from God. The picture is not a space city landing. It is the union of God’s realm and ours. God dwells with His people. The story that began with God walking with man in Eden ends with God’s dwelling among us again. The distance is gone. The overlap is complete.

Why This Matters

If heaven is God’s near realm, then prayer is not a message sent into silence. It is a meeting with the King who is already at hand. If Christ’s return is an appearing, then hope is not fragile. We live ready. The Spirit is the down payment, the pledge that the unseen is real and will be revealed. Every gathering for worship, every act of obedience, every moment we set our minds on things above, we stand in that holy overlap where heaven and earth meet in Christ.

In sum. Heaven is not far. It is God’s realm that surrounds us and sometimes opens to our sight. The throne is not a chair in space. It is the living center of God’s reign. Jesus did not ascend into distance. He entered the Father’s presence for us. When He appears, what has been hidden will be revealed, and heaven and earth will be one.

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