What is heaven?
Heaven can be used to refer to two distinct places:
- God’s dwelling place;
- The new heaven and new earth.
What is God’s dwelling place?
This is the place where God dwells.
What is the new heaven and the new earth?
This is the earth with the curse removed.
What curse?
This curse was placed on God’s creation after the fall into sin:
Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life; and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you will bring forth children; yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:13-19)
When is this curse removed?
The conditions for the removal of the curse were met at the first coming of Jesus. The curse will actually and finally be lifted at Christ’s second coming.
Where does the Bible teach this?
Paul writes to the Galatians:
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us–for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree“–so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10-14)
Here we are taught that Christ took our curse on Himself and thus delivered us from it. As a result of what Christ did, the blessing of Abraham can come on all people, Jew and gentile alike.
What is the blessing of Abraham?
The blessing which God promised to Abraham is the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 3:14) The ascended Christ (Acts 2:33) baptized His church in this Spirit (Acts 1:5), and now the Holy Spirit lives in the soul of every believer. (Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) This work of the Holy Spirit is the blessing of the new covenant. (2 Corinthians 3:6-8)
Was the curse removed at the first coming of Christ?
No, the legal condition for its removal was performed by Christ. It’s actual removal will take place at Christ’s second coming.
Where does the Bible teach this?
John writes:
Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. (Revelation 22:1-4)