In the Bible, heaven is God’s dwelling place—and the destination Christians hope for. But it is not a distant afterlife unrelated to everyday life: “Set your minds on things above,” writes Paul. Here you will find 20 Bible verses about heaven.
How the Bible describes heaven
Images of heaven.
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In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you, “I am going to prepare a place for you.” And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you may be where I am.
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And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
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And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and the Lord God himself will be with them. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:3–4Eternal life
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And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, and each gate was made of a single pearl. And the streets of the city were pure gold, like transparent glass. And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
Revelation 21:21–23
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And there will be no more exile. And the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him and see his face. And his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no night, and they will need no lamp or light from the sun, for God the Lord will give them light, and they will reign from generation to generation.
Revelation 22:3–5
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For it is written, “What no eye has seen and no ear has heard and what has not entered the heart of man—what God has prepared for those who love him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9Love for GodFuture
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But we know that when our earthly house is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not made with hands.
2 Corinthians 5:1Eternal lifeDeath
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And Jesus said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:43CrucifixionDeath
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In him you will see the way to life. Before you is fullness of joy and eternal delight at your right hand.
Psalm 16:11LonelinessJoy
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For behold, I will create a new heaven and a new earth, so that neither the former nor the remembrance of it will ever again be.
Isaiah 65:17End times
Heavenly Mindset
How hope in heaven shapes our lives.
If you have been raised with Christ, then set your minds on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on what is on earth.
Colossians 3:1–2Ascension
For our true home is in heaven, and therefore we wait for the Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord.
Philippians 3:20ReturnIdentity in Christ
But store up treasures in heaven, for neither moths nor rust destroy them, nor do thieves break in or steal.
Matthew 6:20Love of money
Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Matthew 6:10God’s willKingdom of God
But now they desire something better—something heavenly. Therefore God is not ashamed to call them his people, for he has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 11:16
For we have no lasting city here, but we are seeking the city to come.
Hebrews 13:14Future
To an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance, kept in heaven.
1 Peter 1:4
But do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you. Rejoice, however, that your names are written in heaven.
Luke 10:20JoyBaptismal verses
Rejoice and be glad, for you will be richly rewarded in heaven. For thus they persecuted the prophets who came before you.
Matthew 5:12Reward
But we wait for a new heaven and a new earth according to his promise, in which righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:13End timesRighteousness
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
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What is heaven?
The Bible distinguishes between the visible heaven above us and heaven as God’s presence. When Jesus prays, “Our Father in heaven,” he does not mean a place above the clouds, but God’s reality, which is close to our world. He promises his disciples, “In my Father’s house are many rooms … I am going to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). And Revelation does not describe at the end how people come into heaven, but how heaven comes to the people: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man!” (Revelation 21:3).
Heavenly Mindset – keeping heaven in view
“Set your minds on things above, not on what is on earth” (Colossians 3:2). This exhortation does not mean to despise the earth, but to set priorities correctly. One who knows that their “true home is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20) does not need to get everything out of this life. They can be generous, calm, and courageous. This exact idea is behind our Heavenly Mindset series. You can find more verses in Bible verses about eternal life, Bible verses about the return of Jesus, and Bible verses about Christ’s ascension.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Bible describe heaven?
The Bible describes heaven as God’s presence, as a place without tears, suffering, or death (Revelation 21:4), and as a dwelling place that Jesus is preparing (John 14:2).
What does “Set your minds on things above” mean?
Colossians 3:2 invites us to focus our lives on God and his eternity—not on what passes away.
