What is Heaven or Paradise?

 

Icon of Creation of Heveans

"In my Father's house are many mansions." (John 14:2)

Heaven or Paradise is a bright and immeasurable space far above the stars where the greatest bliss reigns, which the finite human mind cannot fully understand. This bright space is designated by the Lord Jesus Christ as the home of his heavenly Father when he says: "In my Father's house are many mansions" (John 14:2).

   Heaven or Paradise is a place where the righteous, freed from all evil, enjoy indescribable joy throughout eternity, seeing God face to face. The apostle Paul describes this place as follows: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9).

   In his earthly life, man is subjected to countless torments and troubles. Cold, heat, hunger, thirst, various diseases and death are his daily routine. Throughout the years of his life, from early morning to late at night, incessant efforts consume the strength of his body. Evil people often give him bitter moments, attack him with poisonous tongues, suspect him, slander him, take away his honor and good name. Various misfortunes befall him, and in an instant everything he has acquired over many years can be destroyed. Added to this are internal torments, various worries and troubles that disturb the heart far more than any external trouble. In a word, the earth is a vale of tears for man.

   Sirach is right when he says: "A hard fate is assigned to all men, a heavy yoke to the sons of men, from the day they come out of their mother's womb until the day they return to the mother of all living" ( Sir 40:1).

   Unlike life on earth, in Heaven we will be free from that unfortunate fate that is the same for all people. There we will no longer hunger or thirst, we will not be scorched by the sun or any other heat.

   Through the apostle John, the Lord assures us: "They will hunger no more, nor thirst anymore; the sun will not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of water of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Rev. 7:16-17).

   A little further on, and also through the apostle John, the Lord promises us: "And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:4).

   By coming to Heaven, we arrive at a homeland where we cannot lose friends, where we need not fear enemies, where we will not need or lack anything, where we will no longer be born and die, where there is neither harm nor benefit, and where we will have eternal life.  
   Oh, how desirable a place Heaven is for this very reason alone, because it frees us from all earthly evils! Oh, how good it will be for us when all the earthly crosses that have crushed us so severely here are taken away from us! Only then will we be able to say with David: "Our soul has escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped" (Ps 124:7).

   In Heaven we will be freed, not only from all earthly, but also from all spiritual evils, that is, we will be freed from sin and everything that leads to it.

   As long as we live on earth without God's special grace, we cannot completely protect ourselves from venial sins. Even if we manage to live so cautiously, almost never a day goes by when we do not find various shortcomings and imperfections upon closer examination of our conscience. And it is precisely this observation that causes great pain to our soul, which loves God, so that like the apostle Paul we often sigh: "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom. 7:24).

   Besides, we are always in great danger of losing our salvation, because we carry the treasure of God's grace in a fragile vessel, and no virtue is strong enough to secure us from danger. How pious was David and how zealous was the apostle Peter, and yet they fell. 
   The proud world around us, our sinful flesh, and the Devil are three equally powerful and cunning enemies who always and everywhere lay snares and ambushes for us. We must always be on guard and fight so that they do not overcome us. Job is right when he says: "Is not man's life on earth a struggle? Does he not spend his days like a hired servant?" (Job 7:1).

   And, in Heaven everything will be different, because the Devil can no longer set traps for us, and the proud world can no longer seduce us with its apparent goods, evil examples and scandals, and the flesh can no longer ruin us with its lust and greed. Sin cannot enter Heaven because it is not possible to commit a minor sin there, let alone a grave sin, because the bliss of Heaven excludes all sin.

   We would not be blessed in Heaven if we had the opportunity to sin and would be constantly afraid that we would lose that blessedness one day. And, it is precisely this fear that would prevent us from perfectly enjoying the joys of Heaven.

   Since bliss is the greatest good, it completely excludes all evil, and therefore the blessed in Heaven can no longer sin, but rather fully enjoy the blissful vision of God.

   We must know that sin is turning away from God and willingly agreeing with creatures. In this earthly life we ​​can move away from God and draw closer to creatures because we have a very imperfect knowledge of God. However, in Heaven it is completely different , one day we will see God as blessed in all his majesty and perfection. In this seeing , everything earthly in our eyes will lose all beauty and will be considered as nothing. As such, we will only love God, who is the sum of all beauty and goodness, and despise everything else. Therefore, it is impossible for us to sin in Heaven as blessed.

   This impossibility of offending God through sin, freedom from all temptations and dangers, the certainty of always remaining in communion with God, is the blessed life. In this blessed life, sin no longer exists, because there is no danger through which one can fall into sin and commit it.

   So, Heaven is a place where there is no evil, torment, temptation, loss of salvation, and no sin!

   Furthermore, Heaven is not only a place where there is no evil and sin, but it is also a place where there are unspeakable joys!    
   While we are in mortal bodies, due to our human limitations, we cannot fully understand and express these unspeakable joys. They are great, numerous, and sublime. David, that great prophet enlightened by the Spirit of God, could say nothing more about Heaven than that it is simply a pleasant place: "How pleasant are your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts" (Ps 84:2).

   The Apostle Paul, who was taken up to Heaven while still alive, confirms that while we are in a mortal body we cannot fully understand and express the ineffable joys and bliss of Heaven, of which he speaks: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" ​​(1 Cor 2:9).

   The blessed in Heaven behold God in his immeasurable majesty, love him with the strongest love, are most closely united with him, and possess him in inexpressible joy.

   That the blessed in Heaven see God is quite clear from these words of the Lord: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God!" (Mt 5:8).

   The apostle Paul also says: "For now we see through a mirror, darkly, but then face to face!" (1 Cor 13:12).

   With these words, the apostle Paul wants to tell us that in this mortal earthly life we ​​see God imperfectly, and not in his essence and truth. We see him in an image through creatures in which only a part of his divinity is visible.

   Unlike on earth, in Heaven we will stand face to face with God and behold him directly in his truth and majesty, and enjoy unspeakable joy and bliss in the company of Angels and Saints. The apostle John assures us of this when he says: "We will see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).

   Therefore, Heaven awaits only those fortunate ones who will hear this call of the Lord: "Come, you blessed of my Father! Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!" (Mt 25:34).

   What unspeakable joy and gladness in this call, and what a blessing it is for us if it is addressed to us, because what awaits us is what the apostle Paul clearly speaks of: "What eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9).