What will heaven be like? Randy Alcorn presents a thoroughly biblical answer, based on years of careful study, presented in an engaging, reader-fri...
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Dec 17, 2009
Josh
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This is my #1 book. After justification/finished-atonement-at-the cross, this is the most wonderful, joyful topic to know, discover and just ponder. The saints will reign with Christ on this very Earth, made perfect at the resurrection. Every Christian brother/sister I will always see again and am never saying goodbye for the last time. The biblical doctrine of Heaven (the New Earth) is very under-taught, under-preached, and under-grasped by modern western Christianity but is a treasure ches
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Oct 04, 2010
Stacey
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I am pretty excited about reading this book, because at times I can be rather apathetic about heaven. I know my vision can Fall flat on it's face in light of what is coming. In the preface he talks about Florence Chadwick swimming from Catalina Island to the shore of mainland CA-- she stopped 1/2 a mile from the shore. The next day she said, All I could see was the fog....I think if I could have seen the shore I would have made it." Alcorn's vision is to show us the shore.
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Feb 18, 2009
Nathan
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For many Christians this book represents an "outside-of-the-box" approach to thinking about and envisioning Heaven. The common theme is "What if?" and "Why not?" when it comes to the realities of our future Home. The author lays the groundwork for his claims with specific scriptures on the topic that have been undertaught and/or passed off as figurative. This is a refreshing look at Heaven that has given me a renewed anticipation of my ultimate reward!
Dec 16, 2009
Maria
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Randy Alcorn brings forth a lot of ideas I'd never thought of before (like an intermediate Heaven where believers go between the time they die and the bodily resurrection to the New Earth - it makes lots of sense and there is Biblical grounds for it, I'd just never heard that theory before) and while there are a few where I think he draws broader conclusions than the Scripture allows, on most of his theories I completely agree. I highly recommend it to any Christian. If you don't really look for
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Dec 17, 2009
Stephie
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Great biblical insight about what heaven and the new earth will be like - and how incredible (and not boring) both will be.
Reminds the reader that God is accomplishing everything for His name's sake - for His own glory it shall all be accomplished. And the already accomplished work of Christ - his life, death, and resurrection - are not only the means by which individuals are saved from their sins against God, but also the means by which the whole earth (all of creation) shall be re More...
Reminds the reader that God is accomplishing everything for His name's sake - for His own glory it shall all be accomplished. And the already accomplished work of Christ - his life, death, and resurrection - are not only the means by which individuals are saved from their sins against God, but also the means by which the whole earth (all of creation) shall be re More...
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Dec 28, 2008
Kristin
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This book completely changed my view of heaven. It made me realize some things that I had believed but never really realized what I believed. This is packed full of scripture references - so it isn't just his opinion.
This has helped me look forward to heaven as well as see how my life here on earth right now ties in with my life that I will live in heaven....I realized that I used to think that you lived here, then you died and then everyone started out on the same playing field ag More...
This has helped me look forward to heaven as well as see how my life here on earth right now ties in with my life that I will live in heaven....I realized that I used to think that you lived here, then you died and then everyone started out on the same playing field ag More...
Dec 17, 2009
Adrianne
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Loved the book - a bit wordy at times in terms of being repetitive, he likes to make the same point sometimes more than once so that we definitely get it. I definitely enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone that may have questinos about Heaven. Although some of the stuff is speculative, Alcorn atleast advises of such. He provides great scripture to back many of his opinions although I would suggest to him with sticking to one version of the Bible, preferrably the King James Version. All i
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Apr 21, 2011
Amber
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Becoming Heaven-Focused
This book was a breath of fresh air for a believer who feels presently stuck in an evil world and lacks the desire for an ethereal "otherness," convinced that he or she was created for something more. Alcorn presents the argument that our culture's view of Heaven, a cloud-lined, white-washed, harp-filled existence, leads believers to desire this world above the one we were created for. As Christians, we should be filled with hope and desire for Heaven, not drea More...
This book was a breath of fresh air for a believer who feels presently stuck in an evil world and lacks the desire for an ethereal "otherness," convinced that he or she was created for something more. Alcorn presents the argument that our culture's view of Heaven, a cloud-lined, white-washed, harp-filled existence, leads believers to desire this world above the one we were created for. As Christians, we should be filled with hope and desire for Heaven, not drea More...
Mar 09, 2010
"Terrence"
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Have to say this book was largely a 476-page exercise in begging-the-question. Alcorn begins by assuming that the New Jerusalem of Revelation and the New Heavens/New Earth of Isaiah describe the final state of heaven and then deduces virtually everything about heaven from those axioms. If he’s wrong about those passages, then the book could only be about twenty pages long.
The problem is that Isaiah’s description of the New Earth still includes death: “No more shall an infant from there live but More...
The problem is that Isaiah’s description of the New Earth still includes death: “No more shall an infant from there live but More...
Aug 08, 2011
Sean Kahlich
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This is the most extensive book on the ins and outs of Heaven that I've ever seen. And its author exhaustively addresses every facet of Heaven. When I first began reading it, some of the questions and insights he presented seemed blasphemous, but that's primarily because I've never heard these things from Scripture before. Heaven has always been a gold-laden cloud world where everyone plays a harp. But Alcorn cites this as one of his primary reasons for writing. He captures the imagination
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Oct 24, 2010
Mark
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Alcorn puts forth in this book that Christians have been viewing heaven in the wrong ways and that failure to see heaven and the resurrection as the Bible presents it has watered down the message of the gospel. In this long work, Alcorn uses scripture to re-present the story of heaven and our lives in the resurrected Earth at the end of days. In theresurrection, it will be a physical event and not merely a spiritual one. The idea that it will only be a spiritual resurrection is a false idea that
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Oct 29, 2009
Natalie
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This is unquestionably the best book (other than the Bible, of course!) that I’ve ever read! At a whopping 500+ pages, it may appear daunting, but it is broken down into short, easy-to-manage chapters. I could almost feel myself being blessed each morning as I read from it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I read it again someday (once everyone else in my family finishes reading it, since I’ve told them all that they absolutely must!). Mr. Alcorn shatters the preconceived conception that most peop
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Aug 05, 2011
Mark
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In his book Heaven, Randy Alcorn highlights how Christians historically have bought into the lie of Christoplatonism (a philosophy which blends elements of Platonism with Christianity). The result is that most believe our spirits will live in the spiritual realm commonly known as heaven after we die. Problem is, the Bible never says this! What the Bible does teach, as Randy Alcorn drives home again and again, is the important truth-- forgotten or misunderstood by so many who have followed Jesus
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Sep 02, 2009
Paul
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A life-altering, paradigm-shattering book.
Unfortunately, as a church we have done a poor job casting a captivating view of Heaven to our children. This bled into adulthood for me. When I began reading this book, my perception of Heaven was painfully boring. The problem was, I had never been shown just how much the Scriptures have to say about the place. Instead of viewing the Earth we live on as a shadow of what is to come, I pictured heaven as being other-wordly and ethereal.
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Unfortunately, as a church we have done a poor job casting a captivating view of Heaven to our children. This bled into adulthood for me. When I began reading this book, my perception of Heaven was painfully boring. The problem was, I had never been shown just how much the Scriptures have to say about the place. Instead of viewing the Earth we live on as a shadow of what is to come, I pictured heaven as being other-wordly and ethereal.
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Jul 16, 2008
Jonathan
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Although it is way more protestant/sola scriptura than I am used to, and I think has certain failings as a result, it does do an excellent job of turning people's eyes to a much broader view of what heaven could be than pop culture tends to stereotype it. I think the ideas in the book would be especially helpful for youth, though the book itself may not by very appealing to them.
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Aug 30, 2011
Tim
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This was a great book that serves the purpose of reorienting our understanding of heaven to a truly biblical view. Alcorn's purpose is to negate the influence of christoplatonism which has hijacked our understanding of heaven and communicate from scripture an understanding of heaven that leads us toward anticipation and living in light of heaven.
The only downside of this book is that it is fairly repetitive over it's 500 pages. Alcorn clearly shows that some issues are very important More...
The only downside of this book is that it is fairly repetitive over it's 500 pages. Alcorn clearly shows that some issues are very important More...
Jul 19, 2011
Dan
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I loved this book. This definitely goes into my favorites category. This book took away some of the fear of dying. I believe the author is right on the mark, theologically, and expounds with logic in area's that are not in black and white in God's Word. Below are a couple of my favorite quotes:
"As long as God keeps you here on Earth, it’s exactly where he wants you. He’s preparing you for another world. He knows precisely what he’s doing. Through your suffering, difficulty, and d More...
"As long as God keeps you here on Earth, it’s exactly where he wants you. He’s preparing you for another world. He knows precisely what he’s doing. Through your suffering, difficulty, and d More...
Dec 27, 2010
Leslie
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I didn't finish this book....got about 3/4 of the way through it and it became so repetitive and so much conjecture that I just didn't see the point. I will say that the first several hundred pages are devoted to the actual theology of Heaven and Alcorn does a great job of documenting his claims Biblically, and I enjoyed this part very much. I also want to give him credit for not being dogmatic about his eschatological view, and for (repeatedly) stating that his vision of what the New Creation
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Dec 17, 2009
Cindy
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Alcorn makes the distinction between the "intermediate" heaven (now - temporary) and the "new heaven & new earth" (final state). He develops a case for a Physical Heaven (final state), as well as other aspects of heaven (learning, rest, new bodies, ruling, culture) - all grounded in Biblical Scripture.
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Dec 17, 2009
Debbie
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I learned that I have a very limited view of what Heaven can be like. I think that I have grown spiritually because of this book and have become excited learning about Heaven.
Yes, I will see my pets there and lions and horses and all other kinds of animals. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my.
Yes, I will see my pets there and lions and horses and all other kinds of animals. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my.
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Jan 30, 2012
Phil
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Great book! I enjoyed it very much.
At times Alcorn can get a little repetitive, leaving this reader with the impression that he could have written essentially the same book with 100 pages less. Having said that, however, he is writing about Heaven in a way that is like someone holding up a jewel and turning it in their hand to examine it from all angles. Repetition in that case is understandable. In a way the repetition is helpful in that he repeats the same truths but in different con More...
At times Alcorn can get a little repetitive, leaving this reader with the impression that he could have written essentially the same book with 100 pages less. Having said that, however, he is writing about Heaven in a way that is like someone holding up a jewel and turning it in their hand to examine it from all angles. Repetition in that case is understandable. In a way the repetition is helpful in that he repeats the same truths but in different con More...
Dec 17, 2009
Dennes
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To be more heaven minded, not to think that this life is all we get, but look to God's promises. I kind of like how Alcorn tries to describe what heaven will be like, obviously it's his own perception but he does have some biblical bases to back his thoughts up.
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Jan 22, 2011
Really interesting stuff! It is heavy and thought provoking for sure, but not for entertainment! I have to be in just the right "thinking" frame of mind. But what I have read totally gets me stoked for Heaven!
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Dec 31, 2008
Vee
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I was not pleased with this book at all. We studied this as a bible study group. I just don't interpret the scriptures this way. I think if you've accepted Christ and the Holy Spirit lives in you, there are things you intrinsically know to be true without having any other prior knowledge. His depiction of heaven being backed up with such a LITERAL meaning of scripture just didn't jibe with me. I didn't understand the point of studying and knowing heaven with such ferocious detail. I mean... seri
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Oct 05, 2009
Becky
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Loads of scripture to back up his in-depth discussion and perhaps change our perspective on Heaven and our perspective on living with an eternal perspective
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Aug 20, 2011
David
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I finally finished! Always be careful when taking book suggestions from someone who actually works with books for a living.
Probably the best comment I've heard about this book is "fair, but speculative". There really aren't that many verses in the Bible speaking about the hereafter, and Alcorn milks them for every last drop and then some. (Don't ask me how that works, metaphorically.) The point he hammers on over and over again is that Christians who die today go to wha More...
Probably the best comment I've heard about this book is "fair, but speculative". There really aren't that many verses in the Bible speaking about the hereafter, and Alcorn milks them for every last drop and then some. (Don't ask me how that works, metaphorically.) The point he hammers on over and over again is that Christians who die today go to wha More...
Dec 17, 2009
Alice
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I am marveling at how my senses are ready to see the implications of the new heaven and earth as I look around at this tired earth.
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Oct 29, 2011
Caiti
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"What we love about this life are the things that resonate with the life we were made for. The things we love are not merely the best this life has to offer - they are previews of the greater life to come."
Like many Christians, I kind of grew up thinking heaven was a boring place where we'd all wear white robes and just stand facing the throne, singing some kind of repetitive hymn. For. Ever. I knew I should look forward to heaven, but really?
This book makes me loo More...
Like many Christians, I kind of grew up thinking heaven was a boring place where we'd all wear white robes and just stand facing the throne, singing some kind of repetitive hymn. For. Ever. I knew I should look forward to heaven, but really?
This book makes me loo More...
Sep 16, 2010
Donny
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I really enjoyed this book! Randy Alcorn is a 4 point Calvinist which I don't like, but he seems to have kept his Calvinism out of this book. I also am not sure whether he believes that hell contains literal fire. He never came right out and said it does or it doesn't. I would assume that he does believe in literal fire as he takes most things very literally, but his belief on hell seemed ambiguous to me. Other than those two issues it was a great book. It doesn't read like a theology book yet i
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Dec 25, 2010
Timothy
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