Heaven is not a vague notion, not a ghostly place somewhere in the clouds. It is a physical place. The Greek word used for heaven, topos, indicates that it's a physical location. Heaven is a breathtakingly beautiful place, and therefore as we study about, plan for, and focus on heaven, the hope of heaven will become our greatest motivator for living this life. We are "looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13)—an eternal heavenly home that will come after the heavens "disappear with a roar" and the earth and everything done in it are laid bare and destroyed by fire (see vv. 10-12).

But what about the current heavens described in Scripture? What are they, and where will believers go when they die? The Bible talks about three distinct heavens that will give way to the New Heaven and the New Earth at the Day of the Lord.

The Bible says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Psalm 19:1). The second heaven is where the stars and the galaxies—the oldest preachers—testify to God's power. They are His silent evangelists. They never tire of proclaiming the glory of God. Day and night they declare that our God is the God of power and might; the God of the supernatural; the God of miracles; the Lord of the whole universe. They speak loudly, just as Paul wrote, "[S]ince the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).

I can't wait to go to the third heaven. The third heaven is the paradise that Jesus promised the repentant sinner on the cross next to Him when He said, "[T]oday you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). And the apostle Paul was swept up to the third heaven (see 2 Corinthians 12:2), where he saw and heard things that were inexplicable—things he was not permitted to speak about.

The third heaven is where all our born-again loved ones who have gone before us through death are now. But—this may surprise you—the third heaven is not the New Heaven revealed in Scripture. The New Heaven will be revealed only after the old heaven has been rolled away.

Though Paul and John share that it is filled with indescribable wonders and beauty, the majesty of the third heaven is but a fraction of the glory of the New Heaven that will be revealed with the coming of Jesus. Right now, our Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, is seated at the right hand of God the Father in the third heaven, where He is interceding on our behalf. But there will come a day when God "will create new heavens and a new earth," and "[t]he former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind" (Isaiah 65:17). God is going to swing a cosmic wrecking ball to this old universe with its sin and Satan, false religions and political systems, suffering and pain. He will make all things new, and the capital city of His New Heaven will be the New Jerusalem (see Revelation 21:2-5).

What thrills me most about the New Jerusalem is that we will see Jesus face to face in a completely new creation—where the Lamb is the very light of the city (see Revelation 21:23). We will be with Him forever. Moreover, there will be no sin, no temptation, no sorrow, no regrets, no tears, and no heartbreaking divisions between believers. There will be no separation, no death, no mourning, no curse, no pain, no cancer, no disease—nothing that is not whole and right because the glorified Jesus will be there.

This is the city Abraham looked for—"the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10). Scripture reveals four remarkable characteristics of this heavenly Jerusalem—"the city of the living God" (12:22).

First, there will be billions of mansions. A great man of God made some rough calculations of the density and population of the New Jerusalem, concluding that this celestial city will accommodate up to 20 billion believers, each occupying 75 acres. No wonder Jesus said, "In My Father's house are many mansions" (John 14:2, NKJV). Something else to note about what John records in Revelation is that the New Jerusalem has no temple because God Himself is the temple. In the Old Testament, the temple was a representation or reminder of the presence of God in the midst of His people. But in the New Jerusalem, God Himself will be physically present. In fact, there will be no need for the sun or the moon because God's presence will light up the New Jerusalem.

Second, the tree of life—the same one from the Garden of Eden—will be in the New Jerusalem. Adam and Eve failed to live righteously before God and follow His command to not eat of this tree, but Jesus said, "To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7). The leaves of this tree will be for the healing of the nations (see Revelation 22:2). Why do we need healing? Because we have rebelled against our loving God. We have been living in a world cursed by sin and filled with hatred toward God. But in heaven, there will be no more curse.

Third, down the middle of the capital city will flow the river of life. It will flow "clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Revelation 22:1, emphasis added). Believers will absolutely recognize this gracious gift as it points to the eternal life secured by the Living Water, Jesus. That's what the tree of life and the river of life represent: eternal life with Christ. There, gathered around the throne of God, we'll rejoice in the presence of Jesus. We'll praise Him for the incomprehensible gift of eternity with Him.

Finally, the Living Water Himself will be there with His reward. Now, salvation is absolutely by grace alone, not by works—but we also know that believers will not all be rewarded equally (see Revelation 22:12). Christ's rewards will be given in relationship to the faithfulness of the believer. God doesn't require of you what He requires of me—He has given us all different talents. That's why the Bible says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded" (Luke 12:48).

At the end of Revelation, Jesus issues both a general invitation to whosoever would receive His gift of salvation as well as a special invitation to His followers—those who long for His coming. He says, "The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!' . . . Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life" (22:17). You see, we who know and love Jesus can feel spiritually parched because of our evil surroundings. We long for Jesus to come to us when we feel battered and tempted to conform to the world. And He invites us to drink from Him today—to be refreshed with His presence and with His precious promise: "Yes, I am coming soon" (Revelation 22:20). To which all God's people say, Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.