The April 2026 Website Update
April 2026 DMWs Monthly Website Update: Discussion of the Intermediate Heaven, that exists now vs A New Heaven and New Earth that comes about when Jesus returns for the second coming.
My new book: Bringing Heaven to Earth & The Intermediate Heaven fictionally describes the Heaven we go to when we die today if we are followers of Jesus. I actually believe, based on many near-death event reports of people visiting Heaven, primarily from Imagine Heaven by John Burke, and because their descriptions of Heaven are so similar, that the depiction of Heaven showing that the City of New Jerusalem is already there on a much larger planet than earth without sun or moon is accurate.
When I first read John Burke’s Imagine Heaven, I thought a lot about the veracity of the near-death events (NDEs) he presented. But in his Introduction, he talked about veracity: “After reading hundreds of NDE accounts, I started to see the difference between what they reported experiencing and the interpretation they might give to that experience. While interpretations vary, I found the shared core experience points to what the Scriptures say. In fact, the more I studied, the more I realized that the picture Scripture paints of the exhilarating Life to come is the common experience that NDEs describe…Could people make up stories or fabricate detail to sell more books? Yes. For this reason, I’ve tried to choose stories from people with little or no profit motive: orthopedic surgeons, commercial airline pilots, professors, neurosurgeons—people who probably didn’t need the money but have credibility to lose by making up wild tales. I’ve also included children; people from predominately Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist countries; and people who did not write books. Amazingly, they all add color to a similar, grand picture of the afterlife.”
I was really impressed with the care John Burke used in selecting NDE stories for his book Imagine Heaven. I have given considerable thought and prayer to this subject of NDE veracity, and I have discerned for myself that the NDEs used in Imagine Heaven are true reports of people’s experiences of visiting heaven.
One final thought on NDE veracity: I have heard some suggest that Satan is who is really behind NDEs. But why would Satan go to such lengths to make heaven sound wonderful? Randy Alcorn said, in his book Heaven: “If Satan can convince us that Heaven is a place of boring, unearthly existence…we’ll set our minds on this life and not the next. Obviously, Satan would more likely try to convince us that NDEs have no veracity.
Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” This makes it clear that God’s dwelling place is with man on a new heaven and new earth at the second coming of Jesus.
There are two other Scriptures, besides Revelation 21 & 22, that mention a new heaven and new earth. Isaiah 65:17 For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things will not be remembered or come into mind. And 2 Peter 3:12 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Then the interesting question is when Jesus comes back the second time and there is a new heaven and new earth is that located on our current earth or on a different planet? Is it on the same planet where we now find the Intermediate Heaven? In Revelation 21:23 we perhaps get a clue: “And the city has no need for sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” My guess is that verse rules out our current earth because it has both a sun and moon.
But if that is true what becomes of our earth? None of us know for sure, but I do have an idea. Our earth was afflicted because of the fall of man (Genesis 3). Prior to the fall it was the home of the Garden of Eden. My thought is that God will completely restore the old earth to Garden of Eden days, possibly with no trace of human existence, but with a plethora of animal life. Then, we who are in a new heaven and new earth will be able and encouraged to visit the restored earth. That will be an amazing treat to be able to visit a totally restored earth and enjoy its splendor as it again reflects the glory of God as it did once before.
Some Christian scholars teach that the New Heaven and New Earth will be on the old earth. God, of course can do anything and if that’s what he wants, that will happen. None of us know for sure and it is really not that important. The key thing to know is that wherever the New Heaven and New Earth is located we who follow Jesus will be there with God and our families and friends and it will be a fantastic experience.