From all these witness reports, one can see that heaven is not in Kansas; it is not even in this universe! We think of heaven as being “up,” since Jesus rose up when he left Earth and Elijah’s chariot went up. But the Earth is a sphere, so “up” is all directions away from Earth depending on where on the surface you are.
But consider that nothing dies and there is no decay in heaven. Everything is eternal, never ending. But in this universe there is entropy, the second law of thermodynamics, everything runs down to a steady energy state, energy flows from locations of high energy to locations of low energy. There is decay, decay of everything. Stars use up their energy and fade away. Star-forming regions eventually run out of energy to make new stars. Our bodies deteriorate as we get older and everyone eventually dies. Plants die. (But it takes Bristlecone pines a very long time to do it!) Flowers fade, fruit spoils. But none of this happens in heaven according to the eyewitnesses.
Our heavenly bodies do not need sustenance. We can enjoy the taste of the fruit on the trees but eating is not required, nor is sleep. When we hug, our embrace can pass through the other’s body. Jesus was able to appear in a locked room and disappear without going through a door or window. This is not like the physical stuff we are made of here.
People can walk on the ground as if there is gravity. (Although one witness said he didn’t really walk; it was more like gliding along the ground.) But people can rise up in the air and move along above the ground as if there is no gravity. Children can play a game where one child floats above a ring of other children who push him or her back and forth across the circle with much laughter and glee, as if there is no gravity. But children can also jump out of trees and float down to the ground like cotton balls as if there is gravity.
People can just think of being someplace and suddenly be there. It is not necessary to be physically transported in some manner to the new place. This is not something that we can even imagine here.
Water in heaven does not make anything wet and does not suffocate anyone. It doesn’t mess up hair. One witness reported seeing two different watery liquids that were different from each other. While water in heaven behaves a lot like water here, there is something very different about it, including a sweet taste.
Time in heaven is not linear as time is on Earth. Witnesses have reported being in an eternal present so talking of the past or future is irrelevant. Also as a result it is possible to be in more than one place at the same time. None of the witnesses reported the ability to do this but many reported that Jesus was seen in multiple places with different people at the same time.
From all of this I conclude that heaven in not made from atoms and molecules like Earth and this universe. One witness also declared that heaven is made of some substance unfamiliar to us. Our heavenly bodies are not made of biochemical molecules, as wonderful as they are in this universe. This is good because biochemical molecules have a tendency to break down, leading to the decay and destruction of biological organisms. Water is not made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Air in heaven is not a combination of N2, O2, CO2, H2O and all the other gaseous molecules. So without the atoms of this universe, heaven is very different. Heaven is made of substances completely different from the atoms and molecules with which we are familiar. But surprisingly it looks a lot like Earth and has some of the same qualities. So whatever substance makes heaven can look a lot like Earth.
Gravity as we know it and the laws of thermodynamics of this universe do not apply in heaven. And the laws of physics that define our universe are not part of heaven. And some other things, such as the ability to transport one’s soul mentally to a different location, are in effect there. Since time is different in heaven, there is the ability to be in two places at the same time. Hugh Ross (Reasons to Believe, reasons.org) has expressed the view that time in heaven is multidimensional, which enables two of us to be at the same coordinate in one dimension but be at different coordinates in another dimension. And the line of our present can intersect many lines of other people’s present allowing us to be present with other separate people at the same time.
So wherever heaven is, it must not be anywhere in this universe, so don’t think you can get there in a powerful rocket that is subject to the physics of this universe.
Finally, in thinking about God having made (at least) two creations, I think heaven is His primary creation and He made this universe and Earth as a model of heaven. Using atoms and molecules and some physical laws He has made a model that looks and behaves a lot like the original but is inferior to it. This model serves as a proving ground for beings created in His image, whom He intended to be surrounded with His love in His original creation. Here we have the chance to learn about Him from His creation and His Word and love Him. It is only here that we have the free will choose Him and His kingdom.