The Bible tells us, Psalm 8:3, When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place… and, Psalm 19:1, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. The heavens reveal the character of God. Reasons to Believe (Reasons.org) is an organization of scientists who demonstrate from published scientific papers, that the more we learn about this universe, the more the exquisite fine-tuning of the universe not only reveals it to be created, but also reveals the character of the Creator. Here we will only consider what the eyewitnesses of heaven tell us about God’s (and Jesus’) character.
What we see in all of these witnesses is foremost Jesus’ and the Father’s pervading love for us, a deeper, more genuine, perfect love than that seen anywhere on Earth. The love of the Father and the Son is the very character of heaven. They ARE heaven. One person said that the Father’s love for us even exceeds that of Jesus, who died for us. We also see incredible acceptance. Once Jesus has redeemed us, nothing in our past or present takes away from our relationship with God. Even before we accept Jesus’ gift, God loves us so much it pains Him to think anyone might never turn to him and never be a part of the beautiful place He has prepared for all those made in His image. But we also see in His character that He will not violate His principle of letting us have complete freewill to choose what we think is important in our lives. Love, compassion, understanding, respect, and commitment all characterize His relationship with us. It has been reported by several that Jesus has a great sense of humor. Wholesome fun and levity also characterize God. Here are some specific comments made by eyewitnesses.
Samaa Habib saw His (Jesus’) majesty and indescribable beauty. Being in His presence was awesome and humbling, but He told her not to be afraid.
Dale Black said everything in heaven is infused with God’s life and energy. God is the source of all life.
In heaven God provides everything everyone needs, and we have the joy and blessing of being able to participate in God’s providing for others. God has also provided many ways for His children to have fun. Kat Kerr said God grants our deepest desire in heaven.
Richard Sigmund said the glow of God’s presence is what makes people beautiful. He also said the flow of one of the rivers from the throne was the mercy and grace from God. The glory cloud of the peace of God’s presence was in the fountain Richard saw. It was a fountain of peace and was the third most beautiful and glorious place in heaven after the God’s Throne and the Lord Jesus.
William Smith saw wheels like those seen by Ezekiel. Only these wheels had to do with the spinning of the universe and out of them came a symphony of glorious sound. He said all sound joins together as the wheels create a musical expansion of sound. God’s glory and greatness is seen in the music.
Jeanne Enstad felt no pain and no fear. She loved the divine life of being near the Savior all the time. It is one great brotherhood with Jesus as the head, built on love. The indescribable beauty of God all around her amazed her.
Betty Eadie said, “I’ll never forget the Lord’s sense of humor, which was as delightful and quick as any here¾far more so. Nobody could outdo his humor. He is filled with perfect happiness and perfect goodwill. There is a softness and grace in His presence, and I had no doubt he is a perfect man.”
Many testify that God’s love permeates heaven and is a love that exceeds any love the witness has ever experienced before.
Tony Davis said it was like the arms of God reached out to him and held him. He felt so much love and compassion that he began forgiving and letting everything go more than he could imagine.
Crystal McVea broke all ten commandments and was lost to God. She knew He could never forgive her. But her experience in the magnificent presence of God’s love and healing healed her from all the stuff that hung over her, a gift so great she has tears of joy and gratitude remembering from what she has been healed. She had a sensation of cleanness, a feeling of absolute purity and perfection, a sense of being unblemished and unbroken. She was immersed in it and had a kind of peace and assurance she had never known on Earth. She was bathed in love. When she was there she was not only in the presence of God (the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit together), she could feel Him.
Mary Neal said her sense of God’s deep love in everything was sharpened.
Oden Detrick said we know we are fit for heaven entirely because of God’s redeeming love.
Betty Eadie felt God’s love pouring into the flowers there.
Jim Woodford said everything in heaven, the sights, the colors, the sounds, the fragrances, the light, the waters, the people, the angels, and everything, reflects the love and nature of God.
Mary K. Baxter said God spared nothing to create heaven as a perfect place. He paid the perfect price for us to be there.
Dean Braxton described God himself singing before the throne. He heard God the Father singing back to each and every being, and each one in turn giving praise to Him. His was an individual love song to each of His creations, and it had an aliveness that made it go into each intended being. What he saw was like the Song of Songs in the Bible; there was an exchange of love words between God and each person expressing his/her love for one another. He was expressing His love for each being, who was in return expressing his/her love for God. God’s love song was not limited to those in heaven, but He sings His song of love out to every human being on Earth and nothing stops His love from reaching us.
Betty Eadie felt God in the roses and in her, his love pouring into them. She and the flowers were all one!
The River of Life is the flowing of the Holy Spirit and so we can’t see it here because we can’t see spiritual things. We experience it as the love of God in our hearts.
Oden Hetrick said the Spirit flowing in the river washed away the memories and scars of our sin so that in heaven there will be nothing bad in our memories or our experience there. This takes away any thought or feeling that we are unfit for heaven because of the memory of our sins. We know we are fit for heaven entirely because of God’s redeeming love.
An angel then described joy to Jim Woodford as “living on the edge of a huge laugh motivated by the constant awareness of the presence of God.” Jim said everything in heaven, the sights, the colors, the sounds, the fragrances, the light, the waters, the people, the angels, and everything, reflects the love and nature of God.
Samaa Habib sensed that Jesus could see through her, reading all the thoughts of her heart. Her whole body was shaking. She felt so unworthy to be in His presence. He showed her His mercy. He spoke to her heart and reminded her of His character¾that He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. He radiated an amazing love that contained acceptance. She felt neither condemnation nor shame. This is the same as others who come face to face with Jesus; they feel neither condemnation nor shame nor guilt, but only total acceptance, peace, and joy. She understood nothing was hers. Her life and future, her friends and family, heaven and Earth¾all belong to the Lord. In heaven, she experienced such joy, peace, and overwhelming love that she wanted to stay forever. After being there, she knew being in His presence is her real home, He is everything¾Alpha and Omega. But He is also a gentleman. He never forced her but gave her the freedom to choose. It was easy to talk to Him, to communicate, like a child speaking to her father. She said that although we make our relationship with Jesus complicated, in reality it is as simple as being childlike.
Rhoda “Jubilee” Mitchell met Jesus when she was on her bed crying out to Him. He took her out of her body and into the night sky. As they were traveling along, she became aware of Jesus and His Father communicating thoughts although to her it was a distinct dialogue. She could sense how much they love one another. She was able to witness the Godhead working together in complete harmony, the incredible ultimate love relationship. She found God’s love a tangible presence in the Universe, shining brightly through every twinkling light. His love was shooting through her, His affection surrounded her, flowing over her like waves, loving her like no one ever could. She had never felt so loved as she was then in Jesus’ arms as they flew along at an incredible speed.
Dean Braxton saw in Jesus’ eyes that He wants everyone alive on Earth to be with Him in heaven. He does not want to lose even one person to hell. As Dean saw the love in Jesus’ eyes, he became that love and knew we become that love in order to love others with His love.
As Crystal McVea journeyed toward the gates of heaven, she met a three or four year old girl. The girl wore a frilly summer dress with tinges of yellow and had a white bonnet and a white wicker Easter basket. She was skipping and dancing and dipping her basket in the water to fill it with brightness and then to pour it out. Crystal felt love pour out for this girl, and she want to take her in her arms and shower her with love. Then God took away that feeling and she realized the girl was her and was the way God always saw her. She saw that it said that God had been trying to show her all her life that He loved her. She felt no regret or feeling bad, since no negatives exist in heaven. There was just the overpowering presence of God’s love and acceptance. It is not that He has love, He IS Love!
Steven Musick began to see things from a heavenly perspective and saw that things he thought hadn’t mattered had had an effect on other people. He began to understand why his mother and father were they way they were. Jesus made everything seem okay. As Jesus revealed the emptiness of his soul from the things that had happened to him, He filled them up. He saw that what others meant for evil, God was able to turn to good. “Nothing is ignored, no wrong is brushed aside. But His love transforms.”
As they talked Jesus showed him the sovereignty of God and His provision but also His giving us complete freedom to choose the course of our lives and the attitudes we will have. But He controls the aftermath; we cannot choose the consequences of our choices. He saw how deep, attentive, encompassing, complete, and astounding Jesus’ love is. God knows all that has happened; it has a purpose, nothing is wasted, and He loves us intimately.
Jeanne Enstad said she will never forget the look of deep unconditional love in His beautiful glowing eyes. She knew He loved her unconditionally and would take care of her on Earth.
Jesus called Dawn Cypret by name and greeted her with a warm hug, in which she felt His love, peace, and joy. She felt no awkwardness or uneasiness, like He was her best friend. She looked at His hands and saw the scars in the fleshy part of His hands between the palm and wrist. She felt an overwhelming sorrow and regret for what He had to endure to take her shame and sin on the cross. Yet Jesus took away her pain and sorrow and filled her with overwhelming emotion of love. She says absolutely nothing compares with the love Jesus has for us. It was actually easier for Him to go through the agony of the crucifixion than to see us suffer without the hope of Calvary.
When Ian McCormack, an atheist until the last minute of his life, came into Jesus’ presence, he wanted to turn away because he realized he didn’t deserve to be there. He understood that Jesus knew his name, knew all his thoughts, and could see everything he had ever done. He wanted to hide. But wave after wave of pure light and love started flooding over him, love that was pure, unadulterated, clean, uninhibited, and undeserved. It was filling him up from the inside out making his hands and body tingle. He began to weep uncontrollably as the love became stronger and stronger. Everything he thought was love on Earth was nothing compared to the love he was feeling. He didn’t see how God could love him after all the sins he had committed. As God’s love poured over him with each thought of his sins, he stood there weeping in God’s presence. He learned his forgiveness was assured when he asked for forgiveness seconds before he died.
Jesus told Richard Sigmund, “I love you. Even though you have been disobedient and haven’t done what I have told you to do, I still love you, and I desire for you to tell My people about this place called heaven. I desire for you to tell My people the glorious things My Father has made for them, that they might want to come here. I have chosen you and ordained you for this one work … Tell My people I am coming soon. I love them.”
The angels told Howard Storm the outcome of every activity from negative to positive will always fulfill God’s purpose no matter how long it takes or how impossible it appears. They explained that we do not need to know how or why things happen. We are to discover our part of God’s divine plan He wants us to fulfill.
Mary Neal said Jesus looked like endless kindness and compassion. As to the colors of His hair, eyes, and skin, she said there are not words in English to describe what she saw. The fact that he looks like endless kindness and compassion is natural in the kingdom of heaven in ways we cannot comprehend here. She said He was endlessly patient, endlessly gentle, and mesmerizing. He was light of spirit and had a sense of humor.
Jesus said to Dr. Gary Wood we all have a purpose for being here in this life: a song to sing, a message to proclaim, a missionary journey to take, a book to write. Jesus said, “Don’t ever believe the condemnation of the devil that you are unworthy. You are worthy. You have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.” When Jesus lifted him up, he lifted him up into his arms and Gary felt the most wonderful, joyful, peaceful, powerful love he had ever experienced. Heaven is all about Jesus and His Father. They are the source of all the light and love in heaven that makes it the wonderful, joyful place that it is.
The light of God gives life to everything in heaven. He is the source of all life.
People who have been to heaven come back more focused on what is of eternal importance, including love, relationships, praise of God, and the awesome gift of Jesus, as these are the attributes of God and all of heaven.