To wake up my children (ages 11 and 12) lately, I’ve been choosing books that are styled like devotionals. We read an interesting animal-themed book called A View from the Zoo (1987) and are working now through a book of humorous-yet-teachable recollections called Why Geese Fly Farther Than Eagles (1992). In between those, we tackled this book that I’ve always wanted to share with my kids, Heaven for Kids by Randy Alcorn.
Some Background on Alcorn’s Heaven
Perhaps you’re already familiar with his more popular book, Heaven (for adults, though the subtitle’s not necessary). It’s a massive tome that seeks to answer (from Scripture and from reasonable imagination) what Heaven will really be like. I read it years ago and loved it. Many of the things I learned in that book have stuck with me over the years. In particular, he’s got an appendix on “Christoplatonism” which is a must-read for every believer.
This topic of Christoplatonism requires a quick sidebar, because (although it’s not mentioned in this shorter summary-book for kids) it’s the essence of why we Christians misunderstand Heaven and think it might actually be boring! Essentially, the essay teaches that Christians have grown to view all things physical as unholy, considering only the spiritual as holy—thus the things we enjoy on this Earth (sinful or not) are trappings of the flesh and will all be destroyed forever when we die. Heaven will be that glowing, ethereal, cloudy place where our spirits sore and worship God in an eternal church service (possibly with harps and halos)—we’ll never sleep but only sing forever and ever and ever.
With such a view of Heaven as that, who wouldn’t view it as boring and a place that doesn’t sound too exciting!? Yet that’s about where Christians stop thinking about it.
Randy Alcorn flips this whole concept on its head, recognizing from Scripture that God created Man as a physical being (with a God-breathed living soul) to live on a physical planet doing physical work and enjoying a physical life. All the Bible’s descriptions of resurrection mean a return to that physical reality—just as Jesus resurrected in bodily form and now stands with pierced hands at the throne of God! When God creates the New Earth, it will be resurrected form of the old one which had been corrupted by sin. This is where we will live for all eternity—as physical beings with direct access to God, the New Heavens, the New Jerusalem, etc.
Because all of this is verifiably true from Scripture, we need to wrap our minds around the fact that our eternity in the New Heaven and Earth will be just as physical as our present. Work, relationships, nations, travel, adventure, activities, food, etc.—all will be present yet without the taint of sin! If that doesn’t stoke your imagination, then Alcorn’s musings throughout the book will.
The Structure of Heaven for Kids
In Q&A form, Alcorn lays out a whole bunch of questions that kids likely have. I really enjoyed reading this aloud to my kids, as it allowed for us to discuss these topics and answer even more questions that came up. I think a kid could read this book alone as well, but parents and teachers, know this: You might learn a thing yourself by reading it, and what a great way to chat about spiritual things with your kids!
Alcorn also has a great deal of tie-in with the imaginative world of C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. In fact, having read the Narnia books is almost a prerequisite for reading this one. While comparing Heaven to a fairytale might seem risky, I think Alcorn does an OK job at clarifying that what Lewis imagined about his fictional Heaven is just the tip of the iceberg—Heaven is going to be so much more. It allows kids the freedom to use their God-given imagination to consider what all this new existence might entail.
Some of the Many Bible Passages He Covers
His book is also fraught with Scripture, of course, and I love how he handles several passages in particular. Take for example the excuse that some make from 1Corinthians 2:9 that “we can’t imagine Heaven, so we shouldn’t try.” In fact, a friend sort of mocked me for loving Heaven so much and for giving a copy of the book to a Pastor-friend in Myanmar—I think for this very reason! Alcorn suggests that people like this need only to read one verse further to understand that we can imagine whatever God’s revealed, and therefore we should:
9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
Alcorn also reminds us how the Apostles encouraged us to ponder Heaven. He reminds us that we’re to “set our minds on things above” (Col 3:1-2) and he shares Peter’s full exhortation in 2Peter 3:11-15 (NLT):
11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. 14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. 15 And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.
I also particularly loved his discussions from Revelation 4:6-11 about space travel, planets, and the possibility of aliens (161-162). Such daydreams have always captivated my own imagination. He notes that, while some might charge this being too much “science-fiction,” he responds with this great thought:
We may have it backward. Writers create science fiction and readers like it because God has put within us a sense of adventure, wonder, and imagination. Since God has a track record of creating intelligent creatures, it’s not science fiction to suggest he may do so again in the new universe. (162)
One section that I found suspect was his discussion from Romans 8:18-21 about the possibility of seeing our pets again in Heaven (129-131). I personally believe that God never intended animals to have eternal life, and that physical death is merely one part of God’s perfect creation (don’t get me started!). So to suggest the possibility that kids might see Fido again in the New Earth seems to give them false hope and to set them up for doubt, once their brains start challenging things they’ve been taught.
Will there be animals in Heaven? Undoubtedly. Will we own them as pets? Maybe. Will they be the resurrected forms of our dead animal friends from life on Earth? I highly, highly doubt it. I didn’t like that section of the book.
Final Thoughts
There are so many other rabbit trails that this book suggests, ways for kids to “set their minds on things above” and fantasize about Heaven. One offering from Alcorn that I appreciated was this suggestion he gives about a family field trip:
Visit a junkyard or a dump. The lines are shorter than an amusement parks, and admission is usually free! What’s helpful is that you get to look at all the piles of “treasures” that were formally Christmas and birthday presents. You will see stuff that people paid hundreds of dollars for, that children quarreled about, and that families went broke over. You might see arms and legs from battered dolls, rusted robots, and electronic gadgets lying useless and forgotten. You can be sure that much of the stuff you own will end up in a dump just like this. Think ahead to a time when all that you ever owned will be in a junk heap. What will you have done that will last for eternity? (25)
All told, this was a wonderful book that got my kids thinking, talking, and asking questions about the most important topic in life: Life after Death. Chapter 10 is a the full Gospel presentation, and every other chapter is filled with wholesome discussions.
Randy Alcorn may not be right about everything, and his imagination might wander too far afield at times, but he gives us permission (from the Bible) to ponder these things and he shows us how. It’s a great book and one that would make an excellent family read. I highly recommend it. Get it on Amazon.
©2024 E.T.
See More by Randy Alcorn:
- Deadline (1994)
- Lord Foulgrin’s Letters (2000)
- Safely Home (2001)
- The Treasure Principle (2001)
- Heaven (2004)
- Heaven for Kids (2006)
- We Shall See God (2011)