All our lives we’ve been dreaming of the New Earth. Whenever we see beauty in water, wind, flower, deer, man, woman, or child, we catch a glimpse of Heaven. (Randy Alcorn, Heaven, 282)
Note: this post includes Amazon affiliate links.
This review is a long time coming. I first read Heaven by Randy Alcorn 16 years ago and was absolutely floored by the vistas it opened in my mind. I’ve been referencing it in discussions and other reviews ever since and even read to my kids Alcorn’s shortened version, Heaven for Kids (2006).
Not Everyone’s Favorite—though I Can’t Understand Why
I need to begin by acknowledging detractors who aren’t as impressed by the book as I’ve been. I’ve had friends tell me that Alcorn takes license too often and is more focused on imagination than biblical evidence. I disagree with this sentiment, of course, and I believe Alcorn’s intent was to fill his rocket boosters with enough Scripture to send us out beyond the atmosphere of what’s known in order to give us glimpse of what might be.
Alcorn writes: “What we need is a biblically inspired imagination,” and I figured his “Part 1: A Theology of Heaven” would be enough to convince any detractors that he has grounded his arguments in Scripture firmly enough then to take some logical steps forward. Obviously, “Part 2: Questions and Answers about Heaven” is highly speculative and filled with imaginative answers, but come on! We’re talking Heaven, where Scripture, speculation, and imagination are the only resources we have for research!
And before anyone asks, no, I do not believe any stories of those who’ve gone to Heaven (or Hell) for 90 minutes or seen Jesus riding on rainbow unicorns. That filth which some people publish for money and fame should be condemned every chance we get.
“Christoplatonism”
To be honest, I think the entire argument in favor of this book and Alcorn’s imaginative approach can be settled with a re-read of his Appendix A: “Christoplatonism’s False Assumptions.” Boy, I wish I could just reprint the essay here in its entirety! It’s the clearest, most succinct disruption of our traditional concepts of Heaven (no matter what your tradition is!). Fundamental Baptists, Free Lutherans, the Reformed of every stripe—we’ve all got engrained traditions that misconceive Heaven as a mostly (or entirely) spiritual place and that promotes the resurrection as a spiritual event in the clouds with singing, worship, and “ceaseless praise.”
Clearly, I’m not in the least diminishing the glories that await us: seeing Jesus face-to-face or lying prostrate in the brilliance of God’s glory. What I am saying is that we will see and we will lie with physical bodies recreated to do even more. The idea of floating as body-less spirits in endless worship for all eternity is a prospect that bores us (if we’re honest, and I try to be), because we’re not made for that! Such thinking makes us less excited about eternity than we are about whatever we imagine a “perfect day” on Earth could be. It’s neither God’s nor Heaven’s fault but rather our own misguided concept of how “spiritual” Heaven will be.
From Philo to Clement to Origen, early theologians took a page right out of Plato and Greek philosophy that allegorized Scripture instead of taking it literally. From there through the ages, “intellectuals” have preferred to skip the obvious, literal meaning of Scripture in pursuit of the hidden. Alcorn dubbed this approach of all things figurative as “Christoplatonism,” and it’s a scourge that sadly pervades evangelicalism. He writes: “We shouldn’t base our hermeneutic of Heaven on the assumptions of Philo and Origen. We should base our understanding on the testimony of Jesus and the apostle John.” (463)
One of the key reasons we’re so drawn to this traditional and incorrect interpretation of a totally spiritual Heaven is that we’re programmed to think that all physical pleasure is essentially evil. We are, after all, still locked in these sin-cursed bodies where lust turns to sin and sin turns to death (James 1:15). But go back to the beginning where God created the perfect, physical world with all its inherent pleasure of environment, food, sex, etc. When sin entered, it did nothing but destroy the perfection that God the only Creator created. Christ Jesus defeated sin with his death and resurrection, and He promises us a resurrection too that will restore that perfect order physically as well as spiritually in the new Heaven and Earth.
Since I can’t reprint the essay entirely, here are a few great lines that share the thrust of his view, and hopefully these will make you go and buy the book yourself:
“The earth is not some second-rate location from which we must be delivered. Rather, it was hand-made by God for us. Earth, not some incorporeal state, is God’s choice as mankind’s original and ultimate dwelling place.” (459)
“The promise of Heaven isn’t the absence of body; rather it’s the attainment of a new and sinless body and spirit.” (460)
“If I could snap my fingers and eliminate a false assumption that keeps us from accurately understanding Scripture’s revelation about Heaven, it would be the heretical notion that the physical realm is an obstacle to God’s plan rather than a central part of it.” (465)
“The christoplatonic view of the eternal Heaven is an insult to Christ’s redemption and his resurrection. Christ did not die to give disembodied people a refuge in the spirit realm. He didn’t rise to offer us a mere symbol of new spiritual life. On the contrary, he died to restore us to the fulness of our humanity—spirit and body.” (466)
The Rest of the Book
Heaven is so rich that I won’t attempt my normal review of its major tenets. I can say, though, that the book always invigorates me to ponder what glorious things God has awaiting his children. A “return to Eden” is just the beginning. The rest of eternity is spent learning more about God, His creation, and the glories He initially intended for us.
Favorites portions include his lengthy dissection of Revelation 6:9-11, where he reads the passage literally and then draws out 21 observations about Heaven. He remarks at the end:
I’ve made these observations on the present Heaven based on only three verses. Unless there is some reason to believe that the realities of this passage apply only to one group of martyrs and to no one else in Heaven—and I see no such indication—then we should assume that what is true of them is also true of our loved ones already there, and will be true of us when we die. (65-67)
Another favorite portions is his discussion of work, how we inhabitants of Heaven will be busy, working with our hands, using our creativity, deepening our knowledge, and exploring new horizons simply because this is how God has designed it.
The world as it was, and the world as it will be, is exceedingly good. The world as it is now, inhabited by humanity as we are now, is twisted. But this is a temporary condition, with an eternal remedy: Christ’s redemptive work. Paul says that Christ “gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age” (Galatians 1:4). Not all worlds and all ages are evil, but only this world in this present age. When Jesus calls Satan “the prince of this world” (John 14:30; 16:11) and Paul calls Satan “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), it’s a relative and temporary designation. God is still God over the universe, still sovereign over Earth and over Satan. But the devil is the usurper who has tried to steal Earth’s throne from man, God’s delegated king of the earth. In his time, God will take back the throne, as the God-man Jesus Christ, at last restoring and raising Earth. Paul encourages us not to become engrossed in the world as it is because “this world in its present form is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:31). God will not bring an end to the earth—rather, he will bring to an end this temporary rebellion. He will transform Earth into a realm of unsurpassed magnificence, for his glory and for our good. (271)
Conclusion
There’s so much more to discuss with this fascinating tome, but I believe it’s a book best ingested for yourself. I don’t think I’d say this for any other book, but start with Appendices and then go back to the beginning. While the Q&A section about the wonders of Heaven might be the most appealing, beware that some of his answers won’t fit until you understand his reasoning from the rest of the books.
I learned a great deal from this book, and it’s one I return to fairly often. If you’re looking for a thick yet invigorating study that will help you gain a godly, eternal perspective, this book is definitely it.
©2025 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)