You may have heard or even used the phrase “heaven on earth” when attempting to describe something wonderful. A perfect cinnamon roll (or hamburger), a beautiful day at our favorite vacation spot, or maybe even an extremely comfortable piece of furniture, may cause us to employ this phrase in an attempt to describe our experience.
Heaven will indeed be a wonderful place, yet far more wonderful than anything on this earth. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes to the early church about the resurrection of those who have “fallen asleep…in the Lord.” While he describes the transformation from our physical bodies to our spiritual bodies, he provides an interesting detail concerning heaven’s location. In verse 47, while comparing Adam, the first man from whom we have physical life and Christ, from whom we have spiritual life, he writes, “The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.”
Adam and Christ came from two different places. Paul tells us that Adam is “from the earth,” and we remember that God formed him of the “dust from the ground” (Genesis 2:7). Christ, on the other hand, “is from heaven.” This passage tells us that heaven is not on the earth, it is a place that exists now, and it is a spiritual place where we will go to be with Christ for eternity.
As enjoyable as cinnamon rolls, hamburgers, and vacations might be, heaven is far better.
Matt Langfield