What on Earth is Heaven?

by James Paul

What happens to us when we die? Will heaven be a place of fluffy clouds, angels and cherubs playing harps? Is the Christian faith just about securing a place in heaven when we die?

In What on Earth is Heaven? James Paul explores the radical truth of what the Bible says about heaven and the afterlife, and its relevance for your life here and now on earth.

Unpacking the biblical story of the separation and reunion of heaven and earth, he shows that heaven isn’t a place somewhere ‘out there’ but a dimension of reality – the dimension where God's will is done. The Good News isn't that we get to escape to heaven, but that God invites us to be a part of his plan to bring the kingdom of heaven to our square inch of the earth.

Insightful and accessible, What on Earth is Heaven? is a book for anyone wanting a deeper understanding of the Bible’s teaching on heaven, or anyone who has wondered about the true meaning of finding heaven on earth. Life-affirming and uplifting, this book will fire your imagination as to how you can be a part of bringing heaven to the world around you.

Genres: Theology, Religion

224 pages, Paperback

Published February 18, 2020

Reviews

[Josh Bucher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure to meet Jim while I was visiting L'Abri in England, and picked up his book there. Overall his book is helpful to clarify the Christian doctrines about heaven and to separate them from common cultural beliefs, many of which are incorrect and don't come from the scriptures. I appreciate Jim's honest questions and honest scriptural approach to heaven, and also the way he makes heaven a more engaging subject. After reading, I am more motivated to be an active part of building up heaven on earth on my square inch.

[Rick Lee Lee James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo! Finally A Proper Book On Heaven

It is difficult to find a good, theologically sound book on Heaven that is also accessible to layman but that is exactly what we have here. These reflections from a pastoral heart bring such hope and biblical understanding to so many misconceptions brought about from bad scripture readings about the afterlife. To truly understand Heaven, we must see the Kingdom of God as fulfilled on earth. I’m grateful for this good work and know I will use it again and again over the coming decades.

[Gavin Felgate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The concept of heaven is always a difficult subject. Author James Paul admits at the end that he often has trouble with the concept, and like me is often tempted to want to stay here on earth, fearing what might exist beyond this life.

I found this to be a comprehensive guide to the idea of Heaven, and the New Creation, whereby Jesus intends to bring about Heaven on Earth explaining in stages the purpose of Jesus.

There were a lot of good points, some of which I never thought of before. He seems to have a similar idea to me as to where exactly Heaven is (implying that it exists in some sort of parallel dimension). I noticed that the book also touches on the possible location where the Garden of Eden is/was, making reference to present-day rivers that are hinted at in the Biblical text (his conclusion seems to place it somewhere in the Middle East).

There were a lot of concepts that I'd never thought of before. The Tabernacle that the Israelites carried during the Exodus was engraved with imagery from Eden, and the reason why Jesus wasn't resurrected for two days makes reference to the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday), when God rested.

One of the main points that Paul makes is the concept of "two ways to live", whereby God gives us a choice to trust in Jesus, or just trust in ourselves alone. It's a Christian model that I am familiar with, and the book explains it comprehensively.

Overall, I was glad to read this, and am looking forward to discussing it with friends.

[Laurence · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rare book that helped me think through and clarify my view on a topic rather than reaffirm something I already knew. The use of dimensions as an analogy was really helpful in understanding the view of heaven presented. The work was practical, with a lot of application to day to day Christian living, much of it very liberating. There was a helpful emphasis on the Holy Spirit working in us, and our place in God's wider purposes, all of which were encouraging.
Occasionally I wanted more clarity about exactly how much of a discontinuity Jesus' return will be; of course it will clearly be a dramatic and cosmic event, but given that the author is clear that the Earth won't be destroyed as such, I am still a bit left wondering exactly how this will work, given that there will clearly be some big differences, and not everyone will be in the new heavens and earth. However, including this could well have necessitated a lot of speculation over a topic where the Lord may well be deliberately saying little.
(For full disclosure I know the author personally and have always valued his deeply thoughtful perspective on a variety of subjects of this nature; he has had no hand in this review).

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many years ago, Rob Bell's "Everything is Spiritual" lecture made me begin to question the pat answers I'd always been given about the spiritual realm. Henry Blackaby's "Experiencing God" convinced me to change how I talk about spiritual realities. The Bible Project's podcasts and videos about the Kingdom of Heaven made me get genuinely excited and changed how I understand and teach just what it's all about.
And now this book wrapped it up all of those things (and more, much more) and made it all less theology and more concrete. Don't get me wrong, I love theology, but this is a book that I can share — and that's only one of its many qualities.
This is the most refreshing book I've read on the subjects of heaven, the kingdom of God, and spiritual realities. It's the sort of book that you want to mark up — something I almost never do — and share whatever it is you've just read with someone else. It's motivational in the right sense: it's not a feel-good thing so much as a desire to genuinely do/see things differently because it suddenly feels possible.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was super helpful for me to read. I’ve heard (and believed) various smatterings of what is articulated in the book, but I’ve benefited enormously from the comprehensive beginning-to-end construction of argument that James Paul has put together. He was thorough, without being overly academic or belabouring the point and that’s a tough balance to strike. I really appreciated the honest admission that the author and many others don’t think heaven sounds overly appealing and I think the book was successful in helping me to long for heaven in a way that’s natural and real, instead of a forced spiritualised platitude. I’ll definitely be foisting this book on family and friends.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book opens with, "I was a Christian. I was going to heaven. The only problem was, I didn't want to go there...I loved this life. I loved the feeling of sun on my face, the taste of olives on my tongue, the comfort of a hug, the smell of freshly washed linen... Being a disembodied spirit living for ever in an amorphous, shapeless future just didn't have any appeal. Floating on clouds, singing praise and worship choruses for eternity just didn't attract me." Perhaps you've had some of the same thoughts. If so, James Paul gives a helpful explanation of what heaven is and what it isn't. Spend the time, it is worth reading.

[Duncan McDougall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful articulate, yet gentle and easy exploration of what is heaven and how it is enriching to our lives now.

[Philip Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid look at the subject. However, I think the book could have been more concise.

[Seth Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encouraging, with plenty of food for thought