This week marks Ascension Day, May 14![1. Photo by Timo Volz on Unsplash.] So let’s rise to that occasion and survey at least seven notions about that place to which Jesus ascended—Heaven. Is it true that Heaven is only “spiritual”? Or that we can’t know about Heaven is like, so it’s best we not think much about that unchanging, un-earthly or very-earthly dimension where “time shall be no more” and where basically good people go? We’ll do our best to bypass modern myth and search the only certain Source. Episode sponsors All that Glows by Lauren Smyth Realm Makers 2026 Conference & Expo Author Update from Novel Marketing The Talismiths: The Secret Saboteur by M. L. Hodder Mission update New at Lorehaven: weekly reviews, recent website upgrades Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild Concession stand Concession: Randy Alcorn just released a similar article last week. By intention, I didn’t read the article, or my own previous material. There’s a chance some of my myths (in no special order) overlap. I do credit Alcorn’s Heaven (2004) as a formative influence. Yet here I’ll attempt to base my reasons straight on Scripture. In the past I’ve rankled some folks with strange afterlife ideas. Yet in the last 20 years more people have “discovered” New Earth. 1. Heaven is only a “spiritual” place. This usually comes not from teaching, but memes and impressions. Some of us also recall the phrase “spiritual body” (1 Cor. 15:44). Since God is Spirit (John 4:24), isn’t this the same kind of spirit? Won’t this mean we’ll have no body, becoming intangible, ghostly? It’s true that God the Father is spirit, without a body. Yet not Jesus. All resurrection ideas are based on His physical/spiritual nature. Yes, Heaven today is for souls separated from bodies (2 Cor. 5). It won’t stay that way after the final resurrection Jesus promises. Paul in 1 Cor. 15 defines “spiritual body” as Spirit-powered body. And in 2 Cor. 5 he promises we will be “further clothed,” not naked. 2. It’s best not to think about Heaven. This too is not taught in Scripture, except from misquoted verses. 1 Cor. 2:9, “what no eye has seen…” doesn’t truly command this. Even if this were about Heaven, it never discourages imagination. But it isn’t anyway. It’s about “things God has revealed” (verse 10). Scripture’s images encourage, not suppress truthful imagination. I’m not sure why else God would inspire such fantastical imagery. With biblical foundation, it’s impossible to think “too much” on this. See also: nonsense about “being so heavenly minded…” Bad logic. Being biblically “heavenly minded” helps us love “earthly good.” We avoid that gnostic impulse the slogan was meant to counter. 3. “Time shall be no more” in Heaven. People really do assume this phrase comes from the Bible. It’s actually from the hymn “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder.” That’s a partial quote from Rev. 10:6 (KJV), warning that time is up. But the phrase got loose and reinforces vague, “spiritoid” images. Maybe we could say time runs different in today’s Heaven. Revelation describes events in sequence, as Heaven watches. It references waiting martyrs (Rev. 6:11) and “half an hour” (8:1). In either case, Scripture never implies time/matter has gone evil. A possible rule: we need special proof for “X won’t be in Heaven.” Unless the Bible says, don’t assume that thing won’t last forever. 4. Basically good people go to Heaven. We hear this all the time, in pop culture, funerals, our own doubts. A lot of time this myth isn’t specifically taught, only caught. But I did hear a Mormon apologist Jacob Hansen teaching this. In his view, basically only Hitler or “sons of perdition” go to Hell. This notion will result in doctrine and fiction with bad views of evil. Villains will become more “misunderstood” in reality and in stories. Scripture never teaches this. Hell is real. Not all go to Heaven. And if pagans saw Heaven correctly, they wouldn’t want to anyway. Imagine an eternity of worshiping King Jesus in everything we do. There can by definition be no perfect world apart from His reign. 5. Today’s Heaven looks like Earth. Some years ago, we saw many books about “heaven tourism.” One or two got discredited. One or two got made into movies. Sometimes adults wrote the tell-all. But one little boy glimpsed it(?). Whether or not they had visions, they do reinforce some myths. For example, one book spoke of Heaven in many earthly terms. On principle, I disagree—but not because earthliness is bad. Rather, it’s premature. Heaven hasn’t yet united with Earth (Rev. 21). Similarly, I hear Christians talking about believers now resurrected. But unless they have their bodies back, resurrection is still future! Heaven is fantastic now. Next comes the even better sequel. 6. We can’t know what Heaven is like. Even if God never promised New Earth, Heaven would be great. You get past death and suffering. You get to be with Jesus Christ. You get to reunite with believing family, saints, heroes, and angels. And even as you wait (accelerated time?) there are things to do! Angels in Heaven now worship God all the time. What an epic sight. You might get to witness a higher view of events playing on Earth. And I’m sure we begin getting answers to many of our questions. But also, see Revelation 6. Martyrs are still waiting for what’s next. In fact, they know about terrible things and want God’s vengeance. They get no “memory wipe,” only the start of greater perspective. 7. Heaven could never unite with Earth. Reckless words about Earth and bodies devalues God’s creation. See: “that’s just her shell” or “she’ll never see him on this Earth.” In fact, God promised she’ll get back that body and he’ll be back. Nothing in Scripture condemns our body or the material world. It doesn’t endorse myths like “the Earth gets forever destroyed.” In fact, 2 Peter 3 speaks in terms of fire that refines our planet. Isaiah 60, 65-66 and Rev. 21 promise a Heaven/Earth reunion. The word “new” doesn’t negate those nouns’ ordinary meanings. Heaven is where God dwells. Earth is where we would have dwelt. In this future God and Man all dwell together in one world (Rev. 21)! Com station Top question for listeners What do you long for most in Heaven or the future New Heavens? April wrote this for episode 303 about overseas tales: K-dramas may have romantic clichés just like anime or manga, but they handle them better than many Western media. It’s a slow build-up, less sexualized, and focuses on emotions, sacrifice, and getting to know the other person, rather than how quickly you can get two attractive people into bed or make them kiss. Western romance is more about lust these days and that’s because it has such a bad reputation as a genre, while the old-fashioned romance of classic books is still considered respectable literature. Next on Fantastical Truth This Thursday, some Christians will observe Ascension Day. That’s the lesser-known sequel to Easter Sunday, honoring the time when Jesus Christ returned to Heaven. His disciples recorded His famous last words, including His command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” How does this Great Commission affect our fantastical stories?
