| LESSON 15 | JANUARY 3, 2026 TEBETH 14, 5786 |
Eight-year-old James attended the funeral of his grandmother. It was a beautiful service. Family and friends spoke well of his grandmother. During the service, James heard many of his grandmother’s friends say that she was in heaven looking down on them. Some of his family talked to his grandmother, as if she could hear them. James loved his grandmother, and he wondered if what he heard about her looking down from heaven was true. That night when it was quiet, James sat with his mother. He asked her, “Is grandma in heaven? And if she is, can she hear and see us?” These are excellent questions. Go grab my Bible and let’s see what the Bible says.”
Revelation 21:1-2 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
There are three definitions of heaven (shâmayim Strong’s H8064) in the Bible. Heaven means the sky (the atomospheric space above the earth), the firmament (Visible arch of the sky), and the abode or dwelling place of God and the heavenly host. Many ministry leaders rightly teach that heaven is wher God resides. Some in ministry believe and openly expound that heaven is also a place where the dead are with Jesus looking down on loved ones. Today, falsehoods and tales about heaven permeate the fabric of our society. Without proper teaching and studing of God's word, it is extremely difficult to deciperh what is true, false, or misunderstood. Is it true that our deceased loved ones are in heaven? Can they see, hear, or communicate with us? If they are not in heaven, are they going to heaven? This lesson aims to inform us on what the Bible syas about death and heaven. We hope this lesson will generate more questions and cause you to search the scriptures for answers.
Heavens’ residents. — Isaiah 6:1-7; 66:1; Daniel 2:27-28; Matthew 6:9-10; Luke 2:12-15; John 3:13; Revelation 7:1-2
State of the dead. — Psalm 115:17, 146:4; Ecclesiastes 9:5-6
The resurrection and judgement. — Daniel 12-2-3; John 5:26-29; 11:20-25; 1 Corinthians 15:50-52; Revelation 20:12-15
The new heaven and the new earth. — Isaiah 11:6-9; 66:22; II Peter 3:10-13, Revelation 21:1-27
What we believe about heaven can be heavily influenced by what we have heard, what we have seen, or what we have imagined. Why is it important to search the Bible to determine if what we have heard, see, or imagined is true?
Author: Evangelist Sophia Eaves