Before you skip over this verse, let’s look at three things most people don’t know about it.

As a child, I had a vague idea of heaven being clouds through which God sometimes poked his head to see whether people were being good or bad. Paintings, comic strips, and movies added winged angels and a white gate with someone stern looking down to see if the dead were good enough to enter. And I read Huckleberry Finn’s portrayal of heaven as boring and filled with prudes who do nothing but play harps for eternity.

What a delight it was when I first started reading the Bible’s descriptions of heaven. They were robust, alive, and action-filled. Heaven had gemstones, strange creatures, fruit trees, and a river. There were giant warrior angels who shone like stars. Heaven seemed glorious.

Here, then, are 10 of my favorite Scriptures about heaven that can give us a glimpse of the glories to come.

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