'Heaven' in the Bible

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

And a voice from heaven said, "This is my one dear Son; in him I take great delight."

From that time Jesus began to preach this message: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.

In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.

I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place.

So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

But I say to you, do not take oaths at all -- not by heaven, because it is the throne of God,

so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

"Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.

So pray this way: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored,

may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of heaven -- only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,

As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near!'

"Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.

"I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it.

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be thrown down to Hades! For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to this day.

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children.

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

He replied, "You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not.

He presented them with another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field.

He gave them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all the dough had risen."

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish.

Then he said to them, "Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old."

Then he instructed the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.

Now when the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

And Jesus answered him, "You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven."

At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

and said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!

Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

"See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost.

"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.

Again, I tell you the truth, if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.

"For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.

For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth, and some who were made eunuchs by others, and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it."

But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

Where did John's baptism come from? From heaven or from people?" They discussed this among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?'

"The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

And call no one your 'father' on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

"But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.

And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.

"Immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

"But as for that day and hour no one knows it -- not even the angels in heaven -- except the Father alone.

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it.

Then Jesus came up and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

And a voice came from heaven: "You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight."

He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to his disciples to serve the people, and he divided the two fish among them all.

Then he looked up to heaven and said with a sigh, "Ephphatha" (that is, "Be opened").

Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, asking for a sign from heaven to test him.

As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, "You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your sins."

John's baptism -- was it from heaven or from people? Answer me."

They discussed with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?'

For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

Then he will send angels and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

"But as for that day or hour no one knows it -- neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son -- except the Father.

"I am," said Jesus, "and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven."

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord has made known to us."

and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight."

Rejoice in that day, and jump for joy, because your reward is great in heaven. For their ancestors did the same things to the prophets.

Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke them. He gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.

Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be thrown down to Hades!

So he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven."

On that same occasion Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.

Others, to test him, began asking for a sign from heaven.

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out -- a treasure in heaven that never decreases, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.

I will get up and go to my father and say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

Then his son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a letter in the law to become void.

but on the day Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!'

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."