Paul explained death in these same terms: “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8; italics added). In writing to the Philippians about his own death, Paul wrote: “I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:23; italics added).

After going to great lengths to explain the details of the Rapture, this same apostle summarizes it all with these words: “We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17; italics added).

We can say a number of things about heaven, but the one that matters most is that Jesus is there, and that we will be with Him and with the Father. The great Puritan preacher Richard Baxter said it this way:

My Knowledge of that Life is small;

The Eye of Faith is dim:

But it’s enough that Christ knows all;

And I shall be with him.4

Speaking of heaven, maybe you have noticed that Christians do not talk much about heaven anymore. We used to preach about it and sing about it in our churches. In fact, when I speak each year at the National Quartet Convention, I often remind the attendees that the writers of Southern Gospel music are just about the only ones who still write songs about heaven.

Perhaps today we focus more on this present life because we’re self-indulgent and lack vision. Or perhaps we’re self-indulgent and lack vision because we don’t focus enough on heaven. There’s a reason the Scriptures instruct, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). Our citizenship is in heaven, and our hearts should yearn for our true homeland.

Some people don’t talk about heaven because they don’t like to think about death. Philosopher and theologian Dallas Willard tells the story of a woman who refused to talk about life beyond death because she didn’t want her children to be disappointed if it turned out no afterlife existed. As Willard points out, if no afterlife exists, no one will have any consciousness with which to feel disappointment! On the other hand, if there is an afterlife, whoever enters that life unprepared may experience far worse than mere disappointment.5