I have for a couple months now been writing a book on heaven. And I have been intending to blog on it as I go along. Well, I think I am ready to start. The first few posts will be on a general view or description of heaven in its present form—and I suppose what it has been like for eternity past. This first post, as the title indicates, describes heaven as the place where God dwells.

Certainly, God is everywhere since He is omnipresent. As David declares in Psalm 139:7-10,

Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the dawn,

If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand will lead me,

And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

Then, I’m sure you have heard that there are three levels of heaven: the atmospheric heaven—the sky around the earth; the second heaven, the planetary heaven, or we could call it the universe; and, the third heaven, which is a place that is boundless and eternal—like God Himself. The other two heavens will pass away, but this heaven is eternal and will never change.

So, in these three heavens God is present. But in the third heaven His presence is unique. It is a special presence of His dwelling. I like what John MacArthur said about it.

[The third heaven] is uniquely His home, His center of operations, His command post. It is the place where His throne resides. And it is where the most perfect worship of Him occurs. It is in that sense that we say heaven is His dwelling-place.[1]

But why else is this place unique? Why is it uniquely His home? Well, it fits Him. It is boundless, infinite and eternal like Him. And it is a holy place—where there is no sin or corruption found. It is not allowed. And it is a place where also His holy angels dwell, and all the saints who have died in the Lord.

Here are some Old Testament verses that back up our claim that the third heaven is God’s dwelling place.

Deuteronomy 26:15

‘Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the ground which You have given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers.’

2 Chronicles 30:27

Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.

Isaiah 57:15

For thus says the high and exalted One

Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,

“I dwell on a high and holy place…

We should also look at some New Testament passages. Altogether, the term “Father in heaven” is used in Matthew’s gospel seven times. And this certainly indicates His home or dwelling place.

 I especially like the passage in John 14:2-3.

John 14:2-3

In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

Here Jesus refers to heaven as His Father’s house. I’m not sure if He is meaning that all of heaven is His house, or just the New Jerusalem—the capitol city of heaven referred to in Revelation. I think both are meant. We also see here that Jesus is welcoming all believers to come and dwell with Him in His house. And He will actually prepare for us our own room, or dwelling place. Hence, we will dwell in our own place inside of His dwelling place of heaven. Yes, He will give us our own private place, but we will also share in His dwelling place—or all of heaven together with the saints and the angels.

[1] John MacArthur, The Glory of Heaven (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1996), p. 56.