Any believer may draw near to the throne of God by means of prayer. But besides this avenue, there are very few of us that have been given a chance to see into the heavenly realm. Here are a few:

Moses. I don’t know that Moses ever got a glimpse of heaven as John and Paul did, but he certainly did hear God’s voice a number of times while Israel was in the wilderness. In Exodus 33 we have the account that Moses pitched his tent outside the camp (it was called “the tent of meeting”), and there in that tent the LORD would speak with him just as a man speaks to his friend (v. 11). This I would say is the best glimpse of heaven one could have. To speak verbally with God! But Moses wanted more than to hear God. He wanted to see Him—to see His glory (see verses 18 to 23). Moses was not permitted to see His face, but God did let him see His glory and His back. Here is the account (from Exodus 33:18 to 23):

Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” 19 And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” 20 But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” 21 Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; 22 and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 “Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

Now the question we have to ask is why was Moses permitted this special contact with God and so many others have not? I think we have the answer in verse seventeen. God said to Moses, “…You have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.”

And so, it is a matter of getting to know God. Moses took time to know Him. He sought Him out. He met Him regularly in his own tent, and so God let him see His glory. And just as God agreed to show Moses some of His glory, He wants each of us to see Him too.

Elisha and his servant. During the time thatthe king of Aram was at war with Israel (2 Kings 6:8-23), it happened one morning that Elisha’s servant saw many troops and horses and chariots circling around them. And being very afraid he reported this to Elisha. But Elisha said,

Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Ki. 6:16-17).

In this very real story we see that God, in answer to Elisha’s prayer, opened up the windows of heaven so that they saw God’s heavenly armies.

We can’t help but wonder how many heavenly angels are around us to help us, and how close to us they are. I think this heavenly, unseen world is very near to us—all around us. Heaven indeed may be a different dimension, here, right with us.

Ezekiel. It happened that when the prophet Ezekiel began his priestly ministry (at age thirty), he was by the river Chebor among the exiles. And God opened the heavens to him, and he saw visions of God (Ezek. 33:1). We don’t know exactly what Ezekiel saw; but it seems that he saw God in some form, and he also saw four living beings, probably Cherubim, each having four different faces, four wings and four wheels full of eyes (Ezek. 33:5-21). I won’t begin to guess at how much of what he saw was literal or how much was symbolic. Certainly, we know that angels looks different from us; but I also think that what he saw was symbolic, showing us the great power, speed, and agility of these creatures to carry out God’s will.

Stephen. Stephen was one of seven men who were chosen to be in charge of serving tables for the daily meals so that the disciples could be free to devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:1-4).

And it happened during that time that certain Jewish leaders and scribes rose up and argued with Stephen over what he was doing and saying; for he was “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” And he was performing great wonders and miracles among the people (v. 8).

And when the Jewish leaders pressed him and challenged him, he rose to the challenge, and (in Acts 7:1-53) he gave a brilliant defense of the Christian faith and also condemned them for rejecting Jesus.

And when they heard what Stephen said to them, verse 54 tells us, “they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.” They had murder in their eyes! And here at this time and place is where heaven was opened up to Stephen. Verses fifty-five and fifty-six tells us,

But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

And they drove Stephen out of the city and stoned him. And in his last breath he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” And he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!”

So here, we don’t see much of heaven, only the glory of God and Jesus standing at His right hand. But it is my guess that this small vision is vital for our understanding of what we ought to know regarding how God and His Son see us and care about us. It is the central theme of what we should know now about heaven; that God and His Son are waiting for us, and they see us in all our troubles and suffering. And just as they did indeed welcomed Stephen into glory, they are waiting to welcome us.

John. Johnthe apostle was the author of the fourth gospel, three epistles, and Revelation. It was the book of Revelation where John gets a glimpse of heaven—more of a glimpse then others. In chapters four, five, and seven we get a vision of the heavenly throne room; and in chapters 21 and 22 we get a wonderful vision of the new heaven and the new earth, and also of the new Jerusalem. Since we will view the things of chapter 21 and 22 later on in this book, I think for now we will just look at what John saw of the heavenly throne room in Revelation 4:1-11.

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. 3 And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.

5 Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; 6 and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 7 The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,

“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”

9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

You may notice that John saw much of what Ezekiel saw—particularly the four living creatures. But here are added the twenty-four elders, which of course represent the church, and came later. I think there is some symbolism found in the costly stones and the appearance of things, which denote God’s greatness and sovereignty; but I also think that much of the scene is real—that it is a real throne room in heaven of which we will one day see and experience.

Paul. The apostle Paul had very little to say about his experience in heaven. He didn’t even say clearly or directly that he was the one who went there. But it seems clear that he was the one. He said,

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago — whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows — such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man — whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows —  4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. (2 Cor. 12:2-4).

So here is Paul’s description of heaven: it was the “third heaven;” it was “paradise,” and he heard “inexpressible words.” So, I would say that he was quite positive that he went to heaven; but he didn’t know how he got there. He said that he was “caught up.”

I wonder if John or Ezekiel had this same experience of being “caught up? I also wonder if Paul saw some of the same things that they saw. He said that he was in “paradise,” so I take it that he did experience something beautiful. And in particular he heard “inexpressible words.” I wonder if God actually spoke to him. If so, he had something in common with Moses. All in all, with all these who got a glimpse of heaven and of God’s glory we are greatly encouraged and we look forward to heaven.