The Bible's Meaning of Heaven, Who is Chosen to go There, and Why

In the Bible, the use of the word heaven can refer to everything from the ground up. What we today call the atmosphere is encompassed in the word heaven because all winged animals, such as birds or butterflies are called "fowls of the heavens." (Job 35:11) Also, Revelation 19:17 uses the words "fowls that fly in the midst of heaven." 

Everything outside the earth's atmosphere, outer space, is referred to as heaven, which would include the realm of the moon, the sun, the galaxies, and the physical universe, Deuteronomy 4:19 says, "And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven..." The place where the angels reside is referred to as heaven. Mark 13:32 states, "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." The place where God personally resides is also referred to as heaven. 

Understanding the Bible’s use of the word heaven helps us understand various accounts in Scripture, such as the case of Elijah. The story of Elijah has often been misrepresented by religious leaders to justify the belief that all good people go to the heaven where God and the angels reside. Elijah did not ascend to the heaven where God and the angels reside. He ascended into the heaven the Bible refers to as the earth’s atmosphere—the same heaven in which the birds fly.

If the heaven Elijah ascended to be the place where God resides, then Jesus would have contradicted himself when he said, “Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but the one who descended from heaven, the Son of man.” — John 3:13. The chariot that carried Elijah simply transported him to another location on earth for a new assignment.

Jesus’s statement, “no man has ascended into heaven,” would include everyone before and after the event of his own ascension to heaven forty days after his resurrection, when he appeared before God. Hebrews 9:24 states, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

Even good people such as Noah, Elijah, Moses, Abraham, Ruth, Job, Lazarus, and others did not go to heaven. What does the Bible say happened to these individuals? “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5–6)

Concerning Lazarus, Jesus said: “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.” (John 11:11–14) As in Lazarus’s case, Jesus demonstrated that he has the power to give life back to those who have died. This is called the resurrection. These faithful individuals will be resurrected into a better world after Jesus’s Kingdom takes full control of the earth.

The Bible is very clear on the matter of who goes to the heaven where God resides, and it teaches that they go there for a specific purpose. To illustrate: why do Americans vote? They vote for individuals of their choice to be sent to Washington to govern the United States. Likewise, God chooses a select group of individuals of extraordinary faith to be part of Jesus Christ’s Kingdom administration, which will rule over the earth.

Jesus’ words to his apostles give insight into this when he said to them, “And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Jesus’ apostles are part of this select group of humans that will total 144,000. These are the only humans who go to heaven.