Universal Church of the Kingdom of God
The Wesleyan Church
Affirms

Eternal life; bodily resurrection; new creation; fellowship with redeemed

The Church of God (Anderson) affirms that heaven is the eternal home of the redeemed, where believers will dwell in the presence of God forever. Heaven is not merely a spiritual state but involves the bodily resurrection of believers and the creation of a new heaven and new earth where God dwells with humanity. The resurrection is not a spiritualization of the body but a genuine, physical resurrection of the same person in glorified form.

Heaven is the fulfillment of God's redemptive purpose: the restoration of all things, the reconciliation of all creation to God, and the establishment of God's kingdom in visible, tangible form. Believers in heaven will enjoy eternal fellowship with God and with one another, freed from pain, suffering, and death. The vision of heaven presented in Scripture (particularly in Revelation 21-22) inspires hope and encourages believers to persevere in faith. Heaven represents God's triumph over evil and the ultimate victory of redemptive love.

Key Distinctions

Heaven nature:
heaven involves restoration of creation; not merely escape from earth
Bodily resurrection:
affirmed; genuine resurrection of body; transformation not spiritualization

Scripture References

Sources

  • Church of God (Anderson) Article VIII — Heaven and Eternal Life
  • Daniel S. Warner, Sermons on the Hereafter
  • Church of God (Anderson) Statement on Resurrection and Eternal State