He has prepared a place, in his fathers house so I am thinking this has to be heaven
Maybe...
But could it be a city 1400 miles by 1400 miles, by 1400 miles? Lots of room in that city. (It isn't heaven).
Now, while I'm Ok, with us being there for a "little while". I don't think that's permanent.
Revelation 21:1–3"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold,
the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."
This is the clearest and most direct — the New Jerusalem
comes down, and God's tabernacle is
with men. Not men going up, but God coming down.
Revelation 21:10"And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God."
Reinforces the downward direction explicitly —
descending.
Revelation 21:22–23"And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."
God and the Lamb
are the temple — they are present within the city itself.
Zechariah 2:10–11 (Old Testament preview)"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee..."
A clear prophecy of God dwelling
among His people on earth — quoted and fulfilled in Revelation 21.
Ezekiel 37:27"My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
Another OT promise directly echoed in Revelation 21:3, confirming continuity of the promise across both testaments.
The consistent picture is a
downward movement — heaven coming to earth, not earth ascending to heaven. The eternal state isn't souls floating in a disembodied spiritual realm, but God literally tabernacling with redeemed humanity on a renewed creation.
So the question isn't whether we will be with Jesus forever, but rather where will Jesus be forever.
It isn't heaven.
Revelation 21:24"And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour
into it."
Revelation 21:26-27"And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter
into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."
Revelation 22:3-5"And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of
the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."
Revelation 22:14"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and
may enter in through the gates into the city."