"If I'm not excited about where I'm going, I'm not going to take anybody with me."
Most Christians believe in heaven. Far fewer are genuinely excited about it — and according to author and speaker Steve Hemphill, that's exactly how the enemy wants it.
In a recent episode of The UPside Conversations with Marion MacKenzie, Hemphill — author of seven books and a sought-after speaker on heaven, angels, and spiritual warfare — opened up about the biblical truths that completely transformed his understanding of eternity.What started as a grief-driven search after his father's sudden death became a decade-long, Scripture-rooted journey that has brought hope and clarity to audiences around the world.
Heaven Is a Real,Tangible Place
One of the most common misconceptions about heaven is that it's a vague, spiritual" somewhere" where disembodied souls float in eternal fog. Hemphill dismantles that image quickly with Scripture. The Bible describes resurrection bodies as tangible — not flesh and blood, but real. Jesus himself proved it when he appeared to the disciples after the resurrection, walked through walls, asked for a piece of fish, and invited Thomas to touch his wounds. "Touch me," he said. "I'm not a ghost."
The New Jerusalem described in Revelation measures 1,400 miles square and 1,400 miles tall — with actual dimensions. "That alone is proof it's a place," Hemphill notes. "Because it has measurements."
Rewards, Mansions, and Divine Assignments
Hemphill challenges the idea that heaven is "socialistic" — that everyone gets the same cookie-cutter eternity. The Bible, he says, teaches something far more personal and motivating. Rewards are based on deeds done on earth — every act of faithfulness, every cup of cold water given in Christ's name, counts. Jesus said he is preparing a place for us — and that preparation is deeply personal.
And it won't be a permanent vacation. God created in six days and rested — not because he was tired, but because he wanted to enjoy what he made. Heaven will be a place of purposeful, joyful activity.
Why Getting ExcitedAbout Heaven Changes Everything
Perhaps the most powerful point of the conversation is this: an Olympic athlete trains every grueling day because they can picture standing on the podium with a gold medal. The gold medal for a Christian is heaven — and when we stop talking about it, we lose our motivation, our courage, and our desire to share our faith.
"If I'm not excited about where I'm going, I'm not going to take anybody with me," Hemphill says simply. "It kills the spirit of evangelism to not be excited about heaven."
He also shared a remarkable story of a young South Korean atheist who became a Christian after coming to the U.S. on a foreign exchange program. She quietly kept a list of questions about heaven in her Bible for years — and when she finally read Hemphill's book, every single question was answered, in the exact order she had written them. The chapter order? God woke him at 3 a.m. to dictate it.
A Word on Hell —Because Truth Matters
Hemphill doesn't shy away from the harder truths. The rich man in the parable of Lazarus was conscious, had a tongue, felt thirst, and had memories — immediately after death. Hell, he explains, is real isolation: no fellowship, no presence of God, just fear and the absence of everything that makes life good. "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," he says — and understanding the alternative should strengthen our resolve to share what we know."
Heaven Will Be So Fun and Exciting — You Don't Want to Miss It
Those are Steve Hemphill's closing words whenever he speaks — and after listening to this conversation, it's hard not to feel the same way. Reunions with loved ones. Crowns of authority. A capital city of staggering proportions. A God who is the light. No more death, no more mourning, no more pain.
This episode of The UPside Conversations is the kind of interview that recalibrates your perspective on everything — the hard days, the flat tires, the fears — and reminds you that you are heading somewhere magnificent.
