On Earth as It Is in Heaven (Revelation 21) Sunday School Lesson: What Is Heaven Like? Lord’s Prayer Part 4

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Heavenly Joys Collage craft on pink paper with hope words, Christian stickers and the caption Heaven is a wonderful place - God has a home we can hope for

On Earth as It Is in Heaven — Sunday School Lesson on The Lord’s Prayer: Part Four. As Christians, we live in the hope of the Resurrection. One day, we will be with Jesus in Heaven, and that hope gives us inspiration in the middle of hard times. This lesson looks at what the Bible actually says about Heaven in Revelation 21, and helps kids understand what we are asking when we pray that God’s kingdom would come “on earth as it is in heaven.” It pairs with our Our Ultimate Hope children’s sermon and our No More Tears Box and Heavenly Joys Collage crafts — and if you’d like the whole prayer in a print-and-teach format, start with the free sample lesson from Prayer Power Lab.

This lesson is the fourth in a series on The Lord’s Prayer, examining the prayer line by line to understand what it means for us and how it helps us have a blueprint for prayer. This lesson focuses on Heaven — not something that we can achieve in this life, but a home that awaits us and a place we can look forward to, without sorrow or pain.

Passage: Revelation 21:1-27; 1 Corinthians 2:9

Target Audience: Kindergarten-6th grade

Materials Needed: Tissues, lamps, glow sticks, balloons, brochures, Bibles.

Lesson Opening: What Is Heaven Like?

This lesson focuses on Heaven, as a place that we look forward to living one day, and a place where God is revered and worshiped for His lordship. Open with some activities related to hope or Heavenly celebrations.

  • Tears No More: Provide students with tissues, and talk about things that might make them feel sad or hurt (this can be a heavy topic, and that’s okay!). Talk about how the Bible promises that God will wipe our tears away someday. We won’t need tissues in Heaven!
  • Heavenly Light: We need light in darkness. Turn out all of the lights in a room, and provide a very small amount of illumination, like a lamp, flashlight, or glow stick. Tell students that in the new Heaven, we won’t need light, because Jesus will be our light.
  • City of Gold: Heaven is described as a place of golden streets. Regardless of how literal this might be, it can be fun to create, in a sense. Provide shiny gold tablecloths as runways for students to walk over. Give kids gold balloons, and have them bounce them in the air in celebration of a Heavenly future. Play music in the background, if you’re able to. This might be a fun activity to do after the tissues and sadness, to highlight the joy of Heaven.
  • A Hopeful Place: Discuss favorite places with children. Talk about spots they like to go to, and how the anticipation of going somewhere special can provide hope in hard times. Heaven is a place that we hope for, and where we will one day be with Jesus!
  • Heavenly Hymns: For older students, look at hymns and songs that reflect on Heaven. A few examples include “I am But a Stranger Here,” “In the Sweet By and By,” “I’ll Fly Away,” “I am Bound for the Promised Land,” and “I Can Only Imagine” (to name just a few!). Talk about how the songs speak of Heavenly hope, and how we can have and share that hope as people who love Jesus.

Explain that this lesson is focused on part of a special prayer that Jesus taught His disciples (and us!). In the Bible, we are given a sort of prayer blueprint. We don’t have to say the exact words of the Lord’s Prayer every single time we talk to God, but it helps us get an idea of how we can pray. The Lord’s Prayer calls us to pray that God’s kingdom would come on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Ask: What do you think Heaven might be like?

Bible Lesson: A New Heaven and a New Earth (Revelation 21)

Examine what the Bible says about Heaven in Revelation. Depending on audience age, you can discuss how this refers to a “new heaven” that God will provide at the very end of time. The descriptions given, however, can provide a glimpse of the beauty that awaits us in Heaven. Students should be able to take turns reading verses, or you can read aloud for younger audiences.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” -Revelation 21:1-4

What a comforting passage! God will dwell with us. Of course, we know that His presence is with us now, too, but in Heaven, we will see Him face to face and be with Him truly. And He will wipe away our tears. There won’t be any sadness, or death, or pain. All of those hard things will be gone!

Ask: When was the last time you cried or felt really sad? What or who comforted you?

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” -Revelation 21:5-8

God is making all things new. He is the author, beginning, and end of all things. Nothing is bigger or stronger or more powerful than our Lord! In Heaven, He will provide for us and give living water. We can count on this. In this life, we will have pain and trouble, but God is preparing something much better.

Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. -Revelation 21:9-21

This part can be a little cumbersome, but it’s interesting how much detail is given about the beauty of the city. There will be gold, jewels, and walls and streets made of precious gems! Invite students to look at pictures of gems, or have them touch fake ones (or real, if you have them). Place shiny gold tablecloths in a four-square pattern around the room to imagine streets of gold.

Ask: What is the richest, fanciest place you’ve ever been to? Heaven is way better than that!

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. -Revelation 21:22-27

The city described doesn’t need lights or churches…why? Because THE light is there, shining brightly in all its glory. And Christ will be enough. God will be everywhere, so we won’t need to go to a church to pray or consider Him.

There’s a lot we don’t know about Heaven. This description gives some clues, but even they don’t tell us all of the details. But it’s an amazing place where all hardship will cease.

In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask that God’s Kingdom would come, “on Earth as it is in Heaven.” We certainly aren’t going to transform earth into Heaven. Earth is a broken place. But we want to communicate with others that God reigns, and help bring His kingdom to our lives now. We also want to give others the hope and joy we have in considering what awaits us. We can share that good news. Heaven is so great, we can’t even imagine how awesome it is! But maybe that’s part of the wonder…

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” -1 Corinthians 2:9

Review Questions

  • How can you share the hope of Heaven with someone around you?
  • How can we remind ourselves of the blessings to come in Heaven?
  • How can we recognize and honor God’s rule now?

Close with prayer, thanking God for preparing Heaven for us, and giving us that hope as believers.

The Lord’s Prayer Series for Kids

More Lord’s Prayer Resources

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