“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9.)
Later Christian tradition attributed the duty of greeting the souls of the faithful at the Gates of Heaven to Saint Peter.
You enter heaven by forgiveness and through the righteousness that Jesus gives you. You do not enter into heaven by the Christian life. It's always true that where faith is birthed, works will follow, but salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
Jesus appoints Peter as keeper of the keys to heaven; angels stand by.
The Bible does not say in any part that it is only the 144,000 that will go to heaven. The revelation to John supports Matthew 8:11, which says that many will come from every corner of the earth to sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The number 144,000 that were sealed or chosen are not pre-chosen.
Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (I Cor. 6:9-10).
Along with his many other titles (Savior, Teacher, Son of Man, Son of God), the Bible declares that Jesus is the world's true King.
There are five specific keys for maintaining open heavens. They are a call to right motivations, prayer, devotion to God, purity of heart, and a passion for God's kingdom.
There will be two judges -- God and Jesus. God is one (Romans 14:10), Jesus is the other (2 Corinthians 5:10), but God puts Jesus in charge of the judging (John 5:22, 27). Where will the judging occur? In the angelic heaven where angels live and God and Jesus sit on their thrones (Romans 3:21).
Sacred Scripture teaches that Enoch and Elijah were assumed into heaven while still alive and not experiencing physical death.
As in the Old Testament, in the New Testament God is described as the ruler of Heaven and Earth, but his power over the Earth is challenged by Satan.
Even so, God "sits" in the heavens, a reference to His throne (Isaiah 6:1), from which He rules heaven and earth.
Psalms 2:4 New King James Version (NKJV)
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
In the Book of Revelations (Revelation 21:12), there is reference to the twelve gates, each of which represents a different passageway to heaven. Additionally, in folklore and mythology, it is commonly believed that there exists twelve gates, or entrances, to the underworld.
In religious or mythological cosmology, the seven heavens refer to seven levels or divisions of the Heavens. The concept, also found in the ancient Mesopotamian religions, can be found in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; a similar concept is also found in some other religions such as Hinduism.
These seven steps are Silence, Hope, Suffering, Loss, Survival, Believe, and finally, Heaven. This process, however, is not as easy as it sounds.
And at the present time, the angels are greater than we are, because God made us "a little lower than the heavenly beings" (Psalm 8:5). But the Bible also says that in heaven we will be higher than the angels -- and the reason is because we will be like Christ.
The Son of Heaven refers to the emperor or monarch, the supreme ruler of an empire or dynasty. People in ancient times believed that a monarch ruled the world by Heaven's decree and with its mandate, hence he was called the Son of Heaven.
The Bible references God as “our Father” or “the Father” on numerous occasions in both the Old and New Testaments, including: Romans 8:16: The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Malachi 2:10: Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us?
God will give us new bodies in heaven -- bodies that will be similar to Christ's body after His resurrection. The Bible says that Christ, "by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21).
It is not something that exists eternally but rather part of creation. The first line of the Bible states that heaven is created along with the creation of the earth (Genesis 1). It is primarily God's dwelling place in the biblical tradition: a parallel realm where everything operates according to God's will.
In fact, the Bible indicates we will know each other more fully than we do now. The Apostle Paul declared, "Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12). It's true that our appearance will change, because God will give us new bodies, similar to Jesus' resurrection body.