The movie Heaven is for Real (@heavenisforreal) is the latest Hollywood production to incorporate biblical truth into theatrical entertainment, joining recently released movies Son of God (@SonofGodMovie), Noah (@NoahMovie) (see our blogpost Considering “Noah”: What Makes a Good (or Accurate) Bible Film?), God’s Not Dead (@GodsNotDeadFilm), and the 35th anniversary edition of Jesus Film (@JESUSfilm) on Blu-ray and DVD (watch online).

The movie’s companion book is Heaven is for Real: Movie Edition by Todd Burpo (W Publishing, 2014).

Heaven Is for Real is the true story of Colton Burpo, the four-year-old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who, during emergency surgery, slips from consciousness and enters heaven. After surviving the surgery, he describes being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. Colton also shares that he met his sister who miscarried, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born. Colton then shares impossible-to-know details about each person he met. Told by his father Todd, but often in Colton’s own words, the disarmingly simple message is that heaven is a real place, and Jesus really loves children. Heaven Is for Real will forever change the way you think of eternity, offering the chance to see, and believe, like a child.

This special movie edition includes 8 pages of color photographs from the Burpo family and behind-the-scenes photos from the film production. For more resources, see the Heaven is for Real section in the Bible Gateway Store. Ministry resources based on the movie are also available.

Here are portions of Scripture that speak of the reality of heaven:

John 14:1-3: Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

John 3:13: No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.

Luke 23:42-43: Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Revelation 21:1-4: Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 22:1-5: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.