"Heaven" is a misnomer. I talked about this in my "misconceptions of heaven" article, so I won't repeat myself. Just to summarize, when Jesus speaks about a future utopia, it is on earth, headed by the Messiah and it is a perfect kingdom. "Perfect" doesn't necessarily mean without any possible fault. However the following descriptions can be made about the kingdom:
The kingdom is ruled by a benevolent dictatorship.
The kingdom is made up of every current nation, ethnicity, language and creed.
The kingdom has one God who is honored alone as the Creator and Ruler of Heaven and Earth.
The kingdom is ruled by those who were once outcast and poor and rejected by this world.
The kingdom is filled with people who are resurrected into powerful, never sick, never dying bodies.
The kingdom is where all creation and humanity is at unity.
The kingdom is ruled by a government that is more interested in bringing peace than retaining power.
The kingdom's economy is based on plenty for all and giving to all, withholding nothing.
The kingdom always cares for the poor, providing their need.
The kingdom provides merciful justice to everyone.
The kingdom's citizens are the formerly poor, oppressed, heartbroken.
They are the merciful, the forgiving and the forgiven.
Every citizen of the kingdom wishes, with all their heart, to love and obey God and to love their neighbor as themselves.
If the kingdom of heaven is like this, it means that there are many who just don't belong. It isn't so much that certain people are punished by not coming in. Rather, it means that there are many kinds of people who just don't fit. They wouldn't feel comfortable there. And there are others who could take advantage of the system, in order to destroy it.
Murders cannot be allowed to remain in God's kingdom, for their violence would ruin the peace.
The greedy or hoarder cannot be in the kingdom because they would undermine the economy of sharing.
Those who abuse power cannot be in the kingdom because all citizens would be granted great power.
Those who oppress the poor cannot be in the kingdom, for they would undermine justice.
Those who are not merciful cannot be a citizen, for all the citizens are merciful.
Those who are prejudiced against another nation or race cannot be in the kingdom, for all nations and races must coexist peacefully there.
Those who destroy creation cannot be in the kingdom, for that would undermine the harmony.
Those who demand democracy or some other form of government cannot be in the kingdom because it is a dictatorship.
Those who do not forgive cannot be a citizen because every citizen is imperfect and forgiven.
Anyone who willingly, continuously rebels against God's will cannot enter into the kingdom, for that would undermine the peace which the law of the kingdom establishes.
This doesn't mean we have to be perfectly merciful, forgiving, obedient, loving all the time to enter into the kingdom. No one is perfect. But we have to show that we are willing to rely on the Spirit to be these things.
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