the pearly gates
humorous noun phrase

- the imaginary entrance to heaven (inspired by the Bible's description of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:21: The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate being made from a single pearl)

Cambridge Dictionary

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A priest and a taxi driver both died and went to heaven. St. Peter was waiting for them at the pearly gates.

"Come with me," said St. Peter to the taxi driver.

The taxi driver did as he was told and followed St. Peter to a mansion. It had everything you could imagine from a bowling alley to an Olympic size pool.

"Wow, thank you," said the taxi driver.

Next, St. Peter led the priest to a rugged old shack with a bunk bed and a little old television set.

"Wait, there's been a misunderstanding," said the priest, "I should be the one who gets the mansion. After all I was a priest, went to church every day, and preached God's word."

"Yes, that's true. But when you preached, people slept. When the taxi driver drove, everyone prayed."

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SYNONYMS for heaven

the afterlife, Elysium, eternity, the great unknown, the hereafter, nirvana, paradise, promised land, Shangri-la, Zion

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Practice OWAD in a conversation:

"Bob was a good old soul. He'll fast track through THE PEARLY GATES, considering all the charity work he did."