Having written about the ‘H’ word (hell) in our last posting, I thought it would be good to share some thoughts about the other ‘H’ word; heaven. We've all heard the stories about fluffy clouds and harps, about the pearly gates and flowing robes. Let's be honest, sometimes heaven is nothing more than a distant place; it may not even seem real or if it is real, it’s sometimes hard to get excited about it.
Part of the reason this is true is because we really don't understand what the Bible says about this subject matter. And in a real sense, even the glimpses given to us in the Bible are inadequate, for the Biblical writers are trying to describe an experience that is not able to be adequately expressed with the tools through which we communicate, words / word images. Nonetheless, from the snap shots of heaven given to us in the Word of God, we have a sense that heaven is going to be wonderful.
In part what makes heaven so wonderful is not so much the kind of place it will be but rather who we will be come. Revelation 21:9: One of the seven angels…came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." Who is the bride? It’s the church; it’s you and me. This angel says to John, I’m going to show you a future picture of the church. The text goes on to use the image of a city to describe the kind of people, the kind of community we will become.
In heaven there will be a deep and abiding sense of community / kinship; togetherness and unity like we have never known before. We will experience fully the kind of relatedness that we all long for but can only experience imperfectly in this world.
In heaven we will know fullness of joy. He (God) 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. In heaven there will be no more sadness, no more pain, no more sorrow; no more rejection, separation, injustice or abuse; no regrets, no misgivings; no more death or dying, no more memorial services; and never having to say ‘good-bye’! What’s left is the fullness of joy that God intended for us from the very beginning.
In heaven we are going to experience the complete redemption of that which was lost in the fall. Jesus said in the parable of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:21: His master replied, well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. God, in addition to saying to you, well done and inviting you into His joy, is going to invite you into your ultimate assignment.
Jesus talked about this in His word to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:21: To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne. In other words, you' are going to reign with me and to partner with me in the work of the Father. Part of the blessing of heaven is the realization of the full potential of our humanity. When the master returns, then we will know, in the words of Dallas Willard: Fullness of function...and the unending creativity involved in a cosmos wide, cooperative pursuit of a created order...that continuously approaches but never reaches the limitless goodness and greatness of the triune personality of God.
We can talk about cities and walls and rivers and robes, but the best part of heaven is that God will be there! Revelation 21:3, Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. In heaven, we will be at home with the Father! You will be a thoroughly joyful, amazingly productive, morally flawless, completely satisfied person who dwells in / rests in the very presence of God. That’s our future, that’s our destiny in Christ.
The best is yet to come, so whatever you do, don’t miss heaven!
One day, when we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. 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 14:1-3)
Part of the reason this is true is because we really don't understand what the Bible says about this subject matter. And in a real sense, even the glimpses given to us in the Bible are inadequate, for the Biblical writers are trying to describe an experience that is not able to be adequately expressed with the tools through which we communicate, words / word images. Nonetheless, from the snap shots of heaven given to us in the Word of God, we have a sense that heaven is going to be wonderful.
In part what makes heaven so wonderful is not so much the kind of place it will be but rather who we will be come. Revelation 21:9: One of the seven angels…came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." Who is the bride? It’s the church; it’s you and me. This angel says to John, I’m going to show you a future picture of the church. The text goes on to use the image of a city to describe the kind of people, the kind of community we will become.
In heaven there will be a deep and abiding sense of community / kinship; togetherness and unity like we have never known before. We will experience fully the kind of relatedness that we all long for but can only experience imperfectly in this world.
In heaven we will know fullness of joy. He (God) 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. In heaven there will be no more sadness, no more pain, no more sorrow; no more rejection, separation, injustice or abuse; no regrets, no misgivings; no more death or dying, no more memorial services; and never having to say ‘good-bye’! What’s left is the fullness of joy that God intended for us from the very beginning.
In heaven we are going to experience the complete redemption of that which was lost in the fall. Jesus said in the parable of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:21: His master replied, well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. God, in addition to saying to you, well done and inviting you into His joy, is going to invite you into your ultimate assignment.
Jesus talked about this in His word to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:21: To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne. In other words, you' are going to reign with me and to partner with me in the work of the Father. Part of the blessing of heaven is the realization of the full potential of our humanity. When the master returns, then we will know, in the words of Dallas Willard: Fullness of function...and the unending creativity involved in a cosmos wide, cooperative pursuit of a created order...that continuously approaches but never reaches the limitless goodness and greatness of the triune personality of God.
We can talk about cities and walls and rivers and robes, but the best part of heaven is that God will be there! Revelation 21:3, Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. In heaven, we will be at home with the Father! You will be a thoroughly joyful, amazingly productive, morally flawless, completely satisfied person who dwells in / rests in the very presence of God. That’s our future, that’s our destiny in Christ.
The best is yet to come, so whatever you do, don’t miss heaven!
One day, when we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. 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 14:1-3)
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