With the progression of the cell phone, everyone is becoming a photographer. They are with us almost everywhere we go; therefore, we are capturing moments that would never have been possible 50 years ago. We make videos and photos that will not grow dim because they are captured digitally, rather than printed on paper. While these pictures are precious to us, they can’t compare to the pictures in our minds of what eternity will be like. Deep in everyone’s heart, we all know there must be more to life than this. God placed that desire in our hearts at creation. We were made to live forever. We have the scriptures to guide our thoughts of what eternity will be like, but one thing is for sure, as grand, and beautiful as our minds can fathom, the eternity for a Christian is so much more than we can ever imagine.
What are some pictures we can glean from scripture? Just before the crucifixion Jesus talked to His disciples and gave a small picture. He told them that in His Father’s house were many mansions. The word mansion means rooms. It implies that there will be plenty of room for all who believe and obey Him. We will have the universe at our disposal. How much more room do we need? Jesus left to prepare Heaven for us, and there is no need to worry it will be perfect.
John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
The greatest blessing about Heaven is who is there. God is there watching over us, and Jesus, the one who died so that we might have access to Heaven is there. Also, those who have died in the faith are there now.
Psalm 33:13 “The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation, he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.”
Acts 1:11 “Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
II Corinthians 5:8 “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
Heaven is described as Paradise in Luke 23:43. Jesus told the thief on the cross he would be with Him that day in Paradise. In Hebrews 11:10 we know it is built by God and in verse 16 it is a better country.
Hebrews 11:16 “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
We know from Matthew 17:1-9 we will be recognized. We will know each other as God knows us. When Jesus took Peter, James, and John upon the mountain where he would be transfigured, they saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus and they recognized them. They had died long before Peter was ever born, yet he recognized them.
In Heaven, there will be no more tears, no death, no sorrow, or pain. There will be nothing to cause us any grief, no disease, or people who hurt us. It will be like nothing we have ever experienced before. We will be able to worship without any distractions, sing with a glorious voice, and serve without exhaustion.
Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
The things we value here will be as trash compared to what we inherit when we get to Heaven. Revelation 21 gives us the best description of Heaven, and even at that, it will be better than we can imagine. The beauty surpasses anything this earth holds. The building materials are not as we have on earth. There will be jasper, sapphires, chalcedony, emeralds, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, amethyst, pearls, and if that wasn’t beauty the streets are of pure gold. Gold that is so pure it is as transparent as glass.
There will be no need for the sun or the moon, the Lamb, Jesus will be the light and there will be no night. There will be a pure river that is as clear as crystal and by that clear river of life, there will be a tree of life.
Revelation 22:1-2 “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manners of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
There will be no more temptation, the curse of sin will be gone. Hallelujah!
It is so hard for us to grasp the beauty, the goodness, the endlessness, and being in the presence of God. Everything we know has a beginning and an end. Everything we have seen has been tainted with the curse of sin. Here we get tired sometimes to the point of exhaustion, but there we will never tire. We will never be bored, and we will never fear anything.
Revelation 22:3 “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:”
While I will enjoy all this, my greatest joy will come when I see Jesus. I can’t wait to thank Him for all He has done for me. For years I have tried to think about what it will be like when I enter Heaven. In my mind the first thousand years or so I will be face-first on those streets of gold worshiping my Savior. I do not feel worthy to stand in His presence. I know there will be no more tears, so I’m very curious to see how I will handle the emotions that will fill my soul. You see, I cry when I think of all He’s done for me.
How about you, will you be there? Jesus is the only way to Heaven there are no alternate routes and no opportunities after death. If you have not surrendered your life to Him and repented of your sins now is the time.
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Well there may not be tears in heaven, but there are tears reading this today. Just makes me want to be in heaven where there is peace and joy and no hearts breaking.
To be with loved ones gone before, but we know there is much work to be done for the
Kingdom.
Amen! I’m so ready, but until then much work to be done