Foundations of Faith
WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE? (I)
1. Are you sure you are going to heaven? The Bible says that you can have that assurance:“These things have I written unto you who believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life [who] believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13; see also Apr97, May97, Feb98, Aug02).
2. How do you expect to reach heaven? Those who have placed their trust for eternal salvation in the blood-atoning work of Christ on the cross will go to heaven either by death or by the rapture—the coming of Christ for His people (see Apr02).
3. Are you looking forward to going to heaven? Do your thoughts agree with those of the apostle Paul about it:“To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain…. I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better” (Phil. 1:21,23).
4. Would you be happy if the Lord came today? “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout…. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:16-18).
5. Is there anything you would very much like to do or complete or accomplish before you finish this present life? A familiar hymn addresses this question:“Have I a hope, however dear, Which would defer Thy coming, Lord, Which would detain my spirit here (Where naught can lasting joy afford)? From it, my Saviour, set me free, To look and long and wait for Thee” (G.W. Frazer).
6. Most people think that heaven will be nicer than hell. But do you think that heaven will be more enjoyable than your present life on earth? Is it your desire to eke out all the pleasure you can from this present life before you have to leave it and go to heaven? Can you identify with Moses of old? “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt:for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward” (Heb. 11:24-26).
Let us allow these questions to challenge our hearts as we prepare to consider the next question:What is heaven like?
Upon a first reading of the Bible, it may seem that very little information is given about heaven. But as we become familiar with all of Scripture, we begin to find little nuggets about what heaven is like in a number of different places in the Bible.
In three Psalms with prophecies of the sufferings of Christ, we find the resurrected Christ singing and praising God. “In the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee” (Psa. 22:22, 25; Heb. 2:12). “He has put a new song in My mouth, even praise unto our God” (Psa. 40:3). “O God, set Me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving” (Psa. 69:30).
The curtain of heaven is rolled back briefly in Revelation 5 and we find the saved ones (represented by the 24 elders) singing “a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof:for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (verses 8,9; see also 14:3 and 15:3).
“The foundations of the wall of the [heavenly] city were garnished with all manner of precious stones,” representing many different colors (Rev. 21:19,20). “The tree of life … bore twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month” (22:2).
“They shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD:for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD” (Jer. 31:34). “Now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Cor. 13:12). We will be with our all-knowing Creator and Saviour throughout eternity. There we will be able to learn everything there is to know about the created Universe, and there we will undoubtedly learn much more about the Man Christ Jesus, especially His love and grace and sufferings for us. However, there may still be knowledge about the Trinity that is beyond man’s comprehension (1 Tim. 6:15,16).
“They who … have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb … are … before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple” (Rev. 7:15). “The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him” (22:3). One aspect of this service is that “the saints shall judge the world” (during the 1,000-year reign of Christ) and “we shall judge angels” (1 Cor. 6:2,3).
It is well to notice here that, contrary to the thought of worshipers of leisure time, work is not a curse of God upon man. God gave Adam work to do in the garden (Gen. 2:15,19, 20). As a result of sin, work became more difficult and complicated (Gen. 3:17-19), and thus, no doubt, less enjoyable and fulfilling. But in heaven, where sin will not be found, enjoyable work will again abound.
There are hints of such activity in several passages (1 Cor. 3:22; Rev. 4:10,11; 21:7). (See Assignment 14)
“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…. There shall be no night there” (Rev. 21:4,25).
CONGRATULATIONS!
Four of our readers completed all 28 (16 regular plus 12 review) assignments for 2001:Nkechi Peace Chiedu (Nigeria; perfect score for the year), Drew Johnson (Pennsylvania), John Hope (Virginia), and Lori Spielman (Pennsylvania). Also, during the past year the following have completed the assignments for previous years:Clement Aninga (Kenya, 1993), Joseph Amusuk (Nigeria, 1996, 1997), Nkechi Peace Chiedu (Nigeria, 2000).
Running the Race
Assignment 14: Write out at least two verses in Ephesians 1 that suggest that the heavenly company might have the entire created universe to enjoy.