54 - THE ETERNAL HOME OF THE SAVED

For he loomed for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11:10

INTRODUCTION

Most people in this world, even those who deny the existence of hell, talk about the existence of some form of paradise after death. The spiritual sung over a hundred years ago cried, "Everybody talkin’ bout heaven ain’t goin’ there." One of the first references in Scripture to heaven noted Abraham "looked for a city." Just as a family moving into a new home will want to know every detail about the house, the neighborhood, area churches, schools, bus lines, and shopping centers, so we should want to know about our future home. Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2). This chapter describes what it will be like and how we will live in it.

Someone observed that the older we become and the closer we get try moving into heaven, the more we are concerned with knowing every detail about our eternal home. For this reason, older Christians are often more concerned about the biblical doctrine of heaven than younger Christians. Actually, ever-one who has received Christ as personal Savior has become a child of God (John 1:12) and now possesses eternal life (John 5:24). Everyone who is saved will go to heaven). But in the final analysis, the destination is not as important 10 the fact that we will live with God. THE LOCATION OF HEAVEN The Bible seems to teach there are "three heavens," rout only one is the abode of God. The first heaven is the atmosphere. "Heaven" refers to the air and atmosphere that surrounds every human being and all created life upon earth. "Behold the fowls of the air: I’m, they sow not, neither do they reap" (Matthew 6:26). "And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain" (James 5:18). The second heaven is the stellar spaces. This is what we call outer space. "The stars shall fall from heaven" (Matthew 24:29) God described this space to Abraham, "Look now Inward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them" (Genesis 15:5). The third heaven is the dwelling place of God. No one knows the location of God’s throne and localized presence. All we can say is that heaven is where God is located. "And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them" (Revelation 20:9). "I will write upon him the name of my God... and the name of the city of my God, which is now Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God" (Revelation 3:12).

References to the three heavens. The fact that "Jesus passed through the heavens" (Hebrews 4:14) indicates there is more than one heaven. Also, Jesus "ascended up far above all heavens" (Ephesians 4:10) means one heaven is above another. Paul taught that there were three heavens. "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot Toll; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such it man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter" (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). The Bible teaches that all of these heavens shall pass away, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10). Then the Bible describes "a new heaven" because the "first heaven" was passed away (Revelation 21:1). THE DESCRIPTION OF HEAVEN The splendor and beauty of heaven far outshines anything the human mind can comprehend. It will be impossible to comprehend heaven until we arrive on location, but we do know that heaven is a huge and colorful city. The presence of God. The Bible tells us what is not in heaven to help us understand what is there. "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it" (Revelation 21:22). The temple was a symbol of the presence of God. Since the centralized presence of God is heaven, there is no need of a temple there. "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them" (Revelation 21:3). In the Old Testament, the glory cloud over the tabernacle was symbolic of the presence of the glory of God. In the future is the place of the glory of God, "Having the glory of God" (Revelation 21:11) and "the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof" (Revelation 21:23).

Heaven is eternal. Heaven is the place of those who have eternal life (Titus 1:2; Titus 3:7) and an eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15). Therefore, heaven is described as having no day or night. This is because it is eternal and there is no time which is measured by day and night sequences in heaven. Eternity is timeless: "No need of the sun, neither of the moon" (Revelation 21:25).

Heaven has no death. Since death means separation, there is no death in heaven because we will live forever with God and those who die in Christ. "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Revelation 20:14). “And there shall be no more curse" (Revelation 22:3). Sin, the reason why God originally cursed the earth, is gone, therefore death, fts result, is also gone.

Heaven has no tears. This means there will be no more sadness because, "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there by any pain; for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4).

Heaven is a place of memory. The question is often asked, "Will we know one another in heaven?" The answer is yes! David said that he would know his son. "While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" (2 Samuel 12:22-23). Moses and Elijah, who had been to heaven, were recognized by Peter, James, and John (Mark 9:4-5). Also, "[We] shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 8:11). They shall be recognized and known. The Thessalonians were concerned about Christians who had died. Paul answered, "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which 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" (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). Finally the Bible teaches, "I shall know even as also I am known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Heaven is the largest city ever built. When people think of a city, they usually conceive a city about the size where they live. Even cities like Tokyo, New York, London, Sao Paulo, have not begun to approach the size of the city of God. John writes, "And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth; and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and breadth and height of it are equal" (Revelation 21:16). This description of heaven suggests that it will be a gigantic cube, pyramid, or sphere. According to our present measurements, 12,000 furlongs would be equivalent to 1,500 miles or 2,400 kilometers. If placed in America, this city would reach from New York City to Denver, Colorado, and from the Canadian border to Florida. If the new Jerusalem takes the form of a sphere, it will be slightly larger than the moon which presently circles our globe.

Heaven will be beautiful and clean. From time to time, most every city council attempts to beautify their city. The most elaborate efforts of any city council would fail to rival the natural beauty of the city of God. Heaven will be constructed of things that are described as minerals, crystals, and metals of this present world. These colorful elements will form a cavalcade of beauty as the pure light of the Lamb shines through them. The city itself will be built of transparent gold (Revelation 21:18). It will be surrounded by a wall of jasper; it will be as beautiful as a crystal clear diamond, as bright as a transparent icicle in the sunshine (Revelation 21:18). The wall will rest upon twelve foundations inlaid with various precious stones. This city wall will stand some 216 feet high (Revelation 21:17) and include twelve gates, each made of simple white pearl (Revelation 21:21). The main street of the eternal city will be paved of pure transparent gold (Revelation 21:21). The central focus of heaven will not be the walls, streets, foundations or gates, but rather the Lamb and his throne. The throne was the first thing John saw in heaven (Revelation 4:2). He saw an emerald green rainbow surrounding the throne (Revelation 4:3). John also noted, "Before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne" (Revelation 4:6). The river and the tree of life. From the earliest pages of the Bible, two natural elements are described, which find their ultimate existence in heaven. Both the river (Genesis 2:10; Revelation 22:1) and the tree of life (Genesis 2:9; Revelation 22:2) were part of the original creation of God. They were placed in the original garden and now are in the paradise of God as constant symbolic reminders that God himself is the source of life. In the midst of the confusion and chaos of his circumstances, David received strength from the eternal presence of God: "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High" (Psalms 46:4). The tree of life, though it is not mentioned after the Fall of man until the final chapters of Scripture, is pictured holding a place of prominence and providing for the growth of the people by its fruit. "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bore twelve kinds of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:2). The word "healing" means "nurture or growth."

Some would argue that it is wrong to describe heaven in specific terms. They claim that these are only heavenly symbols to represent the idea that the presence of God is beautiful. While on the surface, this sounds logical, it is also a subtle undermining of the authority of God. God could have made heaven without streets of gold or he could have used other symbols to describe his home, but the fact is that God did not choose to do that. Since he has told us there would be streets of gold in heaven, why should we not expect it to be as he described it? If language is inadequate to describe heaven, why did not God create words that approximated heaven? Also, if God chose, he could have created us with an understanding that could have comprehended heaven. Of course, there are many things about heaven God has not told us. We may never know some things about heaven until we learn about them upon our arrival there. But what God has revealed in his Word is an adequate introduction to the city. Perhaps after we have lived several weeks, months, or years in heaven we will know our city better, much as is our experience when we move into a new city here. THE INHABITANTS OF HEAVEN

Heaven is more than the eternal home of the saved. Many others will forever live with us there. These include God and his angels and special creations. Both Jews and Gentiles will live in heaven in perfect harmony. Citizens of every linguistic group and race will live in heaven for eternity. It will be the ultimate international community.

Angels. John "heard the voice of many angels about the throne in heaven" (Revelation 5:11). These include several kinds of angels. The seraphim, a special kind of angel who deal with God’s altar, are present in heaven (Isaiah 6:1-7). Another special angelic group who deal with God’s throne, the cherubim, will also be there (Psalms 99:1). Both Gabriel (Revelation 22:8) and Michael (Revelation 12:7) live in heaven.

Elders. The Bible identifies twenty-four elders around the throne of God in heaven (Revelation 4:4). Much has been speculated concerning the identity of this group. One suggestion is that these men are twelve tribal leaders of Israel and the twelve apostles of Jesus. Another is that they represent the saved from both Jews and Gentiles.

Saved Israel. Hebrews 11:1-40 lists a number of individuals and groups who practiced faith in the Old Testament. "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" (Hebrews 11:16). These who have experienced saving faith have an eternal place in heaven.

Church. One of the first events after the rapture will be the marriage supper of the Lamb. This is when the church, the Bride of Christ, will be presented to her Groom, the Lord Jesus Christ. The new Jerusalem has been described as "the wedding ring of the church." The size of the church is innumerable. John writes, "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands" (Revelation 7:9). The triune God. Heaven is, of course, the eternal home of each member of the trinity of God. The Father sits upon a throne in heaven (Revelation 4:2-3). John saw Jesus standing in heaven (Revelation 5:6). Though not as prominent, the Holy Spirit also lives in heaven and is twice quoted in John’s account of his experience there (Revelation 14:13; Revelation 22:17). THE ACTIVITIES OF HEAVEN

Heaven is often thought of in terms of angels sitting on clouds with harps and singing in choirs. At best, this is a small part of heaven. Though described as the eternal rest of the believer, heaven will be a very active place. A life of fellowship. We will enjoy communion with the Lord Jesus Christ for all eternity. "They shall see his face" (Revelation 22:4). Christ predicts our future unity with him, "I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:3). A life of rest. One of the results of sin was the curse of toil and sweat in a life of work. When we arrive at heaven, we will continue to work, but the agony of labor will be gone. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours" (Revelation 14:13). A life of service. We will work in heaven, but rather than dread the thought of labor and suffer the physical pain from grueling drudgery, we will enjoy our work. The curse will be gone, "And his servants shall serve him" (Revelation 22:3). A life of growth. We will not "instantaneously" know everything when we arrive at heaven. We will spend a lifetime growing in knowledge and maturity. Christians will learn facts about God and his plan. They will grow in love. Also, they will learn how to serve him and grow in their ability to serve him. "The leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:2). A life of worship. Jesus said at the beginning of his ministry, "The Father seeketh such to worship him" (John 4:23). Since the Father wanted people to worship him while they were on earth, it will not change when they get to heaven. "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God" (Revelation 19:1).

WHAT TO DO IN HEAVEN

1. Learning                     1 Corinthians 13:9-13. Singing                     Revelation 15:3 3. Worship                     Revelation 5:9 4. Serving                     Revelation 22:3 5. Leading                     2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 22:5 6. Fellowship with others             Matthew 16:3 7. Eating                     Revelation 2:17

CONCLUSION

God has certainly prepared a very special place for each one who desires to spend eternity with him. The Bible tells us how we can know with certainty that we have eternal life and a place in heaven with God (John 5:24). Anyone who will trust Christ as personal Savior will be admitted into heaven. The new birth is the only prerequisite to gain admission (John 3:7). What a shame it would be to know all about heaven and never see it, simply because we put off getting saved. We should receive Christ as our personal Savior right now! That way, if we never meet here, we can spend some time together in heaven.

DAILY READINGS Monday: Revelation 21:1-13 Tuesday: Revelation 21:14-27 Wednesday: Revelation 22:1-15 Thursday: Matthew 13:1-23 Friday: Matthew 13:24-32 Saturday: Matthew 13:33-44 Sunday: Matthew 13:45-58