06.17. Everybody Want to Go to Heaven

Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven Revelation 21:1-5

When we think of the place where our loved ones dwell with Christ we call it heaven. When we picture the abode of God we call it heaven. In the Scriptures heaven is referred to as, "Abraham’s bosom," "The Father’s house," and many other names. The Jews, prior to the Christian era, believed there were 7 heavens. This however was without scriptural basis. Christ said in John 14:2 "I go to prepare a place for you." We know heaven is more than a state of mind. It is in fact a literal place where at least two men, transformed by God, went without dying, Enoch and Elijah. Heaven is the hope of all who have faith in Christ. It is spoken of more in scripture than hell. So what about this place? Where is it? What is it? Who will be there? How do we go? The scripture teaches us that at the moment of death the saint of God goes to be with God. 2 Corinthians 5:8 "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." Today we will be concerned with the eternal heaven that will be our final home in heaven.

I- Three Heavens:

    Scripture teaches there are three heavens. They are logically as we look around.

    A- First Heaven- The abode of the birds and clouds. Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air…"

    B- Second Heaven- The home of the moon, sun and stars. Psalms 19:1-14 :"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."

    C- Third Heaven- The home of God. Matthew 6:9 " After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."

The only way to reach the third heaven is by the new birth. John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." In eternity creation will consist of a new earth and a new heaven, know as New Jerusalem. Hebrews 11:10, Hebrews 11:13 teaches us that this is the city that Abraham looked for who’s builder and maker was not man. Hebrews 11:10; Hebrews 11:13 " For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. …¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Revelation 21:2 is the prophecy of heaven. It will be fulfilled in the future. Revelation 21:2 "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

II- Some Facts about the New Jerusalem:

A- Shape- Revelation 21:16 teaches us that is four square. This could either be a cube or a pyramid. Revelation 21:16 "And the city lieth foursquare…" NASB says "The city is laid out as a square," B- Size- The size of the city if also given in Revelation 21:16 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 the breadth and the height of it are equal."

    Revelation 21:16 (HCSB) "The city is laid out in a square; its length and width are the same. He measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal."

It is 1400 miles long, high and wide. This is from New York City to Denver, Col. From Canada to Florida. How big is this? The earth has 180,000,000 (180 Million) square miles of surface now. If this city is a cube 1400 Square miles X 1400 square miles it would have 2,700,000,000 (2 Billion, 700 Million) square miles. This is 15 times the surface of both the land and sea of earth now. We might ask how many people could live in this heavenly city. There has been some 40,000,000,000 (40 billion) who have lived since Adam. Density studies of city populations tell us every one of these 40 billion could live on the first floor of the new city. Still we know that all who have lived are not going to be in this city. So the next subject is who will inhabit this city. C- The Inhabitants- This city will be populated with a very diverse population. In the Revelation the inhabitants are said to be redeemed from, "Every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.." Revelation 5:9 . Every believer who professes and processes Christ will be in this city. This is the place Christ promised He was going to prepare. John 14:3 "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." This is the dwelling place of the bride of Christ, the church. New Jerusalem has been called the wedding ring for His bride. Revelation 21:9-11 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. ¹⁰ And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, ¹¹ Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;" The Old Testament saints will also dwell in this place for eternity. Saved Israel will be here. 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." The holy and elect angels will be there Hebrews 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, Heaven will also be the abode of the Trinity throughout all eternity. Our text said that God, meaning the Father, would wipe away all tears. The Son will be there as well. Throughout the Revelation He is mentioned as being in heaven. In Revelation 5:6 He is pictured as the Lamb slain. He is also the Judge that will judge the nations. The Holy Spirit will be present with us throughout eternity also. He is eternal and will not cease to exist just as He never came into being but has always been. D- The tree of life. Revelation 22:1-3 "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. ² In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 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:" One of the things that reappears in the city is the tree of life. You will recall Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden before they could eat of this tree and live forever. This tree of life disappeared while the curse remains upon the earth. When Christ has removed the curse and made all things new this tree reappears. E- The light of the city. Revelation 21:23 " 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 22:5 " And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."

One of the greatest things men fear is darkness. Darkness has come to be associated with the evil works of a fallen race. John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." There will be no night in this city according to Revelation 21:25 " And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there." The light of the city will be the glory of God. Heaven will be one long endless day.

III- While Eternity Roles:

Who has not wondered what eternity will be like? What will our new body be like? What will we do in this endless day? First lets discuss or new body. A- Our Eternal Body: The Apostle Paul gives us some insight in the letter to the Corinthian church. 1 Corinthians 15:42-49 "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: ⁴³It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: ⁴⁴It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. ⁴⁵And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. ⁴⁶Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." In Luke’s gospel we see our new body will be a body of flesh and bone. Luke 24:39-40 "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. ⁴⁰And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet." It is now know as flesh and blood but flesh and blood will not enter the kingdom of heaven. According to scripture the life we now know is in the blood but our new life will be a life of flesh and bone with the life being in the Spirit. Regardless of our speculation on things we find in the scriptures that our new body will be like the glorified body of Christ. Php 3:21 "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Christ ate in His glorified body. Luke 24:41-43 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? ⁴²And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. ⁴³And he took it, and did eat before them. He was also not subject to the laws of gravity and time. Luke 24:31; Luke 24:36 " And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. ³⁶And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." We will be given a body that is eternal and not temporary like these now. 2 Corinthians 5:1 "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Many have wondered will we know our loved ones. I feel that Luke 16:23 "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." teaches in eternity we will have memory of our loved ones. 1 Corinthians 13:12 "For 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." This seems to imply we will know each other in a far superior way than we do now. B- Our Day In Heaven. Heaven is going to be a place of singing Revelation 15:3 "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." It will be a place of fellowship will other saints. Heaven is also going to be a place of service Revelation 7:15 "Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them." 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." It will also be a place of learning and knowledge. 1 Corinthians 13:9-10 "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."

IV- The Lamb’s Book of Life:

We have already stated that only born again believers will be in heaven. Allow me to revisit this subject as we look at the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21:27 "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life." makes it plain that Heaven is by reservation only, no walk-ins or crashing this party. We must have our names on the role to enter. As early as the writings of Moses (Exodus 32:33 ) man was aware that God had a book that contained the names of His faithful. The prophet Daniel made mention of it in Daniel 12:1 also. Christ told His disciples not to rejoice over the spirits being subject to them but to "Rejoice, because your name are written in heaven." Luke 10:20 . According to Revelation 3:5 the names written in this book get there by overcoming. Revelation 3:5 "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." Now notice 1 John 5:4-5 says, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God." So we see that it is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that our names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life. The most important question is now, is your name written there?