| What Will Heaven Be Like?
What do you think heaven will be like? When people wonder about heaven they usually think in terms of what the living conditions might be or what the environment is going to look like. A lot of people have a mental picture of heaven that looks much like Oz, or Disneyland, or a cloudy world of winged, harp-strumming creatures. Although the book of Revelation gives some insight to what heaven will look like, the real issue is not the environment. Although streets of gold might seem exciting now, they will pale in comparison to the glory of God!
What makes heaven is not the carpeting or the wallpaper, it is Who we will be with and what we will become. People sometimes wonder what they will do in heaven. It seems that some folks are worried that heaven will be boring. Many people think heaven is going to be like an eternal retirement village.
In Heaven We Will Be Thoroughly Joyful
The day is coming when you will be a thoroughly joyful person down to the marrow of your bones. “He 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.” (Revelation 21:4, NIV)
Paul says that the glory to come is so overwhelming that if we were to put it on a scale, the suffering of this present time would not even register. Let’s get personal. Think for a moment about your deepest hurt. Your worst loss. Your most difficult relationship. The place in your heart that is most breakable. The biblical hope is not that when you become a Christian you get a free pass from the sufferings of this present age. The biblical hope is that you can trust God today, right now. Take your broken heart to Him.
Continue to obey Him. Keep trusting Him day after day, because one day God Himself is going to look you in the eye and wipe away every tear. You will be a thoroughly joyful person for all of eternity.
In Heaven We Will Be Astoundingly Productive
If you remember the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis, then you know we have all been created in God’s image. In Paradise, before sin ever entered the world, human beings were called to be productive! We were made to work and be fruitful, to reign in cooperation with God over His creation. After the fall work became painful. But productive, life-giving, meaningful work has always been part of God’s vision for us! The need to contribute is central to who we are, and it will still be part of who we are in the new paradise of heaven. In fact, only in heaven will our gifts and abilities be fully actualized and our need to contribute fully expressed.
In Heaven We Will Be Morally Flawless
Human beings prefer darkness because of their sin. We can all understand about wanting to hide. There are things we do, and parts of who we are, that we prefer no one else would know. Sometimes we feel as if we are moving in slow motion in our struggle for growth, our battle to overcome. The day is coming when there will be no more darkness (Revelation 21:23). We will not need to hide; our character will be perfected. God will make everything new, and that includes you and me. There will be no need for a temple because God will fill every inch of heaven. We will be home with the Father at last. God wants to shine His light on every area of darkness in our lives. He does not want to wait until our life ends. He wants to let His light shine right now. |
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