Heaven: Experiencing Eternal Hope, Peace, Purpose & Love
Jesus Christ gives us what no religion can: We triumph over death with glorified Resurrected bodies to live forever in the perfect & glorious Kingdom of God (2 Tim. 1:10; 2 Cor. 5:4-9). Ignorance & false teaching about Life after death robs us of the determination & courage to live for the glory of God & of a profound understanding of Christ’s Love.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS TO YOU WHEN YOU DIE?
There are really only 3 possibilities:
1. Nothing (extinction): Science & Scripture disprove this idea:
(Heb 9:27) “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (also Eccl. 11:9; 12:14; John 5:26-29; Act 17:31; Rom. 2:5)
illustration: Werner von Braun (1st Law of Thermodynamics)
2. Some form of reincarnation – you suffer countless cycles of horrible deaths & rebirth again as a sinner into this sinful world. This is Hopeless because according to the 2nd law of Thermodynamics the Universe eventually runs down to a “heat death.” Reincarnation denies the seriousness of sin; denies a final Judgment; & the need for a Savior!
3. The Plan of God Revealed in the Bible! (Eph. 1:9-12; Rev. 20-22)
You either go to Heaven or Hell. You don’t just cease to exist; and you don’t get a 2nd Chance after death. (Lk. 16:19-31; John 5:26-29)
Several sources give us Strong evidence for life after Death in Heaven or Hell. 1. God’s infallible Word reveals the reality of Heaven & Hell. 2. The Omniscient Christ confirmed the reality of Heaven & Hell. 3. Scientific documentation of NDE’s offers confirmation of life after death (2 Cor. 12:2-4 with Acts 14:19-20 & 2 Cor. 11:23-25). 4. Amazing evidence for life after Death is designed into Physical Creation by God to reveal Spiritual truths (Rom. 1:18-22; Job 12:7-8; Prov. 6:6). The reality of Resurrection from the dead is Clearly revealed in God’s Creation (I Cor. 15:35-49). Every seed has to die, be buried in the ground, before it can resurrect as a beautiful flower! “Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: & that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain” (1Cor. 15:36-37; John 12:24-25).
THE BIG QUESTION: (I Cor. 15:35)
“But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?” (I Cor. 15:35, 48-54; Phil. 3:21).
Illustration: Cecil B. DeMille observing a water beetle.
A DANGEROUS INEXCUSABLE IGNORANCE OF HEAVEN:
“Nearly every Christian I have spoken with thinks eternity is an unending church service. . . . We have an image of the never-ending sing-along in the sky, forever & ever. And our heart sinks…. That’s it? That’s the good news? And then we feel guilty that we are not more ‘spiritual.’” (John Eldredge, The Journey of Desire).
If we don’t believe the TRUTH of HEAVEN we will waste our life? (I Cor. 15:16-19, 32-33). Without ‘eternal Hope’ we will live for pleasure! “If the dead rise not, let us eat & drink; for tomorrow we die” (1Cor 15:32; read I Cor. 15:17-19). God’s Word tells us: “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not” (2Cor. 4:4; Acts 26:18-20). It’s never too late to turn our life around!
WE MUST CORRECT THE CORRUPTED CONCEPTS OF HEAVEN
“As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit” (1Cor 2:9-10). A God given vision of Heaven is glorious & life changing!
When Marco Polo, the famous world traveler (1254 – 1324 AD),
lay dying he was urged to recant the stories he had told about China & the Far East. He said: “I have not told half what I saw.” In a similar way, when it comes to the reality of Heaven we won’t fully grasp its glory until we are there! Our situation is like the Queen of Sheba when she visited Solomon’s Kingdom. She said: “It was a true report that I heard of thy acts & of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, & mine eyes had seen it: behold, the half was not told me” (I King 10:1-9). Our responsibility is to learn the truth of heaven: until we are more excited about going there than staying here! (Phil. 1:21-23).
WE WERE CREATED FOR A PERSON, A PLACE & A KINGDOM!
Jesus is the Person (Ps. 73:25-26) & Heaven is the place (Eph. 1:9-11).
They are inseparable (Mk. 10:9). You cannot get Heaven without Jesus & you can’t get Jesus without Heaven (John 14:1-6; Acts 4:12). Because Jesus is the “King of Kings” (I Tim. 6:15) you can’t separate Jesus from the “Kingdom” (Daniel 7:9-14, 18, 27; Rev. 5:9-10; 20:6; 22:5). The Kingdom of God has 2 parts: An Eternal Kingdom in Heaven & a future Messianic Kingdom on Earth. Jesus is King in both Kingdoms! (Rev. 20:6; Lk. 1:32-33; Rev. 5; 7:9-17). When you have a relationship with Jesus you have a part in each Kingdom (Eph. 1:10-11). We find it helpful to distinguish the 2 Parts as:
1. KINGDOM OF HEAVEN with Emphasis on God the Son as Messiah reigning on Earth (Ps. 2; 45; Phil. 2:9-10).
2. KINGDOM OF GOD with emphasis on God the Father as Creator reigning over the Universe from Heaven (Ps. 103:19; 11:4; Dan. 4:25; 34-35). Eventually the 2 become 1 United Kingdom (I Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 21:22-23; 22:1, 3). “Then cometh the end, when he {Christ} shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule & all authority & power.”
Jesus “Has made us unto our God kings & priests: & we shall reign on the earth” (Rev 5:10); As the Bride of a perfect King! Who loves us more than we can imagine; In a perfect Kingdom Of unimaginable glory! The Church is the Bride of the King & will be with Him, wherever He is, throughout all eternity! We reign with Jesus (Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21; Dan. 7:18,22,27; Lk. 22:29-30). As Christ’s Bride we will be with Jesus on both His Earthly & Heavenly Throne: & in both the Earthly Jerusalem (Micah 4:1-2) & the Heavenly Jerusalem (Gal. 4:26; Rev. 21:10; Heb. 12:22-24).
4 HEAVENS MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE
1. The atmospheric Heaven: The home of the birds & clouds (Gen. 1:26; Deut. 11:11; 28:12; Ps. 8:8; 18:11; Prov. 23:5; Dan. 4:12).
2. Outer space, the Universe: Sun, moon & stars (Gen. 1:15; 15:5; Deut. 17:3; Job 9:9; 38:31; Ps. 19:1; Jer. 33:22; Matt. 24:29).
3. The 3rd Heaven (Paradise); the current Home of God (2Cor.12:2; I Kings 8:27, 30; Deut.10:14; Ps. 115:16; Isa. 14:13-14; Dan. 2:28). Jesus Christ is seated Here on the right hand of God (Acts 5:31; Mk. 16:19; Eph. 1:20-23; Heb. 1:2-4; 10:12; 1Pet. 3:22). We get a special body to live in that special place! (2 Cor. 5:1-5). This is where all Christians go when they die. But it’s not our final Heavenly destination revealed in Revelation 21 & 22. The 3rd Heaven is a believer’s temporary Home between Christ’s Resurrection & the beginning of the 1000 yr. Millennium. For the 1000 years of the Millennium we reign with Christ in His Kingdom of Heaven on Earth (Rev. 20:4-6; 5:10). At the Beginning of the Millennium we move into our Eternal Home, the Heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2, 9-27; 22:1-5) from which we commute.
4. “The New Heavens” (& Earth): becomes our glorious eternal Home at the end of the Millennium (Isa. 65:17; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev 21:1). With the Heavenly Jerusalem as its Capitol God’s Eternal Kingdom will expand throughout eternity to fill the Universe! (Isa. 9:6-7; Eph. 1:9-11).
Now when a Believer in Jesus Christ dies, they go directly to the 3rd Heaven to be with the LORD. Where Jesus is there is Heaven (John 14:3; 17:24; Acts 7:55-56, 59; 2 Cor. 5:6-9; Phil. 1:21-23; I Thess. 4:13-14, 17; 5:10; Rev. 7:14-17; Ps. 16:10-11; 17:15; 73:24).
5 Stages of the inexpressible Glory awaiting us in the 3rd Heaven
1. Now when a Believer dies they have the greatest experience a human being can have: they go directly into the presence of the LORD Jesus Christ in the 3rd Heaven.
2. Every Believer must appear before “The Judgment Seat of Christ” to receive their rewards (2 Cor. 5:10-11; I Cor. 3:13-15; Rev. 19:8). We receive our Crowns to serve God as ‘kings’ (Rev. 1:6; 5:10 KJV).
3. Before the “Great Tribulation” starts, Jesus “Raptures” His Church [His Bride] from the Earth! At that time every believer will be re-united with their resurrected eternally glorified body (I Cor. 15:51-58; I Thess. 4:13-18; John 14:1-3). All the “Raptured” Believers will then appear before “The Judgment Seat of Christ” to receive their rewards.
4. After all the Bride has appeared before the Judgment Seat of Christ we experience the Greatest 7 yr. Wedding ceremony in the History of the Universe! (Rev. 19:9; Ps. 45; John 3:29; Eph. 5:25-32). We join in the greatest Worship extravaganza in History! It begins as a solo (Rev 1:5-6);
Expands to a quartet (Rev. 4:8); Expands to the 24 Elders (Rev. 4:10-11);
Expands again to “thousands & thousands of angels” (Rev. 5:11-12); and finally Expands to “every creature in heaven, on the earth, and under the earth” (Rev. 5:13; Phil. 2:10-11; Eph. 1:9-11)! Will you be there?
5. At the End of the “Great Tribulation” we return with Jesus to Win The Greatest Military Battle in History (Rev. 19:11-21). “I saw heaven opened, & behold a white horse; & he that sat upon him was called Faithful & True, & in righteousness he doth judge & make war. [in order to end all war – Isa. 2:1-4] (13). He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: & his name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white & clean. (I Cor. 6:2-3). (15) And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations.”
When Jesus defeats the armies of the world He Sets up His Kingdom & we Move into our Eternal Home; The Heavenly Jerusalem! Just as Jesus told us in John 14:2-3. Read it and Rejoice!
MEANWHILE REJOICE IN YOUR GLORIOUS FUTURE IN CHRIST
(Ps. 16:11) “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
(Rev 21:4) “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away”
LESSONS WE MUST NOT MISS!
God is moral. He requires moral behavior from all of us! (read Rom. 2)
God judges everyone according to His universal moral Law (Rom 2:14-5)
Our behavior has consequences lasting to eternity. Heaven gives meaning to our lives. It tells us the moral choices we make day by day have eternal significance (read I Cor. 6:9-11). Live in light of Eternity!