What Will It be Like in Heaven?
by Christopher Scott Wyatt
Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 15:50-57
In tonight's lesson, we take a look at Heaven, the final destination of the faithful. The place everyone in this room wants to go! Our eternal home, the very Kingdom of GOD!
To a Christian, Heaven must be as important as the Super Bowl is to a football player, the World Series is to a baseball player, or the Metropolitan Opera or Broadway is to a singer!
It is and must be the ultimate goal, the pinnacle, the climax, the dream of every faithful Christian to one day be in the very presence of God and to hear Him say those words: "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master" (Matthew 25:23).
Speaking of dreams and goals, it's important for a person to envision the final outcome of their dreams.
How often have you heard highly successful people say: "You have to have goals!" You have to see yourself winning that gold medal, being that distinguished MVP, winning that Grammy Award.
As a Christian, you must see yourself being escorted by angels into Paradise, and after Jesus' second coming, the Kingdom of Heaven! You need to see yourself being crowned by Jesus with that eternal crown of life! (James 1:12). Can you see it? Can you picture it in your mind?
Even more than that, it's a very healthy thing (spiritually speaking) to educate ourselves about all the information the Bible reveals regarding what Heaven will be like. You see the clearer the picture we have of this mysterious and marvelous place the more we'll yearn to be there and do whatever it takes to make our entrance and election sure! (II Peter 1:10).
So, What Will Heaven Be Like? Do We Really Know?
The answer to that question is some things yes, and some no. Part of the problem in discerning what exactly Heaven will be like is the fact that we're trying to understand a world that is completely spiritual from a completely physical world! The Apostle Paul alluded to this fact in I Corinthians 2:9, "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived- the things God has prepared for those who love Him." Now that sounds pretty mysterious, but in the very next verse (I Corinthians 2:10), Paul says, these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit (apostles, inspired teachers (I Cor. 12:8) and through mature and/or learned Christians (I Corinthians 2:6).
Now, in modern times, since the distribution of God's inspired Word in its entirety (the Bible), Anybody who thoroughly studies God's Word and practices His ways can be counted among the mature and knowledgeable (I Corinthians 2:6). thereby knowing quite a lot about Heaven from the New Testament, far more than those who lived under the Old Law.
So, with the help of the Scriptures (with the help of the Holy Spirit's interpreting the spiritual into the physical for us, which is what we get in the Bible. We definitely are given a good look at what we have to look forward to in Heaven, should we remain faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10).
For the next few moments, in an attempt to inspire you to walk a little, if not a lot, closer to God, I'd like to give you a glimpse of ...
What Heaven Will Be Like According to the Bible
What are the most common questions people ask about Heaven? How about: What will it be like there? What will it look like there?
Revelation 4:1-11 - We see that Heaven will be a place of "shock and awe!" I am certain that when we first behold its glory, like John, we too will be blown away! (A feast for the senses!)
Revelation 21:1-5 - We see a picture of us, at last, living with God in a place where the sorrowful aspects of past physical lives no longer exist. There will be no more pain, no more tears, no mourning the loss of loved ones because there is no more death. Some people might ask the question, "Well, won't I be sad in Heaven if I'm separated from friends and relatives who aren't there? According to Revelation 21:4, the answer is "no." Someone might also ask about marriage (Matthew 22:30).
Revelation 22:1-5 - Visually, from our heavenly eyes, we will behold a place of tremendous peace and tranquility, as we walk alongside both the river and the Tree of Life. It will be a place of meditation and ongoing worship. Always being in the presence of the One who made this possible. (Imagine your gratitude toward Jesus.)
Revelation 21:21-25 - From this passage of Scripture and the last, we gather that Heaven is a place of stunning beauty. Now I remind you that John is "in the spirit" (Revelation 4:2) as he is describing or comparing what he sees in the "spirit" to what is most similar to our earthly understanding. (Expound on gold.)
How about these questions: Will I be me in Heaven? And will I recognize other people for who they were on Earth?
Luke 9:28-34 - Peter, James and John recognized Moses (1400 B.C.) and Elijah (863 B.C.) here both of whom had been dead for hundreds of years prior to this moment.
How about this one:
Matthew 8: 11 - Jesus speaks here of godly people coming from both ends of the earth to Heaven one day and having the opportunity to sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all referred to by name. More than that, these three godly men are referenced again by Jesus in Matthew 22:31-32. So, yes, you will be you and you will recognize others for who they are even those you've never met before!
So, in considering everything we've talked about so far, does Heaven sound like a pretty cool place to live? I think there's only one more really important question left to answer and that is ....
How Do I Get There?
I Corinthians 15:57
John 14:6
What does that mean? (Expound: No atheists, no Jews, no Muslims, etc.)
Matthew 7:21-23
Revelation 22:18-19
(Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32)
What are these Scriptures teaching? (Expound: No fraudulent or false.) So in being warned by Matthew 7 and Revelation 22, what is the "will of the Father?" and not man so that we may do God's will and go to Heaven?
The plan of salvation is this:
- Hear (Romans 10: 17)
- Believe (John 8:24)
- Repent (Luke 13:3)
- Confess (Matthew 10:32)
- Be Baptized (Mark 16:16)
- Remain Faithful (Revelation 2:10)
Invitation
