Destiny – Heaven

Heaven is real – more real than you or I. God created it. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth Genesis 1:1

What is Heaven comparable to? It’s loftier than you can ever imagine! The Bible discloses that we have never grasped or heard anything so-so resplendent as heaven, and we can’t even dream, envision or conceive how wonderful it is!

Heaven will be filled with joy beyond our wildest dreams. The Bible does tell us a glimpse of its beauty. It doesn’t get any better than heaven! Heaven is marvellously stunning and indescribable!!!

The curse of sin will be totally removed. The moral sick condition in humanity has been healed. In heaven, we will have immortal bodies, free from all suffering and disease. Every difficulty we face is entirely absent!

Heaven is God’s home and He existed before His creation – this is the Heaven of heavens; the high and holy place of God. “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” Isaiah 57:17

Nothing could be more important than what happens to us when our lives on planet earth end. Where do the soul – the real person minus the shell or earthly body goes after death on earth – the first death?

God reveals that everyone will face judgement before His throne and our final destiny is either in heaven or hell.

In the New Testament (NKJV) alone, the word Heaven is mentioned 287 times.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8 “Before the mountains were born, or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:2

7 Wonders of Heaven! (‘Number 7’ just to illustrates a perfect number – more like infinite wonders of heaven)

1. The Wonder of Its Actuality and Entrance to it.

Not made with human hands.

Never wears out.

Inhabitants too vast to number.

A golden city-Streets of gold; walls of jasper, beautiful mansions – Revelation 21:18, “The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass,”  John 14:2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions..”

Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Freedom from the death penalty for sin – John 8:51 “Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” A place without sorrow or sadness, or death—only perpetual joy!

Actually the book of  Revelation emphasises more the size of the city than the individual residences in it…something on a scale that extends beyond anything we can imagine. The foundations are marked with jewels of untold value. Bible scholars are actually unsure of the identity of some of the precious stones mentioned. Civilizations have used different terms for such gems through the centuries. Single pearls form each of the twelve gates. The streets are paved with gold so pure that it is almost transparent. Crystal pure water flow through the city. Parts of the portrait sound like a garden or oasis. The descriptions intentionally evoke images of the Garden of Eden.

2. The Wonder of Its Atmosphere.

A place of unmatched, unparalleled and unsurpassed & all the superlatives you may think of beauty!  I Corinthians 2:9: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard; neither has the mid conceived, what God has prepared for those that love him.”

Perfect happiness and harmony.

“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,

And come to Zion with singing,

With everlasting joy on their heads.

They shall obtain joy and gladness,

And sorrow and sighing shall flee away” Isaiah 35:10

A place of purity and holiness! The bible says, “And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles.” It’s a place without sin, and therefore without sin’s consequences: evil, war, hatred, crime, disease, punishment, etc.

Perfect immortal bodies. “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:52

“who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” Phil 3:21

In heaven, we will all receive new bodies. The niggles, aches and pains will disappear. Illness, suffering, diseases and all maladies will end.  All of the disabilities and limitations of this decaying, aging, finite body will be gone. 1 Corinthians 15 declares “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body” (42-44).

Many wonderful surprises -1 Corinthians 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him,”

3. The Wonder of the God’s Throne. 

The central thing about heaven is the presence of God. Jesus said, “I will receive you unto me so that where I am there you may be also.”

John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

See God face to face- “They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. “ Revelation 22:4

Revelation 22:1-5 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Revelation 5:9-13

9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom,

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne,

And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

Pay attention to Revelation 21, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 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” (Rev. 21:3-4).

A bit later in the same chapter Jesus says, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23).

Before creation, Jesus (God’s Son) and Holy Spirit lived in Heaven with God

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. (John 1:1-2; 1 John 5:7-8)

Matthew 18:10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

The Bible always describes heaven in such personal terms. That’s what makes heaven – heaven. Not gold and jewels, but the very presence of the Heavenly Father himself. AND you will never comprehend HOW GREAT AND MIGHTY GOD is!! AND you live with HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. The Wonder of Heaven’s Welcome! 

Luke 15—joy in heaven

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents..” Luke 15:7

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

“Heaven is where the believer goes when he leaves this planet – it is home.

“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,  because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”

2 Corinthians 5:1-9

5. The Wonder of Who’s There – God’s Family

Imagine being reunited with departed loved ones! Heaven will be one grand reunion for the redeemed.

No more parting from loved ones & friends – see l Thessalonians 4:16,17  “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

Hebrews 3:1 “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus..”

John Newton said that when we get to heaven, there will be three wonders:

Who is there

Who is not there, and

The fact that I’m there!

6. The Wonder of Who’s Not There.

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 17:3 And this is eternal life,that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Revelation 3:8 “…all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life…”

This is God’s prerogative; not apt us to get all wound up about who’s not there; the Bible makes it clear-cut —not all and sundry will be there.

A man may go to heaven without fame, qualifications, etc, etc & ‘a thousand and one things’, BUT he can under no circumstances go to heaven without Christ.

Revelation 21:7-8 shows the fate of those not going to heaven: “Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

7. The Wonder that Many Who couldn’t Care Less & Don’t Prepare.

Whosoever will may come, free gift of salvation as the Costliest Price has been paid.

Choices you don’t get to make in life: To be born & To die.

Reservations offered & available now but NOT after you have passed away – from planet Earth!

“There is only one way for you to see heaven and Jesus Christ is the one and only access to it.” Acts 4:12 – Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Jesus, the Christ came down to Earth from Heaven.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:35-40

Jesus went back to Heaven when He rose from the dead

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Luke 24:50-53

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.

Acts 1:9-11

To enter eternity – The Choice you do get to make while alive: where you will spend eternity!!!

‘Summary’:

The Bible refers to three heavens. The apostle Paul was “caught up to the third heaven,” but he was prohibited from revealing what he experienced there. (2 Corinthians 12:1-9)

If a third heaven exists, there must also be two other heavens. The first is most regularly referred to in the Old Testament as the “sky” or the “firmament.” This is the heaven that contains clouds, the area that birds fly through.

The second heaven is interstellar/outer space, which is the dwelling of the stars, planets, and other celestial objects (Genesis 1:14-18).

The third heaven, the location of which is not revealed, is the abode of God. Jesus promised to prepare a place for true Christians in heaven (John 14:2). Whoever believes in Christ shall never perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Heaven is real, not just an illusory land.. we will never die, never get tired, never get our feelings hurt, never feel sad. We will “skip like a calf” be full of joy and happier than we will ever be.

There’s no place like home, they say. Well, if we belong to Jesus, this world is not our home. We’re just passing through, waiting to go to our true heavenly home. Heaven surpasses our ” fantasy home,” because it transcends what we may ever ever ever dream.

The apostle John was privileged to see and report on the heavenly city (Revelation 21:10-27). John witnessed that heaven (the new earth) possesses the “glory of God” (Revelation 21:11), the very presence of God. Because heaven has no night and the Lord Himself is the light, the sun and moon are no longer needed (Revelation 22:5).

There will be no more tears, no more pain, and no more sorrow (Revelation 21:4). There will be no more separation, because death will be conquered (Revelation 20:6). We will be face to face with the Lamb of God who loved us and sacrificed Himself so that we can enjoy His presence in heaven for perpetuity in everlasting bliss. HOW ETERNALLY WONDERFUL!!

“Sirs what must I do to be saved?” they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved”
Acts 16:30,31