What Will Heaven Really Be Like?
There is so much we could explore on this subject, but let me narrow this entry down to a few things a professor of mine (Kenny Boles) taught me years ago about heaven.
America’s outspoken atheist, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, says heaven is “a delusional dream of the unsophisticated minds of the ill-educated clergy.” Former Harvard professor Alfred North Whitehead asks, “Can you imagine anything more appallingly idiotic than the Christian idea of heaven?” Are these statements fair representations of the beliefs of many in our world? Possibly. But according to recent polls conducted by CNN, 81 percent of Americans believe in heaven. So, instead of defending its existence, I want to categorize myself among the “appallingly idiotic” and “ill-educated” and I want to describe this place for you. Solomon wrote, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” I’m calling you to be a “king” as you read this, to be someone who searches, who dares to look, and who unlocks the door to the seemingly unknown. The poor of earth are the ones who have no need for heaven. The rich are those whose heart and mind are already there.
What Isn’t There
There will be no more distance. Revelation 21:1 says, “and there was no longer any sea.” In Revelation “sea” and “many waters” were used to describe many peoples, tongues, and languages. And in the ancient world, seas were dangerous places that kept people apart. While there will be astounding diversity in heaven, there will be no racism, no insecurities, no gender gaps, no cultural barriers; no socioeconomic distinctions. Relationships will be restored and from where I stand, that looks pretty good.
There will be no more disorder. Revelation 21:4 says, “He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes.” And in verse 27 it reads, “Nothing impure will ever enter it…” In heaven there will be no need for hospitals, unemployment offices, prisons, schools, or funeral homes. No divorce, no theft, no gossip, no broken dreams, no anger, no haunting memories, or lifelong regrets. Leave your Kleenex on the countertop because you won’t need it in heaven. Billboards and commercials and the internet and pornography will no longer vie for our attention. No more red light districts, no more Hollywood, no more traffic jams or road work. No more inner city or third world country, no inequality, only fairness and respect for the common good. But most of all…no more Satan! He and his cronies will be prevented access, no backstage passes for that crew, no acquittals, no parole. There really will be order in God’s court.
There will be no more darkness. Revelation 21:23 says, “The city (heaven) does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” Parents and Police will tell you, nothing good happens after midnight. And the beauty of heaven is that watches won’t need winding, coo-coo clocks really will be antiques and day-timers and palm pilots and yes, even iPhones will be useless. Fast food will become feast food. And you won’t have to rush your dirty laundry to the dry cleaners because we will be given a clean robe, white, pure attire fit for people who live in the presence of God. Daytime, productive time, will rule in heaven.
There will be no more death. Revelation 22:3 says, “No longer will there be any curse.” Heaven is made possible because of a cross and an empty tomb. We are not a chosen people waiting for eternity. We are eternal now because death has been removed from the arsenal of God. His wrath has been redirected, we’ve been set free from the bondage of sin and death, and our souls have been purchased by his blood. The curse no longer applies in heaven! We won’t need insurance! We won’t need to teach our children, “In case of an emergency, dial 9-1-1.” Embalming fluid, mummification, and air-tight caskets will be a thing of the past. Life, God-breathed life will be restored.
What Is There?
A place prepared for you. Jesus said, “I am going there (heaven) to prepare a place for you.” (John 14) Group all of the best amenities of every five star resort on earth and it still won’t match up to the paradise get-away that God is constructing. And the beauty is that you are a co-owner, a co-heir in this venture. We all dream of such luxury, but in heaven it will be a reality. John searched for words; he attempted to describe the infinite with the finite means of language…streets of gold, a foundation made of precious jewels, gates of pearl! And that’s just the city! Heaven is really a picture of Eden. The word, “paradise” finds its origin in an ancient Persian word which means “garden.” And the story of salvation is the story of paradise lost and paradise restored. And you are a character in that story and your name is written on the reservation list by the great Gardener.
A people prepared for eternity. Genesis 1:27 reads, “So God created man in his own image.” Did you know, that you were created for heaven? God separated us from the rest of creation by making us like him. We are creative, loving, intelligent, social people, because God is. And in heaven, we will reach our full, God-given, potential along with every other redeemed citizen. And oh, the conversations we will have. I can’t wait to sit on the porch and share a cup of lemonade with Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Jonah, Peter, and Paul. Mothers will be able to hold children who died in cribs. Fathers will embrace sons who died in war. Grandparents will introduce themselves to grandchildren who only knew them through photographs. And we will all be one! No more division! Our hearts will beat with God’s heart and our voices will raise one song.
But more important than all of what has been written to this point, God will be there! The one we have talked about, sung to, read of, and written about; the one who has been debated and mocked; the one who has seemed so distant at times and so close at others. The only one who truly knows each of us by name and by a count of the hairs on our heads! His names are plentiful because he is indescribable. God will be waiting with outstretched arms and we will hear his voice say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your reward.” And our impulse will not be to embrace him as a buddy, but to fall down at his feet in awe. And I suspect that it will be his immense love for us that draws us to our feet to receive his embrace.
Jesus says in Revelation 22, “Behold, I am coming soon…the time is near…” Heaven is better than you think, and with each tick of the clock, its arrival is sooner than you think!
If you’ve haven’t listened to Hillsong United’s new song entitled “Soon”…now is the time to download it!
