Today’s reading is Rev 21. I’m not sure if this is true for everyone, but I think that a good number of us think about and maybe even talk about heaven quite a bit throughout our lives. When life feels hard, when there are too many deaths in our circle of friends and family, or when natural disasters strike fear into our hearts we long for the relief and perfection of heaven. Certainly at funerals we comfort ourselves with the hope of being re-united with loved ones who have ended their time on earth before us. But what are the facts? What do we really know about eternity from the Bible?
God gave us way less information in the Bible about eternity than He did about the path we take to get to spend eternity with Him. A lot of what we do read about heaven in God’s word should be labeled “hints” rather than facts because God had the writers use words, ideas and dreams that we understand from earthly experience to describe what we cannot fully grasp until we are actually there. Below is a list of some of the truths we do know from scripture about eternity.
A place prepared for us John 14:2-3
Unlimited by physical properties John 20;19,26
Like Jesus 1 John 3:2
New bodies 1 Cor 15:35-49
A wonderful experience 1 Cor 2:9
A new environment Rev 21
A new experience of God’s Presents Rev 21:3
New emotions Rev 21:4
No more death Rev 21:4
It is clear from our list that Rev 21 gives us a lot of information about heaven. This book is written by John and this chapter is a description of a dream or a scene that God gave to John to give us a window of understanding into our eternity if we have believed in Jesus and accepted His gift of payment for our sin. Verse 3 brings the most thrilling truth of heaven to life for us. “God is home now, among His people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.” I don’t know how to expound on this fact, as I have no idea how this will play out. I can only imagine what it will be like to have a different experience and a different type of relationship than I do right now with God and it sounds amazing. We get to live with God in the same “world”. God Himself will be with us! This change from what we know now is enough to make heaven perfection! But God doesn’t stop there. He goes on to promise,“He will wipe every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever!” Wherever God reigns, there is peace, security, and love. Can you wrap your head around life with peace, security, and love instead of tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain?
From verse 10 on John describes for us the stunning beauty of the new city of God, the place we will spend eternity. John’s vision is symbolic and shows us that our new home with God will defy description in earthly terms. We will not be disappointed by it in any way. Truthfully when I think of the beauty that I have experienced around the world when traveling, I cannot imagine how God can top Himself. I don’t have one idea how He could create a place more beautiful than mountains, oceans, lakes, forests, deserts, flowers, animals, stars, glaciers, rivers…think of the most beautiful place you have experienced and try to imagine something better. All I can do is recognize His creation, His goodness, His perfection, His attention to detail, His trustworthiness and His omniscience that we experience here on earth, and then add on His hints in the Bible about heaven and I am blown away with excitement, amazement, and longing to get to my new home!