HEAVEN: WHAT’S UP WITH HEAVEN

1. Will Heaven Be boring?

Psalm 71:19; Isaiah 40:12-28; Phil. 3:20-21; Heb. 9:24

In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain writes about a view of Heaven. The Christian spinster, Miss Watson takes a dim view of Heaven. Huck said: She went on and told me all about a good place (Heaven).  She said all a body would have to do there was said was go around all day with a harp and sing, forever and ever. Huck continued: So, I didn’t think much of it and I don’t even play the harp. I asked Miss Watson if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there, and she said, not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together. The pious Miss Watson had nothing to say about Heaven that appealed to Huck. And if we are honest, nothing that appeals to us.

There another story about Randy Alcorn talking to a pastor about Heaven. The pastor said he would not bring a message about Heaven to the pulpit because it made him sad because he just couldn’t think about just floating on a cloud all day. There are several theologians who have stated of that view of Heaven that they pity the man who never thinks accurately about Heaven. This sounds a bit like Mr. T- “I pity the fool”. There is a lot of theological neglect of Heaven and most people have never heard a sermon on Heaven-  especially as we will view it.

There are many Scriptures that provide a very good picture of our beginning look at what Heaven is really like, but let’s start with the following: Hebrews 9:24; Psalm 71:19; Isaiah 40:12-28; and Philippians Heaven- and 3:20-21.   These tell of God’s presence, God’s creation, and God’s love.

2. Are You Looking Forward to Heaven?

John 14:1-3; Phil. 1:21,23; 2 Cor. 5:6,8

Jonathan Edwards, a great Puritan preacher, often spoke of Heaven. He is quoted: “It becomes us to spend this life only as a journey toward Heaven…to which we should subordinate all other concerns of life. Why should we labor for or set our hearts on anything else, but that which is our proper end and true happiness?” This follows what I have often said that this life is just our pre-life; the real life is in Heaven.

Let’s go to these verses for some perspective: John 14:1-3; Philippians 1:21, 23; and 2 Corinthians 5:6, 8. John tells us that Jesus is going to prepare a place for us and return to get us. Paul tells us he is longing to be with Jesus in Philippians. In Corinthians, Paul says we are not at home in these bodies and prefer to be away from these bodies.

HEAVEN IS MENTIONED OVER 600 TIMES IN THE BIBLE- FAIRLEY WELL SPLIT 300 TIMES EACH IN BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.

Are there other verses you like that says we are looking to Heaven?

3. Is Heaven Beyond Our Imagination?

2 Tim. 2:7; Psalm 119:18, 1 Cor. 2:9,13; 2 Cor. 12:2-4

When Marco Polo returned to Italy from the court of Kublai Khan, he described a world his audience had never seen- one that could not be understood without the eyes of imagination. Not that China was an imaginary realm, but it was very different from Italy. Yet as two locations on planet earth inhabited by humans, they had much in common. It gave some reference points of the two locations that helped for understanding. The writers of Scripture present Heaven in many ways, including as a garden, a city, and a kingdom. Because of these references, they offer us a bridge to understanding Heaven.

So, let’s look at the following scriptures: 2 Tim. 2:7; Psalm 119:18, 1 Cor. 2:9,13; 2 Cor. 12:2-4. Paul writes in Timothy that the Lord will help us understand these things. Psalm says that the writer asks God to open his eyes to see the “wonderful truths”. 1 Cor. 2:9 says that no one can see, hear, or mind can imagine what God has prepared. Verse 13 states that no human wisdom can tell us these things- they come from the Spirit. In 2 Corinthians, Paul talks about the third Heaven that only God could know. (More on the third Heaven later).

4.Can You Know You’re Going to Heaven?

Rev. 21:27; Romans 6:23; John 3:16; 1 John 1:9; Eph. 2:8-9

Ancient cities kept rolls of their citizens. Guards were poised at the city gates to keep our criminals and enemies by checking their names against the list. While today, we don’t keep lists on which to check; however, this is exactly the context found in Revelation 21:27. “Nothing impure will ever enter (the city), not will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

1 John 1:9 tells us one of the best methods to know we are going to Heaven. Forgiveness is established by our confession. I know we all can quote John 3:16- Jesus gave His life for our sins. Romans 6:23 tells us that the “wages of sin is death” and eternal life is a gift from God through Jesus Christ. Finally, in this section, Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”

5. Will Anything Prevent Believers From Going To Heaven?

Many religions and people talk about the “unforgivable sin”. Some say it is suicide, some others attempt to make a list or type of people who can’t be forgiven. The Bible teaches if a person is a true believer is Jesus, confesses their sins, and prays to receive Jesus as their savior they can’t be “snatched” out of the hands of God. It is stated in John 10:28-29: “I give them eternal life and they will never parish. No one can snatch them away from me, for My Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.” So, suicide, cremation, being blown apart, or anything else can prevent the true believer from going to Heaven.

Jesus, in Matthew 12:31-32, says there is one, and only one, unforgiven sin. “Every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven- except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Any one who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.”

6.Unveiling the Mystery

Rev. 1:1-6, Psalm 103:10-12; Acts 17:11; Luke 11:23

Psalm 103:10-12 says God doesn’t punish us for our sins but has unfailing love for us. In Luke 11:23 Jesus tells us that anyone who not working with Him is against Him. Acts 17:11 Paul reports that those in Thessalonica were open-minded and listens to the Gospel to help them know the mystery of salvation. Paul often talked about the mystery of the word or gospel.  Then in Revelations Jesus stated that the New Testament is about unveiling the mystery of what had been hidden.

The first six verses of Revelation 1 set the stage for all of Revelation and prepares us for the Coronation of a Savior- Jesus!!

REVELATIONS 1:1-6

1:1– The Revelation of Jesus. In the N.T. revelation (unveiling of a mystery) is always used of a divine unveiling of something that has been hidden. Here Jesus is the one who discloses “what must soon take place” – and in the process reveals something of His glory.

1:2-3– Blessing. The “one who reads” and “those who hear” refer to a public reading of the book in church. Because this is “prophecy”, in the sense of divine revelation, it merits immediate acceptance as Scripture. Because the revelation comes directly from the risen Jesus, it is of utmost importance.

1:4- The seven churches. All seven were in the Roman province of Asia, now Asia Minor. They are listed in 1:11, and a message directed to each is found in Rev. 2 and 3. It describes the churches of John’s day- but they are also present churches, with good and bad qualities- all during the Church Age, which is from Pentecost (50 days after Jesus’ resurrection) to Rapture.

1:5a- Firstborn from the dead. Christ’s resurrection is the pledge that we too will be raised. He was not only the first, He is the One who has supreme authority over the vast family of faith destined to follow Him.

1:5b-6- Doxology to Christ.  Here is some of the most powerful praise found in the Bible, celebrating Christ’s love, the forgiveness won for us by His blood, and the exalted position to which He has raised us.

 

Life in Present Heaven

Present Heaven is the current place where Jesus is at the right hand of God- right after His Ascension to Heaven. It is where all true believers in Jesus go upon passing from this earth. So, the term “Present Heaven” is more about “Present” than about Heaven. Permanent Heaven is described by Jesus (to Apostle John) in Revelation chapters 21 and 22. Many things must happen prior to this future occurrence/promise, so there must be a current Heaven. That is the Present Heaven. These seven passages tell us a lot about “Present Heaven”.

Rev. 6:9-11; Heb. 12:23; Eph. 3:15; Luke 16:25; Rev. 14:13; Rev. 6:10; Luke 15:7, 10

You may want to stop and read the above six Scriptures, before we go to Rev. 6:9-11. These verses in Revelation chapter six tell us a whole lot more than in any one area of the Scriptures – about the Present Heaven.

PRESENT HEAVEN List of 21 Observations from Revelations 6:9-11

Read, Study, & Share these with others to get them to Present Heaven!

 

1. When these people died on Earth, they relocated to Heaven – V. 9
2. These people in Heaven were the same ones killed for Christ while on Earth –V.9. This demonstrates direct continuity between our identity on Earth and our identity in Heaven. The Martyrs’ personal history extends directly back to their lives on Earth. Those in the Present Heaven are not different people; they are the same people relocated – “righteous men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23).
3. People in Present Heaven will be remembered for their lives on Earth. These were known and identified as ones slain “because of…the testimony they had maintained”-v.9.
4. “They called out” v. 10 means they are able to express themselves audibly. This could suggest they exist in physical form, with vocal cords or other tangible means to express themselves.
5. People in Present Heaven can raise their voices- v.10. This indicates that they are rational, communicative, and emotional- even passionate-beings, like people on Earth.
6. They called out “in a loud voice”, not “loud voices”. Individuals speaking with one voice indicate that Present Heaven is a place of unity and shared perspective-v.10.
7. The martyrs are fully conscious, rational, aware of each other, God, and things on Earth-v.10.
8. They ask God to intervene on Earth and to act on their behalf: “How long…until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”-v.10. This is some indication people were asking God for help on issues they could not see.
9. Those in Present Heaven are free to ask God questions, which means they have an audience with God. It also means they need to learn. In Heaven people desire understanding and pursue it
10. People in Present Heaven learn what’s happening on Earth because they ask (at least to some extent)-v.10. The martyrs know enough to realize that those who killed them have not been judged.
11. Heaven dwellers have a deep concern for justice and retribution- v. 10. When we go to Heaven, we won’t adopt a passive disinterest in what happens on earth. On the contrary, our concerns will be more passionate and thirst for justice greater. Neither God now we will be satisfied until His enemies are judged, our bodies raised, sin and Satan defeated, earth restored, and Christ exalted over all!
12. The martyrs and saints clearly remember their lives on earth-v.10. Martyrs even remember that they were murdered. Remember we who were not murdered are called “saints” not martyrs.
13. The martyrs in Heaven pray for judgment on their persecutors who are still at work hurting others. The martyrs and saints are acting in solidarity with, and in effect interceding for, the suffering saints on the earth. This suggests that saints in Present Heaven are praying for saints on earth. Rev. 5:11-12 Angels told all those who were gathered around the throne by singing Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. All of this is evidence of a Present Heaven –different from future.
14. Those in Present Heaven see God’s attributes (“Sovereign…holy and true”) in a way that makes His judgment of sin more understandable.
15. Those in Heaven are distinct individuals. “Then each of them was given a white robe.”-v.11. There isn’t one merged identity that obliterates uniqueness, but a distinct “each of them”.
16. The martyrs’ wearing white robes suggest the possibility of actual physical forms, because disembodied spirits presumably don’t wear robes. The robes may well have symbolic meaning, but it doesn’t mean they couldn’t also be physical. In fact the martyrs and saints appear in physical forms that John could actually see-v-11.
17. God answers their question v.11, indicating communication and process in Heaven. It also demonstrates that we won’t know everything in Heaven-if we did, we would have no questions. The martyrs and saints knew more after God answered their question than before they asked it. There is learning in Present Heaven. Suggesting also places for learning and other activities.
18. God promises to fulfill their requests, but says they will have to “wait a little longer”-v.11. Those in Present Heaven live in anticipation of future fulfillment of God’s promises. Unlike the eternal future Heaven- where there will be no more sin, Curse, or suffering on the New Earth (Rev. 21:4)—the Present Heaven coexists with and watches over an Earth under sin, the Curse, and suffering.
19. There is time in the Present Heaven v.10-11. The white-robed martyrs ask God a time-dependent question: ”How long, Sovereign Lord…until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”-v.10. They are aware of time’s passing and are eager for the coming day of the Lord’s judgment. God answers that they must “wait a little longer” until certain events transpire on earth. Waiting requires the passing of time. In Rev. 8:1 states that the Lamb broke the seventh seal, and those around were silenced for about half an hour.
20. The people of God in Present Heaven have a strong familial connection with those on earth, who are called their “fellow servants and brothers”-v.11. We share the Father, “from whom every family in Heaven and on earth is named”- (Ephesians 3:15) There is not a wall of separation within the bride of Christ. We are one family with those who’ve gone to Present Heaven ahead of us. After we go to Heaven, we’ll still be one family with those yet on earth. These verses demonstrate a vital connection between the events and people in Heaven and events and people on Earth.
21. Our Sovereign God knows down to the last detail all that is happening and will happen on earth-v.11, including every drop of blood shed and every bit of suffering undergone by His children. However, there is good indication that God shares what we need to know while in Present Heaven. The Voice of Martyrs (an organization with a newsletter and website) estimates that more than 150,000 people die for Christ each year, and average of more than 400 per day. God knows the name and story of each one. He knows exactly how many martyrs there will be, and He is prepared to return and set up His Kingdom when the final martyrs dies (after the Tribulation and when our Lord returns).

 

All of these observations are true for all in Present Heaven, our loved ones already there and for us when we die- unless the Rapture occurs first. From these observations and the other incidents shared in the other verses about Present Heaven, we can make many other conclusions about what will be possible in Present Heaven. However, we are not to conclude that these other things are for sure- only that they are possibilities. Another of the Mysteries we will learn for God- first hand!