LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING GOD
Ps. 63:1; Rev. 22:4; 1 Tim. 6:16; Heb. 10:19; Ps. 27:4; John 14:9; Matt. 5:8; 1 John 3:2
We first needed to establish a clear picture of our physical, resurrected life on the New Earth. Having done that (although more to come) we must look forward to the time when we will see God. We now need to approach the topic of our eternal relationship with God with the riches and vitality it deserves. Psalm 63:1 says that God is the one we really long for: “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water”. This is stating that God’s presence brings satisfaction; His absence brings thirst and longing. Being with God is the heart and soul of Heaven.
We are told in Revelation 22:4 that “They will see His face”. To see God’s face is the loftiest of all aspirations- though sadly, for most of us, it’s not at the top of our wish list. To be told we’ll see God’s face likely will be shocking to many, given what we see in the Old Testament. When Moses said to God, “Show me Your glory,” God responded, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you…But, you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live…When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen” (Exodus 33:18-23).
The New Testament says that God “lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16). So, to see God’s face was utterly unthinkable. However, the wonder of our redemption- to be welcomed into the very presence of our Lord and to see Him face-to-face. We are given a foretaste now in Hebrew 10:19; “We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus”.
Let’s read Ps. 27:4; John 14:9; Matt. 5:8; and 1John 3:2
2.God Dwelling With Us
Lev. 26:11-12; Ez. 37:27; 2 Cor. 6:16; Ep. 1:10; Rev. 21:3-4; John 14:3; John 17:24; Rev. 1:7; Gen. 1:26; Heb. 9:14; Isa. 25:6; Ep. 2:6
In Eden, God came down to Earth, the home of mankind, whenever He wished (Genesis 3:8). On the New Earth, God and mankind will be able to come to each other whenever they wish. We will not have to leave home to visit God, nor will God leave home to visit us. God declares His truth in the following three Scriptures: Lev. 26:11-12; Ez. 37:27; 2 Cor. 6:16. Read these for an understanding that God and mankind will live together forever in the same home- The New Earth. The marriage of the God of Heaven with the people of Earth, will also bring the marriage of Heaven and Earth. There will not be two universes- one the primary home of God and the angels, the other the primary home of humanity. Nothing will separate us from God, and nothing will separate Earth and Heaven. This is really made clear in Ephesians 1:10- “To bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ”.
Revelation 21:3- “God Himself will be with them”. This emphatically said “God Himself” because God won’t merely send us a delegate, it will be Him-“Himself”. He will actually come to live among us on the New Earth. God’s glory will fill and permeate the entire new Heaven, not just one centralized place. God’s glory will be the air we breathe, and we’ll always breathe deeper to gain more of it.
John 14:3 – Says Jesus will return to take us with Him to be where He will be.
John 17:24- Jesus says: “Father, I want those you have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world”.
Revelation 1:7: Consider the promise that when Jesus returns “every eye will see Him”. Think about how that will happen!
Let’s read Gen. 1:26; Heb. 9:14; Isa. 25:6.
“God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” – Ephesians 2:6.
- How Will We Worship God?
Matt.16:25; Rev. 7:9-12; 1 Thess. 5:16-18; Rev. 5:11-14; Ps. 16:6; Heb. 10:25; John 4:23; Matt. 6:6; Ps. 52:9; Ps. 115:18
Have you ever- in prayer or in worship at our church or during a walk or while sitting on your porch- for a few moments experienced the very presence of God? If you have, it was a great experience, but it soon disappeared in the distractions of life. What will it be like to behold God’s face and never be distracted by lesser things? Over-whelmed by God’s magnificence, we fall on our faces in unrestrained happiness and say, “Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (Revelation 7:9-12). In Revelation 5:13-14 we are told that every nation, tribe, and people, and language will gather to sing praise to God for His greatness, wisdom, power, grace, and mighty work of redemption. In the previous section, we reviewed Revelation 21:3 that told us that God will be with us. That should excite us. If it doesn’t, we are not thinking correctly.
It should be obvious that Revelation would be filled with Scriptures about God and our worship, but there are many others that give us clear and perceived (read between the lines) thoughts on how and when we will worship God.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – God expects us to do other things as ways to worship and glorify Him; such as work, rest, and be with our families and Christian friends to show that we are to be joyful, pray, and give thanks while doing other things.
John 4:23 – Tells us that God seeks worshipers, but it is not compulsory.
Matthew 16:25 – Says we will not lose our identity when we see Him: “Whoever loses his life for me will find it”.
Hebrews 10:25 – States it is unbiblical to imagine that we can successfully seek God on our own.
Psalm 16:6 – God is our inheritance, but so is Heaven.
Psalm 115:18 – “But we will bless the Lord from time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 52:9 – “I will praise You forever.”
- Worship Services in Heaven
Rev. 4-5; Rev. 1:12-14; Ps.119:89; Rev. 5:11, 13; Rev: 7:12; Col. 3:1-4; 1 John 2:15-17; Rev. 19:6; Rev. 1:6; Ps. 89:1; Ps. 72:19; Ps. 113:2
It is important to note that in Revelation 4-5 there is no one in these passages that are under compulsion to worship God. No one is just standing there, demanding veneration. The whole heaven is rejoicing voluntarily and from the heart. Those whose praises fill the heaven know that Jesus Christ is exalted. He is all in all, and heaven’s in habitants never tire of worshipping Him. Neither will we. Praising Him will never become boring. If that is true (and it is), don’t we think we should begin now?
Imagine, moving from earthly worship to heavenly worship without skipping a beat. That is what happened to apostle John, but in Revelation 1:10-11, he wrote, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, The First and the Last…”. Then in Revelation 1:12-14, John turned to see who was speaking, and he said, “I saw seven golden lampstands and in the midst of seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, a white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire”.
Let’s read four other passages in Revelation: 1:6; 5:11, 13; 7:12; and 19:6.
In Colossians 3:1-4, Paul says that in worship, wisdom keeps us from the ups and downs of the rollercoaster experiences of life. (Paul road the rollercoaster after getting off of his moped.) Let’s read these 4 verses.
To close out this section, there are 4 passages in Psalms that “sing of the mercies of the Lord forever”; “bless His glorious name forever”; “bless the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore” and 119:89, “Forever, O LORD, your word is settled in heaven”. But we will not have to exhort anyone to trust it or obey it, for we will be living in a state of perfect spirituality, for everyone will be saved and forever safe.