Tag Archives: Life in heaven

What is life like in heaven? – Part 2

 

 

Heaven is more than we can imagine, but God reveals more about heaven than we might think. And many of these drive to the heart of some of our deepest questions about our life now and life after life, in heaven. We’re looking at 21 things we can surmise about heaven as shared by Randy Alcorn in his book, Heaven. Today, we’ll look at the final seven observations from Revelation 6:11.

“Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. (Revelation 6:9-11)

 

15. “Then each of them. . . We retain our individuality in heaven; we don’t become part of some cosmic dust, as some would imagine.

16. Robes suggest physical forms, not spirits. (Why would spirits need a robe, unless the reference is merely symbolic?)

17. God answers questions! We read in the previous verse that they asked, “How long?” In verse 11, “they were told to wait a little longer.” This indicates we won’t know everything all at once in heaven, but our knowledge and understanding will progressively unfold.

18. Even in heaven, they have to “wait a little longer until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.” Alcorn infers from this that “unlike the eternal heaven, where there will be no more sin, or curse or suffering on the New Earth (Revelation 21:4), the present heaven coexists with and watches over an Earth under these woes. We will be aware of the suffering on earth.

19. “How much longer” suggests there will be a sense of time in the present heaven. Whether “long” and “longer” imply time as we measure it now, we don’t know, but there is a sense of passing time.

20. There is a sense of the family of God in heaven and earth. “Their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters” indicate a strong familial bond and common purpose.  There is no indication of denominational differences, only a common focus on the Heavenly Father.

21. God is Sovereign. He knows ALL, what will happen, when it will happen, and how it will unfold. He is aware of your pain and suffering right now and he knows the answers to your prayers. What a difference it makes praying to a good and Sovereign God who knows you and cares for you and works all things for good for those who love him (Romans 8:28). Your woes do not escape his attention. Your pain is not wasted. This is not some “wishing upon a star” or “having a happy thought.” Only a Sovereign God can provide the assurance we seek.

 

Just as these three verses in Revelation tell us what to expect in heaven, there is a consistency of scripture that reinforces itself. We’ll be called to give an account of our actions on earth (2 Corinthians 5:10, Matthew 12:36). Eternal rewards “hinge” on our faithfulness (1 Corinthians 3:14). God keeps a record of all we do on earth (2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 20:11-13). Should knowing everything we say and do was being recorded change the way we interact with others?!  Additionally, it appears that people in the present heaven see what happens on earth. We are “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). “There will be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7).

 

This is might lead us to ask, “Do people in heaven pray for us on earth?” We know that Christ intercedes for us (Romans 8:34) and that the martyrs pray (Revelation 6:10). We must conclude, that no matter how we feel, we are not alone! It remains a mystery, how people in heaven will be aware both of the suffering on earth and the joy of God’s presence. We can only presume that joy predominates this in a similar way that while we care for others, we are not totally undone regarding their suffering. We find ourselves sad for suffering, but joyful for the outcome! In the eternal heaven, when the old order of things has passed away, there will be no more death, crying or pain. None!

 

Like the atheist man who once told me, “You Christians have one thing we atheists don’t – hope! We are not to “grieve like the rest of men who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13) We have the hope of reunion with loved ones who’ve gone before us; a time when “we will be with our Lord forever.”

 

“Therefore, encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18″

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is life like in heaven?

 

How do you imagine life in heaven? Old people in flowing white robes, sitting on puffy clouds, playing harps. Maybe you’d prefer endless days of golf or parties every night. Does beauty of nature fully restored speak to you? Or reunions with loved ones and famours bible characters? Endless worship? We’ll probably be surprised to find heaven is more than we imagine! But we don’t have to imagine heaven as an extension of our desires.  We can envision it based on what God reveals about heaven in scripture. Randy Alcorn’s book on Heaven surmises 21 things we can expect in heaven based on just three verses from John’s revelation of heaven. We’ll look at some of these today and the others in the next blog post, giving each of us time to read for ourselves and ponder our heavenly goal.

 
“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. (Revelation 6:9-11)

 

1. When people die they go to heaven. This is the vision God gave John.

2. These people died for their faith. They were “the righteous made perfect.” (Hebrews 12:23)

3. People in heaven are remembered for their lives on earth. Do you wonder how your life will be remembered in heaven?!

4. They express themselves in heaven as we do on earth.

5. They raise their voices, indicating the ability to communicate with reason and passion as we do on earth.

6. They speak out in a unified voices. Unlike on earth, there will be a sense of solidarity and unity among people in heaven.

7. People in heaven are aware of each other, God, and the situation on earth.

8. People in the Present Heaven ask God to intervene on earth with his judgment over evil. “How long” until you judge? You and I have the same question as it sometimes seems that evil is triumphing over good and we await the answers to our prayers. Apparently, not all these questions will be answered immediately.

9. Being able to ask questions of God means they have access to him and they want to understand. God is big enough to handle any question you have of him. He longs for us to seek understanding as a greatly valued treasure.

10. They know what’s happening on earth; they’re aware that there are those not yet judged.

11. They have a concern for justice, just like we do.

12. They remember their lives on earth – that they were murdered!

13. They pray for judgment on their persecutors. It might seem on earth that the wicked get away with their evil deeds unpunished and that their earthly punishment is just not enough for the harm they’ve done. We’re called to pray for our enemies and their redemption, but also for God’s will be done, that those who are “hell bent” on wreaking evil, will be judged for their deeds. Be assured, what doesn’t seem fair now will one day be made right.

14. People in heaven knowledge God for who he is. It’s popular to say that God is love. And he is. Only he is so much more than that. He is sovereign, holy, and true. Being sovereign means he is in control even when it doesn’t seem so. His holiness means he cannot tolerate sin and demands an accounting. If it weren’t for the forgiving grace of Jesus, who could stand? Not me for sure!

 

As we prepare for our lives in heaven we are encouraged to get to know who God is now on earth: holy, just, worthy, sovereign, loving, forgiving, patient and forbearing, jealous of our idols. God is everlasting, all powerful, all knowing, ever present. His mercy and compassions are new every morning. He is God Almighty, the only one worthy of the name “awesome.” He is our provider and our protector. His Spirit gives us real power. He is the banner over our life and our shepherd when we are lost. He is our deliverer, healer, anointer, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the beginning and the end, the ruler, our rock and refuge, our creator and Abba Father, the Prince of Peace. He is the Breath of Life who empowers us and the Bread of Life who sustains us, our Lord and Savior, the light of the world.

 

Oh that we would devote ourselves to knowing him more here on earth as we will in heaven!