Heaven, Heaven, HEAVEN!!!

[WISDOM]

"Our FATHER has not promised us an easy journey.....BUT a WONDERFUL Destination!"

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The Apostle PAUL was taken up to it in a vision and said he saw things too wonderful to be described in words (at least in words as we know them). The Apostle JOHN was also given this privilege, YET was told to write many of the things HE saw.

ENOCH and ELIJAH were whisked there alive! And several other Old Testament Saints (Daniel & Ezekiel) were privy to stand (or kneel) before the mightiest Throne of the Universe.

I don't know about YOU, but I cannot even begin to clearly imagine what our Heavenly Home looks like! And the mystery of what it actually does always EXCITES me! Why? Because the closer I get to CHRIST the MORE it becomes real to me. Plus our FATHER's Word substantiates my belief (as it should YOURS also) that it exists CURRENTLY.

The skeptics love to have a field day with this by saying, "You make your own HEAVEN and Hell right here on earth." Well Christian, YOU can believe that hodpodge if YOU want to, but our LORD gives a totally different insight. It sounds too good to be true, but it is better than anything you or I could ever imagine being on this earth. Neither of our minds can even begin to comprehend the perfect environment our LORD lives in and where YOU and I will be united with HIM after enduring the struggles of this world/life. The beauty of it all is it will be ETERNAL. No more time limits. No more deaths, hatred, pain, tears, 24 hour days/nights.

Those high/low emotions we go through will be finished. The evil we currently see around us will be abolished. We will live in a place prepared for us by our LORD/SAVIOUR HIMSELF. And HE will be our primary focus. We will get to hang out with the Old Testament Saints! We'll fly just like (and with on occasions) the angels. We will have perfect knowledge (unbelievable!) because we will have the perfect knowledge of CHRIST. How about those glorified bodies with powers and abilities far beyond our imagination, huh??!!!!

When I read Chapters 21 & 22 of the Book of the Revelation I close my eyes at times and imagine living in magnificent surroundings. I could be wrong, but it sounds to me as if the "New Jerusalem" may even be the capital of HEAVEN (just a wild guess on my part). The city is said to have twelve gates symbolizing the presence of the twelve tribes of Israel and twelve foundations representing the presence of the Church of the twelve Apostles. When we read the writings of John concerning Heaven, we see him resort to dramatic word pictures, because he was faced with an impossible task of communicating all the wonders he was seeing before him, while he was exiled on the barren volcanic isle of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. This was during the Roman times when the ruthless Caesar Domitian (who had suceeded his brother Titus as emperor) was attempting to restore the old standards of conduct and religion in the empire, and had executed many Christians and Jews until he himself was assassinated, with the help of his wife.

John's purpose was to encourage those under the oppressive heel of bitter persecution letting them know our GOD has a perfect plan for our world and a good future for HIS children in HEAVEN. This message has sustained us throughout history to this day. What are some of the other things John wrote about our future Home? There will be no seas/oceans there. The masses will no longer be separated by them. Those barriers will be wiped out. Currently in these earthly bodies we sin daily. We also suffer and endure humiliation. In HEAVEN we will enjoy a new perfection and a new environment. Our resurrection bodies will fit in with our surroundings. As humans now we can only speak in generalities in terms we can understand. Paul basically said we cannot give an adequate description of heavenly/eternal realities. In Heaven we will be freed from our present fragmented intellectual knowledge, and see truth and beauty with greatly expanded vision (1 Corinthians 13:12). Heaven will be supremely beautiful.

In Heaven I believe we will all be equals and perfectly happy, BUT......will differ in the degree of glory we receive as a result of the Judgement Seat of CHRIST (2 Corinthians 5:9-10.....1 Corinthians 3:11-15). All true Believers who stand before the "BEMA" will qualify for Heaven, but not all will receive the same reward. We will each have our own splendor and will not be upset about it, but perfectly happy with what we have. While we can't fully visualize the physical glory of our new Home, we can contemplate some of its blessings. First....we will be with the living GOD (Revelation 21:3-22)....we will NEVER AGAIN experience the results of SIN.....we will be surrounded by SINLESS people.......we WILL have meaningful work to do (Revelation 22:3). Unlike here and now, nothing there will end.

There will be a crystal river, and trees of life for healing. We will finally get to see the throne of our FATHER! There will be no sun or moon....no tears, death or pain. There will also be no deceit or sorrow. What I love the most is we will FINALLY see the face of GOD and bear HIS NAME on our foreheads!! The home YOU have always wanted is being prepared by JESUS CHRIST. Everything is being made brand spanking new!! Never again will YOU or I hunger or suffer. The old order of things will pass away.

When you talk to someone about Heaven, who doesn't know CHRIST as their SAVIOUR the thought always is that "good people" go to Heaven, and I have yet to come across someone who doesn't want to go there, but only on their own terms. Most base their expectation on their performance in this life, irrespective of their relationship to JESUS CHRIST. As important as that decision is (because all else on their part is speculation) a person needs certainty. Why? Because the actual place (Heaven) IS CERTAIN! (Revelation 21:27)

Entrance to it requires one's name to be in the "LAMB's Book of Life". In it are recorded the names of those who have repented of their sins and exercised saving faith in CHRIST as REDEEMER and SAVIOUR. It is our decision whether or not our name is written there. YOU cannot blame ANYONE ELSE if it isn't there!

It doesn't matter much to me whether you believe the New Jerusalem will exist in form as a pyramid, cube, square or whatever...it will be huge! The Bible tells us the height, length and breadth are equal. That is.....1500 miles high, wide and long. If placed in the USA, it would reach from the tip of the state of Maine to the tip of Florida, and from the shore of the Atlantic Ocean westward to Denver, Colorado. Now THAT is HUGE! And YOU and I are already citizens!! We're just waiting for our new bodies in order to enter it! This glimpse of our future Home should make the true Believer in CHRIST have a renewed determination to place top priority on the spiritual and eternal vice the physical and temporal. Plus.....the thought of Heaven should cheer YOU up when YOU become discontented with life here on earth and discouraged about the future.

No matter how badly things may be going, or how difficult your stuggles, the prospect of that wonderful Home awaiting YOU should be a source of encouragement and hope. Life will be rich and full of purity and love as could NEVER be experienced here. We'll be eternally delivered from EVERY evil and burden that plagues our world today. And YOU and I will have FINALLY become what our FATHER intended us to be. Our minds won't wander during prayer as they do now, and we won't be thinking business or other less important matters when our full attention should be directed toward our LORD. The delight of fellowship with others will also exceed anything we have ever experienced here on earth.

In Heaven we will know one another perfectly and without fault. Today our fellowship is often marred by evasion and a covering of our deepest thoughts, but then a wonderful "spirit-to-spirit" communion of radiant personalities (the REAL YOU...the REAL ME) will exist in Heaven. Our lives there will be satisfying and useful as they NEVER were here. We will have realized the purpose for which GOD made us, for with JESUS CHRIST we will exercise dominion over the earth. Our GLORIFICATION will be completed. :)

In closing I would just like to say that Heaven will be joyful, and our FATHER's Word tells us to expect it (Psalm 16:11). It will be musical, and there will be a LARGE variety of it (and I think some of it is going to shock some of us....that is, that it was all good to GOD)! It will be diverse and joined together to worship GOD in perfect unity. YOU and I will be exalted FAR ABOVE the angels, transformed into the likeness of our LORD/SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, set free from ALL pain, sadness, and the cares of this world....and most important, SERVANTS of the Most High, Living CREATOR of ALL Things!

**COLOSSIANS 1:9-29**

[Guest Cindy Lou]

Well said & thank you. I thought it would be nice to share something from a Christian book i'm reading with is on a similar thread.

We can only measure 4 dimensions although we know from physics there are at least 10. To quote Einstein "People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between the past, the present, and the future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion' Which is what Isaiah says in 57:15 "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity..."

Heaven will be beyond anything we can understand yet - but it sure will be awesome!

God Bless

[Guest LCPGUY]

Can

[WISDOM]

I echo BOTH of your thoughts!

Incidently Cindy-Lou.....great analogy!

[Orr v'emet]

Wisdom...great post! It gets me sooo excited reading it and thinking about it. My pastor spoke about the second coming of Christ and heaven a couple weeks ago and I wanted to just stand up and rejoice! (which wouldn't have been so well received since I go to a traditional So. baptist church). To think about Heaven and the beauty of it just blows my mind. The most beautiful places here on earth (Bora Bora perhaps) are filthy compared to our glorious eternal home with the Father! Thanks for lighting a fire under me this morning, Wisdom!!!!

[Guest junvec]

It is great to think about. I just... :oww: !!! I have to agree with LCPGUY. I can't wait either. But it always raises some questions, its the philosopher in me.

1- Will retain any memory of our previous life?

2- The "New Jeruselem", its 12 gates that are always open, does this signify that this new kingdom will just be a reletively small section of the new earth and therefore the kingdom of earth letting other sities be born or where one could travel along in the wilderness (the lion will lay with the lamb and such), or will this be just one gigantic glorious palace where we stay and worship?

-----if that last question doesn't sound right, pm me and ask me to clarify.

The hymn, "I can only imagine" sums it up the best. "Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing Halleluya, will I be able to speak at all?"

[Guest Called]

Thank you Wisdom, this post has helped me get things in perspective. I can't wait! Come Lord Jesus!

[WISDOM]

Kristin (KMB)...you've got me excited again, just by reading your post!!!

junvec..... I honestly believe that ALL of our questions will be answered once we arrive home. I use to beat myself over the head with the same type of thoughts you're having. Now....I simply sit back and try to enjoy the ride. It's going to be a blast!

Called....Debbie, you're welcome sis (and sis of KMB...*grin*). Neither can I!!

[Trinity]

God made this world in 7 days and its beautiful. God has been working in heaven for over 2000 years just imagin how much greater its going to be!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[traveller]

Ahhhhhh - one of my favorite topics. We're not given a lot of information about our eternal life, except that it will be glorious. Imagine, reflecting the image of God. Imagine, He will wipe away all out tears. To me, that means we will have memory of this life, but all the sorrows will be understood. All the hardships, all the pain, all the brokenhearts, all the problems that are associated with this world and this flesh body, will be reconciled to a glorious understanding. We will not only remember our pain here, but will understand the necessity of it and will be in agreement with why it all happened. Of course, this is opinion only.

You know, when that day comes, when HE wipes away our tears, oh how glorious that day will be.

Now, just how many times did I say glorious? Cant' talk about heaven without that word!