Sunday Sermons
What Is Heaven Like? - Part 2
What is Heaven Like?
Lesson 2
“Bt those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection of the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage” (Luke 20:35). “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30).
Even to Christians on the surface these verses can sound like a let down, “No marriage in heaven, isn’t that kind of disappointing?” I know that I have had similar feelings. First of all, I believe that such is a wonderful commentary on the marriage relationship. Even the earthly blessings that God has given us are so wonderful and enriching that some of us are a bit hesitant about trading them in on heavenly blessings, thus such is quite a complement to the marriage relationship that God designed. The question naturally arises, “Why won’t the marriage relationship be used or found in heaven?” Of course, we must reject the opinion that somehow it is a relationship that is unsuited for a life of holiness and purity (Hebrews 13:4). One writer noted that we should not concern ourselves about there being no physical pleasures in heaven, because all physical appetites wane with time, yet such can give the impression that heaven is filled with a bunch of people like Mr. Spock. I agree that heaven is not filled with physical pleasures, but many physical pleasures in this life involve more than just the physical body. The marriage relationship also meets the needs of the mind, the emotions and the soul (Genesis 2:18; 1 Peter 3:7; Ephesians 5:22-33). Many would argue that what has enabled them to be a stronger Christian, what has at times really brought about spiritual growth is the encouragement and wisdom given by their mate. Long ago Solomon said, “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband” (Proverbs 12:4; 31:12). It is easy to forget that many “physical” or “earthly” pleasures are outlets for the soul. Singing is something physical (James 5:13), so is hospitality (Hebrews 13:1-2), benevolence, and various acts of love expressed towards our brethren (1 John 3:18 “let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth”). From reading 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 one might think that the marriage relationship is somehow less than spiritual. When Paul links the unmarried state with “the things of the Lord”, and the married state with the “things of the world”, we need to remember that in this context the “things of the Lord” would include such “things” as a life devoted to prayer, fasting, Bible study, and evangelism. Yet from the above passages we know that God is not implying that the person who is married is unable to serve the Lord, because the husband who loves his wife is serving the Lord, and such is the will of God (Colossians 3:19). Rather, the unmarried simply have more uninterrupted time to devote to saving souls and strengthening the brethren. In addition, lest we forget that the majority of the apostles were married (1 Cor. 9:5).
What all of this says to me is that marriage will not be found in heaven, not because we no longer have the need for friendship, encouragement, companionship or emotional intimacy and enriching communication. But because heaven has a better “relationship” than even the marriage relationship! I like the following comment: “The question arises, since there is to be no eating or sex, will there be any pleasure in heaven? It should be understood that the experiences of heaven will far surpass anything experienced here” (Christian Theology, Erickson, p. 1229). In this sense, heaven could be thought of as what one writer termed “suprasexual”. That is the experience of heaven will far transcend the sexual union with a specific individual with whom one has chosen to make a permanent and exclusive commitment. Or, in other words, heaven is better than the best physical intimacy that you have ever experienced.
Philippians 1:21-23
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain…having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better”
Of course the question arises, are these simply the words of someone whose earthly life was miserable and “anything” would have been very much better than being a persecuted Christian? Will eternal life be very much better for the comfortable, well-fed, surrounded by countless pleasures individual living today in upper middle class America? I know that Paul was often persecuted, but I also know that this life offered him many advantages. Paul experienced a depth of friendship and camaraderie far beyond what many comfortable people today have experienced (Colossians 4:9-15; Romans 16:1-15). In addition, remember that this man was part of a select group. Only 13 men out of the trillions-plus people who have lived, only 13 were privileged to be the personal ambassadors of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 12:12). Besides Paul, I also find people in the past who were very blessed and comfortable, but who longed for a better country (Hebrews 11:10,16). In view of our modern crowded conditions, abundance of governmental regulations, and man’s technology cluttering up the landscape, some of us might be tempted to long for a life like that of Abraham. Living in the wide open spaces, camping every night under the stars, yet note that Abraham was not caught up in the romantic life of a desert sheik, rather he was longing for heaven.
So when we ask the question, “What will being in heaven feel like?” The best we can do is say that it will far surpass any experience in this life. Also remember, that many wonderful experiences in this life are only “moments in time”. Moments that quickly pass by, moments that we cannot hold on to or keep, and moments that we can neither fully capture. Yes, we can hold on to them as memories, but memories are only scaled down versions of the actual event. Memories can never hold on to the full force and all the feelings of a particular event. So heaven is not only better than your first kiss, the first time you fell head over heads in love, your wedding day, the birth of your first child, the best family vacation you ever had, the marriage of your children, graduation from college, making your parents proud, your 15 seconds of fame in some sport, heaven also lasts forever! Concerning heaven, C.S. Lewis wrote, “If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased” (The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses, pp. 1-2). Through Paul, commenting upon the reward that awaits the righteous, God had penned, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).
Matthew 5:8
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”; “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them” (Revelation 21:3).
When talking about heaven, often the most important aspect of heaven is completely overlooked. In heaven we will finally see God, face to face. This is the relationship that will make such things as marriage unnecessary in heaven. When people say “I could not be happy in heaven if my mate wasn’t there, or if my mother wasn’t there, or if I couldn’t fish, golf, have a dog, etc…”. People so quickly forget that since we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) the only relationship that could possibly meet all our true needs and every desire in us is a reunion with our Creator (Ecclesiastes 12:7). While Adam and Eve heard God in the Garden, nothing is said about them actually seeing Him. In fact, the statement is made that mortals cannot see God in His unveiled glory and survive, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” (Exodus 33:20). In light of this truth, while God has spoken and interacted with various individuals, He has had to veil Himself, and only give people a glimpse of His glory (Exodus 3:2; 13:21; 33:18-23). In the Old Testament the glory of God dwelled in the tabernacle and later on the temple (Exodus 40:34 “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle”; 1 Kings 8:10-11). Then God Himself inhabited a body of flesh and dwelled on this earth (John 1:1,14). Yet one day we will see something far more marvelous than Moses or the Apostles beheld (1 John 1:1-3). One day we will see what no man has seen, the very face of God, God in His natural state, the God which the Bible describes as “dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16).
We tend to forget that heaven is heaven because God is there! God is the source of true life, and He is the giver of all blessings (James 1:17). Even on this earth, this world is beautiful because God made it, and this life is bearable because God is constantly providing good things, even to unbelievers (Acts 14:17). Even the best environment can become a living hell, if we do not have the right attitude. God’s presence is the guarantee that mankind will not end up ruining heaven, like they ruined the Garden of Eden, the earthly promised land (Canaan), and in our time, man continues to mess with the body of Christ. In reference to Revelation 21:3, Hendriksen notes, “So close is this eternal communion between God and His elect that He, as it were, dwells with them in one tent—His tent” (More Than Conquerors, p. 200). Carefully note the intimacy, the closeness between us and God in heaven. God is so close that He wipes away every tear (21:4), we actually see His face (22:4), we are pictured as sitting with Christ and reigning with Him (3:21). We find that in heaven there isn’t any temple (21:22). “The radiance of God’s majesty and glory, in all its fullness, fills the entire city. It is not limited to any particular place in the city. It manifests itself everywhere. No sanctuary is needed, for the fellowship of believers with their God is direct and immediate…they are constantly in His immediate and loving and abiding presence” (More Than Conquerors p. 203).
In view of such passages, “Eternal Life” must always be viewed as something far beyond eternal existence, for even those in hell have eternal existence. The hope of eternal life (Titus 1:2), is to experience a quality of life that surrounds the immediate presence of God. In this life, how often do sinful attitudes spoil even the best experiences or day? How often, even in the midst of a wonderful event, do we fight and struggle with feelings of envy, jealousy, self-pity, anger, resentment, bitterness, depression, fear, worry, and so on? In this life prosperous times often bring their own temptations. At other times, we almost end up spoiling a good thing when we want too much of it right now! In this life, everything also has a let down. We might be unable to enjoy the final days of our vacation, because we know that it is coming to an end. Many of us might even intentionally keep our expectations low, lest we get them up only to be disappointed. How many wonderful things and experiences in this life have we truly messed up because of all the mind games that we are playing? How many people actually avoid great experiences in this life, because of all the work, planning, and “stress” that is associated with having a good time? In light of all such things, we should be able to say as David said, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:2).
Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church Of Christ/503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net/mdunagan@easystreet.com
