Sunday Sermons
What Is Heaven Like? - Part 1
What Is Heaven Like?
When we tackle the subjects of life after death, eternal destinies, and the doctrine of last things, typically we must debunk so many false and dangerous doctrines that we often never get around to talking about heaven. Some might claim that there is very little written about heaven in the Scriptures, yet why would God repeatedly hold out to the righteous a reward that in turn is really never described? And is heaven only “great” when compared with hell, or is it glorious in its own right? God also calls upon every Christian to give unbelievers a reason for the hope that is within them (1 Peter 3:15). If someone asked us today, “What is heaven like?”, would we have anything to say? And would what we say confuse people, leave them still wondering, or cause them to yearn for such a place? Is our picture of heaven clear, or extremely vague and fuzzy?
This Is Our Hope
God knows that this is a very important and practical topic. Over and over again heaven is the prize held out to all Christians, especially those who are suffering, struggling and laboring in difficult circumstances (Matthew 5:12 “for your reward in heaven is great”; 6:19-20; Romans 2:7,10; 2 Corinthians 4:17 “an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison”). The hope of eternal life is what kept many people going in past ages (Hebrews 11:10,16, 26, 35). Heaven is a great incentive for righteous living, resisting temptation, enduring all the hardships that are necessary for the furtherance of the kingdom of God, and for rejoicing and remaining optimistic and cheerful in all circumstances, even in the face of death (2 Timothy 4:6-8).
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” (Ephesians 1:18)
The hope of our His calling is heaven, eternal life (Titus 1:2; Colossians 1:5). This hope is viewed as an anchor of the soul(Hebrews 6:18-19). Paul prays that the Christians in Ephesus would truly understand what God is wanting to give the faithful. If Christians really understood what God is offering, then they would not try to walk as close to the line of sin as possible, neither would we be careless and apathetic. Far beyond whatever sacrifices we must make in this life, let us realize that being a Christian leads somewhere! Let us look beyond the present to the future that God is wanting to share with us. If we are going to fantasize or daydream about something, then let us dream about heaven.
Matthew 8:10-12
“And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline at table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven;”
While the above passages might have some applications to the kingdom of heaven here on earth (the church), verse 12 makes it clear that the final abode of the righteous is definitely in the passage. In Jesus’ teaching, heaven is often pictured as a place of great joy. Of all things to which Jesus could have compared heaven, He chose to compare it with a great feast. “The image of the kingdom is that of a vast hall for feasting and joy, all blazing with light” (Lenski p. 331). Far from being cold, antiseptic or the silence of a monastery or library, heaven is pictured as a wonderful banquet, filled with happy quests, and filled with the warmth of friendship, like the warm glow that radiates from a happy home during the holidays. Jesus often compared the kingdom of heaven, which includes the church here and in eternity, to a grand and lavish banquet. In Matthew 22:1-14, the comparison is to a wedding feast that a king gave for his son. “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast” (22:4). Most of us have never even been to an earthly wedding of this magnitude. The common Jewish wedding was celebrated over a period of seven days. This royal wedding would go far beyond that. Once again, Jesus who came from heaven is trying to describe to us the wonder, magnificence, joy, splendor and abundance of heaven. He selected a wedding feast which only a king could afford, in which he would lavish upon his guests the best of everything, from the best steaks to the best desserts, the type of feast and celebration in which no corners had been cut and no expense was spared. In light of such a wonderful invitation, it is truly amazing that some people cannot seem to get excited about such an invitation (22:5). In the face of such a wonderful offer, some people would rather look at a piece of property or plow a field (Luke 14:16-19). With what sort of silly and mundane things are we tempted to occupy ourselves with instead of accepting God’s offer of eternal life? Can you imagine anyone wanting to plow a field or look at a piece of property instead of going to a lavish banquet? Can you imagine someone not wanting to bring his new bride to such a wonderful and festive feast? (14:20) Instead, why did not this newly married man say, “Honey, what luck! We have been invited to a lavish banquet. What a wonderful event to take place during our honeymoon!” Should not people have considered themselves fortunate to even be invited in the first place? Jesus seems to be saying, “You just have to see this place!” Then in the story of the prodigal son, heaven is also pictured as a place of great rejoicing (Luke 15:7). Long ago David had said, “In Thy presence is fullness of joy; In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:11).
God does not view Christianity or eternal life as an invitation to “miss out” on the fun things in life, rather what God offers is an invitation to joy, warmth, happiness and more blessings that one can imagine. Barclay notes, “It reminds us that the things which make men deaf to the invitation of Christ are not necessarily bad things in themselves. One man went to his estate; the other to his business. They did not go off on a wild carousal or an immoral adventure. It is very easy for a man to be so busy with the things of time that he forgets the things of eternity. If we refuse the invitation of Christ, some day our greatest pain will lie, not in the things we suffer, but in the realization of the precious things which we have missed, and of which we have cheated ourselves” (Matthew, pp. 295,296). Far from being an uncomfortable place, heaven is viewed as a place in which believers can relax and enjoy themselves. I believe some people worry as to whether heaven is a place in which God is constantly scrutinizing us, and just waiting for us to slip up. Heaven is not pictured as a stiff, stuffy and uncomfortable party in which one is afraid to touch anything, instead the picture is that of God comforting us and putting us at ease. In all these verses God is pictured as a gracious host who encourages us to partake of what He is offering. I see the same picture in what is said concerning Lazarus when he died, “but now he is being comforted here” (Luke 16:25).
Revelation 14:13
“Blessed are the dead who died in the Lord from now on! ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them”.
This same idea of rest is found in Hebrews 4:9-10 and 2 Thessalonians 1:7. The term “rest” never meant complete cessation of activity, especially when we note the use of the word in Hebrews 4:10. I think some people worry about whether heaven will be boring, or a place of eternal inactivity. When I look at these verses I see the word “rest” meaning that our labors on this earth are over, the period of testing and trial has been finished. I believe that the comfort given to Lazarus was that his life of suffering, struggling, pain, and discomfort was through. He had passed the test! “The soul now rests from life’s competition, its toil, sorrow, pain, its mental anguish and especially its sin!” (The Bible On The Life Hereafter, William Hendriksen, p. 59). Heaven will mean the release from all those things that seem to get under our mental and emotional skin. How often do various thoughts eat away at our happiness or contentment? One will be delivered from restless thoughts, rehashing the same thing over and over in our mind, dwelling on past mistakes, past regrets and lost opportunities. One will be finally delivered from sins of the mind, lust, envy, jealousy, anger, bitterness, resentment, and self-pity, oh, how that will be a nice change! “Rest” also seems to imply that eternal life with God will not be an awkward existence. Lest anyone worry about the question, “How do I act in the very presence of God?”, the clear implication is that God makes the first move, and that God is a heavenly parent who will make all the saved feel extremely welcome, “Well done, good and faithful slave… enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21).
The Best Company
Jesus pictured the righteous as reclining at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Matthew 8:11). Now and then famous people will be asked to make up a list of the 10 people in history, past or present to form the ideal dinner party. On most lists, Jesus of Nazareth is the first guest invited. Heaven means being in the eternal company of the best people who ever lived. Imagine the conversations! If you relish stimulating conversation, being around truly good and wonderful people, hearing exciting and intriguing stories, then just imagine hearing every detail of what happened in Egypt and the wilderness, from Moses himself! The entire life of Adam and Eve! The things that John said would fill books that the world itself could not contain (John 21:25). Hebrews chapter 11 gives us a good look into the type of people that will be found in heaven, “men of whom the world was not worthy” (11:38). Along the same line, in heaven there will be no more dealing with difficult people, “and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it” (Revelation 21:27). Hendriksen notes, “This means that the chief obstacle to progress will have been completely removed. Neither sin nor the curse is able to dwell there at all. Now it would seem to me that minds unobscured by sin will make better progress in knowledge than minds obscured by sin; that hearts no longer oppressed by the results of sin will advance more readily in inner delight than hearts that are thus oppressed”(p. 77). This comment really should make us think: What is life like without sin or the desire to sin? What is the quality of life, contentment, meaning, and purpose, without sin? What thoughts could I think, what goals could I reach, if there was not any sin to get in the way? Clearly, we will never become Divine ourselves, for we are created beings. Yet does that mean that we will not continue to grow in knowledge, understanding, and similar qualities? Heaven is truly a place in which all self-imposed obstacles have been removed. Just think of the possibilities in a place where you can really reach your ultimate potential for goodness, happiness, righteousness, and so on! Jesus said that we will be “like angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30).
Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church Of Christ/503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net/mdunagan@easystreet.com
