“Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God." (Colossians 3:1) This is a direct command to set our hearts on Heaven. And to make sure we don't miss the importance of a heaven-centered life, the next verse says, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." God commands us to set our hearts and minds on Heaven.
― Randy Alcorn, Heaven
Dear Friends,
How often do you think about heaven? And what do you think about it? (That’s not just a rhetorical question — I’d love to know, so hit “reply” or leave a comment.
Because I believe I personally need to think about heaven and eternal life way more often than I do, I’ve been studying up on heaven, and this month, I’m sharing two meditations I’ve written that will be part of a longer devotional tentatively titled “Preparing for Glory.” If you’d like me to keep you posted about that devotional, when you can read it, and opportunities to read early versions, please hit reply or leave a note in the comments, and I’ll get back with you.
Looking into Heaven
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! Revelation 4:1
Sadly, too much of our knowledge about heaven has been informed by cartoons that suggest we float around on clouds playing harps all day. One pastor asked about heaven, bluntly confessed, “I can’t stand the thought of that endless tedium” (Rick Warren, Heaven: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything the Bible Says about Our Eternal Home, 32). When we consider what the Bible actually tells us about heaven, we will long for the joys that await us there and join Paul in saying, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Phil. 1:23). Let’s consider some common questions about heaven: when do we go there, and who will be there.
When we die, the spirits or souls of believers go immediately to heaven, where we will be welcomed by Christ: “we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). However, as we noted in our last meditation on the resurrection of the body, this will not be our final state, because we will still await Christ’s establishment of the new heavens and the new earth, when our bodies will be raised. Since the heaven we go to right after our death is temporary, theologians call this time and space “the intermediate state” or the “interim state.”
Who will be there? When John is invited to look into heaven in Revelation 4, he sees the glorious God on the throne: “And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald” (Rev. 4:3). Knowing that John had been exiled to Patmos by the wicked Roman ruler, Domitian, we begin to understand the significance of what he saw; as Scotty Smith writes, “what captures John’s attention is a throne with someone sitting on it. An occupied throne! It is our heavenly Father! Our God reigns!” (Scotty Smith, Revelation: Hope in the Darkness Study Guide, 38). Knowing that God the Father is currently sitting on the throne of his kingdom in heaven reminds us that all will be well even when it appears that all is lost.
Who else is in heaven? Well, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the second and third members of the Holy Trinity, of course. According to Romans 8:34 and 8:26, both Jesus and the Holy Spirit intercede for us. The God who created rainbows and rivers, the Son who welcomed the children to come to him, the Spirit who comforts us in all of our affliction, are there, in heaven. Can you imagine the welcome we will receive? Can you imagine what it will be like to bury your face in Jesus’ shoulder and tell him how hard chemo was? Can you imagine hearing your Father say, “Welcome, child! I’m glad you’re home!” Oh, what a day that will be!
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Stir our longings to be with you in heaven. Help us to imagine the perfect peace and indescribable joy we will know when we depart from this fallen world and go to be with you in heaven.
In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
Further Encouragement
Read Phil. 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:8; Revelation 4:1-11.
For Reflection
What misguided notions have you had about heaven? What do you think it will be like to be in the presence of the triune God?
Life in Heaven
Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. Rev. 4:4
Children wonder if their grandparents who have died can see them from heaven; many people as we have said, fear being bored in heaven. As we continue our tour of the intermediate state of heaven, let’s explore who will be there and what we will do.
Who will we meet in heaven? In addition to the triune God, we will meet all of the believers who died before us. John sees twenty-four elders surrounding God’s throne. Theologians suggest these elders represent the twelve patriarchs of Israel and the twelve apostles—in other words, the entire church, all believers who have died before us. In heaven, was my grandmother reunited with her baby girl who died at two months old? While the Bible doesn’t give us many specific details answering this question, the story of Lazarus and the rich man as well as the appearance of Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration suggest that connections on earth continue into heaven (Luke 16:19-31; Matthew 17:1-3).
What will we do in the intermediate state in heaven? We will worship. The saints surrounding the throne in heaven fall down before God, praising him, “‘for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created’” (Rev. 4:9-11). If we feel bored imagining eternal worship, it probably reflects our earthly experience more than our understanding of heaven. In heaven, there will be no more worship wars—no more quibbling over praise songs or hymns. We will be in the full presence of the God who created the cosmos, the God who sent his own sinless Son to die that we might live with him forever. As fully redeemed souls, we will enjoy and glorify God as we were always meant to do.
In addition to worshiping God as never before, we will also pray in heaven. In Revelation 6, those who have suffered on earth pray for justice: “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Rev. 6:10). In the intermediate state of heaven, we will pray for the healing and restoration of the fallen world.
Not only will we pray, we will rest. In response to their prayer, the martyrs “were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer…” (Rev. 6:11). While we were granted rest from our slavery to sin and death when we trusted in Christ (Heb. 4:3), we will know this rest perfectly in heaven (Rev. 14:13).
Dear friends, we need not fear boredom or loneliness in heaven. We will be in the presence of God and other believers, dwelling in glory, and we won’t be able to contain our joy, our awe, our love, our excitement!
Prayer
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Enliven our imaginations, fuel our anticipation of heaven. Strengthen our desire to dwell with you in glory, so that we, like Paul, will be able to say, “To live is Christ; to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).
In Jesus’ heavenly name. Amen.
Further Encouragement
Read Revelation 4:1-11; Revelation 6:9-11; Luke 16:19-31; Luke 9:28-36.
Listen to “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
For Reflection
List some of the wonders of creation or joys of relationships that you can’t wait to thank God for when you get to heaven. Write them as a prayer of gratitude and worship.
I hope you enjoyed these meditations on heaven. I’d love to know what kinds of things you think about or wonder about when you think of heaven. Stay tuned for more on heaven—the new heavens and the new earth.