The Wonders of Heaven!

Heaven!
What a comforting word for the weary pilgrim.
What a blessed word for the suffering saint.
What a glorious word for the redeemed sinner whose earthly journey is drawing to its close!

The world speaks of Heaven as though it were merely a vague and sentimental hope -- a beautiful place where departed loved ones supposedly float upon clouds forever. But Scripture presents something infinitely more glorious. Heaven is not a fantasy, nor is it merely the absence of pain. Heaven is . . .
  the dwelling place of God,
  the eternal home of the redeemed,
  the place where the glory of Jesus is perfectly revealed,
  the place where where sin is forever banished,
  the place where where righteousness dwells,
  and where God's people will behold their Savior and rejoice in Him forever.

Heaven is glorious because Jesus is there!

Indeed, the greatest wonder of Heaven is not:
  its golden streets,
  its gates of pearl,
  its river of the water of life,
  its tree of life,
  its crystal-clear river,
  or its absence of sorrow.
The supreme wonder of Heaven is Jesus Himself!

Jesus prayed concerning His redeemed people, "Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world" (John 17:24).

There is the very heart of Heaven!

To be with Jesus.

To see Jesus.

To behold His glory.

To delight in Jesus forever.

The wonder of Heaven is that the One whom we now love by faith, though we cannot see Him, will one day stand before us in all His unveiled majesty. The Savior whom we have . . .
  trusted through the darkness,
  followed through the wilderness,
  and worshiped through the tears,
will then be seen face to face!

"He will be with them, and they will be His people.
 God Himself will be with them and be their God!" (Revelation 21:3).

What a prospect!

Heaven is the Home of the Redeemed

This world is not our home. The believer is a pilgrim passing through a fallen world, traveling toward a celestial city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

Sin has stained this present creation.
Death has entered through sin.
Sorrow follows us.
Bodies grow weak.
Friendships are broken.
Families are separated.
Trials come without warning.
Even our happiest earthly moments are temporary.
But Heaven will be the final home of all whom God has redeemed.

Jesus promised His disciples, "I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me, that you also may be where I am" (John 14:2-3).

Notice those precious words: "with Me."

Jesus did not merely promise a place. He promised Himself.

The Christian's greatest longing should therefore not merely be to escape suffering, nor even to receive an immortal body or a glorious inheritance. The deepest longing of the redeemed heart is to be with Jesus!

Heaven is home, because Jesus is there.

Heaven is the End of Sin

What a wonder it will be to awaken one morning and discover that sin is gone forever!

Never again will there be . . .
  an evil thought,
  a corrupt desire,
  an angry word,
  a selfish motive,
  a jealous heart,
  a wandering eye,
  a cold prayer,
  or a careless act.

Never again will the believer have to confess sin.

Never again will he struggle against indwelling corruption.

Never again will he grieve over his failures.

Never again will Satan tempt him.

Never again will he need to cry, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24).

The battle will be over.
The conflict will cease.
The enemy will be defeated.
The redeemed will be perfectly holy.

"They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads" (Revelation 22:4).

Imagine it! The very people who once struggled daily with sin will one day stand before God without the slightest stain of sin upon them. Every trace of corruption will have been removed. Every redeemed sinner will be perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus.

What astonishing grace!

Heaven is the End of Suffering

Heaven will be the place where God forever wipes away the tears of His children.

"There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4).

Think of the implications of those words:
No more hospitals.
No more funeral homes.
No more graves.
No more cancer.
No more loneliness.
No more broken hearts.
No more sleepless nights.
No more persecution.
No more fear.
No more pain.
No more goodbyes.
No more death.

Every sorrow endured for Jesus will then seem light and momentary, compared with the eternal glory that awaits us.

The Christian may walk through deep valleys here, but no valley reaches into Heaven.
The believer may shed many tears on earth, but there are no tears in glory.
We may experience rejection here, but there is perfect acceptance there.
We may feel weak here, but there we shall be clothed with immortality and incorruption.

The sufferings of this present age are temporary.
Glory is eternal.

Heaven is the Presence of Perfect Worship

Earthly worship is often mingled with weakness.
Our minds wander.
Our hearts grow cold.
Our praises are imperfect.
Our prayers are distracted. Our love is feeble.

But Heaven will be perfect worship.
The redeemed multitude will forever magnify the One who loved them and gave Himself for them.

The apostle John heard their song: "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).

The Lamb!
What a precious title for our Savior in Heaven.
The One who was despised and rejected.
The One who was nailed to the cross.
The One whose blood purchased His people.
The One who died and rose again.
The Lamb who was slain will forever be the center of Heaven's worship!

Heaven will never grow boring, because Jesus will never become less glorious.
His beauty will never diminish.
His perfections will never be exhausted.
His wisdom will never be fully comprehended.
His love will never be measured.
His glory will never become commonplace.
Eternity will not be long enough to exhaust the wonders of Jesus.

Heaven is the Fulfillment of Every Promise

Every promise God has made to His people will find its ultimate fulfillment in glory:
The promise of eternal life will be fulfilled.
The promise of resurrection will be fulfilled.
The promise of perfect holiness will be fulfilled.
The promise of Christ's return will be fulfilled.
The promise that nothing can separate us from God's love will be fulfilled in everlasting experience.
Not one promise of God will fall to the ground.
Every word He has spoken will prove eternally true.

The believer may therefore face death without terror.
Death is not the end of the Christian's story.
It is the doorway into the presence of the Savior!

Paul could say, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far" (Philippians 1:23).

Notice again the words: "with Christ."

That is Heaven!

Heaven is the Great Reunion of the Redeemed

There will be a vast multitude in glory. Revelation describes "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language" standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Revelation 7:9).

There will be no divisions there.

No denominations.

No theological quarrels.

No racial hostility.

No national hatred.

No jealousy.

No misunderstanding.

No pride.

The entire redeemed family of God will stand together before the throne, united in one perfect love and one glorious song.

There will be apostles and martyrs, missionaries and pastors, mothers and fathers, young and old, the famous and the forgotten. Many whom the world never noticed, will shine with everlasting glory because they belonged to Jesus.

And every redeemed saint will know the same truth: "I am here because of God's glorious grace."

No one will boast.

No one will say, "I am here because I was better than others."

No one will claim, "I am here because I was wiser than others."

No one will assert, "I am here because of my decision."

The redeemed will cast their crowns before the throne and worship the One who saved them.

Heaven is the Triumph of Jesus

Perhaps the greatest wonder of Heaven is that it is the eternal triumph of Jesus.

At Calvary, it appeared to the world that Jesus had been defeated.

His enemies mocked Him.

His disciples fled.

His body was placed in a tomb.

But the tomb could not hold Him.

Death could not conquer Him.

Satan could not defeat Him.

The grave could not imprison Him.

Jesus rose victorious!

And the day is coming when His triumph will be fully manifested before all creation.

The One who wore a crown of thorns, will be all-glorious.

The One who was condemned by men will be acknowledged as Judge.

The One who was mocked, will be worshiped.

The One who was rejected, will be exalted.

The One who was crucified, will reign.

The Lamb will stand at the center of the throne.

And His redeemed people will forever rejoice in Him.

Heaven is Better Than We Can Imagine

Our minds cannot comprehend the fullness of what God has prepared for His redeemed people.

Scripture says: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived -- the things God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Our language is too small.

Our imagination is too weak.

Our minds are too finite.

We speak of golden streets, precious stones, crowns, glory, light, and thrones -- yet these descriptions can only begin to communicate the reality of what awaits the redeemed.

But there is one thing we know with certainty: Jesus will be there!

And because Jesus is there, Heaven will be infinitely more glorious than anything we could ever imagine.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Christian, do not become so attached to this passing world, that you forget your eternal home.

This world is fading.

Your body is fading.

Your possessions are fading.

Your earthly achievements are fading.

But your inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in Heaven for you (1 Peter 1:4).

Therefore, lift your eyes.
Your Savior is coming.
Your home is waiting.
Your inheritance is secure.
Your redemption will soon be complete.

One day the trumpet will sound.
One day the dead in Jesus will rise.
One day mortality will be swallowed up by life.
One day faith will become sight.
One day the long pilgrimage will end.

And one day, believer, you will see Jesus.
Not by faith only.
Not through a mirror dimly.
Not through the pages of Scripture only.
But face to face!

You will see the One who loved you before the foundation of the world.
You will see the One who came into this world to die for you.
You will see the One who bore the wrath you deserved.
You will see the wounds that purchased your redemption.
You will see the risen Savior in all His glory.
And you will be with Him forever!

Then you will understand that . . .
  every trial was worth enduring,
  every tear was worth shedding,
  every sacrifice was worth making,
  and every moment of waiting was worth it.

Heaven will not merely be the end of the Christian's journey.
Heaven will be the beginning of everlasting wonder.

For there, throughout the endless ages of eternity, the redeemed will gaze upon the infinite glory of Jesus, and discover that He is more wonderful than they ever imagined.

And as the ages roll on, the song will never cease: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12).

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

(The above article was AI generated.)