The Future Home Of The Redeemed - Part 1 Series

When I was a young Christian, I heard a song written by Andréa Crouch titled "If Heaven Was Never Promised" that resonated deep in my soul about what my relationship with Jesus meant to me. The song spoke of the unspeakable joy found in Heaven with its streets of gold and Angels singing for eternity. Yet, even if nothing was ever promised, it was worth just having Jesus in my life. Decades later, those same feelings about Heaven have only intensified as I continue to grow closer to Jesus daily, and He continues to prove Himself more trustworthy every day.

For centuries, Christians have been taught that they should focus on the blessed hope of Heaven to overcome the struggles and trials of this world because it is not their ultimate home. Within the last century, teaching has emerged that Christians should occupy this world and focus on politics, the environment, improving human potential, and society to usher in the new Heaven and Earth quickly.

So many Christians are content to get forgiven and go to Heaven when they die! And that's great, except that because they are going to Heaven, they often think that they can ignore and avoid dealing with life's many problems in the here and now! When they find themselves challenged by life's stresses and pressures, they think they can emotionally and psychologically avoid dealing with those problems by just 'hoping for the day of the Lord's appearing.' This makes it easy to avoid having to confront their present reality.

When this type of behavior occurs, the "blessed hope" of the Church dissolves into a way to avoid problems. The trouble with this kind of thinking is that it doesn't allow room to appropriate what God has already done in daily circumstances. The promise of eternal life is not something that starts in the future. Eternal life begins the moment a person receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! Christians are supposed to live in the world with an eternal understanding that they are no longer of this world but merely passing through.

Too many Christians carry this negative understanding of what eternal life means. They don't have to be dead and buried in the grave for eternal life to begin in them. No one can inherit a million dollars when they die. They inherit it when their ancestor dies and wills it to them! Jesus already died so that every Born-Again Christian can inherit His promises in the here and now! Eternal life doesn't start on the day of physical death. It starts on the day a person begins dying to self - by surrendering their life to Jesus and submitting to His Lordship.

Preparing a Place

Most people believe they will go to Heaven when they die. It is the great future promise of God to every human being. However, Jesus said He was the only way to get there.

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture." (John 10:9-10 NIV)

"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16-17 NIV)

Because Jesus is love incarnate, He "isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent" (2 Peter 3:9-10 NLT).

Every human being who has ever lived will one day stand before the "great white throne," where the book of life will be opened, and they will be judged according to their choice to reject or receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

"If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15 NIV)

The Three Heavens

The Bible is literal and filled with symbolism, allegory, and metaphors. John the Beloved was given a revelation about the things to come including a description of what He saw, including Heaven.

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John” (Revelation 1:1 ESV)

Much of what the Bible says about Heaven is found in the Book of Revelation that was made "known." The word 'known' is translated from the Greek 'sémainó,' a verb meaning to give a literal sign or mark that distinguishes something or someone from another, to indicate, signify, or make absolutely known.

The Bible does not provide multiple details about Heaven but gives a minute glimpse. It says Heaven is not merely a state of being but an actual dwelling place. It is mentioned over 238 times in the New Testament alone. The word "heaven" is also used in the Bible in reference to the Earth's atmosphere and interstellar space (Genesis 1:17, 20). There are three Heavens referenced in the Bible.