Heaven

Heaven

A pastor was talking to a group of young children about believing in Jesus and going to heaven.At the end of his talk, he asked, "Where do you want to go?""Heaven!" they all piped up. "And what do you have to be to get there?" "Dead!", one boy yelled.

ABRAHAM WAS WILLING TO LIVE IN THE PROMISED LAND LIKE A STRANGER FOR “ HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CITY WITH FOUNDATIONS, WHOSE ARCHITECT & BUILDER WAS GOD. HEB11:9-10. HE WAS WILLING TO DO THIS BECAUSE HE REALIZED THAT THE NEW JERUS. WILL BE MORE REAL, MORE SOLID AND MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN CANAAN’S LAND OF MILK AND HONEY. THE BOOK OF REV. DOES NOT GIVE US DETAILS DESCRIBING THE NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH. INSTEAD IT FOCUSES ON A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF THE NEW JERUS. THAT COMES FROM ABOVE.

WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE? We can’t help but wonder what heaven is like. Heaven is mysterious to the human mind. Heaven is a place that defies our imagination. In 1 Corinthians 2:9 “…NO EYE HAS SEEN, NO EAR HAS HEARD, NO MIND HAS CONCEIVED WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” So whatever we can imagine heaven to be like, it isn’t! It is vastly superior to anything our minds can conjure up. We’ve heard many stories about what heaven is like. Most of them mention pearly gates and an angel who is standing by to interview those who seek entrance. So AS CHRISTIANS, we may ASK THE QUESTION, "WHAT WILL HEAVEN BE LIKE?" See Revelation 21: 1- 26.

ISAIAH WAS THE 1ST TO FORETELL OF A NEW HEAVEN & A NEW EARTH…… Scripture is clear to us that there is a real heaven. Every description of it draws a picture of perfection, be it numbers, or dimensions, whatever the descriptions are in the book of Revelation, we find perfection.

So, what can we expect to see and feel there? What is it going to look like and what are we going to do? The first thing you notice is that God himself will be with us. The word in the KJV in vs.3 is the dwelling place which is the word SKENE. This is the word for tabernacle. WE see the word used in Lev 26:11-12 when its says, “I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God and you will be my people.” This is a promise repeated over and over again in Scripture (see Jeremiah 31:33 and Ezekiel 37:27).

In Scripture we have some glimpses of heaven, but ultimately Scripture says that “ear has not heard, nor eye seen what God has in store for us.” It is good beyond what we can even begin to imagine.

WHAT WE WILL BE LIKE ? 1 John 3:2 "Dear friends, now we are children of God and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him." When we enter heaven we will be changed physically and spiritually. John tells us we will be like Jesus. What will that be like? Here are a few things the Bible tells us:

WE WILL STILL EAT - What is the first thing that happens after the rapture? The Marriage supper of the lamb! Rev 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

After the resurrection of Jesus HE appears to his disciples in Jerusalem. (Luke 24:41 NIV) And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?"(Luke 24:42 NIV) They gave him a piece of broiled fish, (Luke 24:43 NIV) and he took it and ate it in their presence. Peter said in (Acts 10:41 NIV) He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen-- by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. Rev 22:2 On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Which brings us to :

WE WILL NEVER BE SICK AGAIN: We currently live in a fallen, imperfect world. People get sick, suffer and die. In heaven that won’t be true. The utter joy of living in God’s presence will be indescribable. Rev explains what will not be there: Revelation 21:4 tells us: "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." THERE WILL BE no more disease or aches or pains. No more pills to take, doctors to see or soreness to deal with. No more tests to be run. The doctors will be out of business. In addition to the fruit was the leaves of the tree for medicine to heal the nations. Why would the nations need to be healed if all evil has been eliminated? John was alluding to Ezekiel 47:12 where water flowing from the temple produced trees with healing leaves. This is not implying illness …the emphasis was that the water of life would produce health & strength where ever it would go . all the hurts will have been healed. Heaven will be a world where, Isaiah 35:5-6 "the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. And the lame will leap like a deer, and the mute tongue will shout for joy" There will be no more suffering in heaven.