If Every Christian Could Take One Look Into Heaven

If Every Christian Could Take One Look into Heaven

John 14:2

Intro

The Bible does not give us all the answers to the questions we may have concerning heaven and hell. Someone has suggested that if we were given a full description of the joys of heaven, it would be impossible for us to be happy here on earth. Although many questions are not answered, we can be grateful for the information we do have concerning the life beyond.

It is impossible to know all until we get to heaven. By means of travel, one is able to learn much about a country and about the people that make up the country. It is impossible to describe fully what we learn by a trip to heaven. We can only speculate as to the reports that we would be able to give if we could then return to the common walks of man.

In the book of Revelation, a door was opened and John the Revelator heard a voice describing heaven: “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead with die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them” (Rev. 14:13). The voice came from one who could see the glory and joy of those who had passed on into the home of the heavenly Father. It described those saints as blessed and happy.

If we could take one look into heaven, we would observe a number of things.

I. We would see what God intended for all people.

a. The Bible begins with man in a garden of delight.

i. He was given a pleasant occupation

ii. He was blessed with beloved companionship

iii. He enjoyed beautiful surroundings.

b. Sin changed God’s plan for all though

i. Humans were made to walk and talk with God in a personal relationship and fellowship

ii. Unbelief, rebellion, and greed for equality with God broke this fellowship, and Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden.

c. The Bible is a record of God’s activities by which he is seeking to help humankind regain the lost paradise.

i. The Bible opens with man in the garden (Gen. 3) and closes with the redeemed again in a garden (Rev. 22:1-5)

ii. The redemptive program of God from the beginning to the present has been designed to help people regain that which was lost because of sin.

II. We would see what God has in store for those who love him (1 Cor. 2:9)

a. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people

i. Commodious

ii. Beautiful

iii. Comfortable

b. Heaven is a place of perfect holiness

i. Rev. 21:27, “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or makes a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

c. Heaven is a place of Rest

d. Heaven is a place of perfect health

e. Heaven is a place of active service

f. Heaven is a place where rewards for faithful service are bestowed.

III. We would see what our lost friends are going to miss.

a. The scriptures teach that the unsaved will be shut out of heaven and deprived of the blessings that could have been theirs.

Matthew 25:41, 46

“Then He will also say to those on His left, Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;…These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Rev. 20:11-15

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; an the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead with were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

b. The Bible teaches that instead of going to heaven, which god is preparing for those who love him, the unsaved will enter hell as intruders.

i. They will be un-welcomed guests in a place that we prepared for the Devil and his angels.