When Christ Comes: The Hope of Reunion!
Scott Bayles
First Christian Church
What makes a house a home? Since Ashley and I have been married we’ve lived in a shared two-story house, a small one-bed-room apartment, a friend’s basement, a modern townhouse, and most recently a cozy three-bed-room ranch. Each of our dwellings has been very different from the last, yet each one has been home. What makes a house a home isn’t the address or the lot or the garage or the architecture. What makes it home are the people.
You may live in a bigger or newer or better house than we live in, but as nice as your house may be, I would never refer to your house as my home because the people who are most important to me don’t live there. So what makes a house a home are the people with whom we share it.
And what makes Heaven our home are not streets made out of gold, the beautiful landscape, or the majestic New Jerusalem. It’s not the fact we will live there forever, unaffected by age, ailments or affliction. True, Jesus has promised to prepare the perfect place just for us. Yet, that’s still not what makes heaven our home. What makes Heaven our home is the inhabitants—the family, friends and the Father with whom we will share our eternal abode. The Bible describes Heaven as a place of peace and rest, but also a place of bustling activity where relationships are formed and forged.
So, let me invite you to join me for a few minutes as I introduce you to some of the residents that will help make Heaven so very heavenly. First, among the many inhabitant of Heaven we’re likely to encounter will be...
• ANIMALS
Believe it or not, one of the most commonly asked questions concerning Heaven is—will there be animals in Heaven? The answer to that question is a resounding yes! First, we know that animals populated the Garden of Eden; consequently, we have every reason to believe that they will populate Eden restored. Scripture, in fact, has a great deal to say about animals, portraying them as Earth’s second-most important inhabitants and among God’s most creative creations. God entrusted Adam and Eve and, by extension, humanity as a whole to rule over and care for the animals of the Earth. And for many of us, our relationships with animals are a significant part of our lives. Heaven’s wildlife however will be somewhat different from what we see on the Discovery Channel. You see, when God first created the world, he said, “I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life” (Genesis 1:30 NLT).
In that first paradise—before the fall, before the world was corrupted by sin—there was no such thing a carnivore or predator; rather, all of God’s creatures lived in peace with one another. And in the New Heaven and Earth, it will be like that again. In the words of Isaiah, “In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow” (Isaiah 11:6-7 NLT). While these descriptions of animals peacefully inhabiting the Earth may have symbolic fulfillment in God’s family in the here-and-now, their ultimate fulfillment points toward God’s eternal kingdom—where mankind and animals will together enjoy a redeemed Earth.
But the question on many people’s mind is—will my pets be in heaven? Honestly, Scripture doesn’t conclusively tell us whether our pets will make it to heaven. While animals certainly possess the breath of life, there really isn’t any Biblical evidence that the spiritual essence of an animal survives the death of the body. In fact, 2 Peter 2:12 seems to imply the opposite. However, I’m not willing to preclude the possibility. Some of the keenest thinkers, including C.S. Lewis, were not only convinced that animals in general but pets in particular will be restored in the resurrection. If God does decide to resurrect our loyal pets it would be in total keeping with his overwhelming goodness and grace. But, moving along, in addition to animals, the New Heaven and Earth will also be home to…
• ANGELS
Angels have been a source of fascination for countless Christians over the centuries and one common misconception is that people will become angels when we die. Let me clarify—Angels are angels. Humans are humans. We won’t become angels, but we will be with angels—and that’s far better. Angels are spiritual beings with their own histories and memories, with distinct identities reflected in the fact that they have personal names. Although, only two angels are specifically named in the Bible—Gabriel and Michael—we can be certain that each angel in Heaven will have a unique name and personality just like human beings do. And different angels have different assignments and levels of authority. Michael, the archangel, serves under God and commands the armies of Heaven while Gabriel appears to be the chief herald or messenger.
And, while angels are essentially spirit-beings, meaning they don’t have flesh and blood bodies like we have and will have, they apparently do possess the ability to manifest themselves in a visible and tangible way. The Bible records several instances when angels appeared to people such as Elizabeth and Mary the mother of Jesus. On both of those occasions the angels could be both seen and heard. In Genesis we find the story of two angels who visited Abraham’s nephew Lot in the city of Sodom. In that story, we’re told that the angels sat down and shared a meal with Lot’s family—actually eating bread and drinking wine.
Ordinarily though, angels are operating all over the world—invisibly, intangibly, undetectable by human senses. The Bible says, “What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation” (Hebrews 1:14 TEV). With that in mind, what stories they must have to tell! How would Michael describe the battle against Satan and his demons? How might Gabriel describe the look on Mary’s face when he told her she was pregnant? Even more astounding must be the stories they could share about you. An old Greek proverb says, “There stands an angel by every man as soon as he is born to guide him through the mystery of life.” That may not be too far from the truth. After all, even the Bible says, “He has put his angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go” (Psalm 91:11 NCV). Imagine conversing with the angel charged with your safekeeping. How many times did he/she save your life? How many times did he/she intervene invisibly in your daily walk? When you cried alone in your room, was there angel’s shoulder beneath you cheek? Oh, the stories they will have to share. But animals and angels only account for a fraction of Heaven’s inhabitants. More important to many people, will be the reunion we experience with our own…
• ANCESTORS
Like I said at the beginning, home just wouldn’t be home without our loved ones—our families. And on the other side of eternity, we will share a wonderful reunion with those loved ones. One question of grave concern to many is—will we recognize one another in Heaven? The Bible never addresses this question specifically, but it certainly indicates that we will. For starters, Jesus’ followers recognized him on countless occasions after the resurrection. I’ve mentioned before that Jesus probably looked subtly different—the imperfections and blemishes that accompanied his natural body were gone, but he was still personally identified by as many as five hundred folks including his own mother and brother. So there was no doubt about his identity or that he could be recognized. Additionally, Peter, James and John were able to instantly recognize Moses and Elijah, who appeared with Jesus during his transfiguration. Obviously, the disciples had never seen a Polaroid of Moses or Elijah who had lived hundreds of years before they were born. Therefore, there seems to be a deeper level of recognition—something about the spirit, not just the physical appearance. Finally, Paul anticipated being in Heaven with the Thessalonians and it never occurred to him that he wouldn’t recognize them.
God designed humanity for relationships not just with him but with each other. That’s why Jesus said that the second greatest command was to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). The relationships that we fashion in this life—our family and friendships—will continue in the next life. Jesus once said, “I can guarantee this truth: Anyone who gave up his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields because of me and the Good News will certainly receive a hundred times as much here in this life. They will certainly receive homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields, along with persecutions. But in the world to come they will receive eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30 GWT).
What Jesus was saying is that devotion to God creates a bond that transcends biological family ties. Heaven won’t be without families—we’ll still have loving family relationships with people who were our blood family on Earth—but we will all be one big family, in which all family members are friends and all friends are family members.
When you get to Heaven and you see your own children or husband or wife or parents, you won’t have to stare at them and wonder who they are. You won’t treat them like a stranger. You’ll still share all of the memories of the wonderful love that you had for them. You can throw your arms around them and tell them how much you’ve missed them. You’ll be able to talk with them and tell all about your life since you last saw each other. Don’t be surprised if they’ve been watching you though. The Bible tells us that the spirits of the saints are fully aware of and interested in what’s happening on Earth (Revelation 6).
While our relationships with other believers will certainly continue in Heaven, we should be aware that some of those relationships might be a little different. For instance, if you lost a child at a young age that little boy or girl isn’t likely to be consigned to perpetual childhood. Rather, he or she will be the mature and perfect man or woman God intended. Again, the Bible never specifically addresses the issue of age in Heaven; however I believe we do find a clue in our very own genetic make up. David praised God saying, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it” (Psalm 139:14 NLT). One of those wonderfully complex parts of the human body is DNA. Our DNA, written by God, is programmed in such a way that at a particular point we reach optimal development from a functional standpoint. (Explain anabolism & catabolism.) For the most part, it appears that we reach this stage somewhere in our twenties or early thirties. All of this is to say that if our DNA offers a clue as to the age of our heavenly bodies, then we will all appear (no matter how old or young we were when we died) in the prime of life—at the optimal point of physical development in our twenties or thirties. The simple fact that Adam and Eve were created in the prime of life, I think, confirms this theory.
Not only that, but Jesus also tells us that our marital relationships will be different. “For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30 NTL). Some happily married couples are troubled by this. Many people who are happily married want to stay married in Heaven. But there’s no need to worry. Although human marriage as we know it will apparently not exist in Heaven, Jesus never suggests that deep personal relationships between married people will end. I fully expect that my wife, Ashley, and I will be closer friends than ever. We’ll remember fondly the life we forged together on the old Earth, the children and (hopefully) grandchildren we had. And all of us will forever be a part of the same marriage, and eternal marriage to Jesus, our bridegroom.
On the other hand, while many of us treasure our families, some of us have endured a lifetime of broken hearts stemming from twisted family relationships. But in Heaven, neither we nor our family members who are there will cause pain. Our relationships with them and with each other will be perfectly harmonious—a reflection of the loving relationship shared by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. No more broken homes or broken hearts. No more defiant or rebellious teenagers. No more nursing homes or funeral homes. We’ll love one another as we love ourselves—even better, we’ll love one another as God has loved each one of us!
Speaking of the Father, Son and Spirit, there is one more relationship we’ll experience—one more inhabitant of Heaven with whom we will share eternity.
• THE ALMIGHTY
From the throne of God, John heard a divine voice proclaim, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them” (Revelation 21:3 NLT).
Augustine once posed the following experiment. Imagine God saying to you, “I’ll make a deal with you if you wish. I’ll give you anything and everything you ask: pleasure, power, honor, wealth, freedom, even peace of mind and a good conscience. Nothing will be a sin; nothing will be forbidden; and nothing will be impossible to you. You will never be bored and you will never die. Only . . . you will never see my face.”
The first part of the proposition is appealing. Isn’t there a part of us, a pleasure-loving part of us that perks up at the thought of guiltless, endless delight? But then, just as we are about to raise our hands and volunteer, we hear the final phrase, “you will never see my face.”
And we pause. Never? Never know the image of God? Never, ever behold the presence of Christ? At this point, tell me, doesn’t the bargain begin to lose some of its appeal? Don’t second thoughts begin to surface? And doesn’t the test teach us something about our hearts? Doesn’t it reveal a deeper, better part of us that wants to see God?
According to Paul we will. And not only that, but we will be amazed at what we see. “On the day when the Lord Jesus comes,” he writes, “all the people who have believed will be amazed at Jesus” (2 Thessalonians 1:10).
Amazed at Jesus. Not amazed at angels or mansions or new bodies or new creations. Paul doesn’t measure the joy of encountering the apostles or embracing our loved ones. If we will be amazed at these, which certainly we will, he does not say. What he does say is that we will be amazed at Jesus.
What we have only seen in our thoughts, we will see with our eyes. What we’ve struggled to imagine, we will be free to behold. What we’ve seen in a glimpse, we will then see in full view. And, according to Paul, we will be amazed. So, what will be so amazing?
Of course I have no way of answering that question from personal experience. But I can point you to someone who can. One Sunday morning many Sundays ago, a man named John saw Jesus. And what he saw, he recorded, and what he recorded has tantalized seekers of Christ for two thousand years.
You and I only read about the hands that fed the thousands. Not John. He saw them—knuckled fingers, callused palms. He saw them. You and I only read about the feet that found a path through the waves. Not John. John saw them—sandaled, ten-toed, and dirty. You and I only read about his eyes—his flashing eyes, his fiery eyes, his weeping eyes. Not so with John. John saw them. John had seen Jesus. For three years he’d followed Christ. But this encounter was far different from any in Galilee. The image was so vivid, the impression so powerful. “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead,” John said (Rev. 1:17 NLT).
He describes the event like this:
I turned to see who was talking to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands and someone among the lampstands who was “like a Son of Man.” He was dressed in a long robe and had a gold band around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like bronze that glows hot in a furnace, and his voice was like the noise of flooding water. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword came out of his mouth. He looked like the sun shining at its brightest time. When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He put his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid.” (Rev. 1:12–17)
If you are puzzled by this passage, you aren’t alone. What are we to make of such a picture? How are we to assimilate these images? Are we to combine them on a canvas and consider it a portrait of Jesus? I don’t think so. Did you notice how often John used the word like? He describes hair like wool, eyes like fire, feet like bronze, a voice like the noise of flooding water. I don’t think the goal of this vision is to tell us what Jesus looks like, but rather who Jesus is:
The Perfect Priest—clad in priestly garments.
The Only Pure One—so pure that even his hair is white as snow.
The Source of Strength—with limbs of burnished bronze.
The Sound of Love—a voice as steady, soothing, command as a river.
The Everlasting Light—beside which all else pales in comparison.
And what will happen when you see Jesus?
You will see unblemished purity and unbending strength. You will feel his unending presence and know his unbridled protection. And—all that he is, he will make you, for you will be like Jesus. Wasn’t that the promise of John? “We know that when Christ comes again, we will be like him, because we will see him as he really is” (1 John 3:2). Seeing him will change us.
Since you’ll be pure as snow, you will never sin again.
Since you will be as strong as bronze, you will never stumble again.
Since you’ll dwell near the river, you will never feel lonely again.
Since the work of the priest will have been finished, you will never doubt again.
When Christ comes, you will dwell in the light of God. And you will see him as he really is. To each one of us who awaits his coming, he offers this word of encouragement, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me… I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am” (John 14:1,3 NIV).
Invitation…
In just a moment we’ll sing our invitation song and as we do, let’s look forward to the day Christ comes. Let’s live with an ear for the trumpet and eye for the clouds. And when he calls your name, be ready. Let’s sing.
