PRAISING GOD FOR HIS WONDER OF WONDERS: HEAVEN
A Prepared Place for Prepared People for Living in Paradise-with-Purpose
“Wow!” That’s how some folks express their amazement when I tell them that my mother had eleven children of which I am the youngest. My usual reply is:“I was born accidentally for a purpose.”
At the age of twelve, my discovery of that purpose began . . . but continues to this day inasmuch as I learned early-on that a Christian’s fullest comprehension of life’s meaning and purpose requires a lifelong process of spiritual growth. Peter the chief apostle, speaking of the coming Day of the Lord and our need to be prepared, advised us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
We have been reminded in our studies over the past six weeks that the Bible is full of wonderful promises for which we praise God . . . but, for me - at my age and stage in life - the most wonderful of all is this: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor mind conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (I Corinthians 2:9).
Folks: God’s wonder of wonders is Heaven – a prepared place for a prepared people for living in paradise – which God purposed from the beginning, i.e. Human history began in paradise, and human history will end in paradise – on purpose! What began in Genesis is brought to completion in Revelation – 21:1-8 . . .
John’s vision of “a new heaven and a new earth” was a visual confirmation of what God had told Isaiah: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17). Wow!
Memory loss will be due not to alzheimer’s . . . sometimers . . . oldtimers status but will be due to newtimers shock caused by a re-creative act of God who, with a great voice declared from the throne, “Behold, I am making everything new” . . .
A New Prepared Place - promised by Jesus as he comforted His disciples by assuring them that He would be going to His Father’s House to prepare a place for them so that “you may be where I am” (John 14). A New Place prepared by Christ!
A Place characterized by God’s Presence as we’ve never known it before. In this life, His presence has been represented inwardly by the Holy Spirit of God . . . outwardly by the beauty of the earth, the magnificence of the skies, the grandeur of all that around us lies - but in our New Place is God Himself. You might say that:
In the here and now we see evidence of His presence. In the New Prepared Place which we call Heaven we will see the essence of His presence . . . His very Being. “Now we see through a glass darkly, but then, face to face!” Because of His abiding presence, there will have to be the absence of so much . . . Only a new heaven and a new earth will do!
The original word translated “new” in this instance means new in nature as opposed to new in time. This Old House TV Show became of interest to me when it fell my lot to update my sister’s old house (a dilapidated 1910 bungalow) and transform it into a dwelling akin to, if not actually, a mansion that would be more in line with other remodeled like0new properties in the area. The old house is still recognizable on the outside, but the interior is stunningly beautiful.
Whatever and however God has planned His “making all things new” is left to conjecture, and cannot be predicted by me with absolute certainty. But it goes without saying that “Heaven” where God now dwells in all His glory would never have to be made new again. So, there’s no telling what God can and will do with this old earth or, for that matter, with the whole universe as we know it.
The phrase “passed away” as used in this particular context is the only use of it that I feel comfortable with! Ordinarily, to hear it or have to say it makes us sad. Yet, in this context of the old having passed away, it ought to make us glad! Brings to mind the reassurance Jesus gave us: “Your grief will turn to joy!”
What a reversal of emotions! A joyous occasion! Like a full-blown, formal wedding! We’ve all been there, done that. So, we understand the glorious impact to be made on God’s Prepared People when we see the Holy City as John saw it - beautifully adorned as a bride prepared for her husband on their wedding day.
This best-case-scenario “word picture” painted by John portrays a place of fellowship . . . community . . . a glorious gathering place for the Prepared People who will be there – people prepared by a saving and sanctifying relationship with God’s Son - the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ.
There can be nothing in the city of the redeemed to disturb God’s peace . . . disrupt life as it was created and then re-created to be . . . distance the redeemed from God and or loved ones . . . discourage, dampen, or disappoint. None of these kinds of emotions . . . disruptions . . . heart attacks or heart breaks are allowed to exist in God’s new creation! There will be no sin and therefore none of the effects of sin!
There will be a glorious realization by Prepared People (true believers) who dwell, and with whom God dwells, in this New Home . . . a glorious realization of paradise regained . . . recreated . . . reconstructed – for all who know the Lord in the forgiveness of sin plus . . . in their acceptance of, and commitment to, God’s Son as personal Savior and LORD.
Here’s the crux of the matter: To repent . . . believe . . . receive . . . be faithful to Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us, is to overcome the sinful life Satan would have us to live and to become the children of God we were created then re-created to be and thus forever be blessed by our sonship relationship, which Father God invites all who will to share with His Son: “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he will be My Son.”
Folks: “It is done.” Paradise-with-Purpose has been won. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! God’s work of making all things new will have been completed. We who belong to the Family of God by virtue of our relationship to God’s Son Jesus Christ will be a part of it all. It’s a done deal!
Similar words were spoken by Jesus while on the cross: “It is finished!” All God sent Him to do for our salvation had been accomplished. His remaining task was: to prepare a place for prepared people.
When the “Alpha” has become the “Omega”, i.e. when He who began it, ends it, and when we see our Savior - the Author and the Finisher of our Faith – we shall have become victors over sin and death, and we shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever!
Yet, in any battle there is a contrast as to outcome: There are “winners” and there are “losers”. So will it be in the battle of God’s good versus Satan’s evil.
As victors, we join the greatest Apostle in shouting, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”! We all offer congratulations to those who will pass from death unto life.
As victors, we lament the destiny of “losers” - who reject God’s offer of an inheritance incorruptible. We all extend our condolences to those who will pass from death unto death.
For me, as with Paul, to live is Christ, but to die is gain – absent from the body, present with the Lord. Let our slogan be: To live in Christ is to live with Christ!
Whereas, to live in rejection of Christ is to exist eternally separated from Him - in hell – in the abode of rebellious angels and unsaved human beings.
The Good News is: There is still time for the unsaved - those against God . . . who reject the Son of God . . . who repeatedly renounce, retaliate, or revengefully do harm to people of God – to recognize guilt, repent of sins against God, receive the love of Christ into hearts, revolutionize their wicked ways, be remade in the likeness of Christ! “Now is the time of God’s favor. Today is the day of salvation.”
The Voice of the One seated on the Throne promised: “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” Amen.
