The Seven Wonders Of Heaven

The Seven Wonders of Heaven

Scripture: II Cor.5:1-12; Rev.22:1-5

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Of course by now you know what I am referring to: HEAVEN! I want to share a message with you about this glorious place—a place of wonder and delight—a place prepared by God Himself for you to enjoy throughout eternity.

In the days of Alexander the Great, the Greeks originated the first group of “Seven Wonders of the World.”

This group is composed of monuments remarkable for their splendor and/or size:

 Pyramids of Egypt

 Hanging Gardens of Babylon

 Temple of Diana at Ephesus

 Statue of Jupiter in Athens

 Mausoleum of Artemisia in Asia Minor

 Colossus of Rhodes—bronze statue of the sun god—105 feet high

 Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt

Seven Wonders of the Modern World

 Great Pyramid

 St. Sophia

 Leaning Tower of Pisa

 Taj Mahal

 Washington Monument (555 ft. high)

 Eiffel Tower (984 ft. high)

 Sears Tower? Mackinaw Bridge?

Seven Wonders of the Natural World

 Grand Canyon

 Rio de Janeiro Harbor

 Iguassu Falls of Argentina

 Redwood Trees

 Mt. Everest

 Nile River

 Northern Lights

We could go on and on, talking about the seven wonders of science, transportation, communication, and medicine. But as wonderful as these all are, we can turn to the Book of God and find something more amazing than all of these—heaven!

C.S. Lewis said, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.”

Let’s look for a few moments at the Seven Wonders of Heaven.

1. The Wonder of It’s Existence

This is what the Spirit revealed to the Apostle John about heaven as recorded in the Book of Revelation:

 Not made with human hands

 Never wears out

 Inhabitants too vast to number

 Streets of gold; walls of jasper

 No hospitals, cemeteries, prisons, or metal institutions

 No crime, pollution, hurricanes, floods, or earthquakes

What a country!

2. The Wonder of Heaven’s Character

 A place of incomparable beauty. Paul said it well in I Corinthians 2:9: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard; neither has the mid conceived, what God has prepared for those that love him.”

 A place of purity and holiness. The bible says, “And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles.” It’s a place without sin, and therefore without sin’s consequences: war, hatred, crime, disease, and punishment.

 A place without sorrow or sadness, or death—only perpetual joy!

What a country!

3. The Wonder of Heaven’s Inhabitants

 Higher order of beings: angels, seraphim, cherubim—those holy, shining, singing servants of God, worshiping the Lamb before His throne.

 The Redeemed from all the ages—saints, prophets, patriarchs, apostles, martyrs. Someone has estimated that there have been more than 75 million put to death for Jesus’sake. This great throng will be on the front row, so to speak—right in front of the throne of God.

 Our loved ones—friends, family, pastors who led the way, S.S. teachers who taught us God’s truth.

 But as great as all this is—the beauty, the deathless, painless atmosphere, the song of the angels, the reunion with loved ones—nothing will compare with the joy of catching just one glimpse of JESUS! Why? Because of what the hymnwriter wrote:

Jesus paid it all

All to Him I owe

Sin had left a crimson stain

He washed it white as snow

Illus.: “Heaven Without Jesus?”

The beloved hymn “Over the Sunset Mountains” by John Peterson, was penned during the his meditation on the piano. Sure that it’s message would catch on, Peterson confidently approached a publisher. “We would like to use it,” the approving publisher said after glancing over it. “But we have one little suggestion. Can you take out the reference to Jesus and enlarge a little more on heaven?” Heaven without Jesus? Unthinkable! Clutching his manuscript, Peterson walked from the publisher’s office with another song coming on: “I have No Song to Sing, But That of Christ My King.” Both songs became favorites within the Christian community.

4. The Wonder of Heaven’s Interest in a Sin-cursed World

 God the Father sent Jesus to us.

 Jesus came to die for us—to take our punishment so that we could enter heaven unspotted by sin.

 The Holy Spirit causes us to long for heaven. He convicts, woos and even gives us a foretaste of heaven by allowing us to experience the abundant life.