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A Heaven To Hope For

Heaven is of some concern to a few people. Most of us just imagine being happy and do not give it another thought. But a few people have expressed concern with the eternality of it; specifically - what will be there and what will we be doing? This week at listened to a great discussion that involved this very issue and it shed some new light on the subject of heaven, so I thought I would pass a few of these along to you.

First, God’s original and very good design was God on the earth, living and walking amongst his creation and his creatures (Genesis 3:8). Revelation tells us that when all of history comes to a close there will be a new heaven and a new earth and that the Lord will once again live amongst his people (Revelation 21:1-4). We also know that the human body which God has given us will one day die, but the promise that comes to us through Jesus is that these same bodies will one day be raised from the dead to everlasting life, just like Jesus’ was.

These two things combined (a new earth and new body) should give us a good picture of heaven. The earth will return to its pristine state of beautiful rivers, mountains, waterfalls, etc and our bodies will return to their original state of wellness and life. So eternity in heaven will not only be living in the presence of Jesus, but will also include many of the same things we enjoy now – picnics by beautiful waterfalls, horseback riding through open fields, evenings of dinner and laughter with family and friends; all good things and all things to look forward to.

Love in Christ,
Pastor Mitch

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