Preparing for Heaven

Heaven

What Heaven is/is not: Heaven is not an ethereal, dream-like state, where you’re floating around on nimbus clouds playing harps. You know it’s not an eternally long church service. Heaven is a new earth, a literal planet, and a new city which joins itself to that new earth.

What we are like:

The rich man and Lazarus both had complete, tangible bodies.

Lazarus was being comforted by the father of his people: Abraham.

The greater the suffering in this life, the greater the comfort in heaven.

Descriptions:

1. This universe is destroyed and a new one replaces it. (Revelation 21:1)
2. God dwells with us directly. (Revelation 21:3)
3. Believers experience new life, unbelievers experience new death. Revelation 21:4,8)
4. The city shines brilliantly like a diamond.
5. The city has massive walls; its breadth, width, and height are around 1400 miles.
6. The walls are more than 200ft wide, probably serving as “dwelling places”
7. Gems adorn the walls. (Revelation 21:18-20)
8. The gates are massive, formed of a single pearl. The streets are like gold, but transparent.
9. God’s throne is in the middle of the city, and the river of life flows from underneath it. Alongside the river, next to the streets, grows the tree of life.

Relationships

Stewardship of Creation (Genesis 1-2)

Stewardship of People:

• According to Matthew 28:19-20, our chief responsibility in this dispensation is to make disciples. • We complete this task, given by Jesus, as we go, baptize, and teach people everything Jesus said. • The world will know us and know that we are from God as we love one another. (John 13:35) • Biblical love is willing to sacrifice of itself. You only have this life to demonstrate this kind of self-sacrificial love. • Quick note on rewards: The Bible does not speak of rewards, but it’s vague in this regard. The greatest rewards are being in God’s presence and dwelling with the saved for all eternity.