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Back to the Bible Podcast
Episode 118: Heaven
00:30:17
In this episode, we consider what makes heaven heaven.
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Back to the Bible. Let it be our plea. God's word alone, our authority, every word, every step in the name of Christ. Back to the Bible for the way of life.
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What a privilege it is to be with you today. And we are thankful for this period of time where we can join together into a consideration of God's word. It may be that if you're a regular follower of the program that you'll notice that last week we did not add in a podcast program and on the Jasper station we aired an old program from my grandfather. We were in a meeting at the church at North Bibb, which is in Bibb county, just right off the Interstate 2059 between Bessemer and Tuscaloosa. And it was a great opportunity for my family and I to be with the group there. We appreciate them. I have known many in that congregation for a long, long time and connections with my parents and grandparents at that congregation. And we were really thrilled to be able to be with them. But we are glad to be home for sure and we are thankful for the work that we are able to do here in Franklin county and hopefully we were able to do some good there and that we'll be able to continue to do good here. Let me make mention I did put on that program from my grandfather. On our website@backtothebiblepodcast.com we have a whole list of radio programs that he recorded and I was able to digitize those and they have been made available online. There are more available. I have not made those more available along the way, but I think there's more than 50 on the program on the. On the website. And so if you'll just go to backtothebiblepodcast.com and then click on archives up at the top, you'll find those programs from Paw Paul, that is Leo Plyler, and you'll be able to listen to his thinking and thoughts there through those program recordings. Today I want to continue. I feel like we've been doing this for a long time, but I think that's all right. Questions about the end. And in our last section on that, we talked about eternal punishment, being away from God and away from his presence for all eternity. But I want to talk about heaven today. I want to think with you about what it will mean to go to heaven and thus what it would mean to miss out on heaven. And so what we need to be concerned about. I remember when my mother passed away, my boys were three, and so I had. We talked a lot about heaven and questions about Heaven and concerns and comments. They expressed some bit of concern at the time that they weren't sure that there was going to be TV in heaven. I remember tears being shed, which probably is an indicator of failure as a father on my part, and how much TV was and is a part of their life. But there have been other questions that people have asked along the way that I haven't been able to answer. You know, there's a lot that we don't know about heaven, even though we have good information. What I would say is there is enough information revealed about heaven to tell us that it is indeed the place we want to be. Now, heaven as it is presented in the New Testament is so much grander than sometimes we make it out to be. Because I think for many heaven is, is a glorified country club. You know, no work, the food I like, I can play golf or tennis all the time. Maybe some imagine it as year round fishing with no responsibility to get in the way. But all of that misses and minimizes what heaven is really going to be. And if that's your idea of heaven, then maybe we have misprioritized what would be paradise to us. Maybe we have miscalculated what it is that would be our ultimate pleasure. But whether or not heaven as it's described in the scriptures, whether or not it's something that appeals to us, depends a great deal on what we've set our heart on here. I think that's probably why people have constructed a heaven of their own imagining, because the Scriptures say, have your heart set on God and heaven will be more than you could have ever hoped for. In Revelation 21 and 22, we have described for us the ultimate picture of God's victory over all of God's enemies, including sin and Satan and death. And in the flow of the book of Revelation, it is on the other side of suffering, on the other side of the defeat of God's enemies, and on the other side of judgment that we come to the description in these final two chapters. And I think these two chapters are describing the final state of God's people with Him. And I think meditating on this imagery will do us well in understanding what heaven will be and why you and I should, should make going there our life's goal. I want you to notice what the emphasis of these chapters is. What makes heaven so wonderful? Look at the emphasis in chapter 21 and verse 3. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with Them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them as their God. Back up. In verse 2, it is described as the holy city, the New Jerusalem, the place where the presence of God was. You put that down with verse 22 in chapter 21 where it says, I saw no temple in the city, for its temple, that is where it was in Jerusalem, the temple. Notice it says, for its temple is the Lord God and the Almighty and the Lamb. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. So you put that together and what you have is there's no need for a temple in this New Jerusalem because God is right there. The Lamb is there in chapter 22 and verse 3. And no longer will there be anything accursed but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. We often sing about heaven and we sing about its beauty and we sing about the joy that we're going to experience there. But throughout these chapters and throughout the New Testament, the emphasis is on the fact that, that we will be where God is. That is the glory of heaven. In John chapter 14, beginning at verse one, Jesus has given some things to the disciples that were going to be challenging, that were going to be difficult to endure. But then he says, let not your hearts be troubled. Now why would they be troubled? He's going to die, he's leaving. One's going to betray him. Jesus says that Peter is going to deny him in chapter 14. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me in my Father's house. Are many mansions. Your text may say. My text says many rooms. Other texts may say many. My text, the LSB there says many dwelling places. The idea of mansions we'll talk more about in just a second. But it is not the idea of a, a silver lined golden house just for you. The idea here is that there is many dwelling places. There are many dwelling places, lots of rooms for you to stay in. In the old King James language, the idea of a mansion was a massive house with lots of rooms to stay in. Maybe even like what we would think of would be an apartment complex. Now certainly if that belongs to one person and a person owns all of that, that would be a mansion. But what we're talking about is many dwelling places for us to live with, with God. He says in verse two, if it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself. That where I am there. You may be also. Do you see the emphasis there? The glory of heaven is that it's in the Father's house where there are many dwelling places. And it's there, in the Father's house that Jesus will take us, so that where he is, we may be also. It's about being with the Father, and it's about being with the Son, with the Father, and with the Lamb. In Second Corinthians, chapter 5 and verse 6, Paul There is talking about the fact that he recognizes that his body is a tent and it's going to be a body, a building given to him by God in eternity. And he says, this is 2nd Corinthians 5, 6. Therefore, being always of good courage and knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. That is, while we are here, there is a greater distance between us and the Father. That doesn't mean there is no connection, but between us and the Father and Jesus, there is a greater distance because of the world in which we are in. For we walk verse seven, by faith, not by sight. Verse eight. We are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and notice and to be at home with the Lord. You see that we are ready to leave the tent behind so that we can be in the building where we dwell with God. Over in First Thessalonians, chapter 4 and verse 17, First Thessalonians, chapter four and verse 17, this is written to the Thessalonian brethren who perhaps were having some questions about the coming of Jesus. And not only the coming of Jesus, but with regards to especially those people who had died before the arrival of Jesus. And there were questions about whether or not they were missing out, whether or not they were going to have the promises that had been made for everyone else. And so what Paul does here is he says, don't be uninformed. Don't grieve for those who have died as those who don't have hope. Because Jesus died and rose. And God is going to bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. And he says in verse 16, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds and to meet the Lord in the air. Listen. And so we shall always be with the Lord. We shall always be with the Lord. So I want you to notice the emphasis about these passages is that in Revelation the emphasis is on the dwelling place of God with men. The new Jerusalem. God and the Lamb will be in it. And in John 14, that you may be with me always. We want to be at home with the Lord. 2nd Corinthians 5, 8. We will be with him always. 1st Thessalonians 4:17. And I think that is the reason why so often in the New Testament, heaven, or what we are anticipating, what we're looking forward to, is that we are waiting on a person. That is what the hope is. That's what the longing is for those who are in Christ, for those who are Jesus disciples. Notice In Philippians chapter 3, in verse 20 he says, for our citizenship is in heaven, alright? That's where we belong, that's home. That's where we long to be. Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait. What are we waiting for from heaven? Are we waiting for the the unlimited golf session? Are we waiting for the eternal bass boating? No. From which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of his glory by his working, through which he is able to even subject all things to Himself. We are waiting on a person, our hope. Our eyes are set on the coming of Jesus, who will transform us from the broken, fragile, limited bodies that we have to be in conformity with his glorious body. The same is the case in 1st Thessalonians, chapter 1 and verse 9. Here Paul is writing to those who have converted from idolatry, and verse nine says that they were serving a living and true God. Verse 10, notice. And to wait for his Son from heaven. What are we waiting on? What are we waiting on? Are we. Are we just enamored with the idea of Gold Street? Are we just enamored with the idea of pearly Gates? Of course, all of that language is used to describe heaven, and I will talk about that as we go. But I want you to see that what we are waiting on, what our hope is in, is in Jesus from heaven, whom he rescued, raised from the dead Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. The focus on heaven is on who we will be with, who is there, who we are going to dwell with forever. That is what will make heaven all that it is going to to be in chapter 5 of 1st Thessalonians and verse 9. For God has not appointed us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us. So that whether we are awake or asleep, listen, we will Live together with Him. That's the aim. I don't know if I'm going to die before his coming. I don't know if I will be awake when he returns. That is, I don't know if I will be alive when he returns. But whether I die or whether I am alive, the goal is that we will live together with Him. That is a hope. That is our hope. Now, that is appealing to people who have set their hearts on Christ. In Colossians, chapter three and verse one, the writer there says, Paul says, therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is sitting, at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you have died and your life has been hidden with Christ. In God. When Christ, who is our life, is manifested, then you also will be manifested with him in glory. I want you to notice how he frames this. If you have been raised up with Christ, seek the things above. Why? Because that's where Christ is. He's sitting. He is seated at the right hand of God. Your life is hidden with Christ and God. He is your life and. And you will be manifested with Him. You'll be made known. You'll be displayed with him in glory. And so the idea of you having your heart set on Christ, your eyes set on him, and the glory that is to be revealed, that being your focus, that makes heaven very appealing then, doesn't it? When we see that it is his appearing that will occur, I think that is what we should be shaped and molded by. We should be concerned with. We should be focused on when it comes to heaven. What is heaven going to be like? I think it will surpass our imaginations. It is the true, the real, the full essence of God around us. And I think that we are limited in what we can even imagine that it's going to be like, because God is there and we will get to be with Him. Now, back in Revelation 21 and 22, the passages here, heaven is described as a place of incomparable and Incredible Beauty. Revelation 21. Just listen to some of these descriptions. This is in verse 18. And the material of the wall was Jasper. And the city was pure gold, like pure glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was Jasper. The second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald. The fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite. The eighth beryl, the ninth topaz. The tenth chiroprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. What do we make of a description like that? Are we talking about something literal? Maybe so, but I don't think that's the emphasis. We are certainly talking about something true, that is, it communicates to us something real. But what does a picture like that indicate to us? I think the answer is back up in verse 10. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like precious stone, as a stone of crystal clear Jasper. The glory of the city reflects the glory of God. The beauty, the majesty, the purity, the radiance. And the glory of the city flows from the glory of God who dwells right in the middle of it. Now other places talk about the glory of heaven and its reward. In Romans, chapter 8 and verse 18, Paul is writing to the Romans, who are either suffering or about to enter suffering. And he says in verse 18, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. The glory. In Second Corinthians, chapter 4 and verse 17, Paul Talking specifically about his and the other apostles suffering as they preach the gospel on behalf of people like the Corinthians, he says, for our momentary light affliction is working out for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. In second Timothy chapter four and verse eight in the last letter that we know that is inspired by Paul, the last one that we have in our possession, the last one that was preserved for us by God's providence. In verse 8, the future. In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only me, but all those who have loved his appearing. And one last passage along these lines in first Peter chapter one and verse four, he says that we are trying to obtain the inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in heaven for you. Heaven's glory and the weight of its reward is due to the fact that it is a reflection of of the glory of God who dwells there. Now. It's not just the beauty of these cities that these chapters in Revelation 21 and 22 describe. In Revelation 21 and 22, these passages attract our attention because they also describe a place without so many of the things that trouble us. Here in 21:4, the text says he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be any death. There will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain. The first things have passed away down in verse 22. I saw no sanctuary in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb are its sanctuary. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it. And its light lamp is the Lamb. And the nations will walk by its light. And the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. And its gates will never be closed by day, for there will be no night there. And they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. Notice verse 27. And nothing defiled, and no one who practices abomination and lying shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written into the Lamb's book of life. And he showed me Chapter 22, verse 1. A River of the water of life, bright as a crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, on either side of the river, was the tree of life, bearing 12 kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there will no longer be any curse. And the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his slaves will serve him. And they will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads. Listen, Verse five. And there will no longer be any night. And they will not have need of the light of a lamp, nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them and they will reign forever. In these passages, heaven is described as a place without tears, death, pain, night, and most importantly, sin. It is pictured as a new Garden of Eden. But unlike the last one, nothing unclean will ever enter heaven. In this and in other places is pictured as a place where everything is just as it should be. There's this sense, I think, in every one of us that things are not always as they were meant to be. We have that sense because that is the truth of the matter. We live in a world that has been subjected to futility because of sin. Because of sin, the world carries with it the effects of Satan's rule. But we're not the only ones who are longing for a solution to that. In Romans, chapter 8 and verses 19 and 20 it says the whole creation is groaning, waiting for the revelation of the sons of God. It was subjected to futility not willingly, but because of him who ejected it in hope. But heaven is the place where everything here that bears the marks of the curse will be freed from that verse 21 of Romans 8. That the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption and the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. Notice again that the reason heaven is going to be the kind of place that it is is because that's where God is. The text tells us that he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. The glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The water of life flows from from the throne of God and of the Lamb nothing accursed. Instead the throne of God and of the Lamb, God will be their light. Now in chapter seven of Revelation, we have a similar image as well. Notice why none of these harmful things are affecting the people that are there. Look at 7, verses 15. For this reason they are before the throne of God and and they serve him day and night in his sanctuary. And he who sits on the throne will dwell over them. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb is at the center of the throne, will shepherd them and will guide them to the springs of water, of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eye. It is because God shelters them with his presence. It's because the Lamb shepherds them. It is because God wipes away every tear from their eyes. Heaven is heaven because God is there. We know that things are broken here. We long for a society that would value justice and righteousness. We value for a place where peace could be the rule. But because of the presence of sin and the dominion of Satan, it won't be the case here. But we long for the place. As Peter says in second Peter 3, verses 11 through 13. We're longing for the place where righteousness dwells. Now there is the reality that there will be some people who will not be in God's presence. The last scene that is described is that there are some who are dwelling in God's presence with all of that joy and peace and glory. And some are outside. And as much as others would like there to be one more scene where even those who are on the outside are brought in, no such picture exists in the New Testament. Instead, this reality is communicated in other places as well. So who will come into God's eternal presence? Those who are in the Lamb's Book of Life, chapter 21, verse 27. Those who wash their robes or do his commandments. 22, verse 14. Forgiveness and allegiance to Jesus, washing and faithfulness. And so be faithful unto death and you will receive the crown of life. Until next time, we bid you a pleasant good day.
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Back to the Bible. Let it be our plea. God's word alone, our authority, every word, every step in the name of Christ. Back to the Bible for the way of life.