The Fear of God and Eternity

Fri Feb 14 2025

Will the redeemed fear God in heaven? Scripture surprisingly says yes. Yet this is news of unparalleled joy. Today, Michael Reeves explains that to quake with wonder at the grace of God is to taste heaven now. Request Michael Reeves’ teaching series...

Summary

Renewing Your Mind Podcast Summary: "The Fear of God and Eternity"

Episode Overview In the February 14, 2025 episode of Renewing Your Mind, hosted by Ligonier Ministries, theologian Michael Reeves delves into the profound topic of “The Fear of God and Eternity.” This comprehensive exploration examines the nature of divine fear, its manifestation in both the present life and the eternal realm, and its implications for believers and unbelievers alike. Reeves draws upon Scripture, historical theology, and vivid imagery to articulate how the fear of God transitions from a guiding principle in earthly life to a cornerstone of eternal existence.

1. The Nature of Divine Fear

Michael Reeves begins by distinguishing between two types of fear: the "filial fear" experienced by believers and the "sinful fear" of unbelievers.

“Jonathan Edwards said saints there in heaven will be like a flame of fire with love... heaven is the paradise of unconfined, maximal, delighted, filial fear.” (01:31)

Reeves emphasizes that the fear of the Lord is not about terror but a profound reverence and awe that leads to wisdom. He references Proverbs 9:10, stating:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (00:59)

2. Scriptural Foundations for Heavenly Fear

Reeves explores biblical passages that illustrate the fundamental role of fear in the presence of God. He cites various biblical figures who demonstrated their awe through physical reactions:

“Abraham, Joshua, David, Ezekiel, Daniel, Paul, John, all fell on their face, overcome by the tremendousness of his glory.” (02:20)

He further references Isaiah’s vision, where the foundations of the temple tremble at God’s call, and Nahum 1, depicting mountains quaking before Him:

“In Isaiah's vision of the Lord enthroned in the temple, the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called... the mountains quake before him.” (02:20)

3. Fear in Heaven vs. Fear in Hell

Reeves contrasts the eternal experiences of believers and unbelievers concerning fear. For believers, the fear of God in heaven is one of joyful awe and worship, while unbelievers face a "horrified dread."

“At the second coming of Christ... the sinful fear of unbelievers and the right fears of believers will crescendo... an ecstasy of terror on the one hand, and of delight on the other.” (05:45)

He explains that in heaven, the earth itself participates in the joy of believers:

“For Romans 8:19, the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God... on that last day the glory of the Lord will fill all the earth, and his people will fall down in fearsome wonder, delight, and praise.” (04:10)

Conversely, unbelievers will experience an intensified terror as they confront their eternal destiny:

“Hell... will be a dreadful place... its occupants... will hate God and the exposing light of his glory.” (09:50)

4. The Role of Angels in Heavenly Fear

Reeves highlights the constant worship and reverence angels have towards God, illustrating the perpetual fear and adoration in heaven.

“In Isaiah 6, the seraphim fly above the throne of the Lord, crying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts... with two wings they cover their faces.” (13:30)

He explains that angels, often referred to as sons of God, engage in fervent worship, shielding themselves from the overwhelming glory of God:

“The word seraph from the Hebrew saraph means to burn, suggesting they burn with a holy love, the flame of the Lord.” (15:20)

5. Transformation of Believers

Reeves discusses the transformation believers will undergo in eternity, emphasizing that their resurrected bodies will be “spiritual bodies” capable of fully embodying the fear of the Lord.

“When we are resurrected, our resurrected bodies will be spiritual bodies... filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord.” (20:10)

He references 1 Corinthians 15 to support this transformation, indicating that believers will share in Christ's own delight in the fear of the Lord:

“Our eternal joy will consist precisely in this fear of God, in rejoicing and marveling so entirely...” (21:05)

6. Application for Believers Today

Reeves connects the eternal fear of God with the current Christian experience, suggesting that our present fears are a foretaste of eternal worship.

“All our fears are a foretaste. The sinful fears and dreads of unbelievers are the first fruits of hell. The filial fears of Christians are the first fruits of heaven.” (22:30)

He encourages believers to cultivate a deeper fear of the Lord as it leads to spiritual vivacity and a more profound worship experience:

“To fear the Lord is to become more alive. It is for our love, joy, wonder and worship of God to be more acute, more affecting.” (22:45)

7. Conclusion: Eternal Perspective on Fear

Reeves concludes by affirming that the fear of God is not a diminished aspect of eternal bliss but a central element of heavenly worship and joy.

“The fear of the Lord is the ultimate affection. It is the very aroma of heaven.” (23:00)

He references Thomas Chalmers’ sermon on the "Expulsive Power of a New Affection," explaining that a superior love for God replaces sinful affections, aligning with the eternal fear of the Lord.

“The fear of God is the affection that expels our sinful fears. The fear of the Lord is the affection that expels our anxieties.” (23:05)

Ultimately, Reeves portrays the fear of God as an ecstatic, joyful reverence that will fully blossom in the presence of God, transforming believers into beings of "fearful happiness."

Key Takeaways

Differentiated Fear: Believers experience a filial, joyful fear of God that contrasts with the sinful dread experienced by unbelievers.
Biblical Basis: Numerous scriptures underpin the concept of divine fear, highlighting its significance in both earthly life and eternity.
Heavenly Worship: Angels exemplify the perfect fear and worship of God, setting a model for believers’ eternal experiences.
Transformation: Believers will undergo a transformation that enhances their ability to fully fear and adore God in eternity.
Present Application: Cultivating a deeper fear of God now aligns believers with their future eternal worship and joy.

Notable Quotes

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” – Michael Reeves (00:59)
“At the second coming of Christ... the sinful fear of unbelievers and the right fears of believers will crescendo...” – Michael Reeves (05:45)
“To fear the Lord is to become more alive.” – Michael Reeves (22:45)

Final Thoughts

Michael Reeves’ insightful exposition on “The Fear of God and Eternity” provides believers with a transformative understanding of divine fear. By framing fear not as a debilitating emotion but as a profound reverence that leads to wisdom and joyful worship, Reeves invites listeners to embrace a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God both now and in eternity. This episode serves as a compelling reminder that the fear of the Lord is integral to our spiritual growth and eternal destiny.

Transcript

Nathan W. Bingham (0:00)

Hi, this is Nathan W. Bingham, and before we get to today's episode, I wanted to encourage you to download the free Ligonier app if you haven't already. You can easily get the app by searching for Ligonier in your app store of choice or by visiting ligonier.orgapp as a renewing your mind listener, you know that most days our resource offer has a digital component, something you can stream or read, and you can access those resources in the app. The Ligonier app also makes it easy to listen to each day's edition of Renewing youg Mind. Plus, there's thousands of other free resources in the library that you can read, watch, or listen to. And if you're a Ligonier ministry partner, when you log in, our complete teaching series library will be unlocked so you can study on the go. So be sure to search for Ligonier in your app store and make the Ligonier app something that you use every day. Now onto today's episode.

Michael Reeves (0:59)

Jonathan Edwards said Saints there in heaven will be like a flame of fire with love. Yes, where hell is the dreadful sewer of all sinful fears. Heaven is the paradise of unconfined, maximal, delighted, filial fear. And right now, heaven is the home of this happy fear.

Nathan W. Bingham (1:31)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And we've learned all week there is a right kind of fear of God that the Christian is to have in this life. But will this fear be a part of eternity? Will it be in heaven? You're listening to Renewing youg Mind. And this week, Michael Reeves, the president and professor of theology at Union School of Theology in the United Kingdom, has been our teacher until midnight tonight. You can request Dr. Reeves complete series the Fear of the Lord when you give a donation of any amount@renewingyourmind.org if you'd like to add this to your collection, please respond today. This is the final day of this offer. Well, here's Dr. Reeves on the Fear of God and Eternity.

Michael Reeves (2:20)

Welcome back, everyone. Let's finish with a look at the place of fear in our eternal hope. For in the presence of the Lord, everyone trembles before him. Abraham, Joshua, David, Ezekiel, Daniel, Paul, John, all fell on their face, overcome by the tremendousness of his glory. People are so overwhelmed they think they will die. And it is not just people who tremble. In Isaiah's vision of the Lord enthroned in the temple, the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called. And it is not just the temple at his appearing Nahum 1 the mountains quake before him the hills melt, the earth heaves before him the world and all who dwell in it. For he is Psalm 104, the one who looks on the earth and it trembles. And so it should be no surprise that all things will shake and tremble at the second coming of Christ at Sinai. His voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but the heavens. But what sort of trembling is this that will grip the universe? For the heavens and the earth? It is actually a trembling of exultation. The earth shakes with pleasure, for it is joining in with the joy of believers, as their filial fear swells with delight at the presence of their God. For Romans 8 from verse 19 the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. On that last day the glory of the Lord will fill all the earth, and his people will fall down in fearsome wonder, delight, and praise. And yet at the same appearance of the Lord at appearance in glory, the sinful fear of unbelievers will swell into a horrified dread as they hide themselves. Revelation 6 In the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come. And who can stand where the final appearing of the Lord in glory fills believers with an unprecedented joyful fear in their Redeemer? It fills unbelievers with a new level of dread at their judge. That day will usher in a new age in which both the sinful fears of unbelievers and the right fears of believers will crescendo. Both sorts of fear will climax and become eternal states, an ecstasy of terror on the one hand, and of delight on the other. Hell, the destiny of all unbelievers, will be a dreadful place. Death is the king of terrors, says Job 18 and hell will be the place of eternal death. It will be the ultimate sump of all sinful fears, heaving with a shared dread of holiness. There, like the demons who believe and shudder, its occupants, will hate God and the exposing light of his glory. And just as the kings of the earth called to the mountains of the rocks hide us, so in hell they will long to hide. Sin first made the world a place of fear, and hell is its culmination, a place of unrelieved fears of sinful fear come to a head. Hell is a world of fear. What of heaven? In 1738, Jonathan Edwards preached a series of sermons on First Corinthians 13, a series he concluded with the observation, heaven is a world of love. He could just as well have said heaven is a world of fear, for the love he describes in heaven is a fearfully ecstatic joy and wonder. He said, saints there in heaven will be like a flame of fire with love. Yes, where hell is the dreadful sewer of all sinful fears. Heaven is the paradise of unconfined, maximal, delighted filial fear. And right now heaven is the home of this happy fear. The pillars of heaven tremble. Why? Because it is the dwelling place of a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones. Psalm 89 There the holy ones delight to fear him, because they see him clearly. They tremble before him as Creator, crying, Revelation 4 worthy are you, O Lord our God, for you created all things. And they also see deeper into his holiness. They see the character behind his creative omnipotence. They delight also in him as the loving Redeemer. And so they cry, worthy. Revelation 5 Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. And who are these adoring inhabitants of heaven primarily now? Angels. The saints join in their praise. And it's worth a moment to look at the angels fear filled worship of God because angels, sometimes called sons of God, mortal in heaven, how God is to be worshipped, and how the adopted children of God one day will. In heaven, angels are called to worship God, and they do so eagerly and fervently falling on their faces before the throne. In Isaiah 6, the seraphim fly above the throne of the Lord, crying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. With two wings they cover their faces, presumably to shield them from the overwhelming sight of God's glory unveiled. The word seraph from the Hebrew saraph means to burn, suggesting they burn with a holy love, the flame of the Lord. This heavenly host delights in the God in whose presence there is fullness of joy, and they delight in his mighty acts. But one day the saints will be like the angels in heaven as we gather round the throne. And just as the radiant angels now fall on their faces in fearful ecstatic joy and adoration, so one day will we saints. Now, because we tend today to think of fear as a negative thing, it jars with us to think of fear remaining in heaven, or fear being part of our eternal blessedness. But Psalm 19 says the fear of the Lord endures forever. Voices in heaven cry, fear him and give him glory. Revelation 14 who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? Revelation 15 Praise our God, all you his saints, all you who fear him. Revelation 19 oh, to be sure, in heaven there will no longer be anything of which to be afraid. There the children of God will finally be out of reach of all danger. There will be no fear of punishment. There will be not a trace of any sinful fear left in us gone. We will rejoice to know him as he is, with no distortion, no misunderstanding, no devilish whispers of doubt. Instead, our clear apprehension of God will enhance our trembling adoration. And then when we are resurrected, our resurrected bodies will be spiritual bodies, says Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 that we might fully bear the image of the man of heaven, filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. We will share fully Christ's own delight in the fear of the Lord, not afraid of anything. The saints will be caught up in God's own fearful happiness and will be overwhelmed by exaltation in the glory of God. In other words, our eternal joy will consist precisely in this fear of God, in rejoicing and marveling so entirely that like the angels we burn and tremble and fall on our faces in wonder and beholding him, we will also become like him. For now we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into his likeness. But then we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is made Christlike. At last we will become fearfully glorious beings, ourselves sharing his fearsome beauty. There's a lovely little moment in the second part of Pilgrim's Progress, where the women, the pilgrims, Bunyan said they seemed to be a terror one to the other, for they could not see the glory each one had in herself, which they could see in one another. Now therefore, they began to esteem one another as better than themselves. You are fairer than I, said one. You are more comely than I, said another. Yes, without any fake self abasement we shall be self forgetfully radiant at the same time glorious and entranced with a glory that is outside ourselves, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, the saints will be awesome as an army with banners. Now, today we don't often speak of the emotional intensity of our experience in heaven, but Scripture is clear that to be in the presence of God will not give us a tepid happiness, but a quaking, fearfully overwhelmed, ecstatic pleasure. The hymn writer F.W. faber put it like this in a little poem he wrote called the Fear of God, he said, and Father, when to us in heaven thou shalt thy face unveil, then more than ever will our souls before thy goodness quail. Our blessedness will be to bear the sight of Thee so near and thus eternal love will be but the ecstasy of fear. Today we get an appetizer of that heavenly fear in this life. When we sing in worship together, we catch its scent. When the Gospel, the Scriptures, or some beauty in creation makes us well up or drop to our knees in adoration. That overwhelmed sense when our bodies react unbidden to the strength of our affection, is a small preview of the day when we will fall at his feet, too full of joy to stand. In fact, all our fears, all fears are a foretaste. The sinful fears and dreads of unbelievers are the first fruits of hell. The filial fears of Christians are the first fruits of heaven. Now our fears are partial, then they will be unconfined. For now we Christians, we see in part, and so we love in part. We hang our heads, knowing those moments of trembling filial wonder are all too faint, all too few. But when we see him as he is, that ecstasy will be unimpaired and absolute. Even now, the Lord is enlivening believers from the moment of regeneration when he breathes new life into a soul. The Spirit is at work, bringing us from spiritual lethargy to vivaciousness. And that is precisely what growth in the fear of the Lord is all about. To fear the Lord is to become more alive. It is for our love, joy, wonder and worship of God to be more acute, more affecting. When we rejoice in God so intensely that we quake and tremble, then we are being most heavenly. It's time to wrap up this little series. And perhaps I could do that with a mention of the most famous sermon ever preached in the historic pulpit of the Tron Church in Glasgow, Scotland. It was Thomas Chalmers Sermon, the Expulsive Power of a New Affection. And Chalmers argued, he said, nobody can dispossess the heart of an old affection but by the expulsive power of a new one. His point was, you cannot simply will yourself to love God more. It doesn't work. The love of sin can only be expelled by a superior love of God. When we love God more than sin, the love of sin is expelled. A superior new affection must take its place. The love of sin must be expelled by the love of God. Chalmers could have been speaking about fear for the filial fear of God is the soul of godliness. It is the essence of the new life implanted by the spirit. The fear of God is the ultimate affection. It is the very aroma of heaven. It is the affection that expels our sinful fears. The fear of the Lord is the affection that expels our anxieties. It is the affection that expels spiritual lethargy. Friends, to grow in this sweet and quaking wonder at God is to taste Heaven now.