A Picture of Heaven
December 4, 2017
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From the beginning of time, people young and old have wondered what Heaven will be like. Is Heaven real? If so, what does it look like? Who will be there? What will we do there? Thankfully, we find the answers to these questions in God’s Holy Word. The last two chapters of the last book of the Bible, Revelation, have more to say about Heaven than the rest of the entire Bible.
Revelation 21:5 declares, “He [God] who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”
Here is what we learn about Heaven from Revelation 21 and 22:
The splendor, size, and structure of Heaven
Heaven is beyond anything we could ever imagine (1 Corinthians 2:9), but we get a picture of its magnificence from Revelation 21:11-12, which says, “It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates.”
This new city is about 1500 x 1500 miles long. (For reference, the city of Los Angeles is 22 x 22 miles long.) “The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone… The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass” (Revelation 21:11-21).
Isn’t it amazing to know that God has reserved the most precious and beautiful materials for our heavenly home? He truly has spared no expense for the wondrous place He is preparing for those who love Him.
Who will be in Heaven?
We learn from Revelation 21:3 that God Himself will be in Heaven. “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” Just like in the Garden of Eden before the fall of man, God will once again live and walk among His beloved people. Revelation 22:4 says God’s servants “will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.”
We also learn from Revelation 21:7 that “those who are victorious” will inherit the new Heaven and be children of God. Who are these victorious ones? We learn from Scriptures such as Matthew 10:22 and Romans 8:4-6 that they are the people who have put their trust in Jesus Christ, followed His ways, lived according to the Spirit and not the flesh, and endured trials until the very end.
What will NOT be in Heaven?
The Bible reveals that there will be no tears, death, or disease in Heaven. Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 21:8 makes it clear that sinners and evil will not be found in Heaven either. “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Every heartache, every tear, and every pain in our body is a reminder that this world is not our true home (Hebrews 13:14; 1 Peter 2:11). Each story of crime, corruption, evil, and injustice you hear about on the news is a reminder that this world is fallen due to sin. “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him” Revelation 22:3. I’m looking forward to that great day, aren’t you?
