Heaven! December 30, Readings: Malachi 1-2, Revelation 21, Psalm 149, Proverbs 31:27–28

Link to Today's Readings

Theologians and preachers have speculated about heaven for a long time. The New Testament is clear about how we get there - we ride the coattails of the righteousness of Jesus Christ to eternal glory. None of us is worthy of heaven or fit for it. Since sin cannot dwell there, and we are all sinners, we are excluded until the blood of Christ cleanses us and the power of Christ makes us new. Clothed in the righteousness of Christ we who deserve hell can become fit for heaven.

That much is clear, but what will heaven be like? On that there is a wide divergence of opinion. The description given in Revelation 21 is not all that helpful. Look at verses 19-21.

The foundations of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone:the first foundation jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.The 12 gates are 12 pearls; each individual gate was made of a single pearl. The broad street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

My guess is that John was doing the best he can to describe the glory he saw, but that heaven is so far above and beyond human experience that he did the best he could to write down what he saw. The problem is that I'm not really sure what chrysolite, chrysoprase or jacinth are. How about you? What does it mean that each of the gates was made of a single pearl, or that the street is made of a pure gold that looks like transparent glass? I just don't have a good sense of what that means. Pure gold like transparent glass?  Not visualizing that.

Heaven is beyond our existence. I cannot envision a sinless, perfect world, one that sin has never and will never touch, one that is unaffected by time, where death and decay have no place. In fact, that leads me to my point. When John describes heaven, he spends most of his time describing what isn't there.

• There's no sea (21:1). This may refer to the sinful nations of the world. The roiling and political machination is gone and Jesus reigns supreme. 
• Death no longer exists (21:4). Jesus has once and for all defeated the enemy of humanity and it is no longer a threat. 
• There's no tears, grief, crying or pain (21:4). All the "former things" have passed away as the new order of things has taken over. God is now in charge and all is well. Every trace of sin, of the curse and all of its effects has been forever banished. 
• There's no sanctuary (21:22). No sacrifice or place of worship is needed. God is there personally. 
• There's no source of light - sun or moon (21:23). It's not needed because the glory of God provides all the light that is needed. 
• There's no closing time (21:25). The gates are open eternally. 
• There's nothing profane (21:27). Sin has been banished once and for all. 

I can't tell you exactly what heaven is going to be like, but I can tell you this, everything that is wrong, evil, awful, hurtful and bad about life here on earth - it won't be there. God will. Jesus will. Those who believe in Jesus will be there - redeemed and transformed. But all the mess of this world will be gone.

I can't tell you exactly what heaven will be like, but it's going to be wonderful!

Father, I thank you that Christ prepared a place for me in glory by his blood shed on the cross. I thank you that all the evil, grief and pain of this world will only last a time, but that your glory is eternal.