Dover Assembly of God
This is our second week on the topic of heaven--what the Bible tells us about what it is like.
Last week we started off answering a few questions that we have all probably asked ourselves.
We saw that heaven is talked about a lot in the Bible. We saw that it wasn’t created-it is eternal. It is located outside of our physical universe. It is not a part of what God created.
What’s it like and what will we see? Heaven is truly a mystery to us because no one has been there to describe it.
Paul had that one example we mentioned last week.
2 Corinthians 12:2-5 NLT
For the examples we may hear about, the jury is out for me.
Most examples I hear about always promote that everyone will be there.
We watched the movie “Heaven is for Real” and there were some glaring Biblical problems with the account given.
Another one- a book entitled “The Boy Who Went to Heaven” recently recanted his testimony of dying and going to heaven.
So I don’t bank on those types of examples.
2 Corinthians 12:5 NLT
The only real definitive answers we can get are from the Bible.
So let’s look at few more questions that we may have.
1) WILL WE HAVE PHYSICAL BODIES IN HEAVEN? AND WILL WE BE RECOGNIZABLE?
While the Bible is NOT explicit on this issue, we do know that we will have some kind of body.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 NLT
After His resurrection, Jesus had a body and people knew him.
John 20:19-20 NLT
Luke 24:13-16 NLT
They walked and talked with Jesus and nowhere does it say that they thought he looked weird or alien like. He was normal looking.
God stopped them from recognizing him, but later at dinner, they did.
At the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah had bodies and were recognized.
Matthew 17:3-4 NLT
They had recognizable, physical bodies, but they were different.
Jesus just “beamed” into the room.
Job also mentioned a body.
Job 19:26 NLT
Revelation describes wearing clothing in heaven. Clothing requires a body on which to hang them.
Revelation 6:9-11 NLT
Revelation 22:14 NLT
And finally, we won’t be just “ghost-like” . . .
2 Corinthians 5:2-3 NLT
So yes, we will have a recognizable but slightly different physical body.
And since Christians love to fellowship around food, one of the most asked questions is:
2) WILL WE EAT IN HEAVEN?
But of course. And remember, all the food will be good for you.
Probably not any pop or chips there, although not sure. Don’t have to watch our weight, sugar intake, gluten, lactose, but there is no mention of eating meat in heaven.
So there’s that!
We have the marriage supper of the lamb.
Revelation 19:6-7, 9 NLT
Jesus ate in His resurrected body.
Luke 24:41-43 NLT
John 21:12-13 NLT
Revelation 2:7 NLT
Revelation 2:17 NLT
Psalms 78:24-25 NLT
If angels eat in heaven, then we probably will, too.
3) "WILL WE REMEMBER OUR EARTHLY LIVES WHEN WE ARE IN HEAVEN?"
That’s a good one. Some of us want to remember our lives and some of us would rather not.
The Bible refers to this a few times, but not with any clarity.
Isaiah 65:17 NIV
That would seem to indicate that we have no recollection, but in the verse just before this . . .
Isaiah 65:16 NIV
Only the past bad stuff will not be remembered.
One commentary says it this way:
Our memories won’t be wiped out, it’s just that in the beauty of heaven, they won’t come to our mind.
Similar to a week on a beautiful vacation spot. You are having such a good time, that the cares of back home don’t get thought of. They’re still there, but we don’t think about them.
4) DO WE BECOME ANGELS IN HEAVEN?
NO. We’ve already established that we will have physical and recognizable bodies. We will not be disembodied spirits.
When Jesus said we will be LIKE angels, that simply was a reference to being unmarried-not a blanket statement.
5) DO ANGELS TAKE US TO HEAVEN WHEN WE DIE?
It would seem so.
Luke 16:22 NIV
Hebrews 1:14 NIV
6) WHAT WILL WE DO IN HEAVEN?
a) We will rest from our earthly work.
Revelation 14:13 NIV
Our work in heaven will be free from any of the drudgery that we face here doing work.
Things that cause us not to like working will be taken away.
There are not traffic jams on your way to work, you love all your co-workers, you get along perfectly with everyone and the actual manual labor you do, is rewarding.
Imagine going to a job that you love and there is nothing at that job that you dislike? Every project done in advance, without mistakes, the boss loves it and you get a raise every day?
Well you probably won’t get raises, but you won’t care because you love it so much.
b) We will serve Him all the time.
Revelation 7:15 NIV
Part of serving God will be worshipping.
Revelation 5:13-14 NLT
Revelation 7:11 NIV
Heaven will not be boring. Everything we do we will enjoy doing and they all will be done perfectly and to God’s glory.
Commentary writer Ray Steadman says:
“Every moment of eternity will be an adventure of discovery”
7) WHEN DO WE ARRIVE IN HEAVEN?
In other words, is there a time lag or an intermediary stop along the way?
Some believe there is Purgatory. Some believe in soul sleep, which means after we die, we stay in a state of unconsciousness until the final resurrection.
Neither are true.
When the Bible refers to sleeping . . .
John 11:11 NIV
1 Corinthians 15:51 NIV
This is a Biblical metaphor for physical death, not spiritual death or “soul sleep”.
The Bible is fairly clear on this issue.
2 Corinthians 5:8 NLT
And to the thief on the cross he said . . .
Luke 23:43 NLT
If Purgatory existed, this guy surely would have gone there for his life choices. Hoping someone would pray him out.
8) WHO WAS IT MADE FOR?
Well, the Bible tells us who hell was made for . . .
Matthew 25:41 NLT
If that’s true, then heaven was ORIGINALLY prepared for all of man-kind.
If there are only 2 places to go after we die and one of them wasn’t made for us, then we can assume that heaven was made for us.
God’s desire is that all of man-kind ends up there.
2 Peter 3:9 NLT
9) WHO ACTUALLY GOES TO HEAVEN?
If heaven was made for all of us, then don’t we all get to go?
How about good and sincere people? Unfortunately, NO.
Entrance into heaven is only obtained by placing our trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Since we don’t know where heaven is but we do know heaven is where God is, then we need to know how to get to God.
John 14:6 NLT
Acts of the Apostles 4:11-12 NLT
Since heaven is a place of perfection and we need to be perfect to get in, the question is how do we get perfect?
We all know we aren’t. The Bible tells us we’re not.
Romans 3:23 NLT
Romans 3:10 NLT
So if we’re not perfect, what happens?
Romans 6:23 NLT
How do we get perfect?
Romans 6:23 NLT
John 3:16 NLT
Romans 3:25-26 NLT
Acts of the Apostles 16:29-31 NLT
This is not just an acknowledgement that you know about Jesus. It is about coming to him acknowledging that you aren’t good enough and that you trust his death is payment for your sins. He took your place.
Romans 10:10 NLT