THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Over the course of my adult life, I’ve owned five houses. Each move to another house represented a change in our lives: a shift in ministry or relocation to a new city. With each move, my family started fresh with schools, church families, and even finding the best Mexican food in town. While it was sad to leave a house we liked and say goodbye to good friends, we also experienced the thrill of a new chapter in our lives.
Each new chapter, though, was not without its challenges. Health issues arose. Key relationships went through unexpected changes. Friends and family died. Each new place we lived included an ebb and flow to life that wasn’t always idyllic.
I am thankful this world is not my real home. The closing chapters of the Book of Revelation show us that God provides a permanent home where He will live with us forever. The far-from-idyllic ebb and flow of life on earth will be absent—as will be the presence of sin and death. Our final, new home will be perfect.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Revelation 21:1-3
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.
My wife and I are big fans of just about any TV program that shows old homes being remodeled. It’s fascinating to watch a designer inspect a dilapidated home and see its potential, completely redesign and remodel it, and then present the updated version to the new homeowner.
The renovated “new” homes we see on television won’t even begin to compare to the new home believers will experience one day. In the Book of Revelation, the apostle John was given a vision of what the end times will be like. Revelation 21 opens with a picture of this perfect, future reality. The Creator of the universe is an expert at making things new, and one day we will see the extent of His work in “making everything new” (v. 5).
- A new heaven and a new earth. The media is full of stories about murder, rape, theft, debauchery, and more. It seems like the world is spinning out of control. But a day is coming when the evil and devastation humanity has brought on this earth no longer will be a part of God’s good creation. The apostle Peter wrote about the destruction of the heavens and earth by a great fire. (See 2 Pet. 3:10-13.) A great noise will be heard, the elements will melt and dissolve away, but as John saw in his vision, a new heaven and a new earth will emerge after this purging and cleansing.
- No more sea. A lot of us enjoy looking out at the massive ocean, but the sea also represents separation. When John had this vision, he had been exiled to the island of Patmos, separated from his church in Ephesus by the Aegean Sea. Some scholars believe the phrase “the sea was no more” (Rev. 21:1) means that in the future new world, God’s people will no longer be separated from one another or from the Lord.
- The new Jerusalem. The metaphor of a bride and groom portrays the arrival of the new city of Jerusalem. It will be the dwelling place of God and His people once it descends. The word “adorned” in verse 2 (the Greek word kosmeo, from which we get our English word “cosmetics”) reminds us that our new home will awe us much like a bride’s beauty awes her groom. It will be the perfect new home for God’s people.
- A new way of life. This is the best news of all. God will now dwell with us. God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden; the Holy Spirit came upon people temporarily throughout the Old Testament; and He came to permanently indwell believers in the New Testament. But in our future home, we will experience the presence of God like never before. “God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them.”
Revelation 21:4-5
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. 5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”
Tears of grief are something we’ve all experienced in our lifetimes. I remember well the Monday my mother called and told me my grandfather had just died. On another Monday, my sister called and told me our father had passed away of a heart attack. You surely can recall similar circumstances: the passing of a friend or the death of a parent, a child, or a spouse. Sadness and tears are simply a part of human existence—for now.
Thankfully, sadness will end one day. “Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more.” Let that sink in. No more death. No more grief. No more crying. No more pain. The thought of this is overwhelming.
Sin entered our world in the garden of Eden. But thankfully, the Lord is going to restore His children. When we repent and turn to Him in faith, He removes the penalty and consequence of our sin, which brings us into a relationship with Him. And in heaven, we will be fully in His presence and know the joy His presence brings.
A day is coming when God promises to wipe away our tears and bring an end to all our sadness and grief. The promise of an end to our pain and suffering makes me say, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
Revelation 21:6-8
6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life. 7 The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. 8 But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
You and I are one heartbeat away from heaven or hell. That’s a sobering thought. In the blink of an eye, we could be standing before God to give an account of our lives. Consider God’s promises in this passage:
- God freely gives salvation to those who ask. “I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life.” Only God Himself can quench the spiritual thirst we feel. God does not charge for the gift of water from the fountain of life. Christ has already paid the price on the cross.
- Those who are saved belong to God’s family. “The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son.” God does not simply do something for us; He brings us into a relationship with Him. God the Father has one Son, Jesus (see John 3:16), but He has many adopted children. (See Rom. 8:15-17; Gal. 4:4-7.) As a child of the King, any adopted son or daughter is an heir and join their with Jesus.
- The unrepentant will not live in heaven. Some people will be excluded from heaven. Verse 8 includes a list of people who will not inherit the kingdom, and the list is representative, not exhaustive. One set of people will have responded to the gospel and God’s offer of grace. The other group will have chosen to continue in their sin. Their future is an eternity without God.
The unrepentant person will die twice. First, they will experience a physical death like all of us will. This is the first death, the one we will all experience unless Jesus returns. The second death is much more serious: it will be a spiritual death in which a person is separated from God forever. Yet, faith and trust changes all that. When we turn to Christ, the reality of the second death is gone. Christ took that death for us, so that we could share life with Him. In heaven. Forever.
LIVE IT OUT
A day is coming when we will experience all God created us to be. We’ll live in a sinless, perfect place with God as our Father. How will that truth impact your life this week?
- Pray a prayer of thanksgiving. If you are a believer, take a moment to thank the Lord for placing you in His “forever family.” Thank Him for the grace that saved you.
- Pray a prayer of salvation. If you are unsure if you are going to heaven, talk to your group leader or check out the inside front cover of this book. God desires to make things “new” in your life through His forgiveness and grace.
- Share Christ with a friend or family member. Set a time to share the gospel with someone you believe is far from God. Help them understand that Jesus loves them, died for them, and is willing to save them from the penalty of sin.
Of the five houses I’ve lived in, the one I currently reside in is my favorite, by far. But I will gladly give it up when God brings me into my new, permanent home with Him.
Hope to see everyone this Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
Teacher's Notes:
Teacher's Notes:
Revelation 21:1-8
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.“ Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life. The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
“I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe.
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When you think about heaven, what do you imagine it will be like?
Franklin Graham wrote the foreword in Billy Graham’s last book intitled: Where I Am. In it he said, “My father has always stayed in tuned with the world news – he still does – and has said, ‘My heart breaks to see the world in such turmoil.” We are watching governments crumble; newscasters and people from around the world are asking, “Is there anyone who can set the world on the right track? Is there any hope? Where will it all end?”
Yes, there is hope, and when the end of this life comes, eternity will be realized.
A Sunday school teacher was telling the story of the rich man and Lazarus. She said that Lazarus sat outside the rich man's gate covered with sores and begging for food. And that the rich man passed Lazarus without even seeing him. But when they both died Lazarus went to Heaven, while the rich man found himself in hell, which the teacher described most graphically. When she had finished, she asked the children, “Now which would you rather be—the rich man or Lazarus?” One little fellow answered, “I would like to be the rich man until I die and then Lazarus afterwards.”
Do we long for this eternity, or are we more like this little boy?
The only things we can know for sure about heaven are the things revealed in the Bible. Everything else is just speculation and hearsay. John, the apostle, unveiled his vision of heaven and shared with us what we need to know about what happens next.
1. Where is heaven? (v. 1)
We are fascinated by location. “Where does so and so live,” we often ask. In the movie Field of Dreams, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, comes back from death to play baseball on a converted cornfield. He asked, “Is this heaven?” “No,” Kevin Costner’s character answered, “this is Iowa.” The apostle John wrote, “Then I saw a new heaven . . .” (v. 1). Where did he look? Some say that heaven is up. The gospel writers often said as Jesus prayed that "he looked up to heaven." We always point up when we think of heaven. As though heaven is up and hell is down. Some say heaven is out there. In fact, some people say that heaven is located somewhere in the northern skies. Astronomers have discovered the region around the North Star to be empty. Because other stars are absent in that part of the sky this must be the location of heaven. Some people have suggested that heaven is a state of mind or a myth or a fantasy. We don’t know the location of heaven. But, we do know that it is real. Jesus called heaven a place. And, John saw it in his vision.
When asked, “Where is Heaven?” my father once wisely replied, “Heaven is where Jesus Christ is, and I’m going to Him soon.” This thought prompted the title of his book, “Where I Am, taken from Jesus’ words of comfort: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.…I go to prepare a place for you.…I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” – John 14:1-4
Billy Graham has said with resolve, “When I die, tell others that I’ve gone to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – that’s where I am.”
The one thing that makes heaven heaven is missed by all the films. In fact, most Christians overlook it. We’re often too busy talking about streets of gold, reuniting with loved ones (or our dog from childhood), or the absence of long lines, committee meetings, and asparagus. Sure, all these things will bring us great joy, but they still pale in comparison to the biggest source of joy. Jesus will be there. Jesus is the One who makes heaven, heaven.
A Christian man who was dying asked his doctor what he was looking at after he died. As the doctor fumbled for a reply, he heard a scratching at the door, and he had his answer. “Do you hear that?” he asked his patient. “It’s my dog. I left him downstairs, but he has grown impatient, and has come up and hears my voice. He has no notion what is inside this door, but he knows that I am here. Isn’t it the same with you? You don’t know what lies beyond the door, but you know that your Master is there.” We don’t know the details, but we know Jesus is there. Certainly, that’s enough.
2. What is heaven like? (vv. 2, 4)
When the great pastor R. G. Lee was asked, "What is heaven like?" he responded by saying, "Heaven is the most beautiful place the mind of God could conceive, and the hand of God could create." The Scriptures describe heaven—this real place—with fascinating terms. In speaking of heaven, John was attempting to express what defies description. It would be like trying to describe a 747 airplane to someone who lived a thousand years ago. We would have to use images of what they know to convey what they do not understand: "It's something like a giant metal bird, but it’s hard to describe.” John caught a glimpse of heaven but couldn’t adequately put it in words either. He used images: “the holy city” (v. 2). A city where there is safety and security. A place of provision and plenty. A city separate, different, unlike any that we can ever imagine. “the new Jerusalem” (v. 2). The word new means that which has never existed before. The new city will not be this old planet renovated. It will be something altogether different. “a bride adorned for her husband” (v. 2). A young lady is seldom more beautiful than on her wedding day. Heaven will be a place of beauty and purity.
When John ran out of words to adequately describe this place, he, like we often do, was forced to explain what heaven is like by speaking of what won’t be there: no more death or mourning or crying or pain or grief. Heaven is the place of no more: no more colds, cancer, blindness, wheelchairs, hearing aids, or crutches. There will be no more hospitals or paramedics. Doctors have to find a new job so will morticians. No more fear. No darkness, no gloom, or terror, or dread. There will be no more suffering. No disease. No heartache. No broken bodies. No tiredness.
- We will live in a perfect place.
What is the significance of God creating a new heaven and a new earth and the first earth was passed away?
- The Lord has prepared a place for the redeemed where they will live in complete fellowship with Him. The place God has prepared for His people will be filled with His presence.
3. Who is in heaven? (vv. 3, 5-8)
This question is not hard to answer. God is in heaven because heaven is His dwelling place. Jesus has been in heaven ever since He ascended from the earth shortly after His resurrection. Angels are in heaven, serving the Lord in various ways. And the saints of God who died on this earth are in heaven. God has given them “the water of life;” they have become “conquerors.” Everyone who has genuinely trusted in Christ as Lord and Savior will be there. Regardless of what people say of others when they die, some people won't make it. Heaven is a restricted place. It is an exclusive place. The Bible speaks of the saved and the lost. The saved are those who trust Jesus Christ as their eternal Savior. The lost are those who do not believe Christ as Savior. This truth is the great dividing line of humanity—we are either saved, or we are lost. And there is no middle category. We will either spend eternity in heaven or eternity in hell. Heaven’s occupants have trusted in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation.
Many people teach today that the blood of Jesus covers all sin, regardless of whether the sinner repents or not. This is Satan’s great lie. Some believe that they will automatically walk into Heaven when this earthly life is over because God is love. That would negate the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. Don’t be deceived, for God is not mocked. God is also a God of justice and righteousness. He is not preparing a place in Heaven for the unrepentant sinners. While we have contributed nothing to God’s free gift of salvation, there is a condition to possessing it – we must confess our sin, turn from it, and receive Christ on His terms.
This truth is repulsive to many. The pride that flaunts our self-proclaimed innocence is the very evidence of our guilt. Continuing in rebellion against God, whether the sin be pride or murder, will send souls to Hell. Then there will be no turning back, no second chances. There is no afterthought in the afterlife. Today is the time to decide where you will live forever – either Heaven or Hell. This may very well be an unpopular teaching, but popularity polls do not determine destiny for anyone.
4. How can we be sure we’re going to heaven?
This question is the most important of all. God has made it easy for us to go to heaven. He did the hard part when He sent His Son to die on the Cross for us. He paid the price for our sins so that we could one day stand before God in heaven. He offers heaven as the ultimate gift for those who place their faith and trust in Him. Trust and obedience leads to a relationship. God will be our God, and we will be His sons and daughters.
- Our eternity is based on our relationship with Christ.
From the Old Testament writer who wrote, “[God] has also set eternity in their heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) to the New Testament writer who penned these words about Jesus: “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) There is hope for everyone who will put their faith and trust in the One who gives us this promise: “Where I am, there you may also be.”
How does the promise of heaven affect you in terms of the way you live life on this earth? Are you prone to take heaven for granted, or does the thought of heaven motivate you to live with greater devotion to Christ?
- The end of all things is under the domain of the Lord God. Only God can satisfy our spiritual thirst. The children of God have the promise of great blessing in the eternal city of God. Unbelievers have no place in God’s heavenly city.
Conclusion: No one goes to heaven by accident. Heaven is God's prepared place for prepared people. We prepare for heaven, and then God prepares heaven for us. Most people believe in heaven, and most people think they are going there. But the only way to be sure is through personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
