What is Heaven Like?

Discover three things about Heaven that will help you “keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1).

[00:00:00] Good morning. You may have heard the cliché he’s so heavenly minded, he’s of no earthly good. The problem with that is I have yet to meet such a person. Usually, our focus is way more down here than up there. And yet Colossians 3:1 says, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. And so today we’re going to talk about the topic that most motivates me to live for Christ. And that is heaven. What is heaven like? It’s the end of the first century, and the aged apostle John is briefly exiled on an island called Patmos, just off the western coast of modern Turkey. And history says that he received the revelation of Jesus Christ near the end of Emperor Domitian’s reign, who was assassinated in 96. And in chapter one, verse 19, he’s told to write things from God to seven churches representing all of us. There are real historical churches as well, but they represent all of us because the phrase is repeated to each one, to he who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. And so, in chapter one, verse 19, we have a divine outline where he says to write the things that you have seen. That’s the historical setting for the book, chapter one. The things which are seven letters to seven contemporary churches and the things that will take place after this, chapters four onward. So, in chapters four and five, we really have the introduction to this future section where the camera will pan up into heaven and we’ll see God worshipped as creator, in chapter four. And then in five, we see Jesus worshipped as Redeemer. And there we see what heaven is like. And the first thing we discover is that heaven is a real place. The focus of heaven is God and God’s throne. Can you imagine seeing the maker of heaven and earth face to face? He says in chapter four, verses one and two, after this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. The first voice which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. At once I was in the spirit. And behold, a throne stood in heaven with one seated on the throne. Notice after this, the same two words that appeared in chapter one, verse 19, to indicate the future section, occurs twice in the opening verse of the future section. You became a citizen of heaven at the moment you trusted Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. If you know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, heaven is your real, your permanent final destiny. Through death or through rapture, your national citizenship is here. Its temporal heaven is where you really belong. Little Johnny’s new baby brother was screaming up a storm and he said, mom, where did we get him? And she said, from heaven, Johnny. And he replied, no wonder they threw him out. So heaven is not like the many dumb jokes that we tell about it like that one. In his book Heaven, author Randy Alcorn said that Satan labors to give people an inaccurate view of heaven. Our enemy slanders three things God’s person, God’s people, and God’s place. Some of his favorite lies are about heaven. But remember, Satan was tossed out of heaven when he rebelled against God and sought to take his throne. But all your favorite things are there. The Triune God is there. His throne is there. His people from all of history are there. You may have loved ones who are there. Your rewards are there. Heaven is mentioned over 500 times in the Bible and it always refers to a real place. So Jesus, for example, in John 14 said in my father’s house, notice the spatial terms here, there are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. Take you to myself that where I am heaven. The place you may be also. You will have a real body like Jesus’s resurrection body. And you live in a real place. In revelation four, we see John describing this divine light show that transcends words. There is this radiant figure seated on a throne with multicolored, iridescent rainbow glowing around his throne.

[00:05:38] This is real, and you will be there if you know Jesus. Jesus said, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Verses five through eight reveals that from the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder. This is a 4D experience, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was, as it were, a sea of glass like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne are these four living creatures. Special angels. Full of eyes, in front and behind each of them with six wings. Day and night they never cease to say, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. So what is heaven like? Well, we’ve discovered that it’s a real, indescribably, brilliant, awesome place. God is on his throne in absolute control. So whatever problems you face today, Almighty God is on his throne. He permits nothing into your life that has not first been filtered through his loving, omnipotent hands. The God who loves you is in total control. You can rest in him. You can trust him with your biggest concerns. Well, the drama begins in chapter five, verse one. I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne, a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Well, the focus shifts from this throne, and the one seated on the throne to a scroll in his upturned right hand.

[00:07:32] Scholar Robert Thomas says that the ancient Hebrew document that closely resembles this is the title or property deed. A deed or a contract would be written for a piece of property and on it would be the recorded the assets. And then on the outside were the requirements to purchase it. So if you had to forfeit a piece of property, a relative like Boaz for Ruth, with both the willingness and the ability could pay the price to buy it back. If it’s lost, this is what it takes to buy it back. And all title deeds have these provisions. Well, the drama intensifies in verses two through four. I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals? No one in heaven, or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. And I began to weep loudly, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. John weeps convulsively. He sobs loudly. Why? Because this title deed is important. It’s in Almighty God’s hands, and it contains the destiny of everyone on the earth. What land or property could be in view here? If this scroll remains unopened, the sin and the misery it causes will continue to multiply and ravage the Earth forever. Humanity will be stuck forever because no one in the universe, human or angelic, has the authority and the worthiness to break open the scroll and redeem the earth.

[00:09:26] One writer says that John’s tears represent the tears of all God’s people through all the centuries. They are the tears of Adam and Eve as they viewed the still form of their dead son, Abel, and sensed the awful consequence of their disobedience. These are the tears of the children of Israel in bondage, as they cried to God for deliverance from their affliction and slavery. These are the sobs and tears wrung from the heart and soul of God’s people, as they have stood beside the graves of loved ones, and experienced the indescribable heartache and disappointments of life. Such is the curse that sin has laid upon God’s beautiful creation. No wonder John wept so fervently. If no Redeemer could be found to remove the curse. It meant that God’s creation was forever consigned to remain in the hands of Satan. End quote. So the scroll is the title deed of the earth. But why the earth? God is maker of heaven and earth. Why does he need to redeem it? He owns it. Well, remember Adam was given by God vicegerency or rulership, stewardship over the earth, Genesis 1 and 2. But he quickly turned it over to Satan. In Genesis three, what does Jesus call Satan several times? He calls him the ruler of this world. For example, John 12:31. Paul says, the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.

[00:11:15] Ephesians 2 says, you were dead in your sins, and you were driven along, following the course of this world, the prince of the power of the air, who is at work in the sons of disobedience. John says, the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. Well, how did this begin? Romans 5:12 records that just as through one man, Adam, sin entered into the world and death through sin. And so death spread like cancer to all men, because all sinned. So Adam’s sin went beyond himself. His consequences to the entire creation, such that Romans 8 says that creation was subjected to futility, that not of itself, but that the whole creation is groaning under the weight of childbirth, the pangs of childbirth together until now. We can see that, we can feel that at least once a day I think we see and feel a groaning creation. Do you remember Luke chapter 4, where Satan is able to take Jesus up to a mountain and show him all the kingdoms of this world? And he said to you, I will give all of this authority and their glory, for it has been has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. Worship me and it will all be yours. And Jesus didn’t refute or dispute this. Satan was confined to live under God’s rule.

[00:13:00] This scroll is the title deed of the earth, and the earth will be cleansed as seven seals are broken by Jesus himself. Then seven trumpets are blown. Then seven bowls are poured out, bringing cataclysmic judgment. Just wrath on the earth many would say, over a seven year period. But after, with Messiah Jesus return to the earth, revelation 19 will come ultimate blessing. Because in the Jewish mind, the day of the Lord encompassed a night of judgment, which Jesus used words such as tribulation and great tribulation to describe. And this is detailed in chapter six through 19, followed by a new day of blessing, chapters 20 to 22. So in the day of the Lord’s wrath, however, Habakkuk 3:2 reminds us that God remembers mercy. In this future time of judgment will also be a day of mass revival, mass salvation, redemption. According to Revelation 7, when multitudes who will not respond to the gospel will do so, then when judgment begins to fall. And that’s why we urge you every week, keep praying for people who don’t yet know Jesus. Keep inviting them to come to know him. The story has not yet been written from our perspective. Chapter 5:2, poses a vital question, who is worthy to open the scroll? Who has the character and the power to defeat Satan and redeem the earth from the ravages of sin? Who is a kinsman redeemer of humanity? Revelation 5:5 answers that. One of the elders said to John, John, weep no more, behold, that means see with understanding. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so he can open the scroll and its seven seals. The Jews expected this at Jesus’s first coming, and they were disappointed. But at his second coming, Jesus is the lion. There are no predators. He is King of kings. He is Lord of the earth. He is strong and fierce and fearless. He is both the creator Lord and the offspring ancestor of David, king David. That’s why he said, I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning Star. He is the first light of dawn, piercing the darkness of night. But his first coming, suffering servant of God, humiliated, sacrificed on a cross. Remember John saw him and he said, behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. So John turns. He expects to see a lion. But verses 6 and 7 say, between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain, with seven horns, symbolizing absolute power, with seven eyes, symbolizing absolute knowledge, which are the seven spirits of God filled with the Holy Spirit sent out into all the earth. And he went. He took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. This lamb bears the marks of violence and death, and yet he stands alive.

[00:16:58] After Jesus’s resurrection, he bore the marks of crucifixion. Someone has asked, could it be that the only man made things in heaven will be his scars of death for us? Forever conveying you are worth the life blood, cost of redemption. To me, there’s a Mercy Me song that says, the nails in your hands, the nails in your feet they tell me how me how much you love me. And when the heavens pass away, the earth will still remain. Your scars will tell me how much you love me. What is heaven like? We’ve discovered that it’s a real, indescribably awesome place. God is on his throne. He’s in absolute control. You can trust him today with your biggest challenge. You can rest in him. But it’s also a redemptive place. Jesus is ready to take back the earth from Satan’s grip because he has overcome sin and death. He is the slain lamb who will soon be the conquering lion.

[00:18:12] Well, what’s heaven’s response? The third thing we learn about heaven is that it’s a responsive place to an awesome worship to Jesus having taken the scroll. Notice verses 8 through 10. When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures, special angels, the 24 elders, I believe representing the church, fall down before him, each holding a harp. This is where we get the harp idea. You will love playing harp. You will really be good at it. You probably won’t even have to take lessons. But the golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.[00:18:54] And they sang a new song saying. Worthy are you to take the scroll to open the seals. Why? For you were slain. And by your blood ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. This, I believe, is a fulfillment of Matthew 6:10. We pray your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In other words, perfectly. Your will will be done perfectly on the earth. Jesus is worthy to redeem the earth lost to Satan. Because to take the scroll, to break open the seals. Why? Because he purchased us with his own life blood. He paid the price. He is a relative. He’s one of us. The word became flesh and dwelt among us, who is both willing and able to buy us and our lost property. Just like Boaz, the Jewish groom bought Ruth, the Gentile bride. Notice these golden bowls full of incense. What are they? They’re your prayers. Your prayers make a difference to God and to others. God weaves together your prayers in the sovereign outworking of his will. Notice also the diverse cultural tapestry. Talk about cultural diversity. People from every tribe and language and people and nation will make up this community the redeemed. And notice, thirdly, the result of his purchase, that we are a kingdom of priests who shall serve and reign one day upon the earth.

[00:20:59] We live in the realm of God’s rule now Christians. Colossians 1:13 says that we’ve been delivered or rescued from the domain of darkness, and transferred to the kingdom of his beloved son, but one day on earth. So we have this privilege of being this priestly community. Priests brought God’s word to people and they brought the people to God. And so we have this awesome privilege of bringing the presence of God and the Word of God into the lives of precious people around us. We have the privilege of interceding for each other and for those who don’t yet know Jesus. And so I just pray that these privileges that we have, that you have as this holy priesthood, that you are taking them seriously and that you are engaging. Well, the fitting response to Jesus having taken the title deed and redeeming the world through this crescendo of tribulation judgments, pulling it from Satan’s grip is awesome worship. And sometimes people wonder, is that all we’re going to do in heaven is just worship? I mean, surely we’ll do many other things, but won’t that get old and boring. Well, John sure doesn’t seem to be bored. Let’s look at the remaining verses of chapter 5, beginning in verse 11. I looked, I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might, and honor and glory and blessing.

[00:22:51] And then I heard every creature in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying to him who sits on the throne, and to the lamb, be blessing, and honor, and glory, and might forever and ever. The four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshiped. The four living creatures are special angels. We see them described similarly even in the Old Testament. And they must be Baptists because they keep saying Amen. Can I get an amen? But can you imagine these four living creatures, plus hundreds of millions of regular angels and all of creation, joining in this chorus of worship of the lamb because he is worthy. And sometimes people wonder, why do Christians make such a big deal of Jesus? Because he is the God man slain and now alive is the only redemptive hope of all of creation. Notice the latter part of verse 13 that’s highlighted. To him who sits on the throne and to the lamb, there is an equality here between God the Father and God the Son, and that equal worship is ascribed to both. So Jesus is more than just a great teacher or prophet. He sits on the throne of God. There’s a man on the throne of God.

[00:24:21] And in Revelation 22, verses 1 and 3, the father and the son share a singular throne called the throne of God and of the lamb. Skip Heitzig has said, I suspect you won’t be bored in heaven, because there’s nothing more fascinating than God when face to face with him. Yes, we will do many other things, but highest on the list will be worship. You will return with Jesus revelation 19. You will reign with him Revelation 20, on the earth that he purchased with his own life blood. Well, who is this mysterious group called the 24 elders? There are a dozen references to them in the Bible. All of them are in revelation. Mostly in chapters 4 and 5 where they first appear. So right here is where they first appear. So our first hint is that they’re not found in the Old Testament. There are seven throne room scenes in the Old Testament, and they never appear. I believe the most natural reading of Scripture is that these 24 represent the glorified church that was formed at Pentecost, and then taken up into glory as promised by Jesus to his faithful last days remnant church, which I pray that we are. Of Philadelphia, he tells the Philadelphians, because you have persevered in my word, I will keep you from the hour of testing. What hour? That hour, which is about to come upon the whole earth to test or try those who dwell on the earth.

[00:26:12] The phrase those who dwell in the earth appears 12 times in the Bible, and it always refers to lost people of that future judgment period. And then Jesus says in verse 11, Revelation 3:11. I’m coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, that no one take your crown. Chapters four and five occur before the wrath begins to be poured out as the lamb breaks the seals, beginning in chapter six. And this is consistent with other promises in the New Testament. For example, in first Thessalonians 1:10, Paul commends the Thessalonians. He said, you turn to God from idols to serve the true and living God, and to wait for his Son Jesus from heaven, who delivers us, rescues us from the wrath to come. So why do I think the 24 represent the church glorified? Well, as he said, the Old Testament this group is group is now found. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, I will future tense build my church. So it was future to his ministry here. Acts two is where we see this recorded. Ephesians two and three tells us that the church with Jew and Gentile in one new family was a mystery. It wasn’t revealed directly in the Old Testament. They’re said to rule with Christ. This is a frequent promise to the church. They’re called elders. Angels do not age. And actually angels and elders are listed separately in the same lists given in 5:7, and 11:7. Elders are seasoned men. Also they’re redeemed. Did you know that angels who are lost, remain lost? God didn’t become an angel to save lost angels like he became a man to save lost people. So redeemed only fits believer Christians, the church. They’re resurrected rewarded again, a promise frequently given to the church. They are a multi-ethnic kingdom of priests. So in short, the promises given to the seven churches representing the whole church in revelation 2 and 3 are realized here among the 24 elders. Well, why 24? 24 was the number of representation. Remember, there were 24 groups of priests that would rotate in the Old Testament tabernacle and temple worship. But they represented the whole. There were 24 groups of worship leaders, 24 groups of musicians representing the whole of the nation. Have you ever thought about the significance of Pentecost? So when Pentecost was first given through Moses in Leviticus 23. The priest would wave two leavened loaves. Leaven or yeast represents what? Yeast? Sin, right? So the priest would lift up and wave these two leaven loaves for 1500 years. In Acts chapter 2, it records on the very day at the very moment the priest was waving these two loaves, which I believe represent sinful Jews and sinful Gentiles in one new body, one new community. At that very moment, the Holy Spirit is forming this new wave offering called the church.

[00:29:56] Well, today we’ve seen that heaven is a real place. God is on his throne. Heaven is a redemptive place.The slain lamb will soon be the conquering Lion King. Heaven’s also responsive place of awesome worship. And so I hope that you’re living in anticipation of your future home, your permanent home. I think many spend more time looking for a device, or a car or a temporal home than where they’ll spend eternity. But you can trust him. If you don’t know Jesus yet, or if you do, trust him, he will make you clean. He will give you his righteousness so his father can justify you. He will give you himself. He will give you his own personal presence, his word to direct you. He will give you his community, each other, his church, to go on this heavenward journey together. So we can help each other. Well, your assignment this week, if you choose to choose to accept it, is to read revelation 21 and 22, the last two chapters of the Bible, where you will see heaven in its final eternal state, even more fully colored. So here’s a summary of the Bible story. God created a perfect world, Genesis 1 and 2. Given to men’s and women’s stewardship. But Paradise was lost to Satan through human sin and rebellion. Jesus redeemed us and our lost property, the earth, through his perfect life, through his sacrificial substitutionary death on a Roman cross. Through his glorious resurrection and ascension. And soon he will come. He will bring us to the place he’s been preparing for us, where we will experience chapters 4 and 5 firsthand.

[00:32:02] Then he will become king on this earth through a crescendo of massive judgments, culminating in his return. So I pray that we are living in light of our bridegroom’s any moment appearance. The great American theologian Jonathan Edwards, in his 20s, wrote a set of life resolutions. One of which said, resolved to endeavour to obtain as much happiness in the other world as I possibly can. I’d like to close by praying this scripture over you from Hebrews, the book. Christ Jesus, we are so thankful that you offered yourself for us. You bore our sins on the cross, and you will appear a second time to rescue us from the wrath to come. To us who we eagerly await you and so help us to assemble together, to be equipped to sharpen each other, to encourage each other all the more as we see your day drawing near. Because in a very little while you who are coming will come. You will not delay. So help us to live righteously by faith, to find our greatest pleasure in you, that you might find your greatest pleasure in us. Help us to live looking for the city which is to come. God, it is so evident every day in the news and in our own hearts, that here we do not have a lasting city, but we are looking for the city which is to come. Bless us, God, in these endeavors to pursue you and your city. In Jesus name, Amen.