Heaven awaits those who have embraced Jesus as their Savior in repentance, confession and submission. To die as His is to step into the presence of the Lord in Heaven.
Considering Revelation 4:1-2 as a picture, to step into Heaven is to step up to the throne. It is not to meet Grandma at the gate or cousin Joey. It is not to first take a tour of the place. No! It is to see Jesus Who suffered and died to make salvation and Heaven possible. The driving passion will be to see Him who so loved me!
Heaven will be marked by:
- perfect peace – Isaiah 9:6 – He is the Prince of Peace
- wonderful love – I John 4:8 – God is love
- fullness of joy – Psalm 16:11 – the fullness of joy
- exquisite beauty – Psalm 27:4, 90:17, 96:6; Isaiah 33:17; a rainbow, Revelation 4:3; Ezekiel 28:12
- fulfilling purpose – Isaiah 43:7 – to grasp and celebrate His glory
To die is to leave one’s body for which Jesus will return to call into His presence to be reunited with the person’s spirit. In that restored state the Christian will live forever with God and Jesus.
However, that existence will not be forever in the third Heaven (II Corinthians 12) where Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God (Hebrews 1:1-3). Rather, the eternal abode will be on a perfect earth with God.
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. Revelation 21:1-3.
And what will that eternal, perfect world be like?
Some idea of that amazing eternal life with God revealed in Revelation 21-22:
- 1 – a new earth with no great oceans as today
- 3 – God will be on earth – Heaven as known today will be vacated
- 4 – no tears, death, sorrow, crying, or pain, 22:3
- 6 – life abundant from the Alpha Omega, Jesus
- 11 – immense beauty, the heavenly city of splendor
- 22 – the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple
- 23 – the glory of God is the light, 22:5
- 24 – nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light – kings of the earth bring their glory. Peoples of all ethnicities will be one. Likely still be nations as promised to Israel, Isaiah 66:22.
- 27 – all will be completely safe
- 27 – occupants will only be those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life
- 1 – a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal
- 1 – from the throne of God and of the Lamb
- 2 – on either side of the river, the tree of life
- 2 – bearing twelve fruits – fun food?
- 2 – a “calendar”? yielding its fruit every month
- 2 – leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations – constant reminder of God’s grace
- 3 – shall serve Him – work!
- 4 – see His face
- 4 – name on their forehead – relationship – forever stamped as His thus inherit all
- 5 – reign forever!
Revelation 22:13, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.
As MercyMe says, “I can only imagine what it will be like…when Your face is before me!”
a PK Musing 
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