HEAVEN
Questions, questions, questions!!! Children constantly ask questions. What for? How come? How does? Why? And the most famous of all, “Are we there yet?” Do you ask a lot of questions? I do.
We have questions about heaven and we wonder about how it is going to be up there. We are like Thomas Didymus, have you heard of him, and apostle and a follower of Jesus. He was a twin, “Didymus” means twin, and when he didn’t understand something he asked questions. On one occasion when the Lord Jesus was teaching, He said to His disciples,
“In My Fathers house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3
Imagine Jesus looking around the room at the sad faces of those men? Everyone with a big lump in his throat was probably hanging his head and scuffing his sandals and looking down at the floor. They didn’t want Jesus to leave them. Then Jesus said something that surprised them very much. “You know the way to the place where I am going.” The disciples must have looked at each other, but no one said anything, no one except Thomas Didymus. He just blurted out just exactly what everyone was thinking. He always said what was on his mind. Perhaps the other disciples wanted to ask Jesus this question but they were afraid or ashamed. Not so with Thomas! He spoke right up, “Lord, I want to go to heaven. I want to be where you are, but I don’t know the way. How can we know the way?” Maybe Thomas wanted Jesus to roll out a big map and show him the way. But Jesus didn’t open a map, He just looked Thomas right in the eyes and told him one thing… “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Me.” John 14:6
That was a great question, wasn’t it? Perhaps this is your question, it was my question for a number of years and because Thomas asked that question we have the answer written down in God’s word. Jesus answered him and said, “I am the Way and I’m coming again to take you there, Thomas.” The way to heaven isn’t a street, isn’t a road so we don’t need a map or an address. The way to heaven is a Person. Jesus is the door, the stairway, the road. He is the only way anyone ever enters heaven. Thomas had a lot of questions and it’s all right because Jesus has the answers. We cannot know every detail about heaven, but we can know enough to understand that it is wonderful beyond words and description. Perhaps you have wondered about heaven, how to get there, how it’s going to be up there, and exactly where is heaven anyway?
Psalm 48:1-2 “Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, His holy mountain. It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.”
It’s true we do not know exactly where heaven is but the angels carried Lazarus to Abraham’s bosom and since the angels know where heaven is it’s not vital for us to know. Luke 16:19-31
We who are redeemed will arrive there safely and all our questions will be answered. Perhaps you have wondered—-how long does it take to get there? Jesus said to the dying thief on the cross, the one who believed on Him, “today you will be with Me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 We know it takes no longer than a day. When you were a small child did you ever fall asleep in the living room and then wake up in the morning in your warm bed? How do you think that happened? Yes, when you fell asleep, someone who loves you very much came and picked you up and carried you gently into your bed and tucked you in. That’s exactly what the Lord does for us when we die, we fall asleep down here on earth and wake up in God’s house. Jesus comes and picks us up and takes us home. Another question you may ask is, “How long will I be in heaven?” When you are with friends, laughing, just enjoying the day, time goes by so quickly you can hardly believe it. You say, “Oh, I wish this good day could last forever.” That’s what heaven is: it’s a good day that lasts forever! Time won’t go fast or slow because there will be no time at all. If you stopped an angel and said, “Please angel, what time is it?” The angel would laugh and say, “Why it’s right now and it’s forever.” The Lord Jesus said in the Father’s house there are rooms for all and a place for each one, a specific place that we can literally see, feel, and touch. Heaven is the city of God, and it is situated on the “sides of the north.” It is a definite place, not a cloud or a group of angels sitting on the edge of the clouds playing harps.
A successful city must have five things.
Good water, wholesome food, good government, a good lighting system, and security.
Good water-The River of the water of life. Revelation 22:1 “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” The water supply for any city is of utmost importance. It will not be necessary for God’s saints to drink water because we will never thirst, but there is a river of living water coming from the throne of God.
Wholesome food-Revelation 22:2 “...the Tree of Life bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month…” In the midst of the city will be the Tree of Life which will bear twelve kinds of fruit and give forth it’s fruit every month. All fruit will be edible. In eternity we will eat and drink if we so choose. Wow! That’s a great relief to me! I enjoy food. The Tree of Life is the same tree that was in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. God removed it from the garden and put it in heaven for us. The Tree of Life means everyone there will live forever. On earth there is death because of sin, but in heaven there will be no sin, therefore no death.
Good government-Revelation 22:3 “...the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him.” The Government in heaven will be perfect, only one Ruler, for God is there on His throne. The curse of sin is lifted, no sin, no sorrow, and no disappointments.
Perfect lighting system-Revelation 22:5 “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp, or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.” There will be no need of candle, lantern, match, flashlight or sun, for while He was here on earth, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
Security-Revelation 21:12 “It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates…” This city will be safe, for there will be no robbers, no muggers, no crime, no liars, and no sin. It won’t be attacked by Satan for he will be in the lake of fire. The King of kings and Lord of lords will sit on His throne, and all will be safe and secure, as He reigns in power and righteousness.
Heaven!
Is this this the place you want to be, when you die?
If so,
Click on the link at the top of this page "Gift of Salvation"
to find out how you can get to Heaven.