When We All Get to Heaven

John 14:1–3 ““Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house 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 and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

We know Jesus is preparing a place for us, but we actually know more about what will not be there than we do about what will be there.

Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:8 “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””

You can take comfort in the fact that the Bible tells us all we need to know about Heaven. My theory is that if God gave us a complete description of Heaven all we would do is sit around and dream about going there.

God is preparing something absolutely magnificent for His children, and some of the details are His sacred secret. I believe Paul saw it, and it so overwhelmed Paul that he did not know if he was dreaming or if he was really there.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.”

Paul saw things and heard things in Heaven that he could not reveal by speech or by pen. Can you only imagine?

I. Heaven is a real place.

Revelation 21:1–2 “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. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Heaven is not a state of mind. It is a place on God’s map.

Heaven is a real place, but it is not just “one” place. Can I explain?

John reveals three distinct places of which Heaven consists.

A. The New Heaven and The New Earth

When God created in Genesis, everything, including the heavens and the earth and man, was perfect.

God would never create anything that was not perfect, but man marred that perfection by sinning.

Here is what Peter wrote about the heavens and the earth.

2 Peter 3:7–10 “But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

Peter writes the heavens and the earth will pass away. The Bible tells us exactly when that happens.

Revelation 20:9 “And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,”

At least 1,007 years from this very moment, this current earth and heavens are going to melt away.

Simultaneously, as God consumes sinners from fire above, the heavens and the earth will pass away.

Why do the heavens and earth have to pass away? Paul tells us.

Romans 8:22–23 “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

Just as you and are eagerly anticipating our redemption bodies so is the earth. The entire earth is groaning in anticipation of that glorious day.

The earth and the heavens both bear the slimy fingerprints of Satan. He has been in the heavens, and he has been on the earth. Nothing bearing the marks of Satan is worthy of an eternal existence with God and God’s children.

I need to make just a few more points about the new heaven and the new earth.

The New Heaven and The New Earth:

(1) According to Warren Weirsbe, “pass away” in 2 Peter 3 does not mean destruction.

(2) “New” in Revelation 21 does not mean new in time. It means new in character.

There are some who literally believe there will be a new heaven and a new earth, but I believe, just as God made me a new creature in Christ, God will “refine” the impurities out of His once perfect creation.

It is obvious that the New Earth has different characteristics from the current earth.

First, on the New Earth, the Bible says there will be no more seas. (Revelation 21:1)

I take that to mean literally there will be no seas on the New Earth. That is quite a drastic change in character considering the earth is 70% water today, but I also believe it has a symbolic meaning. In the Bible, the sea represents danger, storms, and separation, so maybe John is giving us more than just a physical description.

Second, there is no sun because the Son is the light of New Earth. (Revelation 22:5)

Third, unlike the current earth, in the New Earth, there will be nothing that causes pain because the curse will be no more. (Revelation 22:3)

What is the curse? The curse is the one pronounced in the early pages of Genesis on man and creation because of sin.

We cannot possibly imagine how brilliant God’s creation was. There are some hints in Scripture as to how the New Earth will be. During the Millennium, you see a type of the change in character on Earth.

Isaiah 35 tells of the desert places blooming like a rose garden. Isaiah 65 talks about the harmonious relationship between man and the animal kingdom. That will be just a taste as to what will come after sin is completely destroyed.

Forever, the New Earth will be as the days of Adam before the fall except even more perfect if that is possible.

B. New Jerusalem

New Jerusalem is what most people call Heaven because of the description of John in Revelation 21.

As I was taking my course on Revelation, Dr. Nocero emphasized something that he thought was incredibly important, and here is the question he continuously asked. Can you imagine John with human eyes and human intellect trying to describe what he saw in the Book of Revelation?

When John sees the New Jerusalem, I am positive that he was grasping for the words to describe the glory of the holy city. Let me just point a couple of features of the New Jerusalem.

A. During the Millennium, New Jerusalem will hover above earth.

Revelation 21:2 “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

It hovers during the Millennium because access to the city will be limited to those whose bodies have been glorified.

Remember, during the Millennium, there will be saved people who will have survived the reign of terror led by Antichrist. They will live with the longevity of the people in the Antediluvian world. As a matter of fact, Isaiah 65:20 says that it is rare occasion for a child not to reach the age of 100. Those people, however, will not as of that moment be glorified, and a mortal person cannot exist in the glory of God.

Do you know what happened to John when he saw the glorified Christ?

Revelation 1:17–18 “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”

What about Moses?

Exodus 3:3–6 “And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”

You and I cannot stand, in our current bodies, in the presence of a glorified Lord, and that’s why the city of glory hovers during the Millennium. It hovers for a thousand years, and with the New Heaven and the New Earth, John sees it coming down out of heaven.

Do you want some good news? If you are saved here today, whether it is hovering or descending, you will have access to the New Jerusalem.

B. New Jerusalem will be a gated community.

Revelation 21:21 “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”

We think of gates in terms of safety and protection, to keep something in or to keep something out. There are 12 gates in the New Jerusalem with each gate coming from a single pearl.

In ancient times, the pearl was considered a “royal gem,” produced by a mollusk covering an irritating grain of sand within its shell. Do you see how that symbolizes what Jesus Christ did for us?

The way to the New Jerusalem was made possible by the Son of God who was battered, bruised, beaten, and crucified. It was Jesus who covered the irritating that sin made with His perfect blood.

When we get to see the New Jerusalem, everything from the gates of pearl, to the streets of gold, to the foundation with all those precious stones will show us that everything in New Jerusalem was made possible by Jesus Christ.

The Bible says these gates are never closed because nothing will ever enter this city that will cause any harm.

Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.””

Every tear will be gone. There will be no more death, sickness or pain.

C. New Jerusalem will be the glorious home of glorified saints.

1 John 3:2 “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

Romans 8:16–17 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Dear friend, I am joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

As a joint heir, I am going to receive the same inheritance as Jesus which is to be glorified like Jesus. It is a done deal.

I am going to have a glorified body, and it is going to be like Jesus’s body. How do I know? Because Jesus has already prayed that prayer.

John 17:22–23 “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

The only way I can exist in the New Jerusalem is to be like Christ, and dear friend, it is going to happen because Jesus has already told the Father that He has given me that glory. AMEN!!!!!

D. New Jerusalem will have no strangers.

1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

There are some wild ideas out there about our future identities, but let me tell you this. I am Jimmy now, and I will be Jimmy in Heaven. I know Billy now, and I will know Billy in Heaven. There will be no strangers in Heaven.

When I get there, I will know Habakkuk, and he will probably joke that he never realized a preacher from Tennessee would ever quote his book as much as I do.

If you are saved, you are a child of God. You are a brother or sister of Christ, and you will know everyone in the family. There will be no strangers there.

I think the perfect example of this is the account on the Mount of Transfiguration.

Did Peter, James, and John recognize Moses and Elijah? Had they ever seen Moses and Elijah? In the same way, you will be known as you are known, and you will know all of your brothers and sisters.

Now, don’t get me to explain how that happens. I will just take God’s word for it.

E. New Jerusalem will have no unemployment.

Heaven will be a place of rest, but it will not be laziness.

If you think you are going to float around on a cloud plucking a harp, you are badly mistaken.

If the Garden of Eden is our example, what did Adam have to do? He had to tend the Garden, and it did not become labor until he sinned.

2 Timothy 2:12 “if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;”

Revelation 7:15 ““Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.”

What will you and I do in Heaven? Whatever God wants us to do. We will serve Him day and night according to Revelation 7, and according to 2 Timothy 2, we will reign the vast universe with Him. Whatever God desires, we will do, and we will never stop praising His holy name, and we will never stop singing His praises.

I do not know what some Baptists are going to do. They haven’t opened their mouths to sing praises to God in 25 years. I do not know what they will do for eternity.

F. New Jerusalem will be exclusive to most.

In Heaven, there will be people from every kindred, nation, and tongue, and we will all speak one language, but dear friend if you have not placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you will be excluded.

Romans 10:13 “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

You will have had every opportunity to join the community of the Lord, but you will have refused every chance to do so.

Revelation 21:8 “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””

By this point in time, if God is bringing up your sins, you are not getting through those Gates of Pearl.

I cannot imagine being at the Great White Throne Judgment seeing the splendors of Heaven all around you and suddenly hearing these words.

Matthew 25:41 ““Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

The gates are still open to you as of this moment, but no one knows when the doors of opportunity close. Do you want to be saved? Come to Jesus now. Today is the day of salvation says the Lord.