Continuing our “You Asked For It” series… today we are going to delve into the subject and place of Heaven.

Picture of Horseshoe Bend

Picture of Grand Canyon

Picture of us at the Grand Canyon

Picture of me at the Grand Canyon

The Bible gives us some descriptions and ideas of what heaven will be like, but in reality much like just looking at pictures of the Grand Canyon or Horseshoe Bend, unless you have been there and seen it for yourself you cannot fully grasp the incredible beauty and depth of relationship we will have with God and others until we get there.

Deuteronomy 29:29 (NASB95)

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

I love the verse in Revelation 21:4, that gives us a brief but beautiful description of heaven.

Heaven

Revelation 21:4 (NASB95)

and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

So many of us have lived lives of tears and pain, seeing loved ones pass, but the Bible reminds us this will not be the case in heaven! That alone… is music to my ears!

Preparing for our Trip Home

If you are a child of God and have trusted Jesus as your Savior, then understand this world is not your home. Heaven is your home Phil 3:20

Philippians 3:20 (NASB95)

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

Getting ready for our final trip home.

I don’t know about you guys but when Mary and I prepare to go somewhere, we…

study the location

watch videos on things to do

figure out the distance of travel

account for our expenses

what we will eat

etc…

Let’s begin with the location…

Location

When we read the Scriptures there are several descriptions of heaven. In fact there are three heavens mentioned.

1. The first is the sky above us. Matt.6:26

Matthew 6:26 (NASB95)

“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

2. The The second is the stars or space is often referred to as heaven. Matt. 24:29

Matthew 24:29 (NASB95)

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

3. The third is the actual heave were God dwells. It is called “the third heaven”, or sometimes “paradise”. 2 Cor. 12:2

2 Corinthians 12:2 (NASB95)

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.

What Does Heaven Look Like?

The New Heaven / the New Jerusalem is massive in size Rev. 21:16

Revelation 21:16 (NASB95)

The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal.

If we take the the dimensions of the new city literally… and we put it into modern thinking… this would mean the new city would consist of 396,000 stories at 20’ per story, with each story having the area size of half of the United States.

2. Heaven is a place of incredible beauty. Rev. 21:18-21

Revelation 21:18–21 (NASB95)

The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone.

The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

Who Is In Heaven?

Sometimes when you go somewhere, the place might be nice but you find out the people there were not what you had expected to be there.

God the Father is in Heaven. Matt. 6:9

Matthew 6:9 (NASB95)

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

When we get to heaven we will be able to see God face to face. The fancy word for this is called the Beatific Vision.

If you recall Moses requested to see God face but could not or he would die. But God allowed him to see His back. Exodus 33:20-23 (NASB95)

Exodus 33:20–23 (NASB95)

But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;

and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. “Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

2. Jesus is there. John 3:13, John 20:17

John 3:13 (NASB95)

“No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.

John 20:17 (NASB95)

Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ”

3. Angels are there. Matt. 18:10

Matthew 18:10 (NASB95)

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

4. Believers who have died are in Heaven Luke 23:43, 2 Cor. 5:8

Luke 23:43 (NASB95)

And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

2 Corinthians 5:8 (NASB95)

we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

Heaven is Not Closing

Have you ever travel somewhere with great anticipation only to find out they went out of business or are closed for the day?

Heaven is eternal and everlasting. Rev. 5:13

Revelation 5:13 (NASB95)

And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”

Heaven Changes You

One of the great things about going on vacation is we get to enjoy our friends, we get some rest, and even a tan in some cases, but we experience a change from the everyday hustle and bustle.

From our main verse in Rev. 21:4, we all ready know there will be no more tears, sorrow, pain, and death.

Our bodies will be transformed Phil. 3:21

Philippians 3:21 (NASB95)

who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

3. Heaven will be a place of Overflowing Joy Luke 15:10, 1 Tim. 6:17

1 Timothy 6:17 (NASB95)

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

Welcome Home!

Heaven will be place of the greatest family reunion ever known. 1 Thess. 4:13-18

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (NASB95)

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words

The Angels rejoice when a believer gets saved.

Luke 15:10 (NASB95)

“In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Scripture tell’s us that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God, but I want you to notice in Acts 7:55, Jesus stood for Stephen as he was dying.

Acts 7:55 (NASB95)

But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

When you show up at someones home, what do we do? We stand to greet them… I believe, we will be greeted by our Lord and Savior the moment we die and enter into heaven.

Erwin W. Lutzer in his book One Minute After You Die, said, “A believer’s death may be unnoticed on earth, but it is front-page news in heaven.”

Communion

Jesus reminded His disciples in Matt 26:29

Matthew 26:29 (NASB95)

“But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”