A Tale of Two Heavens

Intro:

A few weeks ago I gave a sermon entitled “Longing for Heaven”. It served as an opening to this series that we are going to spend some time on, looking at the topic of Heaven…

If you can remember that sermon from a few weeks ago, I briefly mentioned that “Our View of Heaven Involves - A Necessary Discernment”… because, not every story is true and every claim must be tested…

And that is what I want to elaborate on, a little bit more today…

Over the years, books about people who claim to have visited heaven have become extremely popular.

Some claim that they died on an operating table, went to heaven, and then returned.

Others claim that they left their bodies during a medical emergency and were able to see and hear what was taking place around them.

Some describe traveling through a tunnel toward a bright light.

Others talk about meeting angels, speaking with deceased family members, seeing beautiful landscapes, or being shown details about heaven that cannot be found in the Bible.

Many of these stories are emotional.

Some are comforting.

Some are told by people who appear to be completely sincere.

And some are even filled with Christian language, Bible verses, and references to Christ.

Because of that, many Christians have accepted these stories without much hesitation. They assume that if someone’s experience sounds spiritual, mentions Jesus, and seems to support the existence of heaven, then it must be true…

But as we talked about a few weeks ago, spiritual truth cannot be discovered merely through human wisdom, imagination, or experience.

The things of God must be revealed to us by God Himself.

And when it comes to heaven, we must be especially careful.

We are dealing with a realm we have never seen.

We cannot observe heaven through a telescope.

We cannot examine it in a laboratory.

We cannot travel there and investigate it for ourselves.

Everything we know with certainty about heaven must come from the One who created it.

That means we must compare every claim, every story, and every supposed experience with the written Word of God.

And as we make that comparison, something becomes very clear.

The heaven described in many modern stories is very different from the heaven revealed in Scripture.

They may both use the word “heaven,” but they are not describing the same thing.

That is why I have titled this message:

A Tale of Two Heavens.

On one side, we have the heaven people describe through personal experiences.

On the other side, we have the heaven God has revealed in His Word.

And as we compare the two, we will see that they differ in three very important ways…

Revelation chapter 4 gives us one of the most vivid and awe-inspiring descriptions of heaven found anywhere in Scripture.

That is where we are going to read from today and we will reference back to this passage regularly throughout this series…

(Read vv. 1-11)

Meat:

The book of Revelation (Not Revelations, this is just one Revelation)… The book of Revelation was written by the apostle John while he was exiled on the island of Patmos because of his faithfulness to the Word of God and his testimony concerning Jesus Christ.

Revelation was written to seven churches in Asia Minor that were facing pressure, persecution, compromise, and spiritual discouragement.

God gave John this revelation to remind those believers that, regardless of what was happening around them,

Jesus Christ was still Lord,

God was still on His throne,

and His purposes would ultimately prevail.

The first three chapters focus primarily on Christ’s messages to the seven churches. But beginning here in chapter 4, the scene shifts from earth to heaven.

John is invited to look through an open door into the throne room of God. And before he is shown the judgments that will come upon the earth, he is first shown the One who remains completely sovereign over everything that will take place.

Which brings us to our first difference in this tale of two heavens…

The descriptions of these places come from…

1. Two Different Sources

And any time we are given differing details, from different sources, we have to decide which source we are going to believe…

For this tale of two heavens, one set of details is based on…

1.1 Human Experience

Modern claims of travel to heaven are built primarily on personal testimony.

The person says…

“This is what I saw.”

“This is what I heard.”

“This is how I felt.”

“This is who I met.”

“This is what I was told.”

The entire account depends on the reliability of that person’s experience and memory.

But experiences are not always reliable.

A person can be sincere and still be mistaken.

A person can honestly believe something happened without correctly understanding what took place.

In 1984, a lady by the name of Jennifer Thompson was assaulted in her home. During the attack, she deliberately studied the man’s face so she would be able to identify him later. She eventually identified Ronald Cotton from a lineup and testified against him in court with complete confidence.

She was not lying. She honestly believed Cotton was the man who had attacked her.

But she was mistaken.

Cotton spent more than ten years in prison before DNA testing proved that he was innocent and identified another man as the attacker.

The human mind can be affected by

trauma,

medication,

oxygen deprivation,

dreams,

fear,

expectations,

memories,

and imagination.

Even under ordinary circumstances, two people can witness the same event and remember it very differently.

How much more cautious should we be when someone has been unconscious, heavily medicated, seriously injured, or near death?

We are not saying that everyone who tells one of these stories is deliberately lying.

Some may be dishonest.

Others may sincerely believe what they experienced.

But sincerity does not equal certainty.

A sincere person can be sincerely wrong.

There is another problem.

The stories often contradict one another.

One person says everyone in heaven speaks without words.

Another says they speak a heavenly language.

One says people in heaven have wings.

Another says they do not.

One says there is no judgment.

Another describes some form of judgment.

One says everyone goes to heaven.

Another says only certain people are allowed to enter.

One describes a peaceful place with no conflict.

Another describes battles, swords, and even the presence of Satan.

They cannot all be true.

And yet these stories are often treated as though they provide special knowledge about the afterlife.

That creates a dangerous situation.

Instead of Scripture interpreting the experience, the experience begins interpreting Scripture.

People read a story first, become emotionally attached to it, and then search the Bible for verses that appear to support it.

Rather than asking, “Does this experience agree with Scripture?” they begin asking, “How can I make Scripture agree with this experience?”

That reverses the proper order.

Our experiences must always be tested by Scripture.

Scripture must never be tested by our experiences.

We must never place human testimony above the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word.

Which is the other source for information regarding heaven…

1.2 Divine Revelation

It is worth noting that Revelation 4 does not begin with John suffering a medical emergency.

He does not describe his heart stopping.

He does not travel through a tunnel.

He does not look down and see his body lying on the ground.

John says that he was “in the Spirit.”

This was not a near-death experience.

It was a divine revelation from God.

God chose John.

God opened the door.

God called him upward.

God showed him what He wanted him to see.

And the Holy Spirit guided John as he recorded it for us.

That is what makes John’s account different.

The authority of Revelation 4 does not rest on John’s memory, imagination, or ability to tell a convincing story.

Its authority rests completely on God.

John was not free to add details to make the scene more interesting.

He was not free to reshape the vision to make it more appealing.

He recorded what God commanded him to record.

The same is true of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Paul.

When these men were given visions of heavenly glory, they did not appoint themselves as messengers.

God chose them.

God revealed the vision.

God determined what would be communicated.

The Apostle Paul, speaking of his revelation of heaven in 2 Corinthians 12, said in v.4… That he was…

2 Corinthians 12:4 NKJV

4 … caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Rather than describing everything he saw, Paul said that he heard things a person was not permitted to speak.

One of the men who genuinely saw paradise did not write a best-selling tour guide.

Because he was restrained and silent.

Those whom God did not authorize to speak were expected to remain silent.

And Those whom God commanded to write about heaven wrote under divine inspiration.

And God preserved their words as part of inspired Scripture…

That cannot be said about any modern book, testimony, movie, interview, or personal experience.

No matter how emotional the story may be, it is not inspired Scripture.

No matter how sincere the person may seem, he or she is not an apostle or prophet writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Our confidence about heaven must rest on divine revelation… not human experience.

One source says “A person experienced this.”

The other source says “God has revealed this.”

But what about human experiences that claim to be divine revelation?

Well, I stand firmly on the truth that God has adequately revealed everything He wants us to know in His Word… So if a human experience does not line up with what Scripture says, then the experience must be rejected…

God’s Word is the standard.

Every claim, vision, testimony, and experience must be measured by it.

Again… consider the source…

However, there is another area to look at…

A tale of two heavens will have 2 different sources… and it will also have…

2. Two Different Focuses

When we compare modern human experiences with biblical revelation, we quickly notice that they are focused on completely different things.

One focuses on…

2.1 The Traveler

Modern stories tend to keep the person who had the experience in the center.

The story is about…

what the traveler saw.

How the traveler felt.

Whom the traveler met.

What privileges the traveler received.

What special information the traveler learned.

And how the traveler’s life changed afterward.

The person becomes the central figure.

In some accounts, the individual is welcomed by a crowd.

given special attention.

shown secrets.

allowed to ask questions.

told that they have an important purpose back on earth.

The traveler returns feeling more significant, more enlightened, and more knowledgeable than others.

Heaven almost becomes the background for a story about the person.

In response to this very topic, Pastor John MacArthur says “these accounts often make the heavenly traveler appear heroic while making heaven itself seem ordinary. The person remains in the foreground, while comparatively little is said about the glory of God—the true centerpiece of heaven.”

Now lets compare that to Paul’s revelation…

Look at 2 Corinthians 12… (Give time to turn)

2 Corinthians 12:1–6 “1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.

Notice that Paul does not begin by proudly announcing, “Let me tell you about the time I went to heaven.”

He speaks reluctantly, and he even refers to himself as “a man in Christ.”

Although Paul is describing his own experience, he tells it in the third person because he does not want to make himself the hero of the story.

3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—

Paul says he did not even know whether he was physically taken into heaven or whether he received a vision.

He does not pretend to understand or explain every detail. He simply says, “God knows.”

Paul is willing to admit that there were parts of the experience he did not understand.

4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

We’ve already covered that one…

5 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. 6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.”

Paul refuses to boast about the experience as though it made him spiritually superior… He does not want anyone to think more highly of him because of what he saw.

Paul’s concern was not, “How can I convince everyone that I am special?”

His concern was, “I do not want anyone to think more of me than what they can see in my life and hear in my teaching.”

That is a very different attitude than what we find with many modern claims…

Paul’s experience did not make him the center of attention.

It caused him to speak with humility, restraint, and caution.

You see, these Apostles and Prophets that God allowed to see an actual glimpse of heaven do not spend their time focusing how wonderful they felt… or how special they were when they arrived…

They are overwhelmed by Someone far greater than themselves.

We see them focused on…

2.2 The Throne

Go back to Revelation 4…

Revelation 4:2 “Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.”

The first thing John sees is not a relative.

It is not an angelic guide.

It is not a beautiful landscape.

It is not a mansion.

It is not a street of gold.

It is a throne.

And Someone is seated upon it.

That throne becomes the center of everything John sees.

The twenty-four elders are seated around the throne.

Lightning and thunder proceed from the throne.

The seven lamps burn before the throne.

The sea of glass lies before the throne.

The living creatures surround the throne.

The worship is directed toward the throne.

The crowns are cast before the throne.

Everything in heaven is arranged around the throne because heaven is centered on the sovereign rule and glory of God.

Heaven is not primarily about our comfort.

It is about God’s glory.

Heaven is not primarily about reunion.

It is about God’s presence.

Heaven is not primarily about beautiful scenery.

It is about the beauty and majesty of the One who created all things.

We sometimes talk about heaven as though Jesus were simply one blessing among many.

We mention the

streets of gold,

the gates of pearl,

the absence of pain,

our glorified bodies,

and seeing our loved ones again

and then… somewhere on the list… we include being with Jesus.

But Jesus is not just another item on the list.

Jesus is the reason heaven is heaven.

Without the presence of Christ, all the beauty of heaven would be meaningless.

Yes… The comfort, the reunion and the beauty will be absolutely amazing… … but our main focus will be…

The Author and Finisher of our faith

The Lamb of God seated on His Throne

Listen to the worship starting in v.8…

Revelation 4:8–11 “The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,

10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.””

The living creatures do not praise themselves.

The elders do not celebrate their accomplishments.

No one talks about personal privileges.

No one is comparing crowns.

Every voice is directed toward God.

They declare that He is holy.

They proclaim that He is eternal.

They acknowledge that He alone is worthy to receive glory, honor, and power.

And why is He worthy?

Because He created all things.

Everything exists by His will.

Heaven is filled with the knowledge that God is the center, source, ruler, and purpose of everything.

And this is one of the clearest differences between “human experiences” and Divine Revelation…

In modern stories, heaven often seems to revolve around the visitor.

In Scripture, every creature revolves around God.

So, if an account of heaven leaves us fascinated with the storyteller but not overwhelmed by the glory of God… then something is seriously wrong.

One last difference that I want to point out today… and that is…

3. Two Different Effects

The source is different.

The focus is different.

And because of that, the effect is also different.

One side…

3.1 Produces Curiosity

This is evident in any of the modern stories that you read or watch…

People begin asking…

What did the angels look like?

Did you see your family?

Were there animals?

What colors did you see?

What activities were taking place?

One story leads to another.

One book creates an appetite for the next.

Before long, people are searching everywhere for information about heaven except the Bible.

Now, There is nothing wrong with having honest questions.

God created us with a desire to know.

But our curiosity must remain within the boundaries of biblical revelation.

First Corinthians 4:6 tells us that we are to …

1 Corinthians 4:6 NASB95

… learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.

Paul is warning the Corinthians not to go beyond the boundaries of God’s revealed Word…

To “not exceed what is written” means that Scripture must set the limits of what we believe and practice.

When we go beyond Scripture, pride often follows, because people begin claiming special insight or spiritual superiority over others.

God has not answered every question we may have about heaven.

And where God has remained silent, we must be willing to remain silent as well…

We should never allow curiosity to lead us beyond Scripture.

And when we look at the people in Scripture who had the amazing opportunity to see Heaven, we find, 100% of the time, that it…

3.2 Produces Humility

Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, and he became painfully aware of his sin.

Ezekiel saw the appearance of the glory of the Lord, and he fell on his face.

Daniel saw a vision of divine glory, and his strength left him.

John saw the glorified Christ in Revelation 1, and he fell at His feet as though he were dead.

They did not return from these visions feeling important.

They were not impressed with themselves.

They were overwhelmed by God.

They became deeply aware of His holiness and their unworthiness.

Which tells me that, real, authentic, Biblical visions of heaven… do not inflate human pride.

They crush it.

They remind us that…

God is great and we are small.

God is holy and we are sinful.

God is worthy and we are dependent entirely upon His grace.

The glory of heaven produces reverence rather than self-assurance.

It should make us bow before God’s holiness.

It should make us marvel at His greatness.

It should make us thankful for His grace.

It should cause us to praise the Lamb who shed His blood to redeem sinners.

Closing:

As we close, the most important question is not whether we find stories about heaven interesting.

The question that everyone of us needs to answer is…

Are we prepared to stand before the One sitting on the Throne?

No one enters heaven simply because they are…

sincere,

religious,

moral,

or believe that an afterlife exists.

We enter only through Jesus Christ—the Lamb who was…

slain,

who rose again,

and who offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who repent and believe.

Do you belong to Christ?

We have seen a tale of two heavens.

One is built on human experience and often centers on personal comfort, importance, and curiosity.

The other is revealed in Scripture and centers on God’s throne, His holiness, His glory, and the worthiness of the Lamb.

One rests on human testimony.

The other rests on divine revelation.

One places the traveler as the center of attention.

The other places God upon the throne.

One produces curiosity.

The other produces humility and reverence.

Which one will we allow to shape what we believe?

Beloved, we do not need someone to travel to heaven and return to prove that it is real.

The God who created heaven has already spoken.

He has revealed what we need to know,

shown us the only way to enter,

and fixed our eyes on the One who sits upon the throne.

May the thought of heaven…

humble us,

strengthen our faith,

loosen our grip on this temporary world,

and deepen our longing for the day when faith becomes sight and we finally see our Savior face to face.

Prayer:

Help us to look to Your Word to find out exactly what You want us to know about Heaven…