Heaven Bound

Heaven is the ultimate goal and purpose of God’s people

ILL: Timothy Tennent...

Let’s consider heaven this morning! Let’s allow John and his prophetic vision of the New Jerusalem to enlighten our understanding of heaven.

Heaven is new

Revelation 21:1

Revelation 21:1 NKJV

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.

We think of heaven in two ways: 1) where we go when we die, and 2) where we’ll be when we’re raised.

Heaven - now -

Jesus turned to one of the thieves hanging on a cross next to him and said in Luke 23:43,

Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise, (ESV).

παράδεισος (paradeisos) = garden

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:8,

8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord, (KJV).

When we die we go to heaven. It’s a temporary w/ Jesus, angels, saints. The type of body we’ll have we don’t know. The Bible is not so concerned with this intermediate state, as it is with our everlasting home.

New Heaven - later -

John saw a new heaven and a new earth and the man seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Almost all of our hymns are written about this heaven - John’s vision of the pearly gates and the streets of pure gold.

This one comes after the 2nd Coming.

Now some of us are probably saying, “Huh, I did not realize that.” You probably knew it, but had not put the pieces together. There are 2 reasons for this: 1) we don’t ready the Bible like we ought to, & 2) we don’t preach the Bible like we ought to.

Heaven is in the presence of God

Revelation 21:3

Revelation 21:3 NKJV

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.

Heaven is received by grace and faith

Revelation 21:6

Revelation 21:6 ESV

And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

John 4:10

John 4:10 ESV

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

John 4:14

John 4:14 ESV

but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”