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4th Sunday of Easter
April 29, 2007
REVELATION 7:9-17
Fellow Christian Citizens of Heaven: Although none of us will probably
ever travel around the world, we can be taken to practically every
destination through books, magazine articles, television, or movies. We know
what tropical islands are like. We know about the jungles of Africa. We
have seen the large cities of Europe and Asia, the outback of Australia, and
the rain forests of South America. If asked to describe what it is like in
one part of the world or another, we could likely come up with a somewhat
accurate description even though we haven’t personally been there. It is
because of the pictures which we have of certain places that we may be led
to visit or move to these destinations.
We could spend a lot of time and discussion on where the best location is,
and there would at the end still be many differences of opinions. Some
prefer hot, others cold. Some choose mountains, others plains. Some seek
civilization, others wilderness. The choice is difficult. Where would we say
is the best location to live?
The choice becomes very easy however, when we look past this life into
the next. In eternity we are given two choices, heaven or hell. None of us
as yet have been to either place, but we do have some pictures as to what
they will be like. In his Word God has described them for us. Due to our
faith in Jesus as our Savior, our choice is heaven. Hell is the place where
unbelievers choose. It is a place where eternal suffering takes place.
Relying on God’s help, this will be a place we won’t visit. It is heaven that we
are to be concerned with since that is our future home due to the work of
our Savior and our gift of faith in him. This morning let’s look to God’s Word
and see how he answers the question, “WHAT WILL HEAVEN BE LIKE?”
First, we will see that heaven will be full. There are some misconceptions
about the idea of a full heaven. Some say because it is full there won’t be
enough room for all. One religion, the Jehovah’s Witness, even limits the
number in heaven to 144,000. What this kind of thinking does is put doubts
in a person’s mind as to his or her being able to fit through the doors of
heaven. What if heaven only holds a million and we are number one million
and one? This misconception will be corrected when we look at our text.
Another misconception about a full heaven is that some are led to believe
that nobody will be turned away, that all will eventually make it to heaven for
their eternal home. Many religions claim that eventually everyone will get to
heaven regardless of what they did with their life on earth. Some will either
have to spend more time in a made up place called purgatory, or some will be
put in a lower position in heaven, but all will eventually be citizens of heaven.
This kind of thinking leads to a “it doesn’t matter what you do with your life”
kind of attitude, and it also leads one to think that God didn’t mean it when
he said he would punish sin with eternal consequences. The truth is that not
everyone will get through the doors of heaven. Unbelievers will make their
eternal home in the slums of hell.
But, even though heaven will be full, it won’t be overcrowded. The
numbers will be many as John indicates by saying (Read vs. 9a). He saw more
people than he could possibly count. When Jesus died on the cross, he didn’t
set a numerical limit on the numbers who would have their sins forgiven. He
died for all. Heaven was a home large enough to contain all who looked to
Christ as their Savior. It didn’t matter what part of the world they were
from or what the color of their skin was. All who have the proper
credentials will find room available for them in heaven.
And the proper credentials center on faith. Faith in Jesus Christ as the
Savior from sin is the pass-key which opens heaven’s doors. With this gift in
our possession, we never have to worry about having room in heaven. Jesus
tells us that there are many rooms in heaven, and that one is reserved for
each and every believer. Heaven will be full, but never will it have a “no
vacancy” sign posted at it entrance. There will always be room for those who
know their Savior and wish to spend eternity in his company. Not everyone
will enter into heaven, as some try to tell us, but everyone who believes in
Jesus will pass through its doors. This is a fact of which we can be sure, and
in which we can always receive comfort.
Why does God through John show us a picture of a full heaven? To see
heaven as full is beneficial for a couple of reasons. Not always does our
work of spreading news of Christ seem to be successful. The numbers
outside appear to be much greater than the numbers inside of heaven. It
can be quite discouraging to think that we are so few against so many, but in
heaven we will have a lot of company. We will be in the presence of many
other believers. Focusing on a full heaven encourages us. It is motivation
for us to continue reaching out to others with invitations to join us. We
want heaven to be as full as possible with people of all sizes and colors. In
Gainesville it is presently being debated whether or not to allow growth in
the form of the Spring Hills Development. Many want to keep such
expansion away fearing that it would lead to overcrowding on our roads and
in our area. You can have different opinions on that kind of growth, but we
should never disagree in the desire for growth in heaven. Roads to heaven
will never become too congested. Make sure that as we travel on this road
after Christ we get as many others as we can to travel with us.
Next, we are to picture a heaven that will be appreciated. Again there
are misconceptions about this fact. Some claim they will be bored by their
heavenly home instead of being appreciative of it. They get the idea that it
will be like a constant church service, and they have heard too many boring
sermons to be too enthused about setting through an eternity of that.
Hollywood has often made heaven appear to be a place where all sit around
playing harps or other musical instruments. Again, to everyone but an avid
harp player or musician, this isn’t too thrilling of a thought. “What is there
to appreciate in such a boring place” is the thinking of many, a thinking which
our text shows to be wrong.
Others make false claims that there will be no reason to thank anyone
except themselves for their being in heaven. After all, they will only be
getting what they think they deserve. Many religions give people every
reason to think this way. Their members are told that heaven is obtained by
the deeds they perform. If the good outweighs the bad, then heaven will be
the destination reached. How often don’t we hear people express such ideas
about heaven being entered by those people who are good? This thought
process is one with which we often find ourselves connected. If it is
because of what we do that we enter heaven, then we will have no reason to
show appreciation to anyone. There would also then have been no need for
Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Of course such thinking is false.
The truth is that we will show our appreciation to God when we make
heaven our home. He alone is the one who opens the doors of heaven and
then grabs us by the hand and brings us in. He sees to it that those who
enter are able to be there. John was told this by those whom he viewed in
heaven. They shouted (Read vs. 10). Those in heaven knew they were there
only because of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They knew that “It is
by grace that we are saved through faith and that not of ourselves. It is a
gift of God not by works so that no one may boast.” The citizens of heaven
will know that they are not there because of themselves, but only because of
the work, love, grace, and mercy of the Triune God.
And such knowledge will lead to a display of gratitude. Those whom John
saw weren’t bored. They weren’t sitting around playing harps. They were
displaying extreme happiness. They were celebrating their existence in
heaven. They greatly appreciated what was happening to them. This is
displayed by their saying (Read vs. 12). The truth about heaven is that all
there will be thankful, bored- no, thankful- yes.
We aren’t there yet, but the faith which we have makes our destination
in heaven a sure thing. Why wait until there to show our appreciation?
Every day on our journey to heaven we are to pause and thank God for what
awaits us. Thank him for sending his Son to make it possible for us to
complete this trip. If anything is boring, it is this life which might have
fleeting moments of excitement but without the hope of heaven would be all
too often unbearable. We through our gift of faith in Jesus as our Savior
have the doors of heaven unlocked and waiting for our entrance. Heaven is a
place which will be and is now to be appreciated.
This is the case because it will be a paradise. Again the picture of this
aspect of heaven has been distorted by misconceptions. It is often
compared to earthly things. What will we eat? When will we sleep? Will we
recognize each other? Will we miss those who aren’t with us in heaven? Will
babies remain babies? These and other questions are often asked in
confirmation class or other discussions. Asking these isn’t wrong, but to
avoid false ideas we have to remember that our thinking will be different in
heaven. Once there we won’t be concerned with time or material things.
Many falsely think of it as though it will be another kind of earthly life.
Wrong pictures are formed and many of the things seen take away from
the fact of its being a paradise. People crippled now are looked on as also
being pathetically crippled in heaven. The struggle for power now is seen as
a struggle that will also exist in heaven with some getting better spots than
others. Feelings of jealousy are thought to be carried over into one’s
relationships in heaven. These are pictures that aren’t true. Heaven will not
be like that at all.
The truth is that it will be a place of eternal joy. A place where there
will be no more tribulations. No matter how pleasant our life on earth is, we
all face tribulation. We face those sad times when death takes a close
friend or relative. We face those tempting times when it is very appealing
to do something which we know is wrong. Sin is constantly harassing us. It
is often not an easy life here on earth. This will change in heaven. There
will be no trials and tribulations once there. It will be a never ending
paradise.
All of our wants will be supplied all of the time. Our life now is spent
trying to make ends meet to supply the things needed or wanted by
ourselves and our families. This won’t be necessary in heaven. Look at the
picture which John gives us of those in heaven (Read vss. 15-17). Jesus, who
saw to it that our sins were paid for, will be with us in heaven and see to it
that all of our needs will be met fully for eternity. No paradise on earth can
match that which awaits us in heaven. It will indeed be an all-inclusive
eternal resort.
With such a paradise awaiting us, we are to strive to let nothing cause us
to detour from reaching the destination of heaven. Those times which come
along and tempt us to do one thing or another which we know God doesn’t
want us to do will be more easily dealt with if we remember what is at stake.
Is it worth a few minutes of supposed pleasure, if in the process we are
locking ourselves out of an eternal paradise? Just think, in heaven there will
be no more problems, no more needs, no more wants. All of this is ours as
long as we keep the faith we now have in Jesus as our one and only Savior
from sin.
What will heaven be like? Now the picture should be clearer. We aren’t
given a lot of specifics, but we know all we need to know. It will be a place
which will contain whatever it is that makes us happy. This is a destination
which none of us want to fail to reach. May God lead us to experience the
future by his side in heaven!. Amen.