New Members Class
Session 5
FBCW 04/23/17 p.m.
What is Heaven?
Divine revelation declares that there is a place called Heaven which is the destination of all God’s children. Death is revealed as an hour of joyand triumph for all who die in the Lord, to make their exit from this life into Heaven and into the very presence of God (Colossians 1:5; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 14:13).
Heaven is a present place where Jesus resides at the right hand of God, the Father, surrounded by the souls of the redeemed who have departed this life. Also He is surrounded by angels that minister to the Lord and His children.
Heaven is an inhabited place.
I. Heaven is the home-base from which angels serve God and men.
A. Heaven is therefore revealed to be a place of present activity.
1. In Heaven angels serve the triune God; Jesus intercedes for the redeemed and, Jesus is preparing a place in which believers will reside (mansions, KJV).
a. There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels when souls on Earth repent of their sins and accept the free gift of eternal life.
B. Angels are created beings, elect, holy and therefore sinless (Hebrews 1:14; Mark 8:38; 1 Timothy 5:21).
1. Angels travel from Heaven to Earth and back to Heaven ministering to Jesus and those who are heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14; Matthew 18:20; Mark 12:25; Luke 1:19; 12:8-9; 15:10; John 1:51; Psalm 29:1-2; 148:1-2; Genesis 28:12).
2. Angels constitute an innumerable host (Deuteronomy 33:2; Psalm 68:17; Daniel 7:10; Matthew 26:53; Luke 2:23; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 5:11).
3. As ministers to God and redeemed men, angels don’t marry and don’t die.
a. They minister God’s mercy to the saved and His judgment upon both the saved and unsaved for their sins, even in this life.
4. Angels aren’t to be worshipped (1 Kings 19:5; 2 Kings 19:35; Daniel 6:22; Psalm 34:7; 91:11; Matthew 4:11; Acts 12:15, 23; 27:23-24; 13:24-30, 39-42).
C. Angels operate in two distinct groups, under ruling angels.
1. Michael, which in Hebrew means, “one like God”, presides as an Archangel, “a ruling angel”, over a host of angels who serve God in the realm of protecting, guarding and delivering God’s children from perils of this life and eventually bearing their souls to Heaven at death (Psalm 34:7; Luke 16:22; Acts 27:23; Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; and Revelation 12:7).
2. Gabriel, which in Hebrew means, “hero of God”, also presides as an Archangel, over a host of angels who serve God in the realm of informing and enabling humanity to understand the plan, purpose and will of God.
II. Heaven is a place of industrious holy service.
A. Heaven is now and shall ever remain a place of activity and holy service to the Lord (Revelation 17:5).
1. John beheld humans in worship service to Christ before the Throne of God (Revelation 4:8; 5:11-14; 22:3).
2. It isn’t known now or revealed how many types of service shall be done in Heaven, but it is declared that humans shall worship, judge and reign with Christ in Heaven (Revelation 2:26-27; 3:21; 2 Timothy 2:12; 1 Corinthians 6:3).
3. The believer’s future home is therefore to be a place of holiness, beauty, joy, light and glory in a City for which they are suited to live and serve God for eternity!
a. Heaven is perfectly built, lighted, watered, supplied with good things, protected and governed (Luke 15:10; Revelation 21 and 22).
B. There is a lot going on in Heaven!
1. In Heaven the sinless inhabitants (the redeemed souls and angels) are praising God continually; where the souls of the redeemed are at rest and the angelsrejoiceat the salvation of lost souls, and while Jesus intercedes to the Father on behalf of the Christ-followers on Earth, the Heavenly Father dispatches angelic messengers from Heaven to Earth to inform and instruct and the Holy Spirit under the direction of God the Father, gives understanding of God’s love, mercy and care for humans!
III. Heaven is a prepared place, also called “Paradise”.
A. Heaven is a place of rest, a place of joy, and a place of reunion of God’s children, with no threat of future separation! (John 14:3; Luke 23:43; 16:22-23; Hebrews 4:9, 11; Revelation 14:13; Luke 15:7; Revelation 7:13-17; and, Matthew 8:11).
IV. Heaven is a place of recognition.
A. The Bible teaches that there will be personal recognition in Heaven.
1. Men shall be changed in Heaven, after the resurrection, but not so changed that there will not be actual, personal recognition!
a. Each change that shall come to the child of God in the resurrection shall be to make him/her more likable, attractive and lovable than they were here on Earth.
(1) In other words, to become like Christ!
2. Each person shall have their own, perfected body (1 Corinthians 15:38-41).
a. Physical ties and impulses of lust and propagation, and the desire for marriage will be left behind, to be remembered but not needed after entering Heaven.
b. There shall be no need for sexual properties when men/women are all resurrected in bodily likeness to Christ, neither male nor female (Matthew 22:30; Mark 12:25).
B. Men shall recognize those whom they have known as children of God on Earth for two scriptural reasons:
1. God has written their names in Heaven, in the Lamb’sbookoflife!
a. Humanity won’t lose their memories (what they have learned in this Earthly life) when they die; only the sinful things of the flesh will be remembered no more (Ecclesiastes 9:5-7).
b. At the Judgment Seat of Christ when each Christ-follower shall stand for judgment regarding rewards from Jesus Christ, a person’s name shall be called and they will be judged according to the Word of God (Romans 14:11-12; Luke 10:20; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 21:27; Hebrews 12:22-23).
2. The Bible bears evidence that those who have been in Heaven and returned to the Earth have been recognized.
a. Peter, James and John recognized Moses and Elijah who descended from Heaven to talk with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:4).
b. Mary Magdalene recognized the Savior’s voice after He was raised from the tomb and said to Him, “Master” (John 20:16; Luke 24:31; Acts 7:55-56).
c. Peter and John recognized our Lord’s personal identity after His resurrection (John 21:7, 12).
V. The negative and positive elements of holiness in Heaven.
A. Negatively, Heaven is to be holy because of what shall be barred from entrance into It.
1. There shall be no sin, sickness, sorrow, separation, pain, or death.
2. There shall be no demonic spirits, no darkness, no unsaved people, no hypocrites, and no Satan permitted admission into Heaven (Revelation 21:10, 27).
3. There shall be no person with an evil, sinful, murderous, adulterous nature allowed to enter into Heaven (Revelation 21:8).
4. There shall be no discord, no misunderstandings, no broken-hearts and no restless nights in Heaven.
5. There shall be no drunkards, gamblers, home-wreckers, no long vigils by the sick-bed, and no funerals!
a. Heaven is a place to be desired!
B. Positively, the triune God shall be in Heaven along with the redeemed of all ages and the Heavenly host, the angels.
1. Perfection and holiness shall pervade Heaven.
2. Love, light and the waters of life shall be in Heaven.
3. Holy is the triune God; holy are the angels; holy are the redeemed, for “without holiness no man can see God” (Hebrews 12:14).
a. The holiness of Heaven will be the reverse of the miseries, sins, pollution and corruptions of the Earth as we are experiencing now.
b. The New Heaven and New Earth shall be effected by holiness because of the power of God’s Spirit dissolving present things, refreshing them from the taint of sin, much as our own bodies shall also be renovated (2 Peter 3:10-12; Romans 8:11).
Conclusion
Heaven is going to be a place that no one in their right mind (the mind of Christ) would want to miss!