O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? Part 3

18 Feb

Susan Merritt, PhD Christian Living, Weekly Devotional 0

While some information about Heaven appears throughout the Bible, the book of Revelation gives us a fairly clear picture. Like Isaiah who was also given a vision of Heaven, John expressed in human terms something that could not possibly be understood outside the spiritual context in which he saw it. What he witnessed was prophetic and hectic in that his vision was of things to come. In the middle of all the end-of-the-world activity, however, snippets of Heaven in the long run peek through.

Additionally, there are two places identified in Revelation as the abode of God – Heaven and the New Jerusalem, which appears to replace Heaven and will be the seat of Jesus’ kingdom in the new heaven and new earth after the millennium. Here is what Revelation teaches us about Heaven and the New Jerusalem:

1. Heaven is full of color, light, and noise – In Revelation 4, John describes God and His throne room in terms of colorful gemstones shining. Thunder, lightning, and voices emanate from the throne and a rainbow surrounds the throne itself. The floor is described as a sea of glass.

2. Heaven is full of many spirits, creatures, and people – According to Revelation 4, twenty-four elders, all dressed in white, are seated around God. Seven lamps, the seven Spirits of God, burn with fire. Four eye-covered creatures with six wings each appear to overlap the throne as well as surround it, perpetually worshiping God. In Revelation 7:9 a great multitude of people “…which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes with palms in their hands…”

3. Heaven is full of worship for God – All those people “…cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 7:10-12). Others involved in this worship include:

The Four Beast continually sing “Holy, holy, holy. Lord God Almighty. Who was and is and is to come” (Rev. 4:8)
The twenty-four elders fall down to worship God and cast their crowns at His feet. saying, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:10-11).
Countless Angels sing, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5:11).
“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (Rev 5:12).

4. In Heaven (as it is in all of creation), Jesus is found to be the only one worthy to open the Book with the Seven Seals, at which time the twenty-four elders and the four beast begin a new song of “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:9-10).

5. In Heaven, the prayers of the Saints, described as incense, are poured out – in response to the Lamb taking the book, “the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints.” Revelation 8:4 further elaborates this aspect of our interaction with God: “And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.”

6. In Heaven, we will recognize others, even with glorified bodies – Throughout his vision, John sees the differences between the various creatures, angels, and people he encounters there. In Revelation 5:5 and 7:14 one of the elders spoke to him and pointed out the group of people who had been saved during the great tribulation.

7. In Heaven we will be able to communicate – A voice that sounded like a trumpet to John’s ears invited him to see what is to come in Revelation. 4:1, and one of the elders spoke to him in Revelation 5:5 and 7:14.

8. In Heaven we will be clothed in white robes – The martyrs of Revelation 6:11, the twenty-four elders of Revelation 4:4, the great multitude standing before the throne of God in Revelation 7:9 “…which came out of the great tribulation…” (Rev. 7:14) are all clothed in white robes being described as having “…washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14).

9. In Heaven there will be no tears, pain, hunger, thirst, etc. “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Rev.7:16-17).

10. In Heaven we will have knowledge of events on earth – Throughout the narrative of end time events, the people and creatures of heaven respond with specifically focused praise related to God’s work on earth. For example, when the entity called “Babylon the great” of Rev 18 is defeated and destroyed, the citizens of Heaven burst forth into praise for God’s judgment: “Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God. For true and righteous are His judgments. For He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at Her” (Rev. 19:1-2).