Life In Eternity

When was the last time you thought about heaven? I thought about it a lot this past week. And the reason why wasn’t exactly a good one. A couple days before Christmas my neighbor passed away. On New Years Eve one of my golfing friends lost his battle with cancer. Then I heard from Becky that one of my former Elders from Albany, went home to be with the Lord on the same day. All that got me to thinking about life after death. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that we don’t really think a whole lot about heaven or eternity unless someone close to us dies. We are usually so caught up in the here and now, that we don’t think much about what is yet to come. What will eternity be like for those who follow Jesus? Will we just sit around playing harps all day for thousands of years? Will we just hang out in beautiful gardens and go fishing every day? Will we get to hang out with the apostle Paul or go on walks with Jesus? What will life be like for us in eternity? Have you ever wondered what it will be like? Will it be boring? Will it be exciting? What’s it going to be like?

Well, if you’ve ever wondered what life will be like in eternity, then what we’re going to discover as we return to the book of Revelation should be quite eye opening. So, if you brought your Bible with you today, let me encourage you to open it to Revelation 21:1-8. For it is here that God gives a vision of eternity for those who have trusted in Jesus and it’s pretty great. So, if you’ve found Revelation 21, the good news is that all the wrath and judgments of Revelation are behind us, and the eternal destiny of believers lies before us. For it is here God shows us that the best is yet to come. And the first thing we get to look forward to is this:

We Will Enjoy a New Heaven and a New Earth: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Rev. 21:1-2 With all of Christ’s enemies defeated and put away forever, the victorious Christ is now free to make all things new. And He begins by making a new heaven and a new earth – our home in eternity.

Now there are some who teach that our present universe will be consumed and replaced by a new one. This teaching comes from 2 Peter 3, where Peter wrote that, just as the world of Noah was destroyed by a flood, when Jesus returns “the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” 2 Peter 3:10.

At first reading, many believe this Scripture teaches that our present world will be completely destroyed and then replaced by a new one. But a better understanding is that there will be a total cleansing and renewal of the cosmos after Jesus returns. The key to understanding this renewal comes from the term “making all things new” in Revelation 21:5 Think of it this way: Instead of Jesus making “all new things,” Christ makes “all things new.” Do you see the distinction? In Matthew 19:28, Jesus’ spoke of “the new world” after he returns. And the word He used for “new” is the Greek word “palingenesis.” A term that means “regeneration.” In other words, just as in Peter’s analogy, the great flood DID NOT destroy the world itself in Noah’s time, but rather removed sinners and cleansed the world of corruption. This is the same thing that will happen when Jesus “makes a new heaven and new earth.” He will cleanse the old and make it new for us.

And we get a glimpse of this cleansing in the phrase “and the sea was no more.” Now, if you understand that the sea is symbolic of evil and chaos in Revelation, you see that one of the first things Jesus does to cleanse the earth is to remove the sea. There will be no pollution. Everything will be pristine. The heavens and earth will be totally cleansed and renewed in glory. We will not be walking around on clouds but on a redeemed earth, free of evil. The sky will be bluer, the air fresher, the foliage lusher. We will see creation as God meant it to be. We will live in new paradise of Christ’s making.

But that’s just the beginning. For added to this is the new Jerusalem. John describes it in three ways. First, as “the holy city.” A city not only absent of sin and evil, but one that reflects the beauty and goodness of God. Next week, Revelation reveals this city in greater detail for us. But for now, I can say with certainty that it will be resplendent, awesome and majestic. When I lived in Canada and we lived near Vancouver, B C. Vancouver is considered by many to be one of the more beautiful cities in the world. It’s surrounded by ocean, beaches and fir covered Mountains. It’s a very clean and modern city. But its beauty will pale in comparison to the glories of the new Jerusalem.

Secondly, this city comes OUT of heaven from God. This city represents God’s grace to us. It’s God’s gift to us. This will be our new home. This won’t be some HGTV design home, but a home designed by God for us. It’s going to be a postmodern gem in so many ways, for it is “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

So not only will our home be holy, not only will it be God’s gift to us, but now we see that This city will have a unique purpose. Right now, Jesus is preparing this city as a home where He can commune with us as His bride. You see, it’s the presence of Jesus that will make this city a home. So then, Jesus is preparing this place as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” Isaiah 62:5. So this city will be a place of great joy and communion with Christ! This is what we get to look forward to in eternity. God begins by showing us our new home: An earth made new by Jesus, heavens made new by Jesus, to be part of a community prepared for us by Jesus, so Jesus can rejoice over us! This is first thing we will enjoy in eternity: everything made new so we can enjoy our new home with Jesus. Which leads to the next description of life in eternity:

We Will Live in Intimate and Personal Communion with God: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. Revelation 21:3 Again, John hears “a loud voice.” This voice comes with divine authority and power, for it comes from God’s throne. The voice announces that God’s dwelling place is with man. And this great promise only gets better, saying, “God Himself will be with them and be their God.” In fact, this phrase: “God Himself” is emphatic. It’s like a neon sign blasting in the readers eyes. When we come to our new home prepared for us in heaven, we come home to be with God.

This is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise in Matthew: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” That great promise is here fulfilled. Those who have trusted in Jesus will see God face to face. He will be with us, not simply in Spirit, but He will literally “tabernacle” with us. Meaning that He will live among us. He will no longer be some detached and distant being. You will see the Father who loves you with an everlasting love. You will see His smile, be embraced by His laughter, and be swept up in His love. There will be no fear, for His perfect love drives out all fear. In its place, will be the perfect and unspeakable peace of Christ. You will be home like you’ve never felt home before, secure, safe, and all will be well. That’s what life will be like in eternity. We will live in intimate and personal communion with God. He will be with us. Thirdly,

We Will No longer Experience the Horrible Effects of Sin: He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 This sinful, fallen world has left so many people beaten and broken. The pain it inflicts often overwhelms us, almost crushing us. This verse promises us that in eternity all that causes pain and sorrow will forever be taken away. Verse 4 identifies five things that will be absent in eternity: tears, death, grief, crying and pain.

No more tears. Do you realize how many tears we cry? Tears of pain. Tears of loss. Tears of tragedy. Tears of loneliness and tears of regret. The consequences of sin have created a world of full of tears. Sometimes it seems our tears never leave us. Other times our tears are inconsolable. Just this past week my one-year-old granddaughter, Macie, broke her foot after falling just one step from a playground apparatus. She cried tears for an hour or more. I can only imagine how hard this was on my daughter. She’s got to be in a foot cast for about a month. I think she just might cry lots of tears of frustration over the next month. Now baby’s cries are pretty public. But most tears are cried in private: Tears of grief over a lost spouse. Sadness over an incurable diagnosis. Regret over a poor decision. Only God knows your hurts, your pain, your losses. But isn’t it great, that one of the very first encounters you will have with God in eternity, is that He will come to you and wipe away all your tears? I can’t think of a more intimate, loving and healing image of the Father in eternity. There will be no more tears in eternity.
Look what else won’t be there in eternity.

There will be no more death. Like I said earlier, I’ve had a lot of friends die recently. But did you know that over the next 24 hours, 150,000 people will die. That’s about 6.7 million people dying on Earth every year. Death is brutal. It leaves a hole. It scars our human existence, but not in heaven. In heaven, there will be no death, no cemeteries, no funerals, no funeral homes, no heart-rending goodbyes. And because there’s no death, there’s no living with the fear of death. There is no death in heaven.

And there will be no more pain. No more going to see Randal to fix my back. No more doctors, dentists, surgeries or hospitals. No more running to Walgreens to get your prescription filled. As I thought about that one, I got a little curious. Do you know how much money is spent on over the counter medications in our country every year? Get this: Over 44.3 billion in over-the-counter medications were spent in the US last year. That’s a lot of drugs. But in heaven there will be no more need for drugs. For there will be no pain in heaven. And, oh yes, what’s even better – you will have a perfect body. So, no more gyms, no more Keto, no more Ozempic. You’re going to have a perfect waistline in heaven! You all are going to look fantastic!

Oh, and by the way, there will also be no relational pain either. No arguments, no betrayals, no grumpiness, no confrontation, no strife. Eternity with God will be a joy, not a pain. We Will No longer Experience the Horrible Effects of Sin in eternity. What else will we experience in heaven?

We Will Rest in the Sure Promises of God: And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also, He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 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. Revelation 21:5-6

Three truths that stand out in these verses. The first is God’s promise: “Behold, I am making all things new.” He’s not just making a new heaven and a new earth. Everything, all things will be made new, fresh, glorious and right. I don’t know about you, but I love new things. I love new shoes, a new shirt, a new golf clubs, a new baby! When something is new, it’s fresh, it’s clean, it’s exciting and pure. That’s what life in eternity is going to be like. God is going to make everything new. And one of the things He will make new is you! We will have new bodies. We will have new minds and new hearts that will be completely pure. And when we step into eternity with God, every day will be your best day. Every moment will be a new experience with God. Everything will be fresh, exciting, vibrant, state of the art, unique and perfect. It’s going to be so good to be alive! God is making all things new! That’s the first truth.

Here’s the second. John is told to “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And He said to me, “It is done! When God says, “It is done” God is standing at the end of history, speaking to John in the midst of history declaring a future that is a present reality. When God says, “It is done,” He is using the perfect tense to help us understand that everything God has revealed to us here in Revelation has already happened. Remember, God exists outside of time. The timeline of history is finite. By telling us that he is the Alpha and Omega, we know He stands outside of time. He is Sovereign over history. Therefore, He ensures the end results because He was Lord at the beginning and remains sovereign through every moment in history.

What does that mean for us today? It means, that everything God has promised has already come to pass. Everything we’ve looked at today: The new heaven and new earth, the end of evil, the end of tears, the end of pain and suffering has already come to pass. It’s a done deal. All that is left is for us to experience it. What God is trying to tell us is that we can trust His promises. I am the Alpha and the Omega! It is done! Evil has perished and nothing but good is in store for us in the future. That’s the second truth.

Now God reveals the third and most important truth. God offers this hope of a secure and certain future with Him to anyone who is listening. This is His promise to you: “To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.” What is this promise? God promises to give the free gift of eternal life to anyone who thirsts for this life. This is the same promise Jesus offered when he stood up on the last day of the feast of booths, and he cried out: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38

Perhaps you came here today knowing that your soul was thirsty for something more than the passing pleasures in this life. Perhaps you feel like there is nothing this world offers that can truly satisfy your soul. Perhaps you long for the absence of evil or a heart free from the weight and guilt of sin. If that’s you, the only thing God requires of you to receive this new life, is for you to turn from your sin, turn to Jesus and drink. God supplies the water you need for life. You don’t have to do anything to earn it. Just receive it as His gift of grace to you. For God’s Word says, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

For when you receive God’s free gift found in Jesus, then everything we’ve looked at today will be yours. You will have a new home in heaven where God is making everything new. God will no longer be some unapproachable deity but will be the Father you’ve always longed for. He will wipe your every tear and make everything new. And there’s one more thing He will do. He will adopt you as His very own. In fact, that’s the last thing we see in this passage about life with God in eternity.

We Will Live as God’s Adopted Children With No Fear of the Second Death: Verse 7 says this: The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. Revelation 21:7 Here, God promises a remarkable heritage for the one who conquers. God promises that He will be your God and you will be His child. You will receive all the rights and privileges that belong to God’s Son. You will share fully in Christ’s inheritance. And you will always be the object of God’s love.

But what does it mean, when He says, “The one who conquers will have this heritage?” Doesn’t the Bible tell us that the moment you receive Jesus by faith, that you are adopted into God’s family? Yes, it does. And doesn’t it say that when you believe you are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit, promising your inheritance?

So why does He put a condition on your salvation at this point? What is God saying about us being conquerors or overcomers? This is what He means: If your faith in Jesus Christ is genuine, you will live as a faithful follower of Jesus in the face of persecution. What makes you an overcomer is your refusal to compromise your faith in Jesus, even though it may cost you your life. This book was written to believers who were being persecuted for their faith. If they remained faithful to Jesus they were identified as overcomers. Those who are faithful are overcomers. Those who are not, never truly had faith in Jesus in the first place.

That’s why God’s Word adds the warning that follows. He is contrasting the faithful follower with the unfaithful. Listen to the contrast: But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. Revelation 21:8

The “cowards” are individuals who because of fear, will not confess Christ openly when confronted with persecution. The “faithless” are those who deny Christ by their conduct and speech. The “detestable” are those polluted by gross acts of idolatry. The “Murderers” are malicious, savage killers. The “sexually immoral” are those who live sexual lifestyles contrary to God’s plan and purpose. The “sorcerers” are those who mix drugs with the practices of spirit worship, witchcraft and magic. The “Idolaters” are worshipers of idols and images. And “all liars” are those who habitually deceive others. None of these will experience the blessings of heaven. They will spend eternity “in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

This is not to say that believers’ lives are completely free from any such sins now. God is not telling John that anyone who has ever committed sexual immorality or who has lied is barred from eternal life. For we know that Jesus came to remove all our sins by His blood. So, the point is this: if our sins were removed by the blood of Jesus, and belonged to our past, then these are the sins that are not to belong to our future. For those who are characterized by these kinds of sins, are not overcomers.

That’s the warning in this passage that contrasts the redeemed with the unredeemed. And yet God gave us this passage to help us know where we stand with God. He gave us this passage so we would have hope, the hope of eternity with Him.

So, my question today is this: Do you have this hope? If you do, then the best is yet to come. You have an amazing future prepared for you and given to you by God because you’ve trusted in Jesus… But if you don’t have this hope, if you haven’t trusted in Jesus, then the worst is yet to come.

And to you I would simply say this. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we are told that God, “has set eternity in the human heart” It is God who has put a longing for eternity in you. That is why you will never be fully satisfied with life on earth. It’s because your heart was made for something better, something more. And that something more is what God gave you, when He sent His Son Jesus to die for you.

You see, we all will spend eternity somewhere. God wants you to spend it with Him. And offers you this life with Him freely. All you have to do to receive this life is turn from your sin and turn to Jesus. And you will have the gift of eternal life. So, are you thirsty for this life? Then come to Jesus and drink…