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| #21 Some folks have the idea Heaven is something like a bunch of pretty white clouds painted with rainbows where you float around on cotton puffs playing unearthly music on immaterial harps forever! (If I believed Heaven was like that I wouldn’t want to go there. I wouldn’t be interested! Would you? I’d be bored in the first fifteen minutes. And to have to do that for all eternity? That would be miserable. The worst punishment I can imagine. Kind of like being made to stand in the corner for being bad when you’re a little child.) Some religions say there are three heavens – or even seven. Others say Heaven is not really a literal place at all; just a state of mind. Millions believe: “Eventually, everybody will end up in Heaven!” Others claim that very few will make it. Why so many different opinions when God’s Word is filled with amazing details about Heaven – this huge and wonderful space station up there in the sky under construction right now! And the reason God wants us to know what Heaven’s like, is so we’ll want to be there! Heaven is not a secret God is keeping from us. In many large buildings, there are thousands of doors and you need a different key to fit the lock on each door. (In Caracas, Venezuela you have at least eight keys to get inside your apartment building.) But usually the superintendent of the building has one key that fits ALL the doors, called the master key. God has one master key that unlocks the mysteries about Heaven, fits all the doors. And that master key is the Bible. We don't have to be confused by human theories or opinions. God’s Word is a reliable “master source” of information about the future. <2 Peter 1:21> It may surprise you,
but God has revealed in His Word: For the next few minutes, let’s have a bit of fun together; stretch our imaginations, take God’s master key – the Bible – and discover the truth about THE BEST THAT’S JUST AHEAD! Two years ago Jeannie and I were able to visit the incredibly beautiful Isle of Patmos, where the last living disciple John wrote the book of Revelation. John was a prisoner in exile on this God-forsaken rock ten kilometers long and five kilometers wide, located in the blue Aegean Sea. But there God gave him a vision before he died: a glorious preview of the future. And in the book of Revelation he wrote about what he saw: <Revelation 21:1,
2> I still get all choked up at a wedding, don’t you? Nothing’s more beautiful and radiant than a gorgeous bride on her wedding day! This heavenly city is like a bride, John tells us. And by the way, Heaven isn’t something that only John saw and knew about. All God’s prophets throughout the ages have known about it. Because Heaven is crucial to God’s final plan of restoration. His surprise wedding present for His bride, the church. Listen: <Acts 3:20, 21> What is God going to restore? God is going to restore everything Adam and Eve lost! I like to listen to good music. Relax and listen to great symphony orchestra playing nice and loud on the stereo system. But there’s nothing more disruptive than to have the doorbell ring. Or the power go off. And suddenly the music stops. Right in the best part! It’s annoying. Well, God’s original music score for this earth was like a great symphony. He had the music all written at creation. He was the conductor. Everything was in position and ready! And the music began to play. Gorgeous music in Genesis 1 and 2! But in Genesis 3 the music suddenly stopped. Somebody interrupted and messed it all up. Do you see what I’m saying? God wanted life on this earth to be like a beautiful musical piece. But when Adam and Eve sinned, the music was ruined. And for 6,000 years now God’s been waiting to get it started again. Heaven is God’s strategic plan of restoration. His plan to turn our lives into beautiful music again. He wants to restore all six of the precious treasured gifts He’d given mankind in the first place. 1. LIFE. Eternal Life,
without end. God’s original Paradise was His forever symphony. His original score. And in Genesis 1, God was so proud to show it off to the universe! The Creator Himself had designed and decorated Adam and Eve’s home. Gave them perfect health, love, happiness, joy. Everything was peace and harmony. Total freedom. If they chose to obey God’s simple instructions. “Don’t eat of the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden, or you’ll interrupt the orchestra and the music.” But that’s exactly what they chose to do – to eat of the tree rather than listening to God. And Heaven’s harmony became the “unfinished symphony.” The most tragic day in the universe. For the first time in Adam and Eve’s lives, they felt guilt, shame and fear. By their disobedience, they lost everything: their garden home, their dominion of Earth, access to the Tree of Life. They lost their happiness, their love, fellowship with the Creator. Our perfect world became cursed with sin, sickness, sorrow, and suffering. They were no longer “masters” – couldn’t go down and call the fish by name anymore. Adam and Eve became slaves. They chose to throw away all their freedoms and liberties. Paul said, <Romans 6:16> They sold out to the Devil. Chose to separate themselves from God and life and happiness and freedom. But a loving God understood. He couldn’t bear to be parted from them forever. He’d planned too much. Invested too much. Risked too much. And He loved them so much He couldn’t leave His erring children without hope. What could He do? As angels sadly ushered Adam and Eve out the gate of the Garden of Eden for one last time, God promised them something: that one day His own Son, the Seed of the Woman, would come to die for them so they could be restored to the family of God and have eternal life again. Right there in Genesis 3:15 God spoke to the serpent and said: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” What a glorious promise! Yes! Jesus Messiah would come! But unfortunately, as generations passed and people multiplied on earth, sin also exponentially exploded. The human race almost forgot God. People became corrupt, vile. Immoral. Wicked. <Genesis 6:5>
So abominably evil, it became necessary for God to destroy this wicked world by a flood in order to preserve any life on the earth! Only eight people survived! Did we learn our lesson? No. After the flood, it wasn’t many generations before people became corrupt again. But this time in order to preserve a holy people on earth – a remnant, a special church of God’s “called out” ones – God called Abraham and his family out of the idolatrous and corrupt Ur of the Chaldees. Near Baghdad. The Lord said, “Abraham… <Genesis 12:1,
2> Do you think this was easy? Abraham was a wealthy business tycoon running his business and trading in the stock markets – only his stocks were probably sheep and cattle, not computer companies! His friends derided him and said, “Abraham, you’re leaving Babylon?” (Yep.) “Where on earth are you going?” (Dunno. God will lead me.) “What will you do when you get there?” (Raise up a great nation). “What? You have no children and you’re 75!” “Who will protect you?” (Him!) What a lesson for God’s faithful people today. We’ve got to trust God, even when we don’t understand! Hang on in faith, Abraham, even if you have to leave your family; your friends. Not knowing where you’re going, or what the future holds. You may not know what the future holds, but you know Who holds the future! <Hebrews 11:9,
10> Here’s what’s important: God promised to give to Abraham and his descendants all that Adam and Eve lost. That’s why Bible prophets in all ages looked forward to our day and the restoration of all things. Hebrews 11 says Abraham, Enoch, Noah, Abel, Isaac, Rahab, David, and Samuel – they all believed in God’s promise to restore what Adam and Eve lost. But for them, there’s just one problem: <Hebrews 11:13,
16> Heaven! Isaiah, the greatest of all the messianic prophets, gave a thrilling description clear back in the Old Testament of the restoration God has prepared for His saved people: <Isaiah 65:17> Listen! You people in Johannesburg, South Africa, where gangs are killing innocent people. You people in Monrovia, Liberia, where civil war has torn your nation apart. Those of you in Zambia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Angola, Congo, Mozambique – wherever you are listening. There’s Good news! <Isaiah 60:18> Just think – NO violence! No rifles, no rocket-propelled grenades, not even a pistol or a knife or a spear. Isn’t that WONDERFUL to think about? No need there for weapons to defend and protect ourselves. No rapists or thieves! Walk those streets of gold with no worry of being attacked or robbed? Our Voice of Prophecy evangelistic team last year was in COLONIA TOVAR, near Caracas: We were out in the country taking a drive in a 4WD. It was so breathtaking, we stopped to photograph. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a white Ford Bronco roared up. “Bang! Bang! Danger! Americans go away quickly!” The prophet tells us, <Isaiah 11:6> God restores planet Earth to its original beauty, <Isaiah 33:24> My 81-year-old dad recently had to have serious heart surgery. But up there, there’ll be no heart attacks! No more cancer either. No AIDS. Not even a cold or sore throat. (Isn’t that great news?) <Isaiah 35:5> First thing my blind friends will want to see is: the face of Jesus! Oh, what a glorious day that will be. I want to be there to see you see Jesus! And you folks watching these Bible lectures by sign language because you can’t hear, listen to this: <Isaiah 35:5, 6> No more wheelchairs for my friends with one leg amputated. No more paralyzed people, friend! No more crutches! Everyone will have perfect bodies. (Whoa! There goes grandma roller-skating on the Sea of Glass!) Sparkling. Glittering. Sensational! Walking on water. <Isaiah 35:6> Perhaps they’ll have vocal chords that can sing in 4-part harmony! What a happy day! But there’s more… <Isaiah 35:1> Near where I live in California it’s a citrus paradise. My Chinese friend, the late Dr. Philip Chen was a scientist who could grow five different kinds of citrus on one tree. But in the beautiful new earth the Tree of Life has 12 different fruits every month! Revelation tells us that! <Isaiah 65:21,
22> Our happiest dreams will be fulfilled! No restrictions. Perfect freedom and happiness. All our needs will be met, for homes, food, safety, security. Heaven will be a real place with real people doing real things. The Bible says people will know us by our own names, and even by our personalities. Our voice will be similar. Our smiles. Our laughter. <Isaiah 66:22,
23> Every Sabbath will be one grand “family reunion” party that we’ll never tire of! We’ll have such a good time, the Bible says even God will laugh. (Because whoa! There goes Grandma again on the Sea of Glass!) <Isaiah 35:10> And you know what? Our Bible says right at this very moment tonight there’s the sound of construction and jack hammers up there. Saws sawing, hammers hammering, and paint sprayers buzzing, because Jesus said He went away to personally build us each a wonderful place to live. Can you imagine Jesus up there with the angels helping? Building homes beyond description? Paul says we wouldn’t believe it if he described it to us. Majestic. Perfect. Because Jesus Himself builds that home. But then Isaiah surprises me even more to say, “Lon, you’ll get to build a house, too. A second home. And Jesus will help you as the Heavenly Architect and Divine Carpenter.” Perhaps we’ll build that home in the country – or by the water. Or, on a mountain. Then each weekend we’ll go into the capital city of the New Earth and stay in our home in the city. Now, it may surprise you that this is all going to take place right here on this re-created Earth – the future home of the saved. For Jesus said, <Matthew 5:5> (The meek don’t have much of it today; most of it is in the hands of large companies and banks.) Listen: God is going to restore Planet Earth to its original perfection, a glorious New Earth! By the way, this is another reason no one is in Heaven yet today, because Jesus says this earth is where God is going to finally re-create Heaven. This earth will be our final ultimate home, recreated. Repeat out loud with me one of Jesus’ most wonderful promises: <John 14:1-3> The only reason Jesus is coming, friend, is because He doesn’t have a one of us with Him yet! He is coming back to get us! Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer, to pray that day of restoration comes soon. <Matthew 6:10> We’re not up there yet. So, we need to pray that prayer every day. But now, for the grand finale of the story, let’s go back once more to the Isle of Patmos and consider in detail the magnificent city John saw in vision. Poor John! It seems as a prophet he had a hard time finding the right words to express the grandeur of the Holy City. As beautiful as pictures on the screen are, as mind-boggling any painting, Paul says you aren’t even close! <1 Corinthians
2:9> But wait a minute! Most people fail to read the next verse that says, <1 Corinthians
2:10> Enough information to give us a “sneak preview.” If He described what it was really like, we’d be so absolutely astonished and blown away we wouldn’t believe it! So, in the Bible it’s like looking through dark sunglasses. We use our imagination a bit – there goes Grandma! But the half has not been told! If Peter could walk on water, so can we! So say John and Isaiah and all the prophets. It’s all true! John tries hard to unfold details of the Holy City. But then he puts his pen down, takes a deep breath and says: Wow! “It is too fabulous to be true!” (But we have God’s Word for it!) John continues: <Revelation 21:1,
2> Then he struggles in his attempt to use human language to tells us about the city: <Revelation 21:11> <Revelation 21:17> <Revelation 21:21> So there are pearly gates, on which are written the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel, Verses 21-22. The streets and the city are pure gold, transparent as glass. Verse 16 gives the measurements of this city… “The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he [the angel] measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. [Then it adds]: The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal [or, proportionate].” A furlong is one-eighth of an English mile, one-fifth of a kilometer. So translated into everyday arithmetic that makes it some 2,400 km. around! 600 km. on each side. But maybe it’s a perfect cube? (Perhaps in 3-D. This would mean 600 km. high!) Will it be big enough? Tokyo, Japan has 12 million people. New York City, 8 million people. Seoul, Korea has more than 10 million, and Mexico City has about 9 million . Johannesburg has over 2 million, and Cairo about 8 million. There are about 1.6 million here in Lusaka. And these totals only count the people living inside the city limits. One mathematician has estimated New Jerusalem, if you calculate it carefully, could easily house two billion people! (In the “first dimension” only!) In other words, there will be room for everyone who wants to be there. <Revelation 21:23> The Bible tells us the twelve foundations have the names of the twelve apostles on them, and are garnished with precious stones precisely the colors of the rainbow, so it LOOKS like it’s sitting on a rainbow! And, <Revelation 22:1,
2> There it is – a different fruit each month. Perhaps a trunk on both sides of the river, joining like a Banyon tree above the river. Imagine it – we’ll never be hungry or thirsty again. Plenty of food available, all year round. And, <Revelation 22:5> <Revelation 22:4> And then the most wonderful promise found in Revelation 21:4… “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things are passed away.” I can’t wait for that, can you? I never get used to a funeral. But what will we do to keep us busy in such a wonderful place? No crime, no sickness, no hunger or disease – no regular “jobs” like we have here! Just peace and harmony forever! What to do? Listen: we’ll get to do all the things we ever dreamed of doing here and zillions more! Build our dream home in the mountains, plant our own vineyards down by the river. Jesus, the Creator, will be there to open to us the mysteries of Creation. We’ll never quit learning new things. Science. Astronomy. Astro-physics. Mathematics. Geometry. We’ll be able to travel any time we wish. “Whoa! There goes Grandma on the sea of glass!” We’ll have forever-time to be with our friends and loved ones. [I want to go with each of you...for 2,000 years!] And each weekend we’ll return back at the speed of thought to spend Sabbath in our city home, praising God and singing with the angels and Jesus – our special time to fellowship with our Lord. Well, you may ask, “Sounds too good to be true. So glorious! Can I be certain that I can make it there?” The answer is simple – yet some people try to make it so complex. You see, Jesus is the One who turns our master key in the lock to get every one of us into those Pearly Gates. He’s your ticket to Heaven. <Galatians 3:29> If you accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord (He’s Boss)...THEN the same promise made to Abraham is your promise, too. All the promises in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation are yours, too – forever, friend! That’s why today God wants you and me to know the best is yet to come! Are you homesick for Heaven? I am. Don’t you want to be there? I do! God gives us an invitation today: In the last verses of Revelation. Most beautiful in all of Scripture… <Revelation 22:16-18> It’s true, friend! You can be a part of God’s fabulous tomorrow – if you invite Him into your heart. <Revelation 22:20,
21> I read a wonderful story once. It’s about the 100-meter running competition in the “Special Olympics” for the disabled or handicapped. Nine contestants (all with some sort of handicap) position themselves at the starting line. The starting gun fires! They take off, arms flailing in a half-sprint. One little boy, however – barely off the blocks – trips and falls on the track. As he tumbles to the ground, he lets out a mournful wail and begins to cry! Hearing the forlorn sobs from well up the track the other eight runners reduce their already slow pace. Turn around. And they go BACK! All eight of them! They pull their fallen athlete to his feet. Then the entire group links arms and WALKS to the finish line together! In the thunderous standing ovation, cheering for the nine Gold Medalists lasted for ten minutes! So refreshing. So innocent. So unhuman-like! Loving someone undeserving. Giving an opponent a break! That’s what Jesus has done! Luke 6:32-36 says that’s why He came down to the race track of life because we’ve all fallen down and we’re hurt. We can’t run the race on our own. He came to pick us up and set us free from our problems and our sins and our self-centered broken lives. To link arms with us and go “marching to Zion” right on to the finish line! And the best news is those golden crowns, those Olympic gold medals? They won’t be given to just one winner. But to everyone – everyone who finishes the race. Jesus is on the track right now. He’s here. He has come. And He is reaching down around each of us. Lifting us up! Giving us another chance. And today he offers to pick us up, put His arms around us, and walk us all the way to the finish line and give us Heaven! Would you close your
eyes for a moment? Perhaps bow your head. I want you to use your imagination
and think about Heaven. Imagine it’s evening up there right now.
Two lone figures (Christ and Gabriel) are walking silently in the gathering
dusk of the city. All alone, they pass a huge section filled with mansions...As
they walk along the silent streets, it’s Gabriel who breaks the
silence: Do we? I ask you to
look into your heart. Would you be happy if He’d come today? Do
you really want to go Home?
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