Sermon: What Will Heaven Be Like?

Good evening.

Turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Revelation, very last book of the Bible and the last chapters chapter 21 and 22.

We've been tackling topics this fall that are related to the subject of death and dying. Uh, what is it that happens to believers when they die? That is in part what we're gonna be considering tonight. What is their eternal state? What is that state like? And as we're gonna see for the believer, death is the front door to mansions of glory and endless delights. That is what death means for the believer. It is the doorway, the, the front door to the mansions

of glory and endless delight, which we call heaven. Uh, before I read Revelation 21 and 22, I just wanna get a maybe one clarification out of the way. I think when we often think of heaven, what we're most often thinking about is what theologians call the intermediate state. And that's not going to be my subject tonight. I'm, I'm gonna be talking about the eternal state. So here's what the intermediate state is just just

to clear the air. It's the state in which uh, the souls of those who exist, uh, who die, exist until the last day. It's the state in which the souls of those who die exist until the last day, the day of Christ return that the day of consummation. So the intermediate state is, is the state that believers enter upon death when we believe that when a believer dies, he goes to be with the Lord, his soul goes to be with the Lord.

If we are away from the body, we are at home with the Lord two Corinthians five. But the body is awai. It's, uh, reunification with the soul that happens on the last day. And when that happens, we enter the eternal state. So that's what we're going to be talking about tonight, considering tonight the fullness of the Christian hope, the embodied eternal existence that we have to look forward to in the new heavens and the new earth.

So with that as sort of a, a quick clarification before we read, I'm ambitious. It's just too good to be selective. We're gonna read Revelation 21 beginning at verse one through uh, chapter 22, verse five. So join me as I read

then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven in 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. 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.

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 and he who is 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. The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son. 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, then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues

and spoke to me saying, come I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God having the glory of God. Its radiance like a most rare jewel like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great high wall with 12 gates and at the gates, 12 angels and on the gates, the names of the 12 tribes of the sons

of Israel were inscribed on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, three gates and on the west, three gates and the wall of the city had 12 foundations and on them were the 12 names of the 12 apostles of the lamb. And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare its length the same as its width, and he measured the city with his rod.

12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. He also measured its wall 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. The wall was built of Jasper while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was Jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth cornelian,

the seventh crystalite, the eighth barrel, the ninth topaz, the 10th ophr, the 11th jsth, the 12th amethyst. And the 12 gates were 12 pearls. Each of the gates made of a single pearl and the street of the city was pure gold like transparent glass. And I saw no temple in the city for its temple is the Lord God, the almighty and the lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it. For the glory of God gives it light

and its lamp is the lamb by its light will the nations walk and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it and its gates will never be shot by day and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations, but nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the lamb's book of life. Then the angel showed me the river of the water

of life bright as crystal flowing from the throne of God and of the lamb through the middle of the street of the city. Also on either side of the river, the tree of life with its 12 kinds of fruit yielding its fruit each month the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything a cursed, but the throne of God and of the lamb will be in it and his servants will worship him. They will see his face

and his name will be on their foreheads and night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun for the Lord God will be their light and they will reign forever and ever. Amen. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, you whose strength is made perfect in weakness. Bless now the words that I speak and make them seeds of eternal life in the minds and souls of all who hear we ask in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen. So what will heaven be like? I struggle to even in some ways want to say anything more than what I've just read because what I've just read is grand and glorious and beautiful and the words that I have, I feel don't even measure up to what heaven will be like. One of my favorite places in all of Michigan is on the shores of Lake Michigan and one of my favorite things to do is to be there at a sunset with Sarah and our family.

Oftentimes I've found myself wanting to take a picture of the scene as the sun sets and usually sets over the lighthouse, uh, in South Haven. And I want to to capture what I've seen because it's so beautiful. The problem is when I look back at that picture later on, it just doesn't quite do it for me. Like the real thing, it's just not quite as beautiful. It doesn't capture all of the beauty in its fullness. The real thing is that much better

and that's what heaven is going to be like. And that's why I feel like my words are going to fail. They will not measure up. So we're going to attempt, I'm going to attempt to do my best to just paint the picture a little bit just as we've read from Revelation 21 and 22, what is it that heaven will be like? There's at least four characteristics that I want to draw our attention to this evening. Four characteristics of what heaven will be like,

heaven will be safe, heaven will be sinless, heaven will be splendid, and heaven will be satisfying. First, heaven will be safe.

We have in Revelation 21 and 22, a number of things that we find that will be in heaven, will be present, will be there. But there are some things that we're told are not there that have passed away and are part of the former things and will not be present. And there's two that represent to us that heaven will be safe. First is that there is no more sea. That's in 21 verse one. No more see the see here in Revelation 21.

Verse one is, is representative metaphorical of old world threats or present world, the present world that we find ourselves in threats. So you might ask why, why would it be good news to the readers of Revelation that there is no more sea, that the sea is gone? Well, I think it helps for us to, to know what the sea represents or is identified with in the Book of Revelation. And GK Beal in his commentary, draws us out

five identifications of the sea just from the book of Revelation. Why it would be good news that the sea is no more. The sea in revelation is first the origin of cosmic evil. Cosmic evil springs forth from the sea. Secondly, the unbelieving rebellious nations who cause tribulation for God's people are associated identified with the sea. The third is that the sea is identified as the place of the dead. In Revelation chapter 24th in

Revelation 18, it's the primary location of the world's idolatrous trade activity. So these are four ways that the sea is identified or things that the sea is associated with in the Book of Revelation. And then you finally come to the end of the book of Revelation, the last chapters, and you hear the sea is no more. It's done. There's no place for it, there's no use for it. All of the evil that is associated throughout the book

of Revelation with the sea is done. It's done. Away with heaven will be safe. Secondly, the gates we find in in, uh, 21 verse 25, the gates will never be shut.

There will be no night there. So there's no more sea and there's no more night. The gates are never shut. You think about this in your own house, oftentimes the last thing you do before bed, especially if you live in the city, maybe for some of you who live in St. John's and beyond are like, no, it's perfectly safe here. Nobody's coming to my house. But for us who live in the city, the last thing we do, make sure that the lock on our door is locked.

No intruders, no one is coming in at night. While I am not keeping watch of my own house, I want to make sure nobody can get their way into my house. Anyone who would seek to do harm to my home and to my inha in in to the inhabitants of my home. I do not want them. And heaven, there is no night. The gates never need shutting nothing. Verse 27, nothing unclean will ever enter nothing and no one detestable or false can ever come in.

And so the gates can remain open, heaven will be safe, secure, no threats.

Spiritual warfare is over. It's done. There is only peace and harmony. There's no risk of hurting one another with an errant word. You don't have to worry about it. It's safe. There's no sickness or disease. Cancer cannot just find its way into your body and ruin you. It's gone no death.

As we re uh, as we sing in guide me, oh thou great Jehovah death will land you safe on Canaan's side you will be safe. Heaven is a safe place. Secondly, heaven is sinless. Heaven is sinless. As John begins to see his vision at the beginning of chapter 21, he sees new Jerusalem and he says there in verse two, I saw the holy city. The holy city. That's how heaven is characterized here in the last chapters of the book of Revelation

and holiness is what we would expect to characterize this place. Holiness is what we would expect to characterize the people who inhabit this place. Why? Because we're told the dwelling place of God is with man. The dwelling place of God is with man and God is holy.

When Isaiah has that vision in the book of Isaiah of God, in his his throne room, what he hears is an anthem of an angel choir singing Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty God is holy. The big question in the Old Testament, especially Leviticus, this is a, in some ways maybe the theme of the book of Leviticus, how is it that a holy God can dwell with an unholy people? It's the big question of the Old Testament. How, how is it that now this

unholy people who's been cast outta the garden can remain in God's presence? How can he be there with them

if God is to dwell in their midst? The sin of the people need to be sin of the people needs to be atoned for. And that's why Leviticus is filled with all those sacrificial rules and regulations. It atones for their sin. That's how God is making provision to dwell in their midst. So in heaven then where God dwells among his people without separation, holiness fills the place. Holiness distinguishes the place.

So heaven is a sinless place. It's holy. We also read several times in these chapters that sinners are excluded from this place as sinners are excluded. We read that in 21 verse eight, and then we read it as well in, uh, verse 27, nothing unclean will enter it.

Hebrews 1214 says, without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. I think it when we read through these verses, it makes us pause for a minute or it ought to, a question ought to be in our minds if sinners are excluded from this holy place, from this sinless place. What about me? How, how can there be anyone in this? Heaven is heaven not for people who have committed these very sins, which one

of us wouldn't include ourselves in these lists is heaven only for perfect people? If it was, then there would be just one human in heaven, the man Christ Jesus. So, so who is heaven for if sinners are excluded, who is heaven? For it's for sinners who have been saved by grace. Sinners who have been saved by grace. Heaven is not for perfect people, but it is for people who have received the invitation and taken the invitation to as 22.

Verse 15 says, uh, 14 says, wash their unclean robes, wash their unclean robes to wash their sins away in the blood of Jesus. It's for people who know they are sinners and they need to be saved. Who need cleansing? That's who heaven is for. When if God's help, it's for people who do not love as 22 verse 15 says, people who do not love and practice falsehood with God's help, we put that away. We put our love for what is false, for what is evil

and unclean away. And we practice what is good and beautiful and true.

Heaven is sinless. I wanna ask you, does this make you long for heaven? The fact that heaven is sinless, sin is so out of place with God, it is so out of place with heaven, the place where God dwells that it will be removed from his people once and for all. Does this make you long for heaven?

I find as I'm around Christians, especially those who have been living the Christian life, uh, earnestly for a number of years, that uh, they don't only find that their sin displeases God, it also displeases them.

They, they're offended by their own sin. They are unsettled by their own sin. We recognize I am not what I want to be. And the longer it is that we, we are in our flesh, in awaiting our redemption, the more and the greater our groaning for our full redemption is to be freed from sin once and for all. And dear Christian heaven will be sinless. The groaning that you feel now and are experiencing now at the weight of your sin,

the corruption that remains it will be gone. It will be removed. You will no longer have to stand against the devil and his schemes. You'll no longer have to withstand the world and its temptations. You will no longer have to fight your own flesh and its corruption in heaven. The holy place, the holy God will dwell with his holy people. Heaven will be sinless. And that leads us to the next characteristic. Heaven will be splendid. Hardly need to say much more.

I feel like when you think about heaven as a sinless place, that heaven will be splendid. But that's what we're captured by in chapters 21 and 22. The brilliance and the beauty of Heaven. It's an, it's a beauty that is unmatched by any on earth. And there are three images that express the splendor of heaven here in these chapters. And I think these three images happen to be three of the things that are most beautiful in our world.

Three of the things that our world can contribute to beauty are found here in these chapters. Heaven is compared to first a city, a city, 21 verse two, and then verses 10 in following cities here on in our world are intended to be impressive. They're intended to beautiful. The height of skyscrapers or the intricacy of, of the architecture of really old buildings. They're beautiful and impressive and heaven is like a city we're told.

It's like a, it's a city that comes down out of heaven. This is a city that is not made with human hands.

The builder and architect of this city is God himself. And he does not overlook any detail. He does not spare any expense for this glorious city. It is to reflect his grander, his glory. It has 21 verse 11 says, the glory of God. It's a beautiful city. Splendor marks it. And in this city there's no need even for street lamps because the glory of God fills the city with light. This is a city fit for a king. Indeed it's a city fit for the king

of kings God himself. This is his city. And so this city can only properly be described in relation to Jerusalem, that earthly city where God intended to dwell among his people, where he intended to reign over his people. Heaven is splendid like a glorious city like Jerusalem. Heaven is also like a garden. It's compared to it's, uh, shown to be. We see that in chapter 22 gardens. Of course, in in our world, whether they're botanical gardens on Ms U'S campus

or they're gardens in your own backyard, they're meant to be beautiful, to be enjoyed the, the popping colors of flowers or even the variety of plants or even the shade that a, a full green tree provides. And heaven is like a garden. Chapter 22 tells us there in that garden is a river bright and beautiful that is ever flowing, bringing life to the city. And there a tree which never goes dormant, bears life giving fruit every month of the year.

It never stops producing.

This is the most happy ending of all stories because you remember where the Bible begins, that as I was talking with Pat the other day about preaching these two chapters, he said, the first two chapters of the Bible are great. The last two chapters of the Bible are great. And then in the middle you got a mess. Where did the Bible begin? Where does our story begin? It began in a garden.

And in that garden mankind was expelled from that garden. A curse came upon the whole world. It came upon all mankind. And from that garden sprung death

and listened to how the story ends the most happy of all endings. 22 verse three. No longer will there be anything cursed the story of mankind ends or maybe more properly we say it re begins, it starts anew in a garden. And no longer will there be anything cursed. Heaven is splendid like a beautiful garden and a third image, a bride. 21 verse two and 21 verse nine, the new Jerusalem in, in verse two is described synonymously as a bride.

The city is a people. Perhaps how we oftentimes will refer to the church, both as a building and as a people more properly as a people. So too is this new Jerusalem. It's a, it's like a city but it's also a people. Heaven is a place, a a beautiful place. But the people that inhabit this place are equally beautiful. It's equally beautiful and apparently it's of great importance that people who dwell in this place, because when John is granted to see the new heaven

and the new earth, he has shown the bride, the bride, the wife of the lamb. Verse nine. It's like John is, has been hired to be a wedding photographer. Wedding photographers have some of the most privileged access of anybody at a wedding. They get to be present as the bride and groom share that first look as is a common practice in our day. The bride and grooms see each other for the first time and they're overcome with tears and excitement

and joy and happiness as they see their bride or their groom for the very first time dressed up knowing what's coming. John, it's like he's the wedding photographer. He's, he's granted access the first look look of the bride in the groom. Heaven is not just a place, heaven is the place where God dwells with his people. The people that he has chosen to love, that he has chosen to nourish, that he has chosen to cherish and to dwell with.

And this is the church, it's you dear believers, it's you. Ephesians five says, Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. That he might present the church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish. We have in this chapter the the first look at the church glorified. The church glorified in all of her splendor without blemish, without spot being presented to her bridegroom.

Heaven is splendid like a bride adorned for her husband, like an eternal marriage of perfect love and harmony and unceasing joy. So heaven is splendid, majestic and magnificent. And fourth heaven is satisfying. Heaven will be perfectly satisfying. Fully satisfying. Why? Because man will be perfected. We will be perfected. No more sinning. No more suffering. Our souls and our bodies will be perfected. We will not groan any longer awaiting our redemption.

And as Paul says, the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Heaven will be satisfying because we will be perfected. But heaven will also be satisfying because there we will enjoy God to the fullest. We will enjoy God to the fullest. I recently heard Sinclair Ferguson reflect about a radio program that he heard once about heaven. Well-known personalities were being interviewed about

what they thought heaven would be like. They were asked to describe Heaven and Ferguson as he listened to this radio program. And as he heard the answers to how people were describing, heaven picked up a pattern in those answers. And as he says, it's not a pattern of something that was said repeatedly, but rather something that wasn't said at all. Not even once. Not even once. Was the presence of God mentioned in these people's descriptions of heaven.

Does that surprise you? 30 minute radio program, several people interviewed. Not once is the presence of God mentioned. Does that surprise you? I intentionally left this point till the very end as the sort of climax. I think we could have started here because it's the most important point. It may be the most overlooked part of heaven. It might be the most understated blessing of heaven.

But any answer to the question of what heaven will be like that does not feature God's presence is off base. But more significant than that heaven without God is no heaven at all. In fact, what is the name of the place in the Bible? Where of the eternal dwelling place where God is not present. It's not heaven, it's hell.

Heaven without God is no heaven at all. The deepest desire of mankind, the greatest hope of mankind, the fullest joy to be experienced by mankind is an eternity with God. Full communion with God and heaven, dear believers will be satisfying because God is there.

And we can't even say that heaven would be safe or sinless or splendid if God wasn't there. But heaven will be satisfying because God is there over and over again in these chapters, heaven is presented as as a place where believers do not have any separation from God. They're not barred from God. So we see in 21 verse 22, I saw no temple in the city. God's presence is not limited to a building in heaven. Our communion with him will be so immediate, so

intimate, there's no need for a temple. 22 verse three. The throne of the God, uh, the throne of God and of the lamb will be in it and his servants will worship him. We will not worship him in a building any longer. Did not have to go to the mountain to offer worship to God. No. Instead, we will offer worship to God at his very throne.

22 verse four. They will see his face. Our faith will give way to sight. This is as some theologians call it, the beatific vision, the blessed sight. What we long for seeing God face to face we will enjoy in heaven. Jonathan Edwards said this about this verse, after believers have had the pleasure of beholding the face of God, millions of ages, it will not grow a dull story. The relish of this delight will be as exquisite as ever.

We will never become too familiar with God's face. We will never grow bored of beholding God face to face. The light of his countenance will shine upon us forever and ever.

And 22 verse four. Just after that, his name will be on their foreheads. In the Old Testament, God's name was said to be placed on the forehead of the high priest, the one who had permission to enter the holy of Holies. That one time per year on behalf of the people. But now God's name is on all of God's servants. There is no separation. God will be our God, we will be his people. He will dwell with us and we with Him heaven will be satisfying

because we will enjoy God to the fullest and then we will enjoy him for eternity. 22 verse five. They will reign forever and ever. Wanna end just briefly with a quote from JI Packer. He, he concludes his meditation upon heaven by saying this, nor will it end. Its eternity is part of its glory. Endlessness one might say, is the glory of glory hearts on earth say in the course of a joyful experience. I don't want this to ever end, but it invariably does.

The hearts of those in heaven say, I want this to go on forever. And it will. There can be no better news than this. Amen. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Let's pray.

Oh God, we long for the day when we shall see you face to face. Face-to-face. When we shall be with you forever and ever. We long for the day when we shall offer you worship unceasingly with the angels. We long for the day when we will be satisfied completely. When we will be perfected, affected. Not enduring suffering any longer. Not enduring sin and its consequences any longer. And we long for the day when we shall be secure eternally.

Oh God, would you hasten that day? Would you impress on our minds and our souls a a deeper longing for heaven?

And as we await that coming day, make us useful? Help us to share this good news with others. That there is a God, a God who has made payment for our sins. A God who will welcome us into his presence, A God who will live with us forever. A God who will satisfy our every longing. Oh God, we thank you for this word and we thank you for it. In Jesus' name, amen.