Notes on Heaven: So What's Up with Heaven?

Have you noticed lately how the world has changed recently? There are increasingly morefamines, more government deficit, more earthquakes, and more wars. Not to mention the hikingunemployment rate throughout the world. Recently both my aunt and my uncle have come downwith cancer and I see how that has devastated their families. The cancer cells are eating themaway. But aren’t all of us dying? Just in different rates? Isn’t the Earth dying, more increasinglyso recently? If we pay any attention at all at the happenings around us and in the world, then it’sa bit hard to be hopeful about tomorrow. It’s hard not to worry about our next generation, theinnocent children. We would be without hope, unless we read our Bible and find the true hope.God has provided me and everyone else a place to set our eyes – Heaven. Instead of staring atthis fading world with weary eyes, God wants us to have our eyes fixated on Heaven, our futureand final home.

Though I have been a Christians since I am 19, I don’t know too much about Heaven, untilrecently. Influenced by movies and books, I’ve always imagined Heaven as a place ofnothingness, besides endless cloud, light, and singing. There could be many people dressed inwhite, smiling all days, all years, all eternity long. I am sure it’s a happy place, but I secretly

think that it also looks like a boring place. Because my ignorance in the Bible, I thought thatHeaven cannot be conceived of and that Bible has not mentioned too much about it. How wrongwas I!

I was driving to work one day. I flipped on the radio and turned to my favorite radio station inSan Diego, 1210 KPRZ. Pastor David Jeremiah from Shadow Mountain Community Church wastalking about Heaven. I did not pay that much attention until he started to describe the Heavenlycity like an architect describes a city under construction. He clearly describes how big, how tall,and how wide the Heavenly City would be. He also illustrated how thick the wall would be. Icould not leave the car and decided to skip my routine morning coffee break and stayed in the caruntil his message ended. This is What I Always Wanted to Know about Heaven!!

Pastor David Jeremiah was giving a message from his series: What You Always Wanted toKnow about Heaven. I got the whole series and listened through them and grow ever morehopeful toward my future and ever more grateful toward my Savior, Creator and Maker - LordJesus Christ. I thank Jesus and Pastor David Jeremiah for this series, because now I know thatHeaven is a real place and that it’s hundreds or even thousands times better than what my tinybrain could ever fathom. What I’ve learned from this series about Heaven has helped me in somany different ways. It shoots a beam of light, from the murkiness of Today where imperfectpeople are in control, to the infinitely brightness of Tomorrow, where my Heavenly Father is onthe throne. That’s why I wanted to share with you my notes and thoughts on each message.

Message 1: So What’s Up With Heaven?

P1: The Prominence of Heaven

Heaven is mentioned more than 500 times in the Bible. It means high, lofty, and raised up.Heaven is prominent in Bible and in culture, just not in our heart.Heaven is not a spiritual funk or a state of mind. Heave is a physical place. It’s often referred toas kingdom, a country, or a celestral city. But most of all, it’s our Father’s house. Heaven is notan imaginary place, or a benevolent state of mind, or whatever you make of. It is not a figment ofyour imagination. It is not a projection of feeling or emotion. It is not a beautiful aile ofsomething where thoughts form. It is not a projection of the best in your or a vision of longed-forutopia. Heaven is not a pleasing hope, nor the invention of men. Our thoughts do not makeHeaven. Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. In the Bible, the Heaven in Greek, theNew Testament language, means place where you can locate. Heaven is a literal place.

P2: The Plurality of Heaven

The Bible says that there are three heavens. The first heaven is the atmospheric heaven, wherebirds fly and clouds flow; it is mentioned in Isaiah 59:9.

Isaiah 55:9 (NJKV)“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,So are My ways higher than your ways,And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

The second heaven is the stellar heaven, the outer space where the space shuttles travel andcountless stars are hung and planetary bodies display their beauty.

Genesis 1:14-17Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day fromthe night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be forlights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Then Gomade two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on theearth.

Finally we come to the third heaven, the most important heaven, the heaven of heavens. This iswhere our Lord resides and where His throne is. Paul described his experience of being caughtup in the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4. This is the heaven where our God is and to wherewe are aspired to go.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (NKJV)I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven -whetherit was in the body or out of the body I do not know-God knows. And I know that this man-

whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-was caught up toparadise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.

P3: Heaven is a PlaceHeaven is a place and Jesus has gone on ahead of up to prepare it for us. Heaven is our Father’shouse according to John 14:1-3. Heaven has many mansions in which we will dwell.

John 14:1-3 (NKJV)“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’shouse are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a placefor you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive your toMyself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Heaven is a place and it’s up, according to Ephesians 4:10 and Act 1:10-11.

Ephesians 4:10 (NKJV)He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He mightfill all things

Act 1:10-11 (NKJV)And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, the men stood bythem in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up intoheaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in likemanner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Heaven is on the farthest sides of the north, according to Isaiah 14:13-14, where Satan isdescribed as wanting to be like God, who sits on the farthest sides of the north.

Isaiah 14:13-14 (NKJV)For you have said in your heart:

`I will ascend into heaven,I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;I will also sit on the mount of the congregationOn the farthest sides of the north;I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,I will be like the Most High.

P4: The Preciousness of Heaven

Heaven is a precious place because everything important to us who love God is in Heaven. Ourredeemer is in Heaven; our relationship is in Heaven; our relatives are in Heaven; our resourcesare in Heaven; our residence is in Heaven; our rewards are in Heaven; our riches are in Heaven;finally our reservation is in Heaven.

Our redeemer is in Heaven, according to Hebrews 9:24.

Hebrews 9:24 (NKJV)For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; heentered heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

Our relationship and relatives are in Heaven, according to Hebrews 12:22-24.

Hebrews 12:22-24(NKJV)But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,to an innumerable company of angles, to the general assembly and church of the firstbornwho are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men madeperfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood Jesus the Mediator ofthe new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

Our resources are in Heaven, according to 1 Peter 1:3-4.1 Peter 1:3-4(NKJV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundantmercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ fromthe dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reservedin heaven for you.

Our residence is in Heaven, according to Philippians 3:20.

Philippians 3:20 (NKJV)For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the LordJesus Christ.

Our rewards are in Heaven, according to Matthew 5:12. Some might say that it’s not spiritualto be into rewards, but they just have not read their Bibles. God is into rewards. He holds upcrowns for us and we will cast those crowns at Jesus’ feet.

Matthew 5:12(NKJV)Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecutedthe prophets who were before you.

Our riches are in Heaven, according to Matthew 6:19-20. Many things that we treasure in thislife and this world will not follow us to the eternity. Beauty, money, fame, and power will not betaken with us to Heaven. The only thing is to go from here to there is the souls of men and

women, and the Word of God. If we want to build a bit equity in Heaven, we should not buyproperties and build houses in this world, but to reach into people’s hearts and to enter into theirlives, but to dig into the Word of God. So we may not only win souls to also to gain the truewisdom.

Matthew 6:19-20(NKJV)“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and wherethieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither mothnor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is,there your heart will be also.

Our reservation is in Heaven, according to Revelation 21:27. Like a wedding guest registrybook, only those whose names are in the registry can enter the banquet.

Revelation 21:27(NKJV)But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie,but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.