IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL

What is Heaven Like?

    Over the years, various individuals have reported that the Lord has shown them what Heaven is like. I believe some of the reported descriptive accounts of Heaven are worth passing on to you.

    The Bible says that a tree is known by its fruit. Therefore, I have only included the accounts of selected individuals after considering how the Lord used these individuals in the Kingdom of God following what they said were visions of Heaven.

    For example, John Bunyan was on his way to commit suicide when the Lord gave him His wonderful insights of what Heaven was like. He was then so overwhelmed by the realities of Heaven, he wrote "Pilgrim's Progress," a book which has been used in pointing mankind to the land of realities.

    After the Lord let him see the ideal, perfect and glorious utopia of Heaven that he described as exceeding by far the loftiest flights of human imagination, General William Booth became the human instrument of God's power to star the great work of the Salvation Army that still sweeps around the world.

    Actually, over the span of the last 2,000 years of the church age, hundred of individuals from all stages of spiritual development in many different lands, speaking many different languages, separated by decades or centuries of time and who had not communicated with one another, have claimed to have been give divine insights into the realities of Heaven. The amazing thing is those whose fruits confirm they may indeed have had a divine experience, have been in perfect agreement with one another in so many hundreds of details. If these insights of Heaven were not divine, if they were not from one God-given source, disagreement over many countless details would be inevitable.

    "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him-but God has revealed it to us by his spirit..." (I Corinthians 2:9,10). I am going to share some insights about Heaven that I believe are worthwhile to consider although it is hard for us to totally grasp the concept of what it would be like living life in the purely spiritual realm of Heaven.

    In Heaven humans will experience utter holiness. Jude 24 states, "...to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy..." We will reign with Christ in everlasting victory throughout all the ages. Our mental state living in Heaven is so superior to anything known on Earth that words cannot describe it. Mankind will live in a condition of ecstatic joy, so much so that our fragile nervous systems here on Earth could not support such happiness. In Heaven man is immortal. Our capacities are unlimited, supernatural. Our minds and motivations are sinless. Our energy is boundless. This all adds up to joy unspeakable, full of glory. Our cup runs over. Our years never age. We never hunger or thirst any more. God wipes away all tears from our eyes -and never again will we experience any pain, fear, doubt, defeat, regret, misunderstanding. sorrow, or temptation. What utter joy!

    Heaven is a place with streets of gold, beautiful streams, trees, flowers, and animal life where we will all have beautiful mansions in the park-like wonders of Heaven's glorious realm. There is no sickness, no pain, no suffering either physical or emotional, and no stress. Everyone lives in complete peace and love in beautiful surroundings, as all need are provided for us by a loving God who created mankind and is now caring for all of those who love Him.

    This condition will never change. Though we cannot comprehend it, this condition will last for eternity-forever. Everyone in Heaven lives a life full of joy, peace, love and happiness. It will never end.

    John Bunyan reported that when he was caught up into Heaven he talked with Elijah, Moses and other Old Testament saints. General Booth stated that he saw many patriarchs and many apostles of ancient times and several of the holy martyrs, as well as an army of warriors who had fallen in every part of the world as reported in Scripture. These two men described the wonderful Paradise that exists for all those who are dedicated to serving God. It is a place whose splendor is so magnificent man's language cannot adequately convey it.

    After being escorted to the city of God by an angel John Bunyan said, "Let me stay here, for there is no need of building tabernacles. The heavenly mansions here are ready-fitted." He also described many different thoughts expressed to him by the prophet Elijah in their conversations. One was the tremendous happiness that exists for all those who are in Heaven.  

          Elijah expressed it as a complete state of happiness, when the soul and body are completely free of the effects from all sin. As we know, it is the heavy burden of sin that exists here in the world and in our flesh that weighs us down. In Heaven we will be free of the effects of sin, as the bird when it is free of its cage.

          Everyone in Heaven receives a perfect spiritual body; the imperfect bodies we used here on Earth have been discarded. And everyone, from the days of Adam and Eve to the present time, is now in this beautiful, wonderful place of Heaven with a perfect spiritual body in which he or she now enjoys blessings that exceed anything ever known on Earth.

          After experiencing visions of Heaven and seeing the state of saved man, General Booth attempted to describe the heavenly body, though he declared that it was impossible. In trying to do so, he stated that all disease and all the corroding work of the ages-the physical blemishes resulting from man's fallen state here on Earth-are done away with in Heaven. Booth said that to describe the shape and features of saints in Heaven was simply not possible, as they are both earthly and yet celestial.

          It is beyond words to fully describe from what great depths God has exalted man to such superb heights in Heaven. On Earth, man is weak and sinful, but in Heaven we will appear with grandeur and beauty. We have complete assurance and faith that this is and will be the state of all of those who trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.

          The same grandeur has been reported to be true, not only about the spiritual body of mankind in Heaven, but also about the living conditions there. For example, people tell of the indescribable beauty of all the marvels of Paradise, and of all the wonderful mansions. Words failed those who tried to compare the beauty and magnificence of the mansions of the saints to anything here on Earth, even the palaces of nobility! And the same was true of the surrounding conditions in Paradise.

          Although the words "gold" and "diamonds" are used in the Bible to attempt to describe items having tremendous value, they fail to come close to the magnificence of the beauty reported to be the condition of the surroundings that await God's people.

          Every new arrival will be surrounded by glory so dazzling and overwhelming in every way that their capacity for enjoyment will be filled to the limit; their cup will indeed "runneth over."

          Since all of Heaven is a spiritual realm, everything in it is spiritual, and has spiritual values. The parks, the beauty that surrounds each edifice, the animals, the trees, the flowers, the lakes, the rives, the crystal pools, the shape and size of the mansions, the gems, the jewels-everything contained therein.

            Man will be perfected in Heaven. God made human beings in His likeness. The angels who attend, the angels who instruct, the music, the songs, the saints mainly in fellowship, the degree and manifestation of glory, light and life¾these and everything else in each park or palace are working harmoniously for the happiness and joy of the saints. These together all contribute to the spiritual life and development of every saint who dwells therein. There is nothing that does not in some way contribute to the spiritual up-building of the life of the saints, or does not help enlarge their capacities for a happier and more exalted life. Everything is one harmonious, progressive, interrelated whole, arranged for the purpose of bringing joy to all the saints who have gone to Heaven¾all those who have trusted in Jesus. All who enter this beautiful city will be perfect with the bridegroom, one in love filled with all the fullness of God to live and reign with Him in glory for ages and ages in all eternity (see Ephesians 3:19).

            Satan and sin have distorted all the human parts of mankind. However, in Heaven all five senses of a Christian, free from all encumbrances, will be perfected. In our youth, the physical senses¾taste, smell, sight, hearing, touch¾are at their best. In Heaven, the young will have their joy increased ten thousand times, and the old will become young again.

            Youth will more than be restored in Heaven; it will be glorified to higher perfection than it was upon Earth. For example, we will have a perfect sense of taste in Heaven that was lost on Earth and which became weaker from childhood on.

            In Heaven, unlike on Earth, we do not need to constantly partake of food to maintain existence. Much of our energy on Earth is spent in the search for food and in its preparation. When the Lord placed the perfect man in the perfect Garden of Eden, he was given every herb and tree for food. When man fell, the curse made it necessary for him to eat his bread by the sweat of his brow.

            Although much of our earthly enjoyment consists of eating delicious foods, we will partake of Heaven's variety of foods with a more refined sense of appreciation than any human has enjoyed on Earth.

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