“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9
This passage started my Reflections About Heaven and is a quote or paraphrase of Isaiah 64:4. And as Isaiah was pleading to the people of Judah to repent and turn back to God, equally Paul was calling the people of Corinth to a new righteousness. Because the people in Corinth lived in one of the wickedest cities in the Greco-Roman world. They needed to hear and understand the gospel. Furthermore, they needed to hear what awaited them in Heaven. They needed that goal to look forward to.
What was Paul Sharing?
Paul said that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, nor has mankind ever imagined what Heaven will truly be like. And that Heaven is only for those that love Jesus as Lord and Savior. I’ve found that many people have no clue about what to expect in Heaven. Or what heaven may be like during the Millennial (1000 year) reign of Christ. Further, most people have no idea what happens after that. I’ll break it down for you in the next few brief paragraphs.
Heaven if You Die Before the Rapture
First, Heaven is a place of perfect peace, perfect health and service to God. It’s not some lazy ethereal plane where we just float around doing nothing. We will serve, praise, worship, sing, and have specific jobs that I can only imagine. As a matter of fact, I imagine what Heaven will be like in my book, “Transfigured to Serve.” Paul said we can’t even imagine what it will truly be like. We just don’t have enough imagination or intellectual capacity to truly grasp its glory.
This glimpse of Heaven is only for those that die as true born-again believers. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior you’re not going to Heaven. Sorry, but that’s what Jesus says, as written in the Bible. John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Because the location of the Father is Heaven, it can be clearly understood that you can’t get to Heaven except through Jesus.
The Rapture
Second, the rapture will take all the Christians to Heaven. It will be a glorious place with mansions for each person and as I mentioned before, perfect peace, perfect health and service to God. We will never again have to worry about all the little mundane things of life. We will not have to pay bills, get the kids to school, figure out what to cook for supper or any other mundane task. We’ll be worry free during the Millennial Reign of Christ too. Every task in Heaven will be purposeful, important and exciting.
The Millennial Reign
Third, the millennial reign of Christ occurs. Jesus returns after the tribulation to rule the entire earth for 1000 years. And He will bring all those who are currently in Heaven back with Him. Hence, Jesus will rule and all those that were in Heaven will be His Presidents, Governors, Mayors and officials that carry out His perfect will. And at that time Jesus will rule with a rod of iron. Revelation 2:27 says, “And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers...” In other words, he will not be the cuddly, gentle Jesus that people characterize Him as today. He will require obedience and righteousness from everyone, and he will not put up with opposition of any kind.
Final Judgement
Fourth, will be the final judgement. All the people that have ever existed are judged. Those that are born-again by grace through faith are judged concerning their service to God and rewarded accordingly. But those that are not born again, and reject Christ, will be cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15
Everything’s New and Perfect
Finally, God destroys the old earth and universe and creates a new heavens (universe) and a new earth. Then God creates a New Jerusalem in Heaven and when complete the city descends down to the new earth. Furthermore, the city is made of pure gold, surrounded by high city walls of precious stones. The city gates will be enormous perfect pearls. Revelation 21:18-21 From there, God the Son, Jesus, rules for eternity. The Bible is very clear about all of this. You just have to read it and understand it. I look forward to a rich and glorious life after I die or get snatched up in the Rapture. A life of perfect peace, health, wisdom, comfort and service to my almighty and precious Lord.
Have a blessed life and a blessed new life in Jesus. Amen!