Tough Questions series, #6, “What is heaven like?”
Luke 13:29-30, John 14:2-4, Revelation 22:3-7
July 8, 2018
First Presbyterian Church, Sterling, IL
Christina Berry
The sixth and final question in our Tough Questions series is “What is heaven like?”
I know it would make a few people very happy if the entire sermon were contained in this one honest answer: “We just don’t know.” But there’s no way the fellowship table can be ready that fast!
The longer answer is that scripture gives us some images that may help us shape our understanding of the life that is to come. The hope we have in the resurrection is an essential element of our faith, and the life to come is a big part of that hope. The hope we have in Christ is that God is present with us in our world, and because of that, we will one day be in God’s presence forever. One way that we talk about that is with images of heaven.
These two verses in Luke’s gospel are part of a much longer speech by Jesus in answer to the question, “Will only a few be saved?” Jesus speaks of the kingdom that is to come as a banquet, with guests streaming in from every direction. This image is much like the ending verses of Psalm 23, in which there is a table prepared in the house of the Lord, where the guest is anointed, the cup is filled to overflowing, and the banquet lasts forever. Let’s listen for the words of Jesus in Luke 13:29-30
“Then people will come from east and west, from north and south,
and will eat in the kingdom of God.
Indeed, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”
Our next reading comes from John’s gospel, in which Jesus is reassuring his friends that they will someday join him in the life to come. To describe that life, he uses the metaphor of a house – a big house, with plenty of room for everyone. Let’s listen for Jesus’ promise in John 14:2-4:
“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and will take you to myself,
so that where I am, there you may be also.
And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
Our third and final reading is from the final book of the Bible, the Revelation of John. In the closing verses of Revelation, we catch a glimpse of the new heaven and new earth, the new Jerusalem which is at once a garden, Eden restored, a glorious city, and a paradise of light, and eternal joy. Let’s listen for God’s word to us in Revelation 22:3-7
Nothing accursed will be found there any more.
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 there will be no more night;
they need no light of lamp or sun,
for the Lord God will be their light,
and they will reign forever and ever.
And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true,
for the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets,
has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
See, I am coming soon!
Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Y’all, if we’re going to talk about heaven,
Nothing accursed will be found there any more.
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 there will be no more night;
they need no light of lamp or sun,
for the Lord God will be their light,
and they will reign forever and ever.
And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true,
for the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets,
has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
See, I am coming soon!
Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Y’all, if we’re going to talk about heaven,
I have to tell one of my pearly gates jokes!
So, this little old couple was married more than seventy years. They enjoyed good health the last years of their lives, because the devoted wife made sure their food was healthy, low in fat and cholesterol, with limited sugar. They loved each other so much, that they died within days of each other.
When they reached the pearly gates, St. Peter welcomed them and showed them to a mansion. It was gorgeous – a beautiful view, comfy furniture, a great kitchen. Outside their back patio, there was a championship golf course Then St. Peter took them to a lavish buffet, with delicious, rich foods.
“Where are the low fat and low cholesterol tables? the man asked.
“That's the best part...,” St. Peter answered. “You can eat as much as you like of whatever you like and you never get fat and you never get sick. This is Heaven."
The little old man was furious! He jumped up and down; he tore off his jacket and threw it to the ground, and stomped on it.
“Honey! What is wrong?” his wife asked.
He looked at his wife and said, "This is all your fault!
If it weren't for your blasted bran muffins, I could have been here ten years ago!"
What is heaven like?
Well, it isn’t what we think.
The joke I told is a good illustration of popular conceptions of heaven. You’ve heard the songs and seen the paintings- fluffy clouds and pearly gates, streets of gold and mansions, angels and harps, people eating and drinking and singing praise to God.
For all eternity.
The little old man was furious! He jumped up and down; he tore off his jacket and threw it to the ground, and stomped on it.
“Honey! What is wrong?” his wife asked.
He looked at his wife and said, "This is all your fault!
If it weren't for your blasted bran muffins, I could have been here ten years ago!"
What is heaven like?
Well, it isn’t what we think.
The joke I told is a good illustration of popular conceptions of heaven. You’ve heard the songs and seen the paintings- fluffy clouds and pearly gates, streets of gold and mansions, angels and harps, people eating and drinking and singing praise to God.
For all eternity.
Yeah.
Forever and ever.
When I was twelve, I got into trouble for saying what a lot of people think about those images and stories: if that is heaven, it sounds pretty darn boring.
Seriously, how long will it be enjoyable to eat and sing all day?
What else is going to be happening?
What we can see about it, the little bit we can see, is through a glass darkly, as the Apostle Paul says. N. T. Wright says we have a set of signposts pointing into a fog. But the way there is so much art, so much talk, so much concern about heaven and the life to come, you’d never know how little Christians know for certain!
The three texts we read contain imagery – a banquet, a mansion, a light.
They are poetic, not literal, but they give us a feeling, a sense of what awaits us in the life that is to come.
Forever and ever.
When I was twelve, I got into trouble for saying what a lot of people think about those images and stories: if that is heaven, it sounds pretty darn boring.
Seriously, how long will it be enjoyable to eat and sing all day?
What else is going to be happening?
What we can see about it, the little bit we can see, is through a glass darkly, as the Apostle Paul says. N. T. Wright says we have a set of signposts pointing into a fog. But the way there is so much art, so much talk, so much concern about heaven and the life to come, you’d never know how little Christians know for certain!
The three texts we read contain imagery – a banquet, a mansion, a light.
They are poetic, not literal, but they give us a feeling, a sense of what awaits us in the life that is to come.
But not when we die!
....Wait.... What?
Yeah, the Biblical texts about the life beyond this life are probably describing something that awaits us at the time of resurrection, not what awaits us immediately when we die. John Calvin calls what happens after we die “conscious existence.” He says that our immortal souls continue to live consciously in God’s presence as we await the resurrection to eternal life.
See, our souls are not immortal; that is granted to us by God. We are granted eternal life through God’s grace, and so, in the words of N. T. Wright, we are “citizens of heaven,” but that heaven which is our home has not yet come to be. It is described in many images in the Bible, as the new heaven and the new earth. That comes with Christ’s return and with the resurrection of the body.
Now for THAT heaven, we can offer some possible descriptions:
a new heaven and a new earth, without death, decay or corruption.
....Wait.... What?
Yeah, the Biblical texts about the life beyond this life are probably describing something that awaits us at the time of resurrection, not what awaits us immediately when we die. John Calvin calls what happens after we die “conscious existence.” He says that our immortal souls continue to live consciously in God’s presence as we await the resurrection to eternal life.
See, our souls are not immortal; that is granted to us by God. We are granted eternal life through God’s grace, and so, in the words of N. T. Wright, we are “citizens of heaven,” but that heaven which is our home has not yet come to be. It is described in many images in the Bible, as the new heaven and the new earth. That comes with Christ’s return and with the resurrection of the body.
Now for THAT heaven, we can offer some possible descriptions:
a new heaven and a new earth, without death, decay or corruption.
Calvin’s commentary on that says “God will restore to a perfect state the world,
now fallen, together with mankind. But what that perfection will be, as to beasts as well as plants and metals, it is not meet nor right in us to inquire more curiously; for the chief effect of corruption is decay. Some subtle men, but hardly sober-minded, inquire whether all kinds of animals will be immortal; but if reins be given to speculation where will they at length lead us? Let us then be content with this simple doctrine, – that such will be the constitution and the complete order of things, that nothing will be deformed or fading (Comm. Rom. 305).[1]
Knowing that we are going to this paradise does not give us leave to be
“so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good.”
As Presbyterians we believe that our lives are demonstrations of hope –
the hope that we have in Christ, and in the resurrection of the body.
One theologian says, “A life of love, sacrifice, service, self-denial and humility,
is as much a manifestation of the resurrection as of the cross.”[2] Quoting John Calvin, he goes on to say “God not only calls [humans] to be citizens of [the] kingdom, but also to serve in society. Good works are the fruit of fulfilling one’s vocation (Inst. 3.14.19), but people should in all circumstances and always, however, keep the calling of the Lord in mind (Inst. 3.10.6). Expect while working, work while expecting – this is the motto of Calvin.”[3] …It is clear to Calvin that man is both pilgrim and stranger and, as such, always on a life journey to his true Fatherland.”
We do not follow Jesus merely because we want to “get to heaven”
but we live as pilgrims, motivated by our love for God.
Heaven will come with the resurrection of the body,
at the end of time, in the new heaven, and new earth.
When we die, we go into God’s presence, into a joy that is brighter and deeper than words can express, and in that place we await with eager longing; we await with all creation, the renewal and resurrection that God has promised. So we are pilgrims, in the body and away from the Lord, and we live as citizens of heaven.
“Think of what it is like for a person to become an American citizen. When the judge declares her a citizen, there is already a new status, even though she may not yet experience any change.
She does not yet understand American baseball or feel at home with American popular music. But not all realities can be experienced as soon as they occur. Some philosophers have claimed that all things which are real can be experienced by the senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell— or at least by introspection.
But this is too narrow a view of reality, and there is no good reason to adopt it. The new citizen really becomes American when the judge declares it, and then she experiences this change gradually. After some years, perhaps in a moment of national tragedy, she may experience an overwhelming sense of solidarity that she had not expected.
It is like this with our new identity in Christ.”[4]
Like a newly naturalized citizen,
now fallen, together with mankind. But what that perfection will be, as to beasts as well as plants and metals, it is not meet nor right in us to inquire more curiously; for the chief effect of corruption is decay. Some subtle men, but hardly sober-minded, inquire whether all kinds of animals will be immortal; but if reins be given to speculation where will they at length lead us? Let us then be content with this simple doctrine, – that such will be the constitution and the complete order of things, that nothing will be deformed or fading (Comm. Rom. 305).[1]
Knowing that we are going to this paradise does not give us leave to be
“so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good.”
As Presbyterians we believe that our lives are demonstrations of hope –
the hope that we have in Christ, and in the resurrection of the body.
One theologian says, “A life of love, sacrifice, service, self-denial and humility,
is as much a manifestation of the resurrection as of the cross.”[2] Quoting John Calvin, he goes on to say “God not only calls [humans] to be citizens of [the] kingdom, but also to serve in society. Good works are the fruit of fulfilling one’s vocation (Inst. 3.14.19), but people should in all circumstances and always, however, keep the calling of the Lord in mind (Inst. 3.10.6). Expect while working, work while expecting – this is the motto of Calvin.”[3] …It is clear to Calvin that man is both pilgrim and stranger and, as such, always on a life journey to his true Fatherland.”
We do not follow Jesus merely because we want to “get to heaven”
but we live as pilgrims, motivated by our love for God.
Heaven will come with the resurrection of the body,
at the end of time, in the new heaven, and new earth.
When we die, we go into God’s presence, into a joy that is brighter and deeper than words can express, and in that place we await with eager longing; we await with all creation, the renewal and resurrection that God has promised. So we are pilgrims, in the body and away from the Lord, and we live as citizens of heaven.
“Think of what it is like for a person to become an American citizen. When the judge declares her a citizen, there is already a new status, even though she may not yet experience any change.
She does not yet understand American baseball or feel at home with American popular music. But not all realities can be experienced as soon as they occur. Some philosophers have claimed that all things which are real can be experienced by the senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell— or at least by introspection.
But this is too narrow a view of reality, and there is no good reason to adopt it. The new citizen really becomes American when the judge declares it, and then she experiences this change gradually. After some years, perhaps in a moment of national tragedy, she may experience an overwhelming sense of solidarity that she had not expected.
It is like this with our new identity in Christ.”[4]
Like a newly naturalized citizen,
we do not know everything about our homeland.
We have not yet seen all the green pastures and glassy seas;
we have not yet tried all the delicious cuisine of all the banquets;
we have not yet participated in all the celebrations.
But we are citizens of that country that does not yet exist;
we are pilgrims awaiting our final journey to our Motherland.
Well, then, back to the question: what is heaven like?
Heaven is like the most beautiful garden you have ever seen, only better.
Heaven is like the most gorgeous, comfortable, restful home you’ve ever been in, only more gorgeous, comfortable and restful than you can imagine.
Heaven is like the most sumptuous feast you have ever eaten,
in the company not only of those loved ones who have sat at your table,
but even in the company of those who were once your enemies,
and it is better, and more satisfying, and a more joyful celebration
than any earthly banquet you could dream up.
Heaven is like a beautiful ocean made of glass,
with the most brilliant light shining upon it
dancing and reflecting and shimmering,
so splendid that your eyes fill with tears of joy
while you hear the voices of a thousand angels
singing glory, singing holy, holy, holy;
singing praise to God and the lamb that is on the throne.
And we are already citizens of that place that is both already and not yet.
Our songs and artwork and images reflect our hope in that citizenship.
Even though those songs may not accurately describe our theology,
they describe our longing for that place where we are going,
that place that is yet to be: heaven.
Like last week, this week’s sermon title is taken from a song –
On Heaven’s Bright Shore. The last verse of that goes like this:
We have not yet seen all the green pastures and glassy seas;
we have not yet tried all the delicious cuisine of all the banquets;
we have not yet participated in all the celebrations.
But we are citizens of that country that does not yet exist;
we are pilgrims awaiting our final journey to our Motherland.
Well, then, back to the question: what is heaven like?
Heaven is like the most beautiful garden you have ever seen, only better.
Heaven is like the most gorgeous, comfortable, restful home you’ve ever been in, only more gorgeous, comfortable and restful than you can imagine.
Heaven is like the most sumptuous feast you have ever eaten,
in the company not only of those loved ones who have sat at your table,
but even in the company of those who were once your enemies,
and it is better, and more satisfying, and a more joyful celebration
than any earthly banquet you could dream up.
Heaven is like a beautiful ocean made of glass,
with the most brilliant light shining upon it
dancing and reflecting and shimmering,
so splendid that your eyes fill with tears of joy
while you hear the voices of a thousand angels
singing glory, singing holy, holy, holy;
singing praise to God and the lamb that is on the throne.
And we are already citizens of that place that is both already and not yet.
Our songs and artwork and images reflect our hope in that citizenship.
Even though those songs may not accurately describe our theology,
they describe our longing for that place where we are going,
that place that is yet to be: heaven.
Like last week, this week’s sermon title is taken from a song –
On Heaven’s Bright Shore. The last verse of that goes like this:
Alison Krauss and Ralph Stanley, "On Heaven's Bright Shore"
“When I must cross that rolling tide,
there'll be someone on the other side
Welcoming me to that fair land made perfect by love
When I walk up that milky white way,
I'll see that home coming in array
How great it must be for Angels to see a pilgrim reach home
“When I must cross that rolling tide,
there'll be someone on the other side
Welcoming me to that fair land made perfect by love
When I walk up that milky white way,
I'll see that home coming in array
How great it must be for Angels to see a pilgrim reach home
On Heaven's bright shore there's gonna be no more dyin’
Not one little grave in all that fair land
Not even a tear will dim the eye and no one up there will say goodbye
Just singing God's praise through endless days
On Heaven's bright shore.”[5]
[1] van Wyk, “John Calvin on the Kingdom of God and Eschatology.”
[2] In die Skriflig 35(2) 2001:207-213
[3] ibid
[4] John E. Hare, “The Virtue of Hope” in “Christian Reflection: Heaven and Hell” Baylor University, Robert Kruschwitz, editor.
[5] “Heaven’s Bright Shore” by Alison Krauss
Not one little grave in all that fair land
Not even a tear will dim the eye and no one up there will say goodbye
Just singing God's praise through endless days
On Heaven's bright shore.”[5]
[1] van Wyk, “John Calvin on the Kingdom of God and Eschatology.”
[2] In die Skriflig 35(2) 2001:207-213
[3] ibid
[4] John E. Hare, “The Virtue of Hope” in “Christian Reflection: Heaven and Hell” Baylor University, Robert Kruschwitz, editor.
[5] “Heaven’s Bright Shore” by Alison Krauss
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