It is tremendous that in the midst of the unveiling and revelation of all the apocalyptic events of the great tribulation and all the terrible judgements to be poured out upon the earth, God allows us a glimpse of heaven and what it will be like. What a contrast and what tremendous words of comfort and assurance He provides in His Word.
Until I had the privilege of staving a few weeks with a pastor friend and preaching in a number of rural churches in the pristine and beautiful mountains of West Virginia, I could not appreciate the words of John Denver's beautiful song, "Almost heaven, West Virginia..." Until my daughter and her family moved to North Carolina, the history, geography and contemporary nature of the place were of little interest to me. But now I find the place has a strange attraction and fascination for me. Perhaps it's because I have loved ones there.
Until I was sure God was calling me to plant churches in the great land down under, I knew very little about it, nor did I have any particular desire to make the long and exhausting plane trip to see it. But now, since I have so many loved ones in Australia, both in the physical and spiritual sense, the Lord has given me a deep love and affinity for the country.
Of course, although there are many beautiful spots on God's green earth, none could compare to the marvellous wonder and beauty of heaven. Even so, the main attraction of heaven for the Christian is not the place but the people. And the main Person Who draws us heavenward is Jesus Christ. In heaven, we shall see Him face to face. Just as our roots sometimes tug at us, drawing us back to the places and people of our origins, so does our heart draw us heavenward and homeward.
But even if the most important aspect of heaven is the presence of God and His people, we should not minimise the awesomeness of heaven itself. Imagine the amazement of our rural forefathers if they could have seen the wonders of our modern cities. I am sure the wonder and awe of heaven will amaze us even more. Heaven is a place designed and built by the architect of this vast universe. "For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (I Cor. 5:1)
Just imagine a place that multiples infinitely the beauty of this earth. Imagine a place without sin or all the sorrows and sadness of earth. Imagine a place of absolute unity and harmony. Imagine a place where all will be equal. Equally rich, equally happy and equally contented. Imagine a place where all will be busy, yet blissfully at peace and rest. We could go on imagining, but we could never really get more than a glimpse of the wonder of it all!
