Revelation 21:1-27

Whenever we talk or think about heaven our imaginations tend to run wild.  I think that this is as it should be.  I believe that God is pleased when we dream about heaven and try to imagine the wonders that await us there.  Since God knows our thoughts, I think He must often laugh at the things we conger up about heaven, not because our thoughts are too glorious and grand but because our thoughts are too boring and bland.  John records a few observations about heaven that should provide the framework of our daydreams about our home.
HEAVEN IS HOLY: What must stand out to us about heaven is the fact that it is the place where God dwells with men.  God is perfectly holy and will only dwell in the midst of those who share in His holiness.  What this means is that God will make us holy just as He is holy.  This is the purpose and promise of salvation.  What a glorious thought this is that one day every sinful act, thought and desire will be permanently irradiated from our hearts.  We will be able to enjoy the very presence of God without being consumed because His holiness will be granted to all who have placed their faith in Christ.  However, all those who reject Christ and continue to walk in darkness and immorality will be forever excluded from the presence of God.  Heaven is all about God and God is holy so all who are in heaven and all that is in heaven will be holy.
HEAVEN IS HUGE: When we think of heaven, we should not think of floating on clouds as spirits.  Our eternal dwelling place will be on the new earth and the city that God is building in heaven now will come down and be established on top of a huge mountain on this new earth.  This city called the New Jerusalem is 1,500 miles cubed.  That is a city that is the size of the entire Midwest of the United States length width and height.  We might be able to imagine a city that long and wide but to think of a city that high simply boggles the mind.  The walls along the city are wide enough to play football on.  We don’t know if there will be other cities, but we do know that there are open gates which indicate that there are many places to explore outside of this massive city.  This size and nature of this place and the Person who is the focus of this place should tantalize our imaginations and make us feel homesick.
HEAVEN IS HAPPY: The nations of the world will not completely cease to exist.  There is a richness to our different cultures that will continue to enrich the heavenly experience.  Kings and nations will bring all of their glory into heaven that will bring about joy that is beyond anything that we have experienced on earth.  The very presence of God lights the city and there is no need for the light of the sun, moon or stars because of God’s glorious light that fills this place.  We must never picture heaven as a boring place or a place where we will all be exactly alike.  The variety of cultures and people that are the spice of life on this earth will continue to exist on the New Earth only we will have the ability to enjoy and appreciate them in a way that we are unable to at present.  Heaven is a glorious place, imagined and created by a glorious Person.  It will be utter and complete joy to dwell there with Him for all of eternity.

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