New Heavens and New Earth

One

I think many people don’t really look forward to heaven. They think it is better than the alternative, they would rather go to heaven than hell, but they don’t passionately long for heaven. 

Now, the Bible tells us that in heaven we will enjoy God. But that only makes sense to those who already enjoy God. Many of us seem to enjoy a vast majority of things more than we enjoy God. We may even fear Heaven because all the good stuff to do is in this world and we fear losing that good stuff. We may think, “What are we going to do in heaven? It seems boring, it seems like life on Earth is much more interesting than Heaven.”

So, how do we cultivate the desire for heaven? How do we get excited about it when we are not already? 

Two

We can increase our desire for Heaven the same way we increase our desire for anything, by using our imagination and thinking about the awesome reality of Heaven we can get excited about it.  

Fortunately, we don’t have to look very far for great images of Heaven. Scripture tells us Heaven will be a “New Heavens and a New Earth” in which the whole universe is raised up and transformed. 

Peter tells us, “What we are waiting for is what God promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home.” 2 Peter 3:13

The Earth and the whole visible universe will come to an end and then the whole thing will be raised up and transformed. Everything good in this life will be there without all the problems. 

Now, I know this is the biggest question for you, so let’s get it out of the way: Will there be dogs in heaven? Psalm 36:6 seems to say yes. Now, I don’t know if your dog will be in heaven. But why not dogs that we petted in this life?

Three

Our Bodies will be Resurrected and Glorified 

Through His own Resurrected body Jesus gives us a glimpse of what our bodies will be like. His body was not bound by time or space. He could go wherever and whenever he willed. He could pass through locked doors. He could change forms and not be recognized, yet He could still eat and drink with the Apostles.

Like the Risen Body of Jesus, our new body will be immortal. We will no longer be subject to sickness, injury, death, or decay. We will have indestructible life.

In this life, we are subject to the laws of nature. In Heaven, in our resurrected glorified bodies, the laws of nature will be subject to us. We will have the ability to go anywhere in the world we choose at any moment simply by an act of the will or choice. 

We will not need to breathe, eat, drink, or sleep, yet we will be able if we want to. In Heaven, we will live by the Principle of, “Freedom from need.”

We will be truly super-human in heaven because we will share in the very nature of God! 

Four

What will we do in Heaven? 

Let me suggest three things we will do in heaven. We will understand our earthly life by God’s knowledge, share in all other human lives, and enjoy endless exploration into God and the New Universe.

First, we will review our past lives with divine understanding and appreciation of every single experience, good and evil. This corresponds to the first stages of Heaven known as Purgatory which might consist more of a moral reeducation rather than mere punishment, rehabilitation rather than retribution.

Second, we will share in all other human lives. Will we see our loved ones in heaven? Yes! Will we live with our families in heaven? Yes! But without all the problems down here, for we will all be perfected. Will we know them more intimately and completely than we could ever know our most intimate friend on earth? Yes,  because we will share in God’s knowledge of one another.

The Communion of Saints will be even more interesting than human love on earth. Think of the first time you fell in love, the joy of learning about another person and doing all good things with them, yet without out all the imperfections. And not just with one person but with all people.

We will have the ability to know every human that ever lived even more intimately than we knew our closest friend on earth. Who would you like to become best friends with in Heaven?

Five

Finally, Heaven will be an Endless Exploration into God and the New Universe

I like that we say of those in Heaven “rest in peace”, and I look forward to everlasting peace, but not an everlasting nap. I want to do stuff.

Well, we will do stuff, let me tell you! Heaven will be dynamic rather than static, exploring rather than staring at God, endless beginnings rather than merely the end. The whole world will be renewed and transformed.

God gave me a glimpse of Heaven in Alaska, where mountains and the ocean meet at one place, where there is light 24 hours a day. I was hiking one Sunday morning and I thought, “Lord, why do I live in Kansas?”

But He said, “Michael, this is nothing in comparison to heaven, for the whole world is going to be renewed. There you may go from peak to peak to peak, each time it only gets better.”

As a Resolution, think about Heaven today, spend time imagining it. Then ask someone else, “What do you think heaven will be like?” and talk about it.