God must have a good reason for keeping us wondering about the mysteries of heaven. Perhaps our finite minds could never comprehend the realities of eternity. For now, we can only imagine. Yet the Bible does reveal several truths about the afterlife.
This study will take a comprehensive look at what the Bible says about death, eternal life and heaven. Psalm Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. In essence, the moment we die, our spirit and soul go to be with the Lord.
Philippians But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. Psalm Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. John "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. Philippians "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!
Everybody wants to know about the af Everybody wants to know about the afterlife — Is grandma in heaven? Am I going to hell? What if nothing happens Is hell real? Or, is it just a scary story made up to get us to live right? Agnostic philosopher Bertrand Ru No one is easily satisfied. Moments, people, and activities can bring us joy, but no one is wholly and eterna Moments, people, and activities can bring us joy, but no one is wholly and eternally satisfied by these things.
And the truth is, God did this by design. God has put et He takes each grain of sand to the moon one at a time, a million years there, a million years back. I want you to clear the sand off of that place one at a time. Let me drain the oceans dry. At the bottom of the oceans you have a lot of sand. Take all of that sand to the moon, one grain of sand at a time, a million years there, and a million years back.
Can you understand now why it would be foolish to live just for this life and ignore where we will be and how we will fare for all eternity? But we'll never know everything. In heaven we'll be flawless, but not knowing everything isn't a flaw. It's part of being finite. Righteous angels don't know everything, and they long to know more 1 Peter They're flawless but finite. We should expect to long for greater knowledge, as angels do.
And we'll spend eternity gaining the greater knowledge we'll seek. Scripture gives no indication of a memory wipe causing us not to recognize family and friends.
Paul anticipated being with the Thessalonians in heaven, and it never occurred to him he wouldn't know them. In fact, if we wouldn't know our loved ones, the comfort of an afterlife reunion, taught in 1 Thessalonians , would be no comfort at all. In heaven we probably won't fail to recognize an acquaintance in a crowd or forget people's names.
Believing in this assumption means you've fallen for the devil's lie. In reality, sin robs us of fulfillment. Sin doesn't make life interesting; it makes life empty. When there's fulfillment, when there's beauty, when we see God as He truly is—an endless reservoir of fascination—boredom becomes impossible.
In heaven we'll be filled—as Psalm describes it—with joy and eternal pleasures. In heaven we'll see clearly that God revealed Himself to each person and that He gave opportunity for each heart or conscience to seek and respond to Him Romans Everyone deserves hell; no one deserves heaven.
Jesus went to the cross to offer salvation to all 1 John God is absolutely sovereign and doesn't desire any to perish 1 Timothy ; 2 Peter Yet many will perish in their unbelief Matthew Hell's small and distant shadow will not interfere with God's greatness or our joy in Him. All of this should motivate us to share the gospel of Christ with family, friends, neighbors and the whole world.
Used with permission. The Bible tells us much more about heaven than is often assumed. In a day when speculation and subjectivism about heaven run rampant, I've found it both exciting and refreshing to carefully examine what Scripture says.
If you are wondering what happens when we go to heaven, find some answers in Heaven by Randy Alcorn. In his book, Randy breaks down biblical answers and facts based on years of research and study. Presented in an engaging, reader-friendly style, his conclusions will surprise readers and stretch their thinking about this important subject.
Heaven will inspire readers to long for heaven while they're living on earth. Lifeway's articles are written by leading Christian authors and teachers. They are a valuable resource for those looking to grow in their faith. Log out. View Details. Ordering Christmas Gifts?
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