What is Heaven Like?
Revelation 21:18-21
The wall (of heaven) was made of jasper and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.
In his last year or so, my dad said, “I don’t understand the whole pearly gates and streets of gold of heaven.” I think there were two main reasons for this.
First, Daddy was a simple man with simple pleasures. He once tried in vain to convince a college friend of mine that he was a rich man when clearly he led a very simple life.
Second, one of his main goals in reaching heaven was not to be dazzled by gems and gold but to be reunited with his loving wife who preceded him in death by 12 years. He missed her badly.
We all have different visions of heaven, whether it's being reunited with loved ones or some other personal vision. Are there dogs in heaven? Is there baseball in heaven? We know there will be eternal songs of praise for the Father and for his Son. Personally, I hope there are trout streams in heaven.
But one of the greatest aspects of heaven is also found in Revelation chapter 21, verse 4. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, or crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” This was the dream Daddy had of heaven, of being free from the pains of his life, most of all the pain of losing his wife. And isn’t this promise truly heavenly? We have all experienced pain in our lives, whether it is loss of a loved one, physical pain of sickness or injury, the loss of relationships or jobs or security. And all of these have brought tears to our eyes. To know that there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain anymore is of so much greater worth than anything else we could imagine about the treasures of our eternal home.
One of my very favorite songs is by Julie Miller, entitled All My Tears. The first verse and chorus go like this:
When I go, don't cry for me
In my Father's arms I'll be
The wounds this world left on my soul
Will all be healed and I'll be whole
Sun and moon will be replaced
With the light of Jesus' face
And I will not be ashamed
For my savior knows my name
It don't matter
Where you bury me
I'll be home, and I'll be free
It don't matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away
Prayer:
Dear Father, thank you for the promise that in our heavenly home, all tears will be wiped away. Pain will be no more and joy will be eternal. You have promised us no more special treasure than this. Thank you, thank you. Amen.
This devotional was written and read by Charlie Barton.
Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.
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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.
