Begin with the End in Mind

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

Be honest, when you think of heaven and the end of this life, isn’t your initial thought sometimes like this: “well, it’s kind of morbid to contemplate”. I asked people how they feel about looking forward to heaven. I got the following responses:

“It’s just a mystery that we’re really not supposed to understand”.

“I don’t want to think so much about death – it makes me sad”.

“I know it’s mentioned in the Bible but it’s all about battles and monsters. How does that have any relevance for me?”.

I have some thoughts about each response.  By the way - the first and the last comments were from Christians, and the middle one was a non-believer.

With regard to “It’s just a mystery..” I have to agree. It is a mystery. And I suspect that we will still have questions about heaven until we get called home. I do believe that curiosity is a God-given characteristic. We were given the Word to pursue answers. To push farther and to know more. In all this questioning we are actually honoring scripture. In Jeremiah 33:3 he says “Call to me and I will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known’. He’s beckoning us to pursue the unknown mysteries.

In response to “I don’t want to think about death..”- although this comes from a non-believer, I suspect there are believers who come through our church doors each Sunday that would say the same. And, you know what? It is sad! People we have lost to disease or accident – these events hurts deeply and the echoes of pain can haunt us. Are you ready for a sobering statistic? 11.48 million people died in Africa in 2024. That means that the total population of Scottsdale would have to die 43 times over to equal the same death toll. Yes. It is sad. We have only one antidote that makes any sense at all. The hope of eternal life.  Can I get an amen? Glory be to our God – His word makes it plain with no mystery involved.  “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you sent- Jesus Christ”. John 17:3. And this is what we’re doing. Getting to know him through his word and through his Holy Spirit, and he graciously gives insight to all who seek it earnestly.

The last one which refers to battles and monsters – well, I personally find Revelation kind of terrifying and confusing! What I feel when I read it is a mixture of cowering fear of the depictions of monstrous beings and at the same time a certain..wonder. Wonder that a Lamb who was slain is able to conquer it all and have the ultimate victory. Wow. Take a page out of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and times it by a thousand. To feel any kind peace with this I have to be single-minded. Revelation says the Lamb purchased us for eternity (Rev 5: 9& 10). After some hellish events.. there are crystal clear rivers and no more death. “Yes I am coming soon."

So, you see God isn’t frustrated or annoyed by our questioning or by our trepidation. He invites us to question, dig, uncover truth and then keep pursuing. That's why He gave us an exhaustive book to delve into. It matters because it’s all about where we will spend our “glorious unending” with our God who knows us by name. He’s invited us into this grand adventure. Beyond time and space - for eternity.

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Self-Reflection:

Get really quiet for a second and ask yourself, what will heaven be like? Feel free to let your mind go wild! You can be as imaginative as you wish. Then write down the gaps you have in your knowledge of heaven. Start to research heaven in the Bible.  If you like you can read some excellent material written on the subject ("Heaven" by Randy Alcorn, "Heaven - When Faith Becomes Sight" by Jennifer Rothschild). You’ll be amazed at what increased knowledge about our ultimate destiny will do for your daily demeanor and your faith.