HEAVENLY MATTERS: WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE?

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1 MARANATHA MESSENGER Weekly Newsletter of Private Circulation Only MARANATHA BIBLE-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 6 July 2003 Present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28). Address: 63 Cranwell Road, Singapore Tel: (65) Fax: (65) maranatha.bpc@pacific.net.sg Website: * Sunday School: 9.45 am Worship Service: am Wednesday Prayer Meeting: 8.00 pm Pastor: Rev Jack Sin (Pager: ) HEAVENLY MATTERS: WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE? Introduction Sometimes you get a question like this from a SS student. What is heaven like and what will we be doing there? One stops for a moment to ponder how to explain this profound and wonderful place to a young curious person. Today, sadly, believers are caught more with earthly and temporal matters rather than heavenly and eternal concerns. It is about time to train our thoughts towards heaven, the place that we will spend eternity with the Almighty Jehovah. The Bible clearly teaches the existence of a place called heaven. Matt 19:21 says, Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. Our Lord Jesus inhabits the heavenly realms as given in Mark 16:19, John 30:13, Col 4:1, 1 Thes 1:10 and 1 Thes 4:16. Believers should be intensely concerned about heaven, for it is their future abode. While the liberals ridicule the Biblical concept of heaven and hell as a pigment of imagination, the Word of God testifies of it as a real place for the elect of God, both Jews and Gentiles. Who will be in Heaven? This is an interesting question. The first category of beings in heaven are the holy elect angels as opposed to the fallen angels who followed Lucifer in the rebellion against God (Isa 14:13,14 and Eze 28:1-3). Heb 12:22 says, But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels and Rev 5:11, And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. Secondly, the redeemed of God, comprise both Jews and Gentiles who are predestinated before the foundation of the world. Heb 12:23 says, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect and Rev 19:1,7,8 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God, Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to

2 her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. Jesus spoke of them in Matt 25:10,23. Faithful men like Abraham, will be there as evidenced in Heb 11:16, But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city and in the incident of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16). Thirdly, the blessed Trinity who is the Sovereign Almighty Ruler in heaven, God the Father inhabits heaven from everlasting to everlasting. Rev 4:2,3 says, And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. God the Son, the victorious Resurrected King is also the righteous Judge (Rom 3:6). The blessed Holy Spirit, who is a Person, is unquestionably present in heaven. Rev 22:17 says, And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. What do we do in Heaven? That is an interesting question as it spans eternity and boggles our finite mind, what could occupy us for such a long time. We must admit that comprehending such an infinite matter is the eternal pre-occupation of heaven. Firstly, heaven will be a place of worship, praise and adoration of an Almighty God. We see there in the 24 Elders, as in Rev 5:10 11, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. It is a place of joyous and glorious singing by the redeemed. Rev 14:3 and 15:3 say, And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth and And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Hymnwriters like John Newton in Safely Through Another Week depict heaven as an eternal Sabbath where we meet for worship of the living and true God. Heaven will be a place of eternal fellowship of the assembly of the redeemed ones. The Bible depicts heaven as a meeting place of saints; past, present and future. We will congregate together with the saved and there will be a great gathering of the elect since the beginning of time. What a glorious fellowship it will be for us to meet the saints together (Heb 12:22,23)!

3 What a privilege and honour it is to converse with the OT saints and prophets and saints of the past. Heaven will also be a place of worship, learning, service and ministry as well. The Apostle John was told in Rev 7:15 saying, Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. Rev 22:3 says, And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him. While we do not know the exact nature or content of service in heaven, it will be sanctified, God-honouring stewardship in worship that is pleasing to God. Conclusion Finally, heaven is also a place of learning. Deut 29:29 say, The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. We will learn more concerning the person, power and plan of God. The mysteries that boggle our mind will finally be unravelled, as we will have perfect knowledge of the genesis of things, events in the Bible that we cannot comprehend. There will be so much to learn that we will be eternally occupied with great delight in acquiring more heavenly knowledge and biblical instructions concerning the Lord and His kingdom. Are you prepared for heaven today? Do we live our lives benefiting to our eternal calling in the holy abode of God Almighty one day (Ps 24:1,2)? Let us strive now to know the Scriptures that we will be prepared for the eternal abode of bliss where Christ dwells forever more and the redeemed saints. Jack Sin REMEMBERING MY SISTER, SOON NGAN Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ We thank you all for your prayers, condolences, assistance and attendance at the night service on the homegoing of my sister. It was indeed an encouragement to us all. The warm of Christian fellowship and friendship truly bring us closer to you all and an encouragement to us to walk closer to the Lord. My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in She had a relapse in Nov By the Grace of God, my sister, Soon Ngan accepted Christ as her saviour and was baptised before she was called Home to be with the Lord. My sister was a simple person. Her wants were simple but she was also a strong-will person. That she was receptive to the Gospel and readily embraced Christ was indeed a surprise to us. That the family members encouraged and supported her decision all the way was another surprise. I thank God for that. Thank God for Pastor Jack and Pastor George Lim who ministered to her. Thank Elder Teo, Julie and all our brothers and sisters in Christ who

4 shared the Gospel and encouraged her. Despite her conditions - legs swollen, weak, liver failure, she was determined to make her way from Tanjong Pagar to Macedonia BP Church in Pasir Ris to be baptised. She literally had to drag herself into the Church sanctuary as the main entrance of the Church is under renovation. I was glad that her voice was loud as she answered with conviction during baptism. If God was testing her, God also sustained her. I believe that all these that came to past was part of God s plan. I thank God for the preaching of the Word during the night service. I pray that the Word will bring forth its fruits in due season. Do pray for her husband, Toh Dien, daughter Shu Xian and son Han Rou and their salvation. God Bless you all. Hoe Soo Tin TESTIMONY I was attending church since five years old. God was always gracious to me. When I became high school student, God granted me the desire to serve Him as a missionary. When I decided to follow His calling in my life, God opened the ways for me to visit many mission fields. When I obeyed Him, God granted blessings to my family. Especially I want to share about how God leads my family out of the darkness by saving my father. Before my father believed in God, our family suffered because of my father s bad drinking habit. When not drinking, he was kind and loving. Once drunk, he became fierce and we (my mother, sister and I) have to hide. If not, he will either bite us, throw whatever things he can grab or even try to kill us. He does not permit us to go to church. I always have to cry and pray more than a month before any camp or Christmas celebration in our church. Daily, we live in fear and have to pray for safe night. I did not know why God put me in such kind of situation. But I knew God plans my life and knows what is best for me. This faith helps me endure (and help me see that which is invisible) though I tempted to commit suicide or run away from problem. Heb 11:1 says, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By faith, I hope that our family would go to church together one day. Thank God two years ago, God finally brought my father to him and he stopped drinking. Now, he supported me in prayer. As I pray hard for these trials, my faith grew with God s answering my requests. God is alive and makes things beautiful according to His will. Surely God knows what is best for us. Being a missionary without parents prayer and blessing can be hard. But God solved many troubles and gave me confidence to go on. I was in the University when I decide to go to Far Eastern Bible College, Singapore. I was sure its God s calling though many stopped my coming over. My parents prayer saw me coming to FEBC in Thank God this is the best way for me. Sometimes I face difficulties with studies and people. But I can see that I am learning and training for God s works. Thank God for leading me to Maranatha. I receive many blessings from the saints here. I pray that I can grow more through study and fellowship with saints so when God calls me, I am ready for His kingdom. May God bless you.

5 Oh Ji Eun At the Pulpit Theme for the Quarter: The Holy Spirit & The Believer Today Rev Peter Chua "Gospel Mission in These Last Days *These hyperlinks work with Word 97 and later version. [End of MM, 6 July 2003]