Scott Huckaby . Why study about heaven? It helps us endure adversity in the here-and-now. It gives...

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Scott Huckaby www.BibleTract.org

Transcript of Scott Huckaby . Why study about heaven? It helps us endure adversity in the here-and-now. It gives...

Scott Huckabywww.BibleTract.org

Why study about heaven?It helps us endure adversity in the here-and-now.

It gives us the eternal perspective we need to make better decisions in the here-and-now.

Today’s Discussion:Miss-conceptions about heaven

The new heavens and new earth

What our bodies will be like

What we will be doing in heaven

Is knowing about life in heaven beyond our imagination?

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him"— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

(1 Corinthians 2:9-10, NIV)

No… people neglect to read verse 10.

Deut 29:29 - The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever... (NKJV)

God does reveal “secret things” to His children, so… Col 3:1 - If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

What is heaven?

Who is like the LORD our God, who dwells on high

(Psalms 113:5, NKJV) Heaven is where God is.

I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps

(Revelation 14:2, NKJV)

What is the common view of what heaven is like?

Most people think of heaven as a spirit world where the saved spend eternity as disembodied spirits, floating around on clouds, playing harps.

Harps represent expressions of elegant creativity

What is the Bible’s view of heaven?

Our eternal home is a re-created earth. Since God will live with us here, heaven comes to earth.

I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. …And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them

(Revelation 21:1-3, NKJV)

Where does the idea of heaven as only a spirit world come from?

Greek mythology; the Gnostic heresy: They viewed the material universe as evil and could not accept the Bible's teaching that God became incarnate in the flesh.

They believed that Jesus was a spirit being or phantom who never took on the flesh and therefore never experienced physical death.

By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God (1 John 4:2, NKJV)

How is the Bible’s creation account diametrically opposed to the Greek belief that matter is evil?

Isaiah 24:5-6 - The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth (NIV)

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

(Genesis 1:31, NIV)

God created the world good; but the goodness of creation was corrupted by the sin of mankind…

Did all the goodness of creation disappear as a result of man’s sin?

No; the creation still reflects to some degree the glory of God and will someday be redeemed by God…

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

(Psalms 19:1, NIV)

Romans 8:21 - creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God

(NIV)

What does this tell us about our life in heaven?

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.

(John 14:2-3, NIV)

We will spend eternity with Jesus… and He is returning to earth to reign forever:

Daniel 2:44 - "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. (NKJV)

Why is earth’s redemption essential to God’s plan?

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind”

(Isaiah 65:17, NKJV)

God has promised it

It is essential for God’s greater glory…

Psalm 72:19 - And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen. (NKJV)

The wonders of a new earth and universe will be

the primary means by which God reveals Himself

and His love to us.

What will it mean for the curse to be lifted?

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him. (Revelation 22:3, NIV)

The “thorns and thistles” of living will be removed…

To Adam He said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you… (Genesis 2:17-18, NIV)

Why does all creation await our resurrection?

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

(Romans 8:19-21, NIV)

Our resurrection immediately precedes the redemption of all God’s creation. No longer will “survival of the fittest” appear to be the way of things.

What happens when a person dies?

The concept of soul sleep is unbiblical…

People are spirit, soul, and body… …and we’ll always be spirit, soul, and body.

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

(2 Corinthians 5:8, NIV)

1Thes 5:23 - Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NKJV)

How do we know that we’ll have bodies after death?

The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:28-29, NKJV)

The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'

(Luke 16:22-24, NKJV)

The Bible describes people as having body parts (even those separated from God will have bodies)…

What can we learn about our future glorified bodies from this passage?

Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.

(Philippians 3:20-21, NIV)

Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20, NIV)

Our eternal bodies will be like the glorious body Jesus was resurrected into (He is the first fruits)

What does this tell us about our future bodies?

Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you.“ But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.“ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?“ So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence.

(Luke 24:36-43, NKJV)

He materialized in their presence.

They recognized Him.

He had a physical body with hands and feet; flesh and bones.

He ate food.

Will men be men and women, women in heaven?

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.(Galatians 3:28, NKJV)

This does not say we lose our identity in heaven…

it is already true that men and women are the same in relation to Christ.

Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection; He did not lose His gender so likewise we’ll be.

Believing spouses will certainly have fellowship in heaven but marriage is an institution for this world only.

The quality of the relationships will be better in heaven than on earth.

The joys of heaven will far exceed the pleasures of marital intimacy; there will no longer be a need for the exclusive relationships that protect us from loneliness and despair in a fallen world.

What does this tell us about our future relationships?

At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. (Matthew 22:30, NIV)

What will keep us busy in heaven?They sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10, NIV)

Matthew 25:21 - His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' (NIV)

We will be reigning with Jesus. He will delegate authority to His children to participate in managing His creation:

What will it be like to rule with Jesus forever?

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

(Genesis 1:26, NKJV)

God’s plan has always been for His children to work with Him in managing His creation. It is our destiny…

Psalm 37:18 - The LORD knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. (NKJV)

What will it be like to rule with Jesus forever?

'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'

(Luke 19:17, NIV)

The better stewards we are of God’s blessings in this world, the greater capacity we’ll have to participate in what God is doing in the next world.

Isaiah 9:7 - Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. (NKJV)

God is in the creation

business!

Will we know everything in our resurrected bodies?

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

(1 Corinthians 14:12, NIV)

We will know a lot more about God but only He is omniscient. We will continue to learn throughout eternity:

Ephesians 2:4-7 - God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love… made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (NKJV)

What will worship be like in heaven?

Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!"

(Revelation 5:13, NKJV)

Revelation 21:22 - But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. (NKJV)

There will be universal spontaneous praise for God.

And there will not be church services as we know them…

Will we measure time in eternity?

In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.

(Revelation 22:2, NKJV)

Yes! Time is a 4th dimension, part of the created universe.

The new earth will have many features of the old earth…

Genesis 8:22 - While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease. (NKJV)

What will our daily lives be like in heaven?

By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. (Genesis 2:2, NIV)

We will have a pattern of work and rest as God demonstrated in the original creation.

Indeed, work was God’s plan from the beginning…

Genesis 2:15 - The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (NIV)

…and God works!Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

(John 5:17, NKJV)

What will make our work more pleasant in heaven?

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve Him.

(Revelation 22:3, NIV)

The curse that makes work difficult will be removed…

Genesis 3:17 - To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you.

(NIV)

Note that

“serve” is a

verb!

What will work be like in heaven?

Work will be an outlet for our creativity and we will enjoy the full fruits of our labor.

They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat.

(Isaiah 65:21, NIV)

How far-reaching is the resurrection?

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. “Yes,” says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them” (Revelation 14:13, NKJV)

The fruit of our labor that glorifies God in this world will be redeemed in the new world…

Psalm 90:17 - And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands. (NKJV)