Revelation In Overalls
Bible Prophecy Speaks To Century 21

Part IX: "What I Like Best About Heaven"

(Revelation 21 & 22)

Sermon by Pastor Dale Wolcott

June 8, 2002

(Scriptures quoted are from New King James Version unless otherwise noted)

Will there be overalls in heaven? I’d like to propose that for us to ask that question is like an eighth grader asking, "Will there be books in high school?"

Over the past nine months, we’ve seen how the Bible’s last book is much more than beasts and mysterious angels and scary predictions. It is a practical guide to everyday living in these last days. Revelation wears overalls! This morning we come to the last two chapters of Revelation, and of the Bible.

We often say these chapters describe "the end of the world." I’d like to suggest that the Second Coming of Jesus is like a graduation. Graduation is not so much the end of something as it is a transition from one stage of life to another. Sometimes we call it "commencement" –– a new beginning.

To make this very realistic, the sermon introduction this morning is going to be a little commencement service! Jeff is here on the platform with us -- Jeff finished the eighth grade this week. He was the president and valedictorian of his class — also the best athlete, the most artistic, and most popular student in eighth grade at his school. In fact, he was the only student in the eighth grade at his school.

As such, Jeff elected not to have a formal graduation service, but I’ve asked our school board chairman to make a very important presentation right now.

[Diploma presented to Jeff]

Commencement! A new beginning!

That’s exactly what the Second Advent is going to be — just the beginning of an eternity of learning, doing, accomplishing, enjoying. Heaven is where the action is! There’ll be overalls in heaven.

In looking through a hymn book you will find a lot of songs about heaven that speak of its "rest." I guess they were written by old people who felt really worn out! For example:

"When all my labors and trials are o’er…"

"There’s a rest beyond, there’s relief from ev’ry care…"

"No more sorrow, toil, grief or care…"

"Oh, there’ll be joy when the work is done…"

"I’m homesick for heaven...where earth-weary pilgrims...find their eternal rest."

Now, the Bible does say, "There shall be no more death, nor sorrow nor crying [nor] pain" (Revelation 21:4). But I propose that Heaven is not mainly about less; Heaven is about more. Heaven is not mainly about rest; it’s mainly about action!

Open to the last pages of your Bible, and also note the chart inserted in your bulletin.

How Revelation 21-22 Mirrors Genesis 1-3

Revelation promises that God will ultimately reverse the results of sin, and restore His original creation, so it can function as He intended in the beginning.

Now here is another question for you: How do you know Revelation 21 and 22 are real? Revelation is full of symbols. How do you know that heaven and the New Jerusalem aren’t just a symbol with their golden streets, gates made of a single pearl, a tree growing on both sides of the river? How can you be sure this isn’t just symbolic description of some spiritual truth?

There are a couple of reasons to believe Revelation 21 & 22 are describing a real place. First: Genesis 1 and 2 are real. There are no symbols in Genesis 1 and 2. There is simply a straightforward account of what God did. Here’s another reason to take Genesis 1 and 2 seriously. If there wasn’t any real creation, how could we believe there will be a real re-creation as described in Revelation 21and 22?

Second: Turn in your Bible to Hebrews 11. Here Paul is recounting stories of real-life heroes of faith in the Old Testament like Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samson, and David. There is nothing symbolic here. Notice verse 16:

"But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:16)

Also read verse 10 of Hebrews 11:

"For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:10)

So we see that here again, the Bible explains itself. At the end of the story, Revelation’s symbols merge with reality. Yes, heaven is going to be real. The new earth is going to be real. And you and I can be there!

So, What Do I Like Best about Heaven?

That’s a hard question to answer! At different times I think I give different answers. My answer for today is this: "Heaven is where the action is." I want to share a few sentences from Ellen White’s magnificent commentary on Revelation 21-22. in the last paragraphs of The Great Controversy [pages 676, 677]. This doesn’t talk mainly about rest! Young people, listen up!

Even in Eden there was evening and morning! The "rest" of eternity is the rest of constant energy that never saps us or leaves us drained and exhausted.

"We shall ever feel the freshness of the morning and shall ever be far from its close...."

Wow! No chronic fatigue syndrome.

Kids, were you all worn out when the last day of school arrived? Need a summer break? In heaven you’ll never get a headache from trying to learn the times tables! Those of us who are older: Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn, but never were able to? In heaven, you’ll be able to do it!

There are two main subjects — creation and redemption. Both contain mysteries bigger than my mind can handle!

We often assure kids there’ll be lots of fun things in heaven --- not just strumming a harp. There will be wild animals to play with and space travel. But also, we’ll enjoy those harps! Worship will be fun. It should be here too! Sometimes when our kids were little we would call them to evening worship and they would suddenly be tired. They couldn’t even sit up straight, or kneel for prayer without flopping on the floor. When we were finished they were suddenly full of energy again—to do what they wanted to do! Let’s do our best to have heavenly worship services, here at church and in our families, amen?

We can do music, art, carpentry, public speaking – you name it!

"There the grandest enterprises may be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations reached, the highest ambitions realized."

In the news last week, a 13-year-old from Colorado Springs won the National Spelling Bee. A reporter asked what he planned to do when grew up. He replied: "Help populate Mars." I wondered if he has any idea that the Creator of Mars has a plan for him to enjoy space travel someday soon.

"All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God's redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar.... With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of creation--suns and stars and systems, all in their appointed order circling the throne."

We’ll have "undimmed vision." I wonder what kind of vision Adam had. Was it microscopic? Did he watch cell division in the growing tip of a seedling? Was it telescopic? Did he watch a supernova explode?

"With unutterable delight the children of earth enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings."

In Puerto Rico there’s a gigantic satellite dish that fills a whole valley. For the past several years scientists working on a project called Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have been scanning the sky for signals from outer space. So far they haven’t received any. I doubt that God’s heavenly universe is especially interested in radio communication with this quarantined planet! But the Bible is clear that there are "unfallen beings." For example, Job chapter 1 speaks of the "sons of God" holding conference in heaven.

"They share the treasures of knowledge and understanding gained through ages upon ages in contemplation of God's handiwork...."

Imagine a conversation with Gabriel, or with your guardian angel, or with Enoch, Moses, and Elijah. We’ll be in kindergarten compared to them!

"And still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of mind and soul and body."

Oh, yes! In heaven and the new earth, we’ll wear overalls! There’ll be work to do, things to learn, places to go — and energy to do it, and capacity to understand it!

But now, I’d like to share what I like the VERY BEST about heaven. Revelation — this book that wears overalls — teaches me that heaven can begin here and now! Notice Revelation 22:17:

And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17)

Take of the water of life freely. We can drink from that river now! Ellen White tells us that even though the tree of life is up in heaven, its branches hang over the wall, and when we put our trust in Jesus we’re eating the fruit now! (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p.288.) Heaven starts here and now. We start living the heaven life here; thinking the heaven way here.

And here is how we do it. We have a daily devotional time. We take Jesus with us through the day. We talk to him while behind the steering wheel. Ellen White’s book Christ’s Object Lessons ends almost like The Great Controversy. Here is what she writes:

"The patriarch Job, looking down to the time of Christ's second advent, said, ‘Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not a stranger.’ Job 19:27, margin. To His faithful followers Christ has been a daily companion and familiar friend. They have lived in close contact, in constant communion with God. Upon them the glory of the Lord has risen. In them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ has been reflected."

This is "revelation in overalls!" Living with Jesus while we’re here. Understanding the eternal things, because we have His book, we have the Holy Spirit, and we can take time daily to know Him. God becomes real in our everyday life. It can’t be just a once-a-week thing. We can live the way Jesus did — walking with God in the muck, facing everything Satan throws at us. This is Revelation in Overalls. Now, if we live that way, what does it say will happen when Jesus comes? Going on with the quote from Christ’s Object Lessons:

"Now [at His coming] they rejoice in the undimmed rays of the brightness and glory of the King in His majesty."

That rejoicing, that brightness, is a completion of something that has already begun before He comes.

Heaven is not something "wholly other," any more than high school is "wholly other" to a graduating eighth-grader. Jeff is prepared for his next level of education because of his experience in elementary school. Listen carefully to this last sentence:

"They are prepared for the communion of heaven; for they have heaven in their hearts." [Christ’s Object Lessons, p.420, 421]

That’s what I like best about heaven: It can start today! The fellowship of this church is designed to bring heaven into our hearts! God intends to draw many more into that experience. Our young people will be saying, "Come," this fall as they lead in evangelistic meetings called Hope for the Homeland.

As we conclude our study of Revelation, I have a special gift for you, a beautiful little "evangelism prayer journal." This is something to help you say "Come" as we get ready for Hope for the Homeland Will you take this book and put in it the names of some people you’re going to invite to Hope for the Homeland? Follow some of the suggestions in the journal for building friendships with people and pray for them daily. Also include names of our youth team members. Pray for them. Let’s get our overalls on and spread the word that Jesus is coming!