Heaven, Our Hope

Tony Khalil

Midland SDA Church

September 4,  2010

I was in my car one evening driving down the road while listening, as I often do, to Delta College Public Radio.  I had turned the radio on in the middle of what I later would discover to be an interview with Lisa Miller, the author of “Heaven Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife”.  By the time the book title was announced, the beginnings of this sermon were forming in my mind, and with my knees on the steering wheel, I scribbled the book title and authors name down on a piece of scrap paper.  A few days later at my computer I went to Amazon.com and ordered the cheapest copy I could find.  Unfortunately, it was only available in hard cover, but I had to have it.  Why did I have to have it? Was it full of precious truth?  Was I enlightened with new ideas from the interview that I had to read more about?  No, I was floored by the confusion and error portrayed on the subject.  Please don’t misunderstand me.  The book is a well written, exhaustive research piece on the almost universal belief in an afterlife.  Miller, although not entirely objective, is not marketing her thoughts, beliefs, or understanding of heaven, she has merely compiled the beliefs of others, largely from the three main monotheistic religions, Christianity Islam, and Judaism.  It was just astonishing that the topic of heaven could be so discordant,  it helped me to see another opportunity we have to share God’s truth with a confused world.

Throughout this message I will share information, and anecdotes from Miller’s work.  To avoid the choppiness of referencing her each time I do so, I would like to make a blanket statement that I will be utilizing excerpts from her book to illustrate the points I will be making. 

(PRAY)

More Americans believe in heaven now than they did ten years ago.  A 2007 Gallup poll reported that 81% of Americans say that they believe in heaven, up from 72% in 1997.  Why would we see an increase of 10% in 10 years in a country that is becoming increasingly more secular?  It may not calculate until you realize that the word heaven has many individual interpretations coming from sources as varied as scripture, philosophy, mythology, tradition, and even Hollywood.  So what really is heaven?  Is it some kind of abstract existence for formless souls, is it a sky motif of angel harpists floating on clouds, is it simply being in the presence of the almighty, or is it a real place with people in bodily form living in harmony without sin or discord.    

There is a great body of artwork dealing with the subject, some of which has played a role in defining heaven in the minds of many.  Here are a few examples:

The Poem of the Soul - Memory of Heaven

Anne-François-Louis Janmot

Here we see many angelic beings embracing children.  People and angles are together.  There is land although everyone seems to be floating above it. There is what appears to be a body of water and a sky with clouds.

Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven

Angelico Fra

In “Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven” Heaven seems to be crowded with people, which is a good thing, but strangely they all appear Catholic.  All are dressed in robes with golden halos around the head.  I’m not sure, but I’m guessing that Christ is out of the picture frame, somewhere to the left.

Gates of Heaven

Gates of Heaven, a much more modern image, portrays a path through the clouds, an angel and a light source like a sunset beyond.  I like the depth and mystery of this one.   I imagine the source of the light to be God’s throne.   Are those gold pavers on the path?

Heaven

Robin Street-Morris

This one entitled simply Heaven, is an abstract image of heaven, not unlike the heaven imagined by many as an abstract existence, a sort of spirit world where there are no bodies or anything physical.

Here is one where Christ is central, backlit in the midst of the clouds flanked by trumpeting angels. Perhaps a second coming theme with Christ welcoming the redeemed.

Here is another abstraction with some identifiable images.  Central to the picture, perched in the sky, is a golden city, perhaps with gates.  Light emanates from the city and a dove hovers above. 

(WHERE)

Let’s begin with a basic question.  Where is Heaven?  Before we attempt to answer this we must understand that there is more than just one Heaven.  In fact three distinctly different places are referred to in the bible as Heaven.  In Genesis 1 :7,8 when God is creating the earth, He divides the waters under the firmament from the waters above the firmament and calls the firmament Heaven.  Firmament is the usual English translation of the Hebrew "raqiya`" (pronounced /raki'ja/ in English) meaning an extended solid surface or dome.  Firmament is used again in Genesis 1:20 when God says "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let the birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens".  So the first Heaven spoken of in the bible is the sky or atmosphere immediately around the earth.  Next when God is creating the sun, moon, and stars in verse 17, it says God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth.  This is the second heaven, what we know as outer space.

The heaven that is our topic today is the third heaven spoken of in Isaiah 63:15 when the prophet says:  “Look down from heaven, and see from Your habitation, holy and glorious.”  Yes, the place where God lives.  Paul supports this understanding of multiple heavens in 2 Corinthians 12:2 when he says “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven”; again talking about the glorious home of God.  What do both of these scriptures tell us about the location of the third Heaven?  It is up right?  Isaiah says to God “Look down” and Paul speaks of man being caught up to heaven.  From these two verses and others, we can derive that Heaven is above the earth and to take it one step further, I believe we can deduce from the sequence of the three heavens mentioned in the bible that the third heaven must be beyond the realm of the sun moon and stars.  Attempting to get much more accurate than this when discussing heavens location becomes speculation, but one thing that most heaven believing Americans can agree on is that heaven is up.   A first century Jewish text tells of a journey taken by Rabbi Ishmael, up through seven spheres until he reaches God’s throne.  In Muslim tradition, Mohammad took a “night journey” through seven spheres to heaven where he sees Allah.  Allah instructs him that Muslims should pray 50 times a day, but he meets Moses on his way back down who tells him 50 is too many and he should bargain with Allah, which he does, getting it down to just 5.  We have found one thing that Jews and Muslims can agree on, heaven is up. 

(WHO)

Our next logical question this morning is “Who is going there.”  I don’t want to disappoint you, but this is the point where thoughts diverge.  A couple of years ago I had the experience as an architect of planning the construction of a parish center for a local Catholic parish.  I attended their regularly scheduled building committee meetings and got acquainted with the people.  There was one older gentleman that liked to tell jokes before the meeting would begin and the one about the protestant that went to heaven sticks out in my mind.  It goes something like this.  St. Peter meets the protestant at the heaven’s gate and welcomes him in.  As he gives the man a personal tour of paradise they approach a hedge.  St Peter signals the man to be quiet as they pass by the hedge.  There is the sound of many people celebrating and seemingly having a good time on the other side of the hedge.  Confused the man asks “who are all those people on the other side of the hedge?”  St. Peter in a whisper replies “Those are the Catholics, they think they’re the only ones here.  We laugh at the humor of this story, but it illustrates well the exclusivity some would put on heaven.   In a 2008 Pew poll of Americans, 70% said that they believed that those of other faiths would attain heaven.   

On the question of “Who is going there” you will find answers as varied as if you had asked “what’s your favorite food”.  If you were to ask the fifteenth century Roman Catholic Church you would be told paying cash for indulgences would guarantee a quick safe passage to heaven.  Ask a Middle Eastern Islamic terrorist organization and the answer might be “Your whole family will go to heaven with you if you strap on this backpack full of explosives.”  In 2006 a rabbi speaking for the extremely right wing political party Shas made a television ad in which an angel tells a man that because he voted for Shas, “your place is in heaven”

In the summer of 2008, then candidate Barack Obama convened a meeting in Chicago with some of the nation’s most important conservative Christian pastors and leaders with the mission of convincing them he was not too radical to become president.  Billy Graham confronted him with this question “Do you believe Jesus Christ is the way to God or merely a way? Recognizing the question was loaded, he answered “Jesus is the only way for me.  I’m not in a position to judge other people”.  Spoken like a true politician. When asked himself in 2006 whether heaven would be closed to good Jews, Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists, Billy Graham answered: “Those are decisions only the Lord will make.  It would be foolish for me to speculate on who will be there and who won’t. …I believe the Love of God is absolute.”  Can we agree with President Obama and Billy Graham on this question?  Let us turn to scripture and see what God has to say on the subject.  Take a look with me at 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.  The invitation is clearly made to everyone, but who will be there and who won’t?  Let’s read verses 14 and 15. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.  In Romans 6:22 Paul says:  But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.  Let’s read the words of Christ himself in Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Heaven does not appear from these verses to be a rite of church membership but rather a result of a personal choice to follow the leading of God. 

(WHEN)

It’s interesting to me that in light of the high percentage of Americans that believe in heaven, according to a 2008 poll of Americans by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life only 80% of evangelical Christians, 56% of main line protestants, and 22% of Jews believe in hell.  It seems more of us believe in heaven than hell.  I guess you could call that optimism.  It shouldn’t be a surprise though.  For when is the last time you heard someone at a funeral, referring to the deceased, say “He is hell now burning for his sins”  No, no matter how the deceased chose to live his life, you will hear it said “ He is in a better place now, enjoying the pleasures of paradise.”   This leads into our next question: “When will we go there?”  The discussion of this question was strangely absent from Millers book on the subject.  It seems almost without exception, people believe we go to our reward at death or at least begin our journey through Limbo or Purgatory to get there.   I often hear the terms Limbo and Purgatory used interchangeably, but there is a difference.  The idea of Limbo was fashioned by the fourth-century bishop Saint Gregory of Nazianzus in attempt to counter the teachings of those like Augustine who insisted unbaptized babies would go to hell.  It seems babies burning in hell didn’t sit well with some, so Saint Gregory devised the notion of an intermediate place or a sort of second class heaven.  It wasn’t until 2007 under the direction of Pope Benedict that the Vatican phased out Limbo allowing unbaptized babies to go to heaven.  Purgatory on the other hand was a theology developed to deal with souls that were not good enough to ascend to heaven and not bad enough to go to hell.  It was conceived as a in between place where the soul could be cleansed for heaven. 

Neither of these theologies finds its roots in scripture.  They were invented to deal with inherent problems in the churches misunderstandings on salvation.  Let’s read together 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and see what the bible actually teaches about when we will go to heaven.  ¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. ¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.  Clearly, at the second coming of Christ the righteous living and dead will all go to heaven together with Jesus. 

It’s hard to believe, in light of the clear teaching of scripture, that so many are mixed up on this.  Where did this concept of people having immortal souls that go straight to heaven at death come from?  Immortality of the soul was brought into the picture by a Greek philosopher –“ In the fourth century Plato taught that the body was a trap, a downward drag on the soul.  The soul’s goal in life was to tame the body’s desires-hunger, thirst, lust-and so attain wisdom.  Death set the soul free, and the wisest of souls would ascend to the highest places in heaven to dwell with God.”  But it was Augustine, the fourth-century African Bishop of Hippo who adapted the teaching for the western church.  “At death, Augustine wrote, the soul ascends, leaving the body to rot.  The place to which the soul ascends has some correlation to the person’s life on earth.  Faithfulness to God, “righteousness”, goodness, wisdom – all these things matter for your deeds on earth determine your hierarchical place in heaven.  At the end of time there is a Judgment in which bodies and souls will be reunited. 

What does the bible say about man’s state?   2 Corinthians  4:11 ¹¹ For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  And Romans 8:11 ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  We are mortal until we are changed at the resurrection as we read in 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 ⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”    Yet as clear as this is, not only do the majority of Christians accept the teaching of immortality of the soul, but 21% of self-professed Christians say they believe in reincarnation and 21% of Americans believe you can talk to the dead.

(WHAT)

What will Heaven be like?  What will we do there?  Heaven is the second favorite venue next to the desert island for New Yorker’s cartoonists.  You know people floating in the clouds, pudgy baby angels with harps.  This cloudy landscape is as boring as the endless sea around the desert island but these are the images most Americans have of heaven.  According to a 2003 Newsweek poll, 19% of Americans imagine heaven as a garden and 13 % as a city.  I imagine the other 68% envision the cloudy landscape of the cartoonist.  Satan must be pleased that he has somehow convinced us that heaven is boring.   Does it make sense that the same God who created the seemingly limitless diversity of plant and animal life on earth and terrain as varied as deciduous forest, arctic tundra, great plains prairies, wetlands, and deserts would himself dwell in a nondescript cloudy environment?  I don’t think so.  Revelation 21 tells us about a city called the New Jerusalem that God has created for us.  Although it resides in heaven, God transplants it to earth and recreates the earth to its pre-sin splendor.  This sounds a lot more visually stimulating than endless clouds. You may read the description of the city in Revelation 21.  The city is 375 miles square with solid jasper walls on foundations of precious stones.  It has twelve gates each of a single pearl and streets of pure transparent gold all illuminated by the glory of God.   In the middle of the city is The Throne of God from which flows a crystal clear river that passes seemingly through the center of the tree of life bearing a different fruit each month of the year.

 Isaiah 65 describes a new heaven and earth that would have been brought about for Israel following their restoration from captivity had they listened and obeyed the prophets and fulfilled the purpose God had for them.  As you know, Israel failed to do so.  As a secondary application these verses give us further description of this glorious place and the unimaginable existence of the redeemed.  Let’s take a look.   

¹⁷ “ For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
      And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.

A new heaven and a new earth so amazing that we can’t remember the old one:  Have you ever got something new, like maybe a new car, and it was so much nicer than your old car that you didn’t miss it at all?  Within a few days the new car feels like it has always been yours.  That’s what the earth made new will be like, so much better than where we have come from that we don’t miss it at all.  Can you imagine being among the first to explore a new earth and discover al the wonders God has put there for our enjoyment?   Perhaps there will be new classes of plants and animals like nothing we’ve ever seen.   Maybe there will be new elements to classify and new ecosystems to study.   Perhaps he’ll recreate animals that have been long extinct, and we can see alive the creatures that we have only known in fossil form.  The possibilities are endless and even more so in Gods mind.

¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
      For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,
      And her people a joy.

Right now, today we can rejoice in the thoughts of the glories that are coming in the new earth.  The promise of a new and better place can and will give us strength to deal with our present struggles and sorrows.  Disappointment and discouragement will be tempered by thoughts of the joy awaiting us in our new home.

¹⁹ I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
      And joy in My people;
      The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
      Nor the voice of crying.

Once again God will have reason to be joyful over mankind as we live in harmony with his character and free from the stain of sin. 

²⁰ “ No more shall an infant from there live but a few days,
      Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;
      For the child shall die one hundred years old,
      But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.

Free from sin, we will be free of its effects, sickness, death and sadness.

²¹ They shall build houses and inhabit them;
      They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
²² They shall not build and another inhabit;
      They shall not plant and another eat;

      For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,
      And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
²³ They shall not labor in vain,

      Nor bring forth children for trouble;

      For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD,
      And their offspring with them.

Mankind’s existence in the earth made new will be much like it was prior to the fall.  There will be trees flowers, fruits, and streams.  We may work for our own satisfaction not as slaves to others.  Thank God we will be able to work in paradise.  I think I shared with you in the past the experience I had while in Samoa for two weeks with almost nothing to do, and how much it made me appreciate work.  There is a satisfaction and contentment that we get from working.  If you don’t believe me, try doing absolutely nothing for a couple of weeks and let me know how you feel.

²⁴ “ It shall come to pass
      That before they call, I will answer;
      And while they are still speaking, I will hear.

We will be so close to God physically and spiritually speaking, that our thoughts and desires will match his will.  The almighty will finish our sentences for us.

²⁵ The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
      The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
      And dust shall be the serpent’s food.
      They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
      Says the LORD.

Even the animals will do the will of the creator.  There will be no trace of Satan’s influence in the planet.  The food chain will be broken as every creature lives by the laws of God’s original design.

(HOW)

What about our physical state?  According to a 1997 Time/CNN poll, only 26 percent of American believe they will have a body in heaven.  The religious seem to have always been divided on the question of flesh vs. spirit.  What does the Bible say on the issue?  Philippians 3: 20,21

²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹who, 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.

Here we read how our bodies will be changed to be like Christ’s body.  What was Jesus body like after his resurrection?  Luke 24:39

³⁹ 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.”

Clearly he had flesh and bones.  He was not a formless spirit.  Some other verses that reinforce this are Isaiah 35:5,6

⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
       and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

⁶ Then will the lame leap like a deer,
       and the mute tongue shout for joy.

Eyes, ears, tongue, and leaping all suggest a body.  If this isn’t enough evidence, I suggest you read 1 Corinthians 15.

(APPEAL)

Heaven has been down played by modern Christianity.  Some of the “educated” mainstream protestants feel that too much talk and imagining of heaven makes one appear unsophisticated or ignorant.  You may recognize the name Reverend Jeremiah Wright, you know, the former pastor of our nations president.  We all remember how his relationship with then candidate Obama became the center of attention during the presidential campaign because of some “radical” statements he made.  I don’t bring him up to talk about that controversy, nor do I wish to criticize or endorse Reverend Wright.  I just like what he said in response to those who would down-play the heaven that he insisted, as I do, is the center of Christian belief.  He preached “If I drop Heaven, I’m going to lose the first verse in my bible.  If I drop heaven, I’m going to lose two of my Ten Commandments.  If I drop heaven, I’m going to have to stop praying my favorite prayer, Our Father… If I drop heaven, I’m going to have to do away with the Second Coming; I’m going to have to get rid of Pentecost, I’m going to have to throw Revelation out of my Bible…Don’t make me drop heaven!” 

I believe as Seventh Day Adventist Christians with our understanding of the Great Controversy we can echo these words, we must!  For without heaven, where is our hope?  Heaven is central to our faith because God is central to it.  And when we imagine all of the glorious wonders of heaven, the streets of gold, the tree of life, eternity to learn and explore, we mustn’t forget the greatest privilege of all, living in the light of God’s glory with Jesus as our king, our brother, and friend. 

Jesus is coming again he promised it in John 14 when he said:

¹ “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Where He is we may also be, that is what makes heaven, heaven.  I want to be there, don’t you?  I want rebellion and sin to be cleansed from my heart.  I want to love and trust God enough to allow him to direct my life.  Will you join with me in commitment to do whatever it takes to allow Him to be Lord of your life?  Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, help us to lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Save room at your feet for us.  In Jesus name, Amen.