The Bible doesn’t actually include many descriptions of what I should expect from heaven. In fact, no one in the Bible really refers to the eternal life we have after Jesus returns as “heaven.” Instead the Bible refers to heaven as a kind of realm, that I can’t see, where God exists now. It vaguely overlaps my realm but is also somehow separate. Heaven and earth.
It also refers to “the heavens” as what we might simply call space or the sky.
Popular culture calls the place of the afterlife “heaven” (or “hell”), and describes a variety of characteristics of it, some of them Biblical, most of them not. Often it’s thought of as somewhere “up there” with clouds and bright light. Some say “good” people go there when they die and bad people go to hell. (What constitutes “good” in this scenario is highly debatable.) Usually people talk about these being everyone’s immediate destinations upon death.
The afterlife is fascinating to contemplate because it is totally unknowable, and yet everyone wants to know about it because everyone dies. And death is scary because it is such an unknown. Is that the end? Is there more? If so, what’s it like? Will it be the same for everyone? If not, how will it vary and why? How can I get the best room? Or at least not the worst room…
The Bible has answers. But not many, and not with much detail. Why? Apparently I don’t need to know!
The Biblical afterlife’s main characteristic is that those who are there get to enjoy God’s presence for all eternity.
The Bible also mentions that Jesus’s return is what ushers in the afterlife, not my death. When I die, Jesus says I “sleep” until He comes again and makes a new heaven and a new earth and gives me a new body, different from my current body. Interesting, right?
Not only that, but when Jesus does come again, there will be a judgment of some sort. All those “sleeping” dead people will be woken up and judged next to the ones who happened to be alive at that time. The ones who accepted Jesus as their Savior will go on to the eternal “heaven” of God’s presence. The ones who did not, go on to eternal destruction, whatever that means.
Since God didn’t give us an in-depth instruction manual or even a sales brochure, He’s telling me it’s not something I need to understand beyond these basics. But today’s verse is one more little hint at that afterlife.
Just a glimpse.
Wherever I am, I will twinkle and shine forever, the way a star lights up the night sky, with all my fellow believers.
Dear God,
Thank you for reassuring me that I don’t need to know exactly what happens when I die. I just need to know that, because Jesus saved me, whatever it is will be forever and good and with you. I look forward to spending eternity getting to know you. Until then, guide me in how to delight you by living this life obediently.
CamDevo 