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<\/source><\/picture>What can we expect to encounter in Heaven? What will we find?<\/p>\n
In a word, everything! Everything that is most precious and dear to you and me, everything that is important to Christ-followers, is currently in Heaven. Everything we need or desire will be found in Heaven once we pass through its magnificent gates, either by death or by being caught up with Christ.<\/p>\n
The word Heaven <\/em>is mentioned almost 700 times in the Bible. Thirty-three of the 39 Old Testament books talk about Heaven along with 21 of the 27 books in the New Testament. The word Heaven <\/em>refers to something that is raised up or lofty. So, the language of the Bible speaks of Heaven as a place that is high, lofty, and lifted up.<\/p>\n Jesus does not intend for us to live in a vapory nether land, in a disembodied haze, or in a blissful but intangible state of mind. No, the Bible refers to Heaven as a specific place.<\/p>\n Sometimes the Bible refers to Heaven as a country, which implies vastness of territory. Sometimes it\u2019s referred to as the celestial city, which brings to mind<\/a> buildings, streets, residents, and activity. Sometimes Heaven is referred to as a kingdom, which speaks of organization and government. In the passage I quoted from John 14:1\u20133, Jesus referred to Heaven as \u201cMy Father\u2019s house.\u201d<\/p>\n For me, there\u2019s something intimate, sweet, and personal about Heaven when we talk about it as \u201cMy Father\u2019s house.\u201d It\u2019s no longer an empty space. In my mind\u2019s eye, I see a home. Jesus promised that if we put our trust in Him, He would prepare a place for us in our Father\u2019s house that will serve as our heavenly home. There is nothing imaginary, hypothetical, or intangible about that.<\/p>\n Next, our Redeemer is in Heaven. Hebrews 9:24 says, \u201cChrist has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.\u201d<\/p>\n Just imagine the moment we get to Heaven \u2014 and we see Jesus! Right now, we don\u2019t see Him in a visual way. But the Bible says that when Jesus returns for us, \u201cWe shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is\u201d (1 John 3:2).<\/p>\n Think of the joy that will be ours when we get to Heaven and see the One who gave His life for us so that we could spend forever with Him in paradise!<\/p>\n When you become a Christian, God becomes your Father and makes you an heir. That means you have an inheritance in Christ that will never be touched by inflation. It won\u2019t be lost in an economic crash. Its value will never decline or decrease, and it is both reserved and preserved for you. Your name is on it.<\/p>\n Those eternal resources include the rewards we will receive from Christ. Jesus told His followers during a time of persecution, \u201cRejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you\u201d (Matt. 5:12).<\/p>\n Heaven is also precious to us because our residence is there. I\u2019m not just talking about where we will live; I\u2019m talking about our citizenship. When we become Christians, we become residents of Heaven: \u201cOur citizenship is in Heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ\u201d (Phil. 3:20).<\/p>\n As believers in Jesus, we are not citizens of earth who are going to Heaven. We are citizens of Heaven who are traveling through earth. Let that reality change the way you live each day.<\/p>\n Heaven is also precious to us because it\u2019s where our riches are stored: \u201cDo not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also\u201d (Matt. 6:19\u201321).<\/p>\n The only things going from earth to Heaven are human souls and the Word of God. So, if you\u2019re trying to build equity in Heaven, invest your time, talents, and treasure in the Word of God and the souls of men and women who need the message of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n Finally, Heaven is precious because our reservation is there. The registry in Heaven in which the names of all who belong to Christ are recorded is called the Lamb\u2019s Book of Life. Is your name written in Heaven? Do you have a reservation there?<\/p>\n Recently a collection of nearly 400 hotels, regional tourism boards, tour operators, and others in the hospitality industry sent a letter to Chuck Sams, the director of the National Parks Service, and Deb Haaland, who is U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary. The reason for that letter? Frustration with the national parks\u2019 reservation website Recreation.gov.<\/p>\n For many years, tourists from all across America have seethed when trying to reserve camping sites or hotel accommodations at Yellowstone, Yosemite, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and more than 4,200 other federally managed properties. The main issue seems to be the reservation system, which only allows would-be visitors to book between thirty and 60 days prior to a visit \u2014 a window that manages to thwart people who plan ahead<\/a> and those who live spontaneously.<\/p>\n It\u2019s strange to think that gaining access to a national park is more difficult than gaining access to Heaven, but that is the case. Faith in Jesus is all that\u2019s required to secure your reservation for eternal salvation.<\/p>\n If you are reading these words and aren\u2019t sure your reservation is secure, I urge you to pray right now. Confess your sins. Acknowledge Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Do it now. Turn your life over to His control and accept His free offer of the gift of eternal life.<\/p>\n Dr. David Jeremiah is among the best known Christian leaders in the world. He serves as senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church<\/a> in El Cajon, California and is the founder and host of Turning Point<\/a>. Turning Point\u2018s 30-minute radio program is heard on more than 2,200 radio stations daily. A New York Times bestselling author and Gold Medallion winner, he has written more than fifty books.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n