A city designed and built by God
'Joy is the serious business of heaven'
Heaven is not some mysterious, atmospheric realm of smoke and mirrors. It’s a real place for real people to do real things.
This is the place that Abraham searched for. The Bible says that “even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith – for he was like a foreigner, living in tents” (Hebrews 11:9 NLT).
As we pass through this world, you and I are like foreigners, too. It’s like visiting a different country. We may not understand the language or some aspects of the culture. And we probably won’t understand their driving, either.
The writer of Hebrews continues, “Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God” (verse 10 NLT).
That’s what Heaven is – a city designed and built by God.
In the final two chapters of Revelation, John used the word “city” 11 times in reference to Heaven. Again, it’s a real place for real people. Let’s not forget that Jesus said to his disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you. 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” (John 14:2–3 NKJV).
The night Jesus delivered those words was a night like no other. All the disciples could see that he had a heavy heart. Then he dropped the bombshell that one of them would betray him, and he identified Judas Iscariot as the betrayer.
Afterward, he said to Judas, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do” (John 13:27 NLT).
After Judas left the room, Jesus said to the others, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. … Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer” (verses 31, 33 NLT).
Peter protested this, even to the point of saying he was ready to die with Jesus (see verse 37).
But Jesus said, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter – before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me” (verse 38).
Everything was unraveling for the disciples. But against this backdrop of alarm and panic, Jesus spoke these now-familiar words: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me” (John 14:1 NLT).
The apostle John was there with the other disciples that night. He wrote about how he leaned on the chest of Jesus, probably so he wouldn’t miss a single word (see John 21:20). Later John was exiled to the island of Patmos, and presumably he was there by himself. As he wrote the New Testament book of Revelation, maybe John thought back to the night when Jesus spoke those words.
Sixty years had passed, and John had received a personal glimpse into the place Jesus said he was going to prepare. John was catapulted into the future and saw eternity. He also saw the Tribulation, the Antichrist, angels and demons.
Then in Revelation 21, John gave us a look at the New Jerusalem from an outer perspective. Next, in chapter 22, we see inside and what’s actually waiting for us as John’s description of Heaven becomes clearer.
Interestingly, in the first chapters of the Bible, we see paradise lost when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (see Genesis 2:15–17). Then, in the final two chapters of the Bible, we see the paradise that God has created for us in Heaven.
From Revelation 22, we learn that Heaven and the new Earth are places of satisfaction. Verse 17 says, “Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life” (NLT). God will meet all our needs and quench our thirst. We will want for nothing.
We also learn that Heaven and the new Earth are places of sufficiency. Describing a “river with the water of life,” John wrote, “It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations” (verse 2 NLT).
Remember, because of Adam and Eve’s sin, they – and all of humanity – were banned from the tree of life. Yet here’s what is interesting. John said the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. The Greek word he used for “healing” is therapeia, the origin of our English word “therapy.” There is therapeutic value and life-giving power in those leaves.
John continues, “No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him” (verse 3 NLT). The curse that came upon humanity after Adam and Eve sinned brought sickness, aging, and, worst of all, death itself. It affects everyone. And as I’ve often said, one out of every one person will die.
Yet Heaven is a place where tragedy turns to triumph, sadness turns to joy, and disability turns to ability. As C. S. Lewis pointed out, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.”
John concluded the book by saying, “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people” (verses 20–21 NLT).
God offers us a fresh start. He offers us forgiveness of all our sins. But it’s up to us to accept it or reject it. Jesus Christ died for our sins, yet we must be willing to turn from them and ask him to come into our lives to be our Savior and our Lord.
Eternity hangs in the balance. Our choice is Heaven or Hell, forgiveness or judgment. Make the right choice and believe in Jesus.
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