The Most Important Thing about Heaven
By Pastor Gary Walker
There is much that could be written
about “heaven.” It is mentioned over
500 times in the Bible.
Genesis 1:1 says,
“In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth.” Then in verse
six of this same chapter, God creates an
“expanse” above the earth, which in
verse eight, He calls “heaven.” This is
what we would call the “atmospheric
heaven.” This is the heaven that
“Nellie” flies through in order to take
people home, closer to their families.
Continuing in Genesis 1, God
says in verse 14,15, “Let there be lights in
the expanse of the “heavens” to
separate the day from the night, and let
them be for signs and for seasons and
for days and years; and let them be for
lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth; and it was so.”
These verses are referring to the sun,
moon, and stars; what we might call the
“stellar heavens.” These are the
heavens that David was contemplating
when he wrote in Psalm 19:1, “The
heavens are telling of the glory of God;
and their expanse is declaring the work
of His hands.”
As I’m writing this
sentence, I’m also looking at a photo I
took this summer along Lake Michigan,
when the sun was about ready to set.
The sky is several shades of yellows and
oranges and a brilliant ray of light
stretches from the horizon to the place
where I was standing along the shore. It
certainly declares the glory of God! I’m
sure you’ve had similar experiences. |
But
as beautiful as these heavens can be,
there is another “heaven” mentioned in
the Bible that is even more awesome.
The Apostle Paul mentions it in II
Corinthians 12:2 – “I know a man in
Christ who fourteen years ago –
whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God
knows – such a man was caught up to the
“third heaven.”
And it’s this third heaven
that I want to focus on for the rest of this
article.
In this same passage, Paul says the man he
was talking about was “caught up into
Paradise,” much like the Apostle John
was commanded to “come up
here” (heaven) in Revelation 4:1. Both
men were amazed at what they saw and
heard. It was so beyond what their
earthly existence allowed them to
comprehend or explain. But it was
glorious!
Jesus talked about this third heaven when He was comforting His disciples
as His time on earth was growing short. He said, “Do not let your heart be
troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father’s house (heaven)
are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to
prepare a place for you (in heaven).
If I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am (heaven), there you
may be also (John 14:1-3).
Then Jesus told them that they knew the way to get there (heaven).
But Thomas said they didn’t know the way. Then Jesus responded with these
familiar and beautiful words, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father (heaven) but through Me” (John 14:6).
And that’s the most important thing about heaven – How
we get there! And how we get there is by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ
and receiving Him into our life. The Bible says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). It also says, “But
as many as received Him, to them He gave the
right to become children of God, even to those
who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
Are you ready for Heaven?! |
