The Hope of Heaven: Purposeful and Meaningful Work

by David Chadwick

Today, we conclude our two-week study on heaven. The hope and majesty of this eternal reality is made known to anyone who puts his or her faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

Work is important to the Lord. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10b says, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” From the beginning of time, and even after the Fall, God has designed his children to work hard.

Work here on earth can certainly be wonderful. It feels good to accomplish a task. Whereas Satan has taken God’s intention for labor and made it arduous, exhausting, and destructive, God’s original design was for work to be a good gift.

Did you know that there will also be purposeful and meaningful work in heaven for us all? Isaiah 65 talks about how in the new heavens and the new earth, joy and gladness will be everywhere. Verse 21 says, “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” Clearly work will continue in heaven.

The difference between work in heaven and work on earth will be the absence of thorns and thistles that make work toilsome and hard. What came as a curse to make work hard here simply won’t exist in heaven.

As Jesus walked this earth, he implied that those who do a good job overseeing his possessions here will be given an even larger responsibility in heaven. He even suggested in Luke 19 that we will help oversee cities in heaven! Isn’t that interesting to think that there will be cities in heaven, stretched throughout his universe?

There will be continued creativity, hard work, and a sense of lasting accomplishment as we joyfully serve and worship the Lord and sit under his eternal oversight. All that we enjoy here will be eternally enjoyed in heaven.

Cling to the hope of heaven! Jesus is coming back soon!

The Hope of Heaven: Eternal Relationships and Friendships

by David Chadwick

Eternal relationships and friendships will be a special part of the new heaven and new earth. Jesus implies in Luke 16:9 that we will have friends in heaven. Jesus basically tells his followers to use earthly riches to build relationships, knowing that it will form eternal bonds.

All of our family and friends who love Jesus will be in heaven. We will also make new friends like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and all of the kings and prophets in the Old Testament. We will befriend the saints and disciples like Peter, Paul, John, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and others who have loved our Lord through the ages.

The martyrs will become our friends. As will the millions upon millions of angels. They will never die. They will always be there, standing with us and for us.

Never again will there be betrayal, treachery, slander, gossip, and hurtful actions. There will only be eternal love and acceptance among us. It’s hard to even comprehend how perfect perfection will be.

This world is so broken, and it is easy to become complacent and to forget what will happen on the other side of the squalor of this world.

Might we be able to travel around the solar system together? Explore the vastness of God’s newly created order? Share eternal memories with those we love the most? Who knows? But perfect joy and peace will be ever-present. The joy of the Lord will finally be our permanent strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

One final thought: in heaven, we will worship forever before Jesus and relish in his gift of eternal life to us. The people surrounding us in this regular worship will be the people we love the most! It will be so wonderful.

The Hope of Heaven: A New Heaven and a New Earth

by David Chadwick

There will be a new heaven and a new earth. God’s Word promises it. God says, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17).

Revelation 21:1 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.”

Why is this interesting and important? Because it implies that our eternal home will be much like it is now, but all things will be new. There will be no hint of Satan’s presence. None of his accusations that he has long whispered over our lives. Satan will have no power to rule, reign, or wreak havoc on us ever again. No sin embedded in the crevices of creation.

Do you think the new heaven will be more expansive than it is now? Perhaps. And think about the new earth. Perhaps it, too, may be more expansive. Full of awe, wonder, and endless beauty.

The earth will no longer have the curse of sin staining it. No more thistles and thorns. No more tornadoes or hurricanes. No volcanoes or tsunamis. Everything will operate perfectly. All will be restored. I looked up “all” in the dictionary. It means “all!”

And here is another thing: The earth will be even more beautiful and glorious than it is now.

Will there be new stars and galaxies more spectacular than those presently created? Do you think we will be able to move between these two dimensions whenever we want? Will we have a home in heaven (John 14:2) and here on earth? Will we be able to do things without any hindrance that our present bodies don’t allow us to do?

I can’t speak for you, but I love new adventures, and this sounds like an extraordinarily wonderful adventure. I can’t wait to experience the hope of heaven with my wife, children, grandchildren, family, and close friends. Heaven should be the most expectant part of our lives!