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!

The Hope of Heaven: No Pain or Suffering

by David Chadwick

Revelation 21:4 says that one day, in heaven, God will wipe every tear from our eyes, “and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Once and for all, pain and suffering go away!

No more crying, mourning, physical pain, suffering, or death. No regrets about the past. No fears about the future. In fact, no fears or anxieties at all! We will live in the perfect presence and care of our Creator forever. Fully healed. Fully present with the Father. Fully aware of the victory of Jesus. Fully alive!

Studies show that death is the number one fear that people experience and that all other fears come from this fear of death. But for people who have surrendered their lives to Jesus, death becomes powerless.

Think about this for a moment: If, because of Jesus, there is no more death, then fear of death holds no power in a Christian’s life. If the greatest fear is eradicated because of the Gospel, then all other fears can evaporate as well!

Imagine living every day without fear of bodily deterioration and pain. Imagine living in eternity, where we remain the same age forever. Imagine being around our loved ones forever. Imagine a reality where you live forever and never die. That is heaven!

Many ask what age we will be in heaven. No one really knows. Some have hypothesized that it will be around 33 years of age, for that is the age Jesus was when he died. Physiologically, this is also the age of peak performance for most athletes. From there on, their careers generally go down. We really don’t know! But what we do know is that we will live in a perfect body in a perfect environment where there is no more pain and suffering.

Praise God! Because of his great love for the world, he sent Jesus to die for all of our sins and to offer us eternal life, the hope of heaven!