The Hope of Heaven: Seeing our Loved Ones

by David Chadwick

Heaven brings an undeniable hope to followers of Jesus Christ.

For those of us who put our faith in Jesus, we will one day, once again, see all of our loved ones who also put their faith in Jesus. For me, this will be my mom and dad, my big brother Howard, and many of my friends who have gone on before me.

For some of you, it may be babies who were miscarried or died in infancy. Children or grandchildren. Aunts or uncles. All there. Reunited with Jesus and with one another.

1 Corinthians 13:12 says that right now we look through a mirror dimly. But soon we will see face to face. We will soon see both our Savior and our loved ones again—face to face!

College football teams have homecoming games. Have you ever been to one? They are the highlight of the football season. Lots of gatherings. Parties. Food. Fun. Decorations. People who have not seen one another for a while come together. This is such a great picture of heaven. One grand reunion.

Now imagine those times when you’ve been away from home for a while. I remember living overseas for a year, not having seen Mom or Dad for a while. Finally, it was time to return home. I remember vividly how exciting those days were leading up to my homecoming! Getting to see loved ones and friends again, getting caught up, eating scrumptious meals, and laughing in fellowship with one another.

Heaven will be even better than that! After being separated from family and loved ones for a season, we will finally be reunited with them in heaven. Just imagine the joy! The hugs! The conversations that will ensue after finally being reunited.

Remember this: This world, in its present broken and sinful condition, is not our eternal home. The new heaven and the new earth, remade by God to its original intent, will be our home forever.

Heaven will be the ultimate homecoming! Get ready!

The Hope of Heaven: The Throne of Jesus

by David Chadwick

On the other side of this broken world is the hope of heaven.

The throne is central in heaven. Where there is a throne, there is a king. And in heaven, it’s not just any king. It is THE King of kings. Jesus Christ, our Lord.

There are so many verses in the Bible that speak of this throne. Isaiah had a vision where he saw the Lord seated on the throne. It said the train of the Lord’s robe filled the entire temple with all of his glory (Isaiah 6:1). It is hard to even comprehend this kind of majesty.

I would imagine that we will always be able to see Jesus seated on his throne.

Some other biblical descriptions of Jesus’s throne are found in Revelation 4 and 5, immediately following all of Jesus’s corrections of the various churches in Revelation 2 and 3. I find it even more profound to read the descriptions of heaven in Revelation 4 and 5 after reading the depth of brokenness the church has both succumbed to, endured, and tolerated due to sin: false teachers, Christians leaving their first love, perversion, and sexual immorality. But all of those who endure and who have ears to hear what the Spirit of God says will live in heaven!

In direct contrast to this broken world, in heaven, all the saints and angels will regularly gather around his throne and worship the Lamb. Words seem inadequate when you read these verses. But they do give insights into just how glorious heaven will be.

Now look at Revelation 22:1-3. Flowing from Jesus’s throne, a crystal-clear, wondrously cascading river will flow all throughout the New Jerusalem.

One day, Jesus will rule perfectly and righteously from his throne. All of his people will willingly obey his desires and follow his will. There will be no objection to his rule from his throne.

Everything and everyone will be perfect, complete, and lacking nothing.

And every glance at the throne will remind us all of the One who controls everything with perfect love, mercy, and grace.

The Hope of Heaven: Glorified Bodies

by David Chadwick

Join me as we take two weeks to remind ourselves of the hope of heaven. The coming realization of our eternity. One day, every person who has put his or her trust in Jesus Christ will have glorified, perfect bodies. This is the doctrine of glorification.

In the twinkling of an eye, our bodies will be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52 says so! It will be a sudden, supernatural transformation. In that glorious moment, our aging, pain-filled bodies, which often groan for the day of redemption, will suddenly be made whole.

The twinkling of an eye! That’s faster than the speed of a wink, roughly between 0.1 to 0.4 milliseconds. It’s hard to even comprehend the transformation that will take place on that day and in that moment.

Right now, our bodies are perishable. You’ve heard the statistic. 1 out of 1 people will die. It is inevitable. No one escapes death. We are all born sinners, and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). But the verse doesn’t stop there. It goes on to say the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

One day, our bodies will be perfect. Free from stain and the problems of sin. Never to die again. Free from temptation and desires to rebel against God. Only consumed with life and love.

Every person in God’s kingdom will have a perfect body. Can you even begin to imagine a place where no one ever fears or experiences death, pain, or suffering again? A place where everyone is fully capable of operating in perfect love.

This, my dear friends, is heaven. And one day we will fully realize the kingdom of God on earth as it perfectly exists in heaven. Isaiah 65:17 says, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered, or come into mind.”

I often like to say that God is an eternal amnesiac. “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).

One day, we will fully live with him in this glorious state. No more tears, no more sorrow, no more sin.

What a glorious day indeed.