Paradise

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—[only] God knows. And I know that this man…was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell (2 Corinthians 12:2-4).

People have always wondered what heaven is like. Even false religions offer speculation about what life after death is like. And some of these ideas can get pretty wild.

Some Native Americans called their version of heaven the Happy Hunting Grounds. There, buffalo, deer and all manner of game are so plentiful that no man need ever worry about keeping his family well fed and cared for. According to the teachings of Buddhism, you must be continually reincarnated to live life on earth over and over until you lose all interest in being an individual with personal goals and desires; when you finally are ready to stop being distinctly you, you will lose your personality and be absorbed into Nirvana, a place of quiet, passive existence. Some Muslims teach that men who sacrifice their lives in war against unbelievers will find their heaven filled with virgins awaiting their touch. The Vikings called their heaven Valhalla; here, warriors could fight and die each day, yet be reborn completely whole the next morning so they could always enjoy proving their manhood through mortal combat.

As odd as these may sound, Christians have also come up with some unusual ideas about heaven. Some people have the notion that when they die God will turn them into angels, give them wings and a harp, and they will spend eternity singing among clouds. There are any number of jokes about St. Peter meeting people at the gates of heaven and quizzing them before they are allowed to enter. Movies have been made around the idea that sometimes people get sent back to earth to take care of unfinished business before they are allowed final rest.

None of these ideas are found in the Bible. As a matter of fact, the Bible really doesn’t tell us all that much about heaven. But since we are celebrating All Saints’ Day this weekend, let us take some time to find out what holy Scripture does tell us about where our dear departed are today.

First, let's be clear about what we mean by heaven. When Paul was given a glimpse of the afterlife, he describes himself as being taken to the third heaven. What are the other two? The first heaven is the atmosphere above us. The Bible often refers to the sky as heaven; one example is found in Acts chapter 14 where we read, [God] has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. The second heaven is the vast universe beyond our world, filled with stars and planets. Speaking of the Day of Judgment Isaiah writes, The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light (Isaiah 13:10). It is these two heavens that Peter speaks of when he warns, The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare (2 Peter 3:10). When God returns in judgment to purify His creation from all sin, the sky and the universe beyond it will be destroyed and remade in perfection.

But it is the third heaven that interests us. The third heaven is the invisible heaven, the home of God and of the saints who are now in glory. This is the heaven that God allowed Paul to sneak a peek of. How frustrating for us that Paul comes away from this wonderful experience and can only say that He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.

Why inexpressible? Because we are only created beings, we cannot understand things that are beyond this world. In Isaiah 55:8-9 God tells us, my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways…As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Acknowledging this, King David wrote these words in Psalm 131: My heart is not proud, O LORD…I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. We cannot understand God or His home; because of our human limitations, Paul could not find the words to describe for us what heaven is like.

Paul also said that there were things he was not permitted to tell. Being mortal is not our only limitation. Our minds are also limited by our sinful condition. God takes from His infinite wisdom and shares portions with us in His Bible, explained in the simplest of terms so that we might understand. But even the clearest teachings of Scripture become distorted by misinterpretation due to the sin that muddies our thinking. Consider: God gave us one Bible—but how many organized church bodies are there, each of whom understands that same Bible differently? If sin causes us so much confusion about the simplest of God’s teachings, what would happen if He tried to show us the glories of eternity? Thus, because of our sinful inability to understand God clearly, Paul was told not to speak of things that would only be misinterpreted.

Thankfully, our Lord does share a few things about heaven with us. First of all, it is a real place; Jesus said, There are many rooms in my Father's house. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? (John 14:2) Notice that it is a place that God wants to fill with people; in the parable of the banquet, at one point a servant says Sir…there is still room, to which we hear the wonderful reply: Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full (Luke 14:22-23). God wants to share the inexpressible glories of His home with as many people as will accept His invitation. There is still room for you, for me!

Heaven is often described in terms of a reward. In the Beatitudes Jesus said, Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10). This same thought is picked up in Revelation chapter 7 where John writes, I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands… "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Heaven is the place where God blesses those who stick by Him when life makes it hard to—when people make fun of you for being a Christian, or accuse you of not being any fun to hang with because you take your religion way too seriously.

Revelation chapter 7 goes on to tell us why heaven is such a great reward. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water…He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Heaven is the place where sin has never left its corrupting touch; sin leads to death, and without sin there is no death in heaven. Nor are there to be found any of the things that lead to death—famine, drought, severe weather, disease or disabilities. There is nothing in heaven that can cause pain or disappointment; in heaven, there is no reason for tears to ever be shed.

Since there is no sin in heaven, we need not fear other people causing us pain there. There will be no bullies. No one will tell us that we are stupid or worthless. There will be no bad conduct in heaven—no lies, no hatred, no jealousy, no betrayal, no disrespect. Those who embraced their sinful way of life to the very end will be sent away to hell, to be separated forever from God’s faithful people. In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Jesus tells us that there is a great gulf which separates hell from heaven, and that no one who has been sent below can ever come near to spoil to joy of those who are blessed in paradise (Luke chapter 16).

In order for anyone to enter paradise they must be freed of sin, because no sin is permitted in heaven. Since we are all conceived in sin, the only way that we can be freed of its taint is for God to take it away from us. This He did, through the sending of His Son Jesus into the world. Jesus suffered and died for our sins, lifting from us the burden of guilt for them, and taking upon Himself the responsibility to make right what we had done wrong. When we have a relationship of trust in Jesus, our sins are removed and we are eligible to enter the joys of heaven.

Think what it will be like! No more struggling with temptation to eat too much, drink too much, work too hard or sleep too long. No more problems with addiction. No more times where we speak without thinking and accidentally hurt someone. No more disturbing thoughts or dreams. No more anger or anxiety. No more shame. With the sin purged from us we will be new beings, yet we will still be distinctly ourselves; Jesus promises He who overcomes will…be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father (Revelation 3:5). In heaven, you will still be uniquely you.

We will be reunited with those we loved who died in the faith, and they too will be sin-free. How wonderful to enjoy the company of those we have loved, and never have to worry about angry words spoiling the moment! In addition, we will finally get to meet the people of the Bible whose stories we have read and treasured since childhood—Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, Ruth, King David, Daniel and so many more; Jesus said, many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 8:11).

What will we be doing in heaven? Revelation 22:3 says, The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. Part of that service will include worshiping God along with the angels, as St. John tells us: Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!" (Revelation 19:6)

But whatever we are doing in heaven, it will not seem like work because Jesus frequently compares our existence there to the joy of a wedding celebration. In this imagery, Jesus is the groom and we are His bride, finally united with Him forever. Revelation chapter 19: Then the angel said to me, "Write: `Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " Whatever else heaven is like, first and foremost it will be the best kind of celebration, like a family gathered together for a holiday dinner after far too many years spent apart.

But as wonderful as all this is, I still have not described the best part. The best part by far is to finally see our Lord Jesus face to face, to be able to touch His nail-scarred hands, to be embraced in the warmth of His loving arms. John writes, Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2). When Moses was given a fleeting glimpse of God, his face reflected the light of God’s glory for days afterwards. We cannot begin to imagine how wonderful it will be to live always in our Savior’s presence.

Getting into heaven is both easy and hard. It is easy in that all we need to enter is faith in Jesus Christ; Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16). The hard part is that we must die so that Jesus can rid us of our recurring sins permanently: anyone who has died has been freed from sin (Romans 6:7). But knowing what awaits us takes much of the terror out of death, because death lasts but a moment while union with Jesus is eternal. The departed saints of the Church have faced death and are enjoying the blessings of heaven today; remain faithful to Christ, and death will be the door to paradise for you as well.