During Paul’s first missionary journey, he was stoned by the Jews for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ at Lystra, and was dragged outside the city and left to the beasts. The Jews had thought that Paul was dead. It was indeed a miracle that he could get up the next day and departed for another city, Derbe (Act 14:20 ). It is believed that it was during this time that Paul was caught up to the third heaven and given revelations he could not utter.
The third heaven is also known as ‘paradise’ ( 2 Cor 12:4 ), the ‘city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem’ ( Heb 12:22 ), the ‘holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High’ (Ps 46:4 ).Abraham looked for this city ‘which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God’ (Heb 11:10 ).
What is heaven like?
The Holy Spirit revealed to John the appearance of the new Jerusalem as described in Rev 21 . The city is shaped like a cube with equal length, breadth and height of 1,500 miles. It is as bright as a crystal-clear jasper stone, dazzling in the light. There is no night there. It is the glory of God that illumines the city, and the Lamb is the light (Rev 21:23 ). The city has a very beautiful 216-foot wide wall made of jasper. The wall stands on 12 layers of foundation stones with each layer garnished with a different precious stone. On these foundations are written the names of the 12 apostles. The city has 12 gates, three on the north, three on the south, three on the east and three on the west. Each gate comprises one huge beautiful solid white pearl, is guarded by an angel and is open all the time. On these gates, the names of the 12 tribes of Israel are written. The main street is made up of pure transparent gold!
Heaven is not just a dazzling display of precious stones, but there are trees, river and green pastures All these myriads of hues and colours enhance the splendour and beauty of the city and is fully resplendent of the glory and the majesty of the Almighty God.
Noticeably, there is no temple in heaven, ‘for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it’ (Rev 21:22 ). In heaven, God reigns supreme on the throne with Jesus Christ sitting on the right (Mk 16:19 ) and the glory of the Triune God in full manifestation (Rev 4: 2 , 3 , 6 ). Out of the throne flows ‘a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal’ (Rev 22:1 ), a continuous blessing in the city of God. On either side of the river is the tree of life ‘which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.’ (Rev 22:2 )
How to get to heaven?
Heaven is and can only be the dwelling place of the righteous. All those who are truly born again and have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ are assured of ‘an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven’ (1 Pet 1:4 ). Jesus assures all believers of our abode in heaven (Heb 6:19 ) where He has prepared many mansions awaiting our occupation (Jn 14: 2 , 3 ). All those who indulged in the works of the flesh outside the salvation of the Lord (Gal 5:19-21 ; 1 Cor 6:9 , 10 ; Eph 5:5 ) and whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life will never enter this dwelling place of God.
What type of body would we have in heaven?
‘Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption’ (1 Cor 15:50 ). A transformation whereby our vile body shall be fashioned like unto the glorious body of Jesus Christ (Php 3:21 ) is the only prerequisite laid down in the Scriptures.
The Bible tells us that this glorious body shall be a physical body of flesh and bone, and can be touched and felt (Lk 24: 39 ). It shall be recognizable and able to partake of food (Lk 24:42 , 43 ). The stark distinction is that it shall have supernatural abilities, not subject to the laws of gravity and time (Jn 20:19 ).
This heavenly body is a sinless, eternal and spiritual body (2 Cor 5:1 ), incorruptible, powerful as the glorified body of Jesus Christ (1 Jn 3:2 ). It enjoys perfect happiness and health and will never be subject to the ravages of time and diseases and the whole gamut of sufferings and pain (Rev 21:21 ). Thus it can never age or decay, becomes tired, hungry or thirsty (Rev 7:16 ). Besides, like angles, there shall be no marriages and procreativity (Mk 12:25 ).
What shall we do in heaven?
We shall be serving God day and night (Rev 7:15 ).The saints innumerable would be engaged in everlasting Sabbath worship of our Great God in perpetuity A greater sense of solemnity characterizes the worship service with worshippers falling prostrate, faces to the ground in humble submission and godly reverential fear (Rev 4:10 ). Heaven would echo with music and songs of praise and thanksgiving rendered by the multitude of angels and saints: ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, and wisdom and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing’ (Rev 5:12 ).
There will be a blessed time of fellowship and communion with our Lord and the company of saints. There shall be time for learning and singing practices. Our Lord will lead us into living fountains of water (Rev 7:17 ). We shall then know our Lord in a far more intimate way than it was ever possible on earth.
O! What a blessed day of rejoicing it will be when we all get to heaven. Amen.