Heaven

So, I’ve been thinking a lot about heaven lately. If you read my musings here much, you know I dwell on heavy subjects of suffering quite often… and I don’t do well if I didn’t spend time considering heaven also.

So…. there are lots of opinions about heaven and lots of good study and literature about heaven. But I’m just going to share a few things I think about. Because this is my blog and I get to do that.

First – people who have died are not in heaven now. Heaven…. like with a capital “H” is on new earth and is an actual physical place. There is a place we go when we die while we wait for Heaven. Catholics call it purgatory, but I’m not Catholic. Protestants usually call it Intermediate Heaven, which is weird. Anyway, it’s where we wait. And we know that the martyrs are watching events unfold and talking to God about it, asking when He will intervene. I see no reason why I shouldn’t believe that all the saints can see us and still care about us.

Something cool about that – they don’t have the ache and pain associated with suffering… they have our Lord right by their side and no shred of doubt about whether good or evil wins. They know.
Something else cool about that – when I think about those that have died who I miss very much… I see no reason why I can’t talk to them. It helps a little with the loss and pain of their absence here.

Second – I was reading Isaiah 59-62. Roughly. I started skipping around after a bit. But I noticed four things that we will have once we are in Heaven – the eternal Heaven…. with the new Jerusalem and the new heaven and new earth and all that.

1. Babies. Lots of babies.
2. Cooking.
3. Gardening and farming.
4. Building.
5. Parties!
6. Commerce.
7. Peace

Verses:

1. Isaiah 60:22a The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation.
2. Isaiah 62:9b Within the courtyards of the Temple, you yourselves will drink the wine you have pressed.
3. Isaiah 62:8b-9a Never again will foreign warriors come and take away your grain and new wine. You raised the grain, and you will eat it, praising the Lord.
4. Isaiah 61:4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.
5. I couldn’t find it again… probably was just reading about being dressed like a bridegroom. But… weddings are big parties and that’s happening!
6. Lots of talking about other nations bringing gifts to Jerusalem…. didn’t find more about that here.
8. Isaiah 60:18 Violence will disappear from your land: the desolation and destruction of war will end.

Anyway. I’m happy about the babies, cooking and gardening.

Now, for a personal values statement: