Heaven is an unfathomable place

Published 12:00 am Sunday, July 29, 2012

Sometimes when I’m working on a sermon or thinking deeply, I see some truth about heaven that is unfathomable.

I can state what it is like, but I cannot explain it or understand it because it is completely different from what takes place on Earth. I have no knowledge or example to help me understand it.

I say to myself, “I believe it, but how can it be?” Here are three unfathomable truths about heaven that I have seen recently.

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First, on Earth everything we do is in response to some kind of problem. We say that we do not like problems; yet without problems, we would have nothing to do.

We live in a problem-based world. I go to work to solve a problem. I brush my teeth to solve a problem. Think about it. I bet you will not be able to think of any activity or action that is not in response to some problem.

Yet, in heaven we believe there will be no problems. It will not be a problem-based world.

What will we do?

Good question. Heaven will be filled with action and activity that will last forever, yet not one will be in response to solving some kind of problem.

Second, everything on Earth is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 12:8 rightfully concludes, “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.”

What is vanity? It is the futility of doing. We can’t just do something once and be done with it. We have to do it over and over again. The grass has to be cut over and over.

We must eat everyday. Everything we do on Earth must be done over and over again in order to maintain our existence. But heaven will be a world where vanity does not exist.

Maybe heaven will be a place where nothing is done more than once.

Doesn’t that add mystery? What wonderful things could be done forever without being repeated?

However, if things are repeated they will not be repeated for the same reasons we repeat them on earth.

Lastly, heaven will be a place of satisfaction.

We are never satisfied here completely. Discontentment drives us. We paint a room one color but will not be satisfied with it later.

We will paint it again. We will not be content at home so we will take a vacation.

At Christmas we are not satisfied so we will put up lights and then we will take them down. We would never eat the same foods everyday and be satisfied. There will be no death or decay in heaven.

If there are flowers outside our mansions they will never fade. They will always look bright and new.

On earth we would soon be tired of them, but in heaven where all things will always be new, we will always be satisfied. The miracle of heaven will be satisfaction.

I bet you have not understood anything I have said. That is good. Maybe I have it right.

Remember what Jesus said to Nicodemus.

“If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?”

Heaven is unfathomable. It is out of the whelm of this world. It is fantastic. I hope to see you there.

 

James Kearns is pastor of Bald Knob church in Kitts Hill.