What is Heaven Like? - 145-158

145.  What is the inheritance of saints?

• Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
• Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
• Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
• Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
• Colossians 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Dearest Father, Your Word declares, because of the sacrifice of Jesus, You have made me an heir of Your kingdom. Your Word is what I need to build me up, to open my eyes, and to bring me to repentance. Your Word will draw me into close fellowship with You so that I can understand what You are promising me. Keep opening my eyes wider and wider as the light of Your glory grows even brighter. Help me to grasp the reality of the glorious inheritance You have promised!

146.  Where is the reward of the righteous?

• Matthew 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
• Luke 6:23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
• Colossians 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the Word of the truth of the gospel;
• Hebrews 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
• 1 Peter 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Father in Heaven, I do rejoice at the great reward that You have in Heaven for me. My hope is not in this world, but in Heaven. Thank You for this hope, Lord, that makes earthly possessions seem insignificant in comparison. I praise You for promising me an enduring and everlasting reward that You are reserving in Heaven for me, to be with You forever!

147.  What are some of the things that are found in heaven?

• John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so , I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
• Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
• Revelation 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
• Revelation 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
• Revelation 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there 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.

Father, I am so looking forward to coming to live in Your house with You! Jesus, thank You for preparing a mansion for me. I am eager to eat from the tree of life, walk on golden streets and drink the water of life. Lord, let my desire to live with You be so strong that nothing can distract me or lessen my anticipation of entering the pearly gates of paradise!

148.  What will be done away with in eternity?

• Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
• Isaiah 49:10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
• Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
• Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
• Revelation 22:3, 5 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

My Dear God, how I long for that day when You will wipe away all the tears from my eyes, and from my loved ones eyes, and all death, sorrow and crying will be forever gone! No more pain, no more sin, no more darkness. Only happiness, peace and joyful praise to our God, and to the Lamb! To be in Your presence forever, Lord, is the ultimate reward. I love You so much!

149.  What will the new earth be like?

• Isaiah 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
• Isaiah 11:7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
• Isaiah 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
• Isaiah 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
• Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

Dear Heavenly Father, what a marvelous new earth You will create for all who truly love You! The animals will live in peaceful harmony, and have no fear of each other. The children will lead around lions and tigers. Lord, You care even about the animal kingdom, and for eternity they will enjoy Your loving care. I must be there, Lord, and enjoy these marvelous pleasures forever!

150.  How sure and how real are the eternal rewards promised to us?

• Isaiah 32:18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
• Isaiah 65:21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them ; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
• Isaiah 65:22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
• 1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
• 1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Dear Lord, Your Heavenly rewards are real and actual. Your promise that we will build, plant and eat show that this is not just a spiritual, mystical place, but a literal place. This Heavenly country will in every way be superior to our earthly existence.

151.  Will there be no more sickness, sin, handicaps, painful memories in heaven?

• Isaiah 33:24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.
• Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
• Isaiah 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
• Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
• Revelation 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Dearest Lord, what wonderful hope we have! As our physical body show signs of aging, and we have to deal with various health problems, we can be encouraged by Your promise to restore our bodies. No more handicaps or disease. No more painful memories or emotional scars. No more guilt or regrets. All that is wiped away, as we put on immortality and rejoice in Your presence forever!

152.  Is eternal life something that I can count on if I love God with all my heart?

• John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
• John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
• John 14:1, 3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
• Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
• 2 Peter 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Gracious Father, Your gift of eternal life is certain if I truly believe Your Word. You delight to give Your kingdom to Your faithful flock. You will open the gates of Heaven with eager welcome to all Your beloved children who have walked with You faithfully on earth.

153.  Will heaven be worth it?

• Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
• Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
• Isaiah 33:17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.
• Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
• Hebrews 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Oh, Lord, God, to behold You in Your beauty, in that far off land, what exquisite delight that will be! To truly be in Your blessed presence, my joy will know no bounds. Jesus, to hear Your voice saying to me, Come, You blessed of my Father, there could be no higher privilege. My heart is overwhelmed with amazement as I grasp the prospect of this glorious future!

154.  Will heaven be even better than we imagine?

• Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
• Isaiah 65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
• 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
• 2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
• Revelation 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

My God, the future home You are preparing for me is so marvelous I can't even begin to imagine it. I've never seen anything like it, and it's beyond my hugest expectations. Your promises seem too good to be true, but they are true! I'm so looking forward to inheriting the promise. I can hardly wait. My heart pounds with eager anticipation to run into Your loving arms!

155.  Does God's plan of Salvation include restoration to the Tree of Life to God's faithful followers?

• Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
• Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
• Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sWord which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
• Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
• Revelation 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there 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.

Dear God, Your desire for me is to eat from the Tree of Life in Your kingdom. But that is not possible while I hold on to any sin. In Your divine wisdom, You kept sinful man from eating from this tree. You promise me that if I overcome all sin and rebellion by faith in Christ, You will offer me this fruit. You said that those who keep Your commandments will have access to this tree again. Lord, I invite You to take charge of my life and purge me from sin. Do whatever it takes with me so that I may eat this fruit someday.

156.  How can I have a foretaste of the Tree of Life now?

• Proverbs 3:18 She [wisdom] is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
• Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
• Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
• Proverbs 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.
• Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Dear Lord God, put Your divine wisdom in my heart and mind, so that I can experience a taste of eternity even now. And let Your love flow from me, so that others can taste it also Your promises are to me a tree of life. Sweeten my words with divine love so that others may be blessed.

157.  Whose names are written in the Book of Life?

• Malachi 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
• Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
• Philippians 4:3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
• Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
• Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Lord, my Savior. Because I have committed my life to You, my name is truly inscribed in Your Book of Life. What a thrilling thought, one that calls for great rejoicing! Your promise is to all who overcome, that their names will not be blotted out of this blessed book. Jesus, keep me ever trusting in Your shed blood, ever clinging to Your saving hand so that on that great judgment day, my name will be shining from those fair pages, and all my sins will be blotted out by Your blood. I praise You, Lord Jesus!

158.  Whose names are not written in the Book of Life?

• Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
• Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
• Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
• Revelation 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
• Revelation 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Dear Father, these are serious warnings from Your holy Word, which cannot lie. Only those whose names are retained in Your book of Life will enter Your holy kingdom. Help me never to belittle or disregard Your prophetic Word, or to participate in any defiling abomination or deception. Keep my heart fixed on You, so that I do not worship the beast.

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