One definition of “ethereal” is heavenly or celestial; but
another definition is light, airy, or tenuous. The common illustrations of
heaven are so insubstantial and inconsequential as to be unappealing to all but
a few. Fluffy clouds and harps? Does that appeal to anyone? Don’t we long for
something of substance, weighty and meaningful?
The few pictures of heaven from Scripture don’t do much to
excite me either. The images from the book of Revelation are too bizarre to
make me say “I want to be there,” (except perhaps in an idle curiosity as to
what those creatures are actually going to look like). The thought of the
wedding supper of the Lamb is tainted by memories of awkward meals with
strangers, or even worse, memories of junior high cafeteria cliques. I wouldn’t
mind the occasional Gaither-style homecoming concert, though not forever.
Brent Curtis and John Eldredge point out in The Sacred
Romance that one key factor of heaven is intimacy. We will know God
and be known by Him as the dearest of friends (see 1 Cor. 13:12). I don’t think
that is going to be experienced as a crowd of people bowing down before the
throne. That doesn’t sound at all intimate, or even enjoyable. C.S. Lewis
writes in The Weight of Glory, “The sense that in this universe we are
treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some
response, to bridge some chasm that yawns between us and reality, is part of
our inconsolable secret. And surely, from this point of view, the promise of
glory, in the sense described, becomes highly relevant to our deep desire. For
glory meant good report with God, acceptance by God, response, acknowledgment,
and welcome into the heart of things.”
Jesus says, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John
14:2). He’s not just preparing a general place for all believers, but a place
for me. He’s preparing a place that each one of us can call home. My
idea of the perfect meal would be a quiet dinner with a few close friends,
enjoying one another and sharing laughter. The perfect evening might be spent
watching the sun setting and the stars appearing one by one. I’d rather have a
cabin in the country than a room in a mansion. One of my favorite recurring
dreams is of going swimming and finding I can breathe under water. It would be
awesome to go reef diving without special gear and without fear. I believe God
is creative enough to satisfy each person’s deepest desires. And with the new
heavens and new earth, there will be plenty of space for a wide variety of
opportunities.
Other authors have pointed out that just as the original
creation began with God’s work and included a form of work for mankind (tending
the garden), so the new creation will include work. It will begin with God’s
re-creation of heaven and earth (Rev. 21). I don’t suppose we’ll hear the
command to “be fruitful and multiply,” but somehow mankind will have a purpose
to fulfill as well. No longer will work be arduous and frustrating, but
something we can enjoy and glorify God with. We probably can’t even begin to
imagine what God will have us doing because we have nothing on this earth with
which to compare it.
The enemy uses our misconceptions of heaven for his
purposes. If heaven is not a place that we long for, what is our motivation for
sharing the gospel? That’s like trying to get someone excited about going to
the dentist. Sure it’s necessary, but you won’t enjoy it.
“Blessed by the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has
caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and
unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).
