A Glimpse Of Heaven
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 2:14
The description of heaven and the holy city given in Revelation 21 and 22 is beyond understanding. The Bible talks about gates of pearl, streets of gold, a river of life, and a tree of life.
It is a place so beautiful that when John, the apostle, caught a glimpse of it, the only thing to which he could liken it was a young woman on the crowning day of her life: her wedding day. He said that the holy city was like “a bride adorned for her husband.”
The Bible teaches that heaven will be a home which is happy. I know many beautiful homes that are not happy. They are homes made beautiful by everything that culture and wealth can do, yet there is something wrong, something lacking. They are homes that bring to mind the wise man’s words, “Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than a house full of sacrifices with strife” (Proverbs 17:1).
God’s house will be a happy home because there will be nothing in it to hinder happiness (Revelation 21:4). This world has in it much happiness for those who know how to find it.
Sooner or later, however, something interferes. No face is so perfect but that it has some blemish. Every rose has its thorn, every cup of sweet has its drop of gall, but in the Father’s house there will be nothing to mar the happiness.
Think of a place where there will be no sin, no sorrow, no quarrels, no misunderstandings, no hurt feelings, no pain, no sickness, no death. That is heaven!
Our Father and our God, the images and thoughts of heaven are exhilarating and astounding. I cannot grasp even a small part of what it must be like. Thank You for inviting me to live eternally with You there. The hope that anchors my soul in this life is bound securely to Your promise of heaven hereafter. Help me to be ready when Jesus comes to take me there. In His name. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).