Heaven Past Present Future Ministries

ENCOURAGEMENT TO ETERNAL FOCUS IN UNITY AND FELLOWSHIP OF THE GOSPEL

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 This question is a common one asked  many times in classes and discussions about heaven. The Scriptures teach we will know those we now know on earth when raised in the day of the Lord. Knowing others when we are gathered together is part of the comfort we are to share with one another over those now “asleep” in heaven. We will see them again. It would not be comfort if we did not know them when we get there.

1 Thessalonians  4:13-18

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. NASB (Emphasis mine)

While it will be comforting to see others we knew on earth we also must realize those relationships will be much different than our past experience of spouse, child, boss, coworker, mother, father, brother, friend, etc. Consider the following attributes given about our eternal life with the Father taken from the following link at our site about the new bodies we will have in eternal life. http://www.heavenpastpresentfuture.com/Question14.html

We live in new types of relationships without marriage.

Luke 20:34-35

34 Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, NIV (Emphasis mine)

We are like the angels and are children of God.

Luke 20:36

36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. NIV (Emphasis mine)

New life will have no memory of sorrows, no memory of joys, and no ownership of anything.

1 Corinthians 7:30

30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; NIV

 

Revelation 7:17

17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." NIV

 

Isaiah 65:17

17 "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. NIV

            At first glance of these Scriptures one might assume we will not remember anything about our temporal earthly experience of life. Yet I believe it is not that we cannot remember but after a short time we will not want or desire to remember the things of this world.

To illustrate this I often ask the following question. How many people spend all day long thinking about first grade? Why not? The reason is it is no longer important to dominate our focus. We have graduated to other more important business. In eternity it is not that we cannot look back to our relationships, accomplishments or details of life – we will not want to look back. Of course these are important now but in eternity we have no reason to look back at the past. Every good part of our lives is a special gift from God. We are to enjoy the present. But the experience of heaven will be so wonderfully captivating of our thoughts who will want to look back?

I hope to capture this thought in a novel I am attempting to write called Seven Days of Redemption that will follow Abel as the main character. He is the first deceased of God's redeemed with the most experiences over God's plan. The setting begins with Able watching the unveiling of the Glory of the Father returning to the creation at the end of the 1000 year reign of Christ. At first each chapter has him reflecting on some experience of his past. Yet as he sees the things before him he is so drawn to them he finally at the end of the book no longer ever wishes to look back at the past. He is so captivated by his inheritance from the Father he no longer thinks in terms of his Father Adam, Eve, brother Cain, brother Seth or living in this world.

New life has a different focus than our present world.

1 Corinthians 7:31

31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. NIV

 Our present lives must have a degree of temporal focus. We pray “give us this day our daily bread” as we seek God’s blessings. We must work by the sweat of our brow to sustain life. We must think on things like appearance, preventative health, medical intervention, money, food, shelter, education and clothing. In the new form our focus in only heavenly. Such affairs of this present life aforementioned pass away as no longer necessary to dominate our attention.

From Scripture we find our eternal life with the Father will be much different than that of our current life in this world. In eternity will be no fast food places, no bathrooms, no worn out pavement, no skin or organs of fleshly bodies, no sense to heat or cold, no weight of gravity, and more. All we know here is obsolete in the kingdom of heaven. No kitchens, garbage bags, dusting, vacuuming, cleaning. No hair coloring, doctor's visits, chest pain, accidents, falls or irritants. As I drive long distances to work some emergency rooms I often meditate on how different our eternal experience will be.

We will receive a personalized special name from our Lord that only we know.

Revelation 2:17

To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'  NASB

Patterned after the Lord's glorified body we will not be bound by gravity. At a thought we will travel at God's light speed to a destination. While streets of gold, walls the color of jewels, and gates of pearl may serve as borders we travel unhindered three dimensionally up, down, forward, backward, left or right at will. There are no elevators or stairs in the New Jerusalem that is a 1500 mile cube.

[1] Lorenzo Scott (b. 1922), Reunion in Heaven (of the "House of Prayer" Children),2001-2002, Oil on canvas in artist decorated frame 55.5 x 66.5" Collection of Jim Farmer and Scott Fields. On display in Art Museum of the University of Memphis in exhibit entitled "Coming Home! Self Taught Artists, the Bible and the American South." Viewed at http://www.people.memphis.edu/~artmuseum/ComingHome.html

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