I asked my wonderful wife tonight what she is going to get me for my 10,000th birthday, but she wouldn’t tell me. What do you plan on doing 5,000 years from now, got any real plans, maybe head off to a planet a few thousand light years away to join in a game of tag, perhaps go swimming with the giant creatures on a different planet. “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 16:11)
There are quite a few staunch Christians that do not like this kind of talk, you can usually tell who they are by the permanent frown on their face, the continuous staunch way they carry themselves, rarely a laugh much less a smile. I would not want to exist for one day much less an eternity in the type of heaven that they have envisioned, it sounds far too much like forced joy instead of pleasures forever more.
I do not think these individuals truly understand just how much our Lord loves us, they are too close to the Roman Catholic, “be good or God will punish you” theology, one that infers “obedience or else.” The only things that I can be positive about heaven is what the Word of God has told me, all else I must imagine, and of course, those imaginations must be kept in check, or I will end up presupposing on God. I know that He is preparing a place for me, (John 14:3) I know that in the Father’s kingdom there are many mansions, I know that I love my wife dearly and she and I will be together forever, in a love that neither of us can comprehend.
That is one verse that I have always enjoyed debating with people. “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” (Matt. 22:30) So then, let’s see here, the Lord God has promised me pleasures forever more, the most pleasurable and loved person I have ever known is sitting upstairs on the sofa right now, but she doesn’t get to be my wife in the kingdom, I’ll love everybody just as much as her, she will be like a sister in Christ instead of my heart’s desire. Right, okay, got it.
I really do not hold any blame against these individuals, most of them do not spend any serious contemplative time on Christ or His word, they have simply read or heard certain parts of the Scriptures and have decided their interpretation is what suits them best. Like I said, I really have no desire to be in the heaven that they envision. You know what I think? I think that the Lord wants me to suffer in this life so that I will truly understand what it means to never suffer again, and I believe that because it is what the Scriptures say. “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)
I believe that He shows me the injustice of this world on a daily basis, a world that is growing more corrupt and evil by the day, so that one day I will know what it means to be filled. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matt. 5:6) I believe that He places at times wicked people in my path, those that the wrath of God is abiding on, (John 3:36) because one day soon I will be more appreciative of my eternal home. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor. 6:9-10)
I believe that He is allowing my body to begin its “failure stage,” so that as eternity goes on, I can rejoice daily in a glorified body that will never die. (1 Cor. 15:53) And you know what else I believe? I believe that someday He is going to wipe away every tear, I believe I am not going to just be happy every moment of eternity, I am going to be ecstatic, and I am going to be able to share eternity with the woman I love above all others, watching the joy on her face forever. I feel really sorry for those grumpy folks down here that claim Christ as Lord, but, they too will see the truth of His eternal love soon enough.
