Have you ever thought that everything you own, all the wonderful places on earth to visit, our physical homes and possessions are all temporary? Nothing on this side of eternity will last forever. Even Jesus on His first coming only lived a short period of approximately 33 years.
Jesus would often baffle His disciple because he spoke of eternal things, stuff outside of their comprehension. Two thousand years later we Christian’s too have a hard time seeing our eternal future. Jesus said in John 13:33 “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said the Jews, so now I say to you. Where I am going you cannot come”. Talk about disrupting the disciples world; hey they had left everything literally to follow Jesus (careers, homes, their towns, friends, families for extended periods), and now Jesus tells them I’m leaving and you cannot follow! Wow.
Thankfully, Jesus being compassionate gave His friends more information. John 14:1-3. Jesus knew their hearts were troubled, so He exhorts them to believe in God and also in Himself. Why? Because being God He knows all things and Jesus has an eternal perspective. Jesus tells them, “In my Fathers house are many rooms”. In heaven, their will be no shortage of living space or glorious provision for all believers. Think about the most absolutely worst place you have lived in your life. It won’t be like that! Think about the most beautiful and luxurious place you have ever lived. It won’t be like that either. Heaven will be so much more incredible, grand and amazing we will all be blown away and so grateful. Why? Because Jesus Himself has been designing and preparing our future homes with all of His creative talent as the master architect and builder.
Then Jesus tells his closet earthly friends, after He ascends back to the Father and has created the most beautiful homes for us, He will return to get us so we may be where He is for all eternity. Even as I write this I long to be with Him! For all those who have trusted Christ for their salvation we will be with Jesus forever, but there will be some temporary moves until the final New Heavens and Earth. Don’t panic, it will all be awesome. For the last 2000 years every believer at death has instantly gone to heaven to be with Jesus and the Father (soul and spirit…body to follow at the resurrection). At the rapture/resurrection event near the end of the seven-year Tribulation period, at the last trumpet we will all be reunited as a family with glorified bodies and celebrate the Lamb’s marriage supper.
At the Father’s instruction, we will return to the earth with our King Jesus to defeat the Antichrist and rule and reign with Him a thousand years. The earth will be transformed, but not 100% perfected as people can still die and draughts and plagues can occur if Nations rebel against the Lord, Zechariah 14: 16-19. Animals that were once enemies will now live again in peace, and carnivores will once again eat plants like in the Garden of Eden before the fall. Isaiah 11: 1-9; 65: 25 This will be the Messianic age and the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord; yet this is still not the full restoration of all of creation. We know from Revelation 20: 7-10 there will be one final rebellion against King Jesus at the end of the glorious millennium reign after Satan is released from the bottomless pit.
Next week Lord willing I will complete this series helping us as Christian’s to have a proper Biblical perspective and a true hope in our hearts of what God is preparing for us and it will be beyond our earthly imaginations. Also, I want to thank those who prayed for my family and my daughter. I give all the praise and thanks to God for the many miracles that took place in the last week and seeing God’s amazing grace extended in a very difficult circumstance. Our daughter is safe and we are incredibly thankful at His provision and love for her. Thank you!
From a friend, Bill W…if you have found these studies insightful and encouraging pass them on to a friend! Maranatha…Our Lord, come!