Heaven Is Love Perfected
1. God has placed eternity in the heart of man.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
1.1. In creating people God has placed a piece of heaven with us.
1.2. This piece of heaven creates this inner yearning for something more.
1.3. Eternity in the heart of man internally and literally pulls mankind towards our Savior.
1.4. Without this part of us being created beings, fallen into sin, one could consider God unkind and unjust because man had for little change to make it to heaven.
1.5. But that is not the case.
2. In a moment of time we shall be like Him and be with Him in heavenly places.
1 John 3:2 (NKJV) Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
2.1. It has not yet been revealed.
2.2. We have an idea but it is like looking into a mirror dimly.
2.3. Ela… like a mirror that has been fogged over from the shower or window from the mist in the air.
1 Corinthians 13:12 (NKJV) For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
2.4. Moses on the mountain had God cover him and only show him his back side in order that he would not be consumed by God’s glory.
Exodus 33:22-23 (NKJV) 22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”
2.5. To prepare us for heaven God will need to replace this fragile body with one that can endure the intense presence of the Lord.
2.6. We must first put on immortality to exist in heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:52-53 (NKJV) 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality
3. The commencement of eternity with the marriage supper.
Revelation 19:1 (NKJV) After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!
Revelation 19:6-9 (NKJV) 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
3.1. Begins with the marriage supper of the Lamb.
3.2. Ela… A strange union: a perfectly perfect groom and ugly bride. You ever been to one of those weddings or met a couple when you are like “he or she married above their rank.”
3.3. Ela… the story of Mike and Rebecca. I married this couple some 15 years ago. The from to be was a rugged, shorter, hard working, off the streets, without formal education type with a huge heart for God… the bride to be was tall, beauty, brilliant, studying to be a doctor and captured the attention of any room she walked into and also with a huge heart for God. Well this guy decided he heard from God and this women was to be his wife. He must have asked this women to court and or marry him a dozen times of years. She would always just say no, smile and they would keep being friends. Well one day she finally heard from God and said yes. A strange union in the sight of man but not in the sight of God. They have a beautiful marriage and family today.
3.4. The marriage supper of the Lamb is this stranger unlikely type of union. Many whom we never would have thought were qualified to be the Bride will be present while others we thought for sure were going to be a part are no where to be found.
3.5. Blessed are those who participate in the marriage supper with Christ.
3.6. The marriage supper is the commencement of our eternal inhabitation of heaven and happens right before the beginning of the millennial reign of Christ.
4. The millennial reign of Christ upon this earth.
4.1. The first resurrection.
4.2. The marriage supper.
Revelation 20:4-6 (NKJV) 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
4.3. The supper of the great God for the birds of the air.
Revelation 19:17 (NKJV) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,
4.4. The beast and false prophet thrown into lake of fire.
Revelation 19:19-20 (NKJV) 19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone
4.5. Satan bound by an unnamed angel… for a thousand years.
4.6. Then begins our reign with Christ for a 1000 years.
4.6.1. Remember that many before us lived hundreds of years upon earth.
4.6.2. It was not until after the great flood when the number of mans years were so limited as they are today.
Rev. 20:5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
4.7. At the end of a 1000 years satan is released for one more go but he is devoured by the fire of God which fell from heaven and coast into the lake of fire to join the beast and false prophet forever.
5. The Presence and Love of Jesus will permeate the atmosphere of Heaven.
Revelation 21:1-3 (NKJV) 1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
Revelation 22:5 (NKJV) There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
5.1. “Heaven will be an eternal interaction with the Lord and an unveiling of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Here is how Jonathan Edwards describes heaven.” Bailey
5.1.1. In this life we get small taste while in the presence of Jesus. Those moments when we sense undoubtedly that Jesus is near and peace fills our heart and we know everything is going to be ok. Then moments later the current world that we live in hits us again and that sweet taste of heaven vanishes slowly until the next encounter.
5.1.2.The difference is in eternity this encounter never ends.
5.2. God is the fountain of love. Heaven is God’s dwelling. Therefore Heaven is a place of love. Complete unadulterated love.
5.2.1. This is hard for us to image because of our experiences and often times lack of love in our life and definitely not perfect love.
5.2.2. Ela… the small child that is loved has not a care or concern until imperfect love falls their expectation of love.
5.2.3. Heaven is a different place:
5.2.4. “ (In heaven) he will dwell and gloriously manifest himself to eternity. And this renders heaven a world of love; for God is the fountain of love, as the sun is the fountain of light. And therefore the glorious presence of God in heaven fills heaven with love, as the sun placed in the midst of the hemisphere in a clear day fills the world with light.” J. Edwards
5.2.5. In heaven love is perfected.
5.2.6. Though there will still be types of responsibilities and even structure… it is structured to perfection.
5.2.7. There is no envy of one another or what another has or the position of another.
5.2.8. Ela… For those who are deemed as more holy, by heavenly standards, have achieved such holi ness because of their humility. So to be superior in holiness is then to be superior in humility, meaning that those who are in higher positions will not hold that over the head of others who are less superior. This means that in heaven we will honor and respect those who hold such high positions as they will those who are in lower positions.
5.3. “The Apostle tells us that God is love, I John 4:8. And therefore seeing he is an infinite Being, it follows that he is an infinite fountain of love. Seeing he is an all- sufficient Being, it follows that he is a full and overflowing and an inexhaustible fountain of love. Seeing he is an unchangeable and eternal Being, he is an unchangeable and eternal source of love. There even in heaven dwells that God from whom every stream of holy love, yea, every drop that is or ever was proceeds.” J. Edwards