Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Where Is Heaven? The Bible doesn't tell us where Heaven is located, but what it does tell us is that it is where God is, and that it is the place of God's throne.⁵ Furthermore, it is also where Jesus is. As the Bible says, "After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them [his disciplesâ€" following his resurrection], he was taken up into Heaven and he sat at the right hand of God."⁶

Heaven is also where Jesus has gone to prepare a place for his followers. As he promised his disciples, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father's house [God's home] has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."⁷

What Will Heaven Be Like? We can't even begin to imagine what Heaven will be like apart from a tiny glimpse of the new Heaven as found in God's Word where it says that the "the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass."⁸ The Bible also says that "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."⁹

Furthermore, in Heaven there will be no more death; no more sorrow; no more crying; no more pain; no more sun or moon, no abominations,¹⁰ and no more hunger, thirst or heat.¹¹ In other words, there will be no more sickness, sadness, crying, death nor loss of loved ones or friends, and no more suffering of any kind, but eternal peace, satisfaction and joy. As King David wrote: "In Your [God's] presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."¹²

Most important of all is that a temple will no longer be needed "because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb [Jesus] are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp."¹³ In other words, the glory of God will be the very center of Heaven for all existence will radiate from and revolve around him.¹⁴

We ask, too, who will go to Heaven, and how can we be certain that we will be included? We will answer this question in tomorrow's Daily Encounter.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you are not only preparing Heaven for all your true followers, but also for giving us a glimpse of its absolute beauty. Thank you, too, for assuring us that it is a place where all sorrow and suffering are ended, and that we will live in perfect peace and harmony with you forever. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

5. Acts 7:49.
6. Mark 16:19 (NIV).
7. John 14:1-3 (NIV).
8. See Revelation 21:18-21 (NKJV).
9. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT).
10. Revelation 21:4, 23, 27; 22:5.
11. Revelation 7:16.
12. Psalm 16:11.
13. Revelation 21:22-23 (NIV).
14. See also Revelation 7:16-17 (NIV).

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