Summoned to Heaven

The day will come, when your work on earth is done, that God will call you home. He will summon you to heaven. Oh, what a great day that will be! But why? Just what is heaven? What is heaven like? It is well described in the Scriptures.

Heaven is a beautiful place. How do I know? Well, face it. How could it be anything else? Even if you don't know much about heaven, you know it has to be beautiful. Otherwise, why would anyone want to go there? "But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him'" (1 Cor. 2:9). So just set your mind on all things beautiful. Picture heaven as the most beautiful place you have ever seen and you will find yourself longing for heaven. You will find yourself looking forward to heaven with great expectation.

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:2). Why? Because that is where God is. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). Jesus recognized that heaven is "the eternal dwelling place of God" (W.E. Vine, M.A., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Unabridged Edition, [MacDonald Publishing Company: McLean, Virginia, no copyright], 548). God is in heaven and Jesus is at His right hand.

Jesus is in heaven. He told Nicodemus plainly, "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven" (John 3:13). Jesus came from heaven to earth to be born in a stable, God incarnate. He later returned to heaven. Paul wrote, "He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things" (Eph. 4:10).

Mark stated further, "So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God" (Mark 16:19). God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son are in heaven. In fact, heaven is all about the presence of God the Father and of God the Son. What better reason is there to long for heaven? Heaven is where you will be with the Lord, in His presence, forever.

Peter, speaking of the prophets who were searching to understand the truth about Christ, said, "To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into" (1 Pet. 1:12). So, heaven is also where the Holy Spirit came from when He descended upon the disciples gathered in the Upper Room at Pentecost.

You will encounter many angels in heaven because heaven "is the abode of the angels" (Ibid). "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 18:10). Introducing the Parable of the Lost Sheep, this verse reveals how much God the Father cares for His people. He cares for them so much; He has His angels look after them and report back to Him in heaven. Amen.