Who is in Heaven?
The first two messages in this blog series confirm that both God and Jesus reside in Heaven. After all, that is where Heaven is–God’s dwelling place!
But who else is in Heaven?
At home in Heaven with God are angels, all the Saints, and every true believer.* Jesus explained to Martha (and us):
I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” John 11:25-26
And Jesus promised us that we, as believers, would have a place in heaven with him:
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house 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 may be where I am.” John 14:1-3
Paul the Apostle says:
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Philippians 3:20-21
The Bible assures us that believers are in Heaven, thus we are promised that our loved ones are there as well. Christians that have died and were brought back to life describe their near-death experiences in vivid and beautiful detail.
In 24 Hours that Changed the World, Adam Hamilton** describes one such occurrence:
A pastor came to me afterward and said, ‘My experience was very much like Piper’s.’ He had been in a coma and the prospects of his coming out of it were so dim his family decided to remove his life support. He could hear his family member’s tearful goodbyes. At that moment, an old friend who had died years before called his name. The friend told him not to worry, that he would be OK. The pastor felt a great peace come over him and felt a desire to follow his friend. What stood out to him was the sound of singing and music that seemed to emanate from heaven. Shortly afterward he opened his eyes and was restored to life. He told me, ‘I will never forget the peace and assurance that what was on the other side of death was marvelous’.”
Adam Hamilton, 24 Hours that Changed the World, p. 125
Believe…
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is the one that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:4-5
Say it…
If you declare with you mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:9-10
Live it…
We are forever changed when we profess our faith and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We are then assured of our heavenly home with our Father, our Savior Lord Jesus Christ, the family of believers, and our loved ones.
Thanks be to God!
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. Psalm 148:1-2, 13
My home is in Heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.”
Billy Graham
Who are the loved ones you most look forward to seeing in Heaven?
Next Week: “What is Heaven like?”
Sources:
All Scripture is taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version.
*www.biblestudytools.com, April 19, 2020 post.
**Adam Hamilton, 24 Hours that Changed the World, 2009, Abingdon Press.
Previous messages in this series:
Thinking about Heaven (Part 1)
Where Is Heaven? (Part 2)
I’ve enjoyed your series on heaven. It’s so reassuring. My pastor used to say he could always tell who the Christians were as they were dying. “They die well,” he’d said.
Writing this series has given me the opportunity to be reassured, too. As your pastor reminds us, “Christians die well.” We KNOW that, yet when it’s our loved one, that extra assurance of their (and our) eternity with Jesus brings comfort and peace.
Am both humbled and inspired by your teaching dear friend. We can be certain our loved ones who were sealed by the Holy Spirit and precede us to glory will be awaiting us on that day ma’am. I don’t know what that moment will be like (sheer delight to see my Savior, mixed with the purest joy imaginable to be reunited with those we shared our love of Christ with). I think, both. I await the day that I can join with my family, and my “family of faith” to praise our God. What a sweet series this has been ma’am. God’s blessings.
Your encouragement always helps me meet another day with hope. Like you, I look forward to that moment of pure joy when I meet our Savior and am reunited with loved ones. What a celebration we will have! Thank you for your continued prayers, my friend.