“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 22:1-5
Will we work in heaven?
Ok, that was a trick question. The truth is that “heaven” right now is a temporary place where believers are with the Lord in joyful peace. But that is not where we will live forever.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.'”
Revelation 21:1-3
When Jesus comes back he will unite heaven and earth with no more separation between the spiritual kingdom and the physical kingdom, no more separation between God and His people. He will make all things new.
But that does not mean He will make all new things.
There will be both discontinuity with our current experience and continuity.
- You will still be you for eternity (continuity of identity and personality) but without sin (discontinuity).
- The earth will still be the earth, with oceans, rivers, land, animals but without pain or carnivores or weeds or parasites or death.
- We will still have physical bodies but without pain or aging, disease or negative emotions – we will be glorified!
We don’t have a lot of definite information about our eternal home and what life will be like there, but there are hints in Scripture that have profound significance.
“The tree of life” mentioned in Revelation 22:2 is an explicit call back to Genesis 1, as is the single river (instead of the four rivers of Gen. 1). Continuity of imagery with a garden and life, discontinuity since the serpent will not be there nor will there be temptation or the possibility of sin. Since Adam and Eve worked in the garden, before the fall, the “first commission” will continue through eternity, just without the bit about having babies.
“And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”
Genesis 1:28
“Fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion.”
“And they will reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 22:5
Those who were faithful with little things (this short life) will be entrusted with greater things (eternal life to reign over creation on behalf of King Jesus).
Jordan Raynor (who grew up at Oakwood), has written very helpfully on the importance of work. His latest book provides an excellent summary of why your work matters for eternity, and not just when you’re sharing the gospel.
Join us this Sunday (10/20/24) to hear part two of Jordan’s message. He came last November and shared the truth about work. This time he will reflect on heaven, expanding often believed half truths into the full Scriptural reality. Come be encouraged and inspired that part of the joy of eternity will be doing the work you love and are best at without all these pesky limitations like sin, selfishness and this broken world.