Near the end of our first year of seminary, Sharon and I were walking with another seminary couple, Will and Sue Nece.
I remember saying, “I’m really looking forward to heaven.”
Will said, with a note of alarm in his voice, “Why would you look forward to heaven? Our eternal destiny is the new earth.”
I muttered something like, “Of course. Good point.”
But until then, I had thought that I’d live forever floating on some cloud in heaven.
How prevalent is this confusion?
If our hymns and worship music are any indication, very prevalent.
Humans weren’t created to live in heaven.
How do we know that?
Genesis 1-3 tells us humans were created to live on earth. I’d say this earth, but the earth we have today is only a shadow of the earth before the Fall and the Flood. Adam and Eve lived on an uncursed earth.
Look at Genesis 3:8a. That was the Lord’s intent. The pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ intended to walk with us, live among us, and rule over us.
Revelation 20-22 bookends Genesis 1-3. Revelation 20 tells of a restored earth that will be like this earth before the Flood. The first thousand years of Jesus’ eternal kingdom will take place there. Revelation 21-22 tells us that the kingdom will then move to the new earth, presumably like the earth before Adam and Eve sinned.
There will be rivers of living water. Streets of gold. Trees of life will yield twelve different fruits each year. Kings will bring tribute each year to Jesus in the New Jerusalem. That will be on the new earth, not in the third heaven.
Maybe it’s time we stop singing popular Christian songs about heaven. They are misleading.
Consider the song titled, “This World Is Not My Home”:
This world is not my home;
I’m just a–passing through.
My treasures are laid up
Somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me
From heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home
In the world anymore.
Actually, the song should say just the opposite:
Heaven is not my home;
I’m just a–passing through.
My treasures are laid up
Somewhere on the new earth.
One day soon I’ll meet Him
In the air above.
Then He will take me with Him,
To earth’s open door.
How about the song entitled, “When We All Get to Heaven”? Consider its words:
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
Soon the pearly gates will open;
We shall tread the streets of gold.
Oops. The twelve pearly gates and the streets of gold are on the new earth (Rev 21:21). Not in heaven.
My friend Zane Hodges went to be with the Lord sixteen years ago. He is in the third heaven now. I’m confident he looks forward to the Rapture and the kingdom’s coming. All believers in heaven are indeed looking forward to leaving there and coming here. We weren’t created to live in the third heaven. We were created to live on earth.
We will serve Him forever on the new earth (Rev 22:3). If you’ve been looking forward to eternity in heaven, you need to change your focus.
Part of keeping grace in focus is realizing that Jesus is coming again to establish His kingdom here, not in heaven.
