When Walking With Jesus In Eternity

“And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new’.”

— REVELATION 21:5A (NRSV)

Whenever someone dies their loved ones must surely be shaken as to where the spirit of their loved one has gone to. It is, therefore, of much comfort to most Christians to consider their loved one who had faith in Christ has gone to be with Christ and walks with him in eternity.

There is afforded to that one the ability to rest in a bittersweet reality, whereby we miss that loved one oh so much, at we are soothed by the very thought that they have arrived in heaven and will be there forever more.

We cannot grasp what heaven is like, unless, by use of our imaginations, we dig deeply into the visions that Jesus provided us through his Word. And it does us no harm to imagine what marvellous treats lay in store for us, not to mention the peace that our loved ones who are long gone enjoy there today—in that eternal ‘day’.

What Might Heaven Be Like?

I have often wondered if, on arriving in heaven, I will miss my loved ones. Then I ponder what it might mean for the passage of 10, 20, 30, 40, or even 70 years in heaven. Would we not be reacquainted in heaven much quicker than the passage of that time here on Earth? My son, who was born when I was 45, may miss me, but I may be aware of the phenomenon beyond the constraints of time and, therefore, I may not miss him, as he would be with me eternally in some fashion.

Heaven must be a dimension above all dimensions, where its reality encompasses all time, and by some means there is nothing we miss, for everything in truth exists in the same space, somehow.

What might it mean, “For the first things to have passed away?”

It probably means that everything we know about in a worldly context will have been upturned, and that heaven will be completely other-than Earth.

We have a hope in heaven that fantastically supersedes Earth. Of the pains and trials amidst the pleasures we know plenty of; life here seems a little too real sometimes.

Yet in heaven there will be a place for us that will be palatable forever; hope and faith will be superfluous because hope will have had its full purpose realised and love will reign. There will be no impatience or anger or malice; only worship and joy and every sense of peace.

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We have hope in abundance when we consider the reality of our believing loved ones being with Christ in eternity. We wonder what it might be like to experience Jesus face-to-face, and then we are at peace again, knowing our loved ones are enjoying the fullness of salvation as they journey with him.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.