our eternal home

OUR OUR ETERNAL ETERNAL

HOMEHOMEby Richard W. De Haan

God’s Dwelling Place And Ours

TThe mention of the word heaven raises at once anumber of questions. Is there really such a place? If so, where is it? What is heaven like? Will

everyone go there, or just a certain privileged few? And then, some will ask, “Do we go there immediately at death, or does the soul ‘sleep’ for a while?”

For many people in this last part of the 20th century,these questions are not relevant. They scoff at the idea oflife after death and ridicule belief in a heaven of eternalbliss and a hell of everlasting punishment. They areconvinced that man’s existence ends at the grave.

Christians do believe in a beautiful place called heaven,and they look forward to eternal life within its gates.Based on their faith in God’s Word, they anticipate the joysthat await them in their eternal home. This comfortingthought brings healing to the wounds of their earthlyexistence and quenches their sorrows.

The place to find out about heaven is the Bible.The word heaven in its singular and plural forms occursmore than 600 times in Scripture. We are given muchinformation about our eternal home, and in this lesson wewill consider it carefully in two aspects: (1) the habitationof God, and (2) the home of departed saints.

RD911 Our Et Home (3) pp 10/18/04 3:38 PM

© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

THE HABITATION OF GODThe Bible often speaks ofheaven as God’s “habitation”and explicitly declares thatHe dwells there.

Thus says the High andLofty One who inhabitseternity, whose name isHoly: “I dwell in the highand holy place, with himwho has a contrite andhumble spirit, to revivethe spirit of the humble,and to revive the heart of the contrite ones”(Isa. 57:15).Solomon also recognized

heaven as God’s home whenhe prayed:

May You hear thesupplication of Yourservant and of Yourpeople Israel, when theypray toward this place.Hear in heaven Yourdwelling place; and when You hear, forgive (1 Ki. 8:30).This does not mean that

God is absent from earth.His presence is everywhere,but His dwelling place is inheaven. He abides there,

and from that location He is present throughout allHis creation.

The Bible also teachesthat heaven is the locationof God’s throne. Thepsalmist declared:

The Lord has establishedHis throne in heaven,and His kingdom rulesover all (Ps. 103:19).God is king of the

universe He created; theBible speaks of “His throne”which He occupies inheaven. From there He rulesover the affairs of men.Nebuchadnezzar, the mightyking of Babylon, learned ofGod’s sovereign rulershipthrough firsthandexperience. He had becomeself-centered and proud, andthe Lord had temporarilychastened him by a period ofsevere mental illness. Whenit was all over, he prayed:

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar,praise and extol andhonor the King of heaven,all of whose works aretruth, and His waysjustice. And those whowalk in pride He is able

2



to put down (Dan. 4:37).God, the Almighty King,

rules in majesty over Hisentire creation. He holds all things together by Hismighty power. He maypermit evil men and therulers of darkness to havetheir day, but He has notlost control of the world—not for one moment!Although the wicked may rebel against His laws and declare themselvesmasters of their own destiny,God from heaven is still incommand.

Psalm 2 describes theempty efforts of the nationsto rebel against the LordGod and against His Christ.These boasters say:

Let us break Their bondsin pieces and cast awayTheir cords from us (v.3).But the psalmist went

on to express the folly andmadness of seeking to standup against the Almighty:

He who sits in theheavens shall laugh; theLord shall hold them inderision. Then He shallspeak to them in His

wrath, and distress themin His deep displeasure(vv.4-5).Yes, God in heaven has

only to speak the word, andall His enemies will bedestroyed. When the Biblespeaks of heaven as God’sthrone, therefore, it meansthat this is the center of Hisadministration, the seat ofHis authority, the placefrom which He issues Hisedicts, commands, andsovereign decrees.

The Bible also teachesthat God accepts ourworship and hears ourprayers in heaven. The Lord told Solomon at thefinishing of the temple:

If My people who arecalled by My name willhumble themselves, andpray and seek My face,and turn from theirwicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,and will forgive their sin and heal their land(2 Chr. 7:14).King David, the father of

Solomon, had also learnedthat God hears the prayers

3



of His people. David hadearnestly sought God’s help,and the Lord had grantedhim victory over thePhilistines. In gratitude he wrote:

In my distress I calledupon the Lord, and criedout to my God; He heardmy voice from His temple,and my cry entered Hisears (2 Sam. 22:7).God has promised to

listen to the prayers of Hispeople. What a blessing that the same is true forChristians today! Whetherwe want to confess our sinsto Him or just to praiseHim, He will hear andrespond.

In heaven, God not onlyaccepts the worship of Hispeople on earth, but He alsoreceives the adoration of theheavenly hosts who dwellthere with Him. In Hebrews12:22, for example, we aretold of an innumerablecompany of angels who abide in heaven. The Bibleportrays them as constantlyworshiping and servingGod. They are continually

going back and forth, fromearth to heaven and fromheaven to earth, fulfillingthe Lord’s instructions.

Are they not allministering spirits sent forth to minister forthose who will inheritsalvation? (Heb. 1:14).All of this activity

centers around God’sthrone. There they receivetheir orders, and there theyreturn when their missionis accomplished.

Other angelic beings,the cherubim and seraphim,are with God in heaven.Creatures of service andworship, they attend Histhrone to extol His virtues,to guard His holiness, and to render praise throughobedience.

Heaven is the habitationof God. From there He rulesover all creation, hears theprayers of His people, andaccepts the worship of Hisearthly subjects and Hisheavenly attendants.

4



THE HOME OFDEPARTED SAINTSNot only is heaven God’shabitation, but it is also theplace where His saints willdwell forever. We can rightlycall heaven “our eternalhome.” Death does not endall, the soul lives on. And for the believer, the soul atdeath immediately entersforever into the presence ofGod.

Some false religioniststeach otherwise. They referto those who die as being“asleep,” and by this theymean that their souls ceaseto exist until some time offuture resurrection. But the term soul sleep, as used in this manner, is amisnomer—simply becausea soul with no existenceapart from the body couldnot be referred to as“sleeping.” If it doesn’t existit’s gone! This means that atsome future time God wouldfind it necessary to re-createthe entire individual. Thebody would first have to beresurrected; then it wouldneed to be given a new soul.

This is contrary to theteaching of God’s Word.

Death involves physicaland spiritual separation—not annihilation! Physicaldeath occurs when the soulis separated from the body.Spiritual death is theeternal separation of thesoul from God. Although thebeliever in Christ may diephysically, having his soulseparated from his body, hecan never die spiritually.He will never experience the separation of his soulfrom God.

My believing friend, thisshould be a special comfortto you. It means that yourChristian loved ones whohave died are not separatedfrom the Lord and never will be. When they gavetheir hearts to Christ, theyreceived life everlasting.Jesus said:

He who hears My wordand believes in Him whosent Me has everlastinglife (Jn. 5:24).Those who have died in

Christ have entered intothe presence of God, and

5



even now they abide withHim in heaven. Jesustaught this truth in Hiswords to Martha at thetime of the resurrection of Lazarus. When Jesusarrived at Bethany, 4 daysafter Lazarus had died,Martha came out to meetHim and complained, “Lord,if You had been here, mybrother would not havedied” (Jn. 11:21). ThenChrist, assuring Marthathat her brother would riseagain, stated this beautiful,comforting truth:

I am the resurrection and the life. He whobelieves in Me, though he may die, he shall live.And whoever lives andbelieves in Me shall never die (vv.25-26).We may learn two

important lessons fromthese words of Christ. First,even though believers maydie physically, as Lazarusdid, their bodies willsomeday be resurrected.Remember, Jesus said,“I am the resurrection andthe life.” Second, through

faith in Christ the child ofGod possesses eternal life.Therefore, in the deepestsense of the word, he willnever die. That’s why Jesuscould give the gloriouspromise, “Whoever lives and believes in Me shallnever die.”

Yes, the body may perish,but the soul of the Christianlives on—never to beseparated from God, thesource of life. Those whoteach that the soul of manceases to exist at deathdeny a clear statement fromthe lips of our Lord Himself.Remember that Jesus said,“Whoever lives and believesin Me shall never die.”

IN CHRIST’SPRESENCEWhen the believer dies,he departs from this life to go immediately into thepresence of Christ. At themoment physical life isended, therefore, theChristian meets Jesus faceto face in his eternal homein heaven. The words of theLord Jesus at Calvary

6



emphasize this truth. AsChrist hung on the accursedtree, one of the dyingthieves expressed faith inHim, crying out, “Lord,remember me when Youcome into Your kingdom”(Lk. 23:42). The Lord Jesusgave His word that theywould meet again, and notway off in the far distantfuture. He promised, “Todayyou will be with Me inParadise” (v.43).

The apostle Paul viewedthe period between deathand resurrection as a time ofjoy, blessing, and fellowshipin the presence of Christ. Hetold the believers in Philippi:

For to me, to live isChrist, and to die isgain. But if I live on inthe flesh, this will meanfruit from my labor; yetwhat I shall choose Icannot tell. For I amhard pressed between thetwo, having a desire todepart and be withChrist, which is farbetter (Phil. 1:21-23).It’s plain to see that the

apostle fully expected to be

with the Lord the verymoment he departed fromthis life. Because of this hecould say, “To die is gain”and “to depart and be withChrist . . . is far better.”

In 2 Corinthians 5:6-8,he expressed again hissincere conviction that theday he would leave thisbody, he would join hisSavior in heaven:

So we are alwaysconfident, knowing thatwhile we are at home inthe body we are absentfrom the Lord. For wewalk by faith, not bysight. We are confident,yes, well pleased rather to be absent from thebody and to be presentwith the Lord.To give proper emphasis

to the tenses used in theGreek, this last verse shouldread, “We are confident, Isay, and willing, rather to be once-for-all away fromhome as far as the body isconcerned, and to be once-for-all at home with theLord.”

Paul was not speaking 7



here about the resurrectionof the body. That will occurwhen the trumpet soundsfor the rapture of thechurch. Rather, he spoke ofwhat happens to the soulimmediately followingdeath. When a Christiandies, his soul is ushered intoChrist’s presence in heaven.Death for the believerbrings about an immediate,once-for-all change—frombeing in our body on earthto being with our Lord inour eternal home.

This is the fulfillment ofJesus’ prayer of John 17,spoken shortly before Hiscrucifixion:

Father, I desire that theyalso whom You gave Memay be with Me where Iam, that they may beholdMy glory which You havegiven Me; for You lovedMe before the foundationof the world (v.24).For the believer, this

prayer finds fulfillment at death. He enters heavenand begins to experience allthe wonderful blessings ofbeing with the Lord.

SUMMARYIn this lesson we haveemphasized two importanttruths. First, heaven is thehabitation of God. It’s wherethe Lord rules over all Hiscreation, accepts theworship of His beings, andhears our prayers. Second,heaven is the home ofdeparted saints, where wewill abide forever in thepresence of our Savior, theLord Jesus Christ. Althoughour bodies may be buried inthe grave to be resurrectedat the rapture of the church,our souls go immediately tobe with the Lord.

Not everyone, however,will enjoy the glories ofheaven. There is onecondition that must be metif you are to enter thateternal home. The onlycondition is faith in God’sSon, the Lord Jesus Christ.He said:

For God so loved theworld that He gave Hisonly begotten Son, thatwhoever believes in Himshould not perish but haveeverlasting life (Jn. 3:16).

8



The Holy City

IIam sure manyAmericans who visit ourcapital city, Washington,

DC, are as impressed as I was when they view itsmagnificent structures andmonuments. A walk downthe Federal Mall, going past the Art Institute andSmithsonian Institution,the towering WashingtonMonument, the majesticWhite House, and standingfinally in a moment ofreflection at the LincolnMemorial is a thrillingexperience. As Americans we can be proud, in theright sense of the word, ofour national capital! Itranks with the great citiesof the world—London, Paris,Tokyo, or Rome—in beautyand splendor.

Yet, every Christian is acitizen of a heavenly city—a city more dazzling andbeautiful than anyone onearth has ever seen. Itsstreets shimmer with goldand its jeweled walls andfoundations glow in a

spectrum of color. We aretold that it is free from evilof all kinds, and nothing init will ever tarnish or decay.

You see, a day is comingwhen our present solarsystem will be burned withfire and will be replaced by a new heaven and a newearth. Peter wrote:

But the day of the Lordwill come as a thief in the night, in which theheavens will pass awaywith a great noise, andthe elements will meltwith fervent heat; both the earth and the worksthat are in it will beburned up (2 Pet. 3:10).According to this

prophecy, our universe willbe shattered with a mightyroaring sound. It will burstinto flames with suchintense heat that even theelements that make upmatter will be dissolved. Thesun, the moon, the planets,and the distant stars will all be engulfed in flame, butthis will not be a tragedy. Itwill not mean annihilationbut transformation.

9



The Word of God declaresthat out of the ruins willemerge a glorious newworld—our eternal home.The apostle John saw it in a vision, and under theinspiration of the HolySpirit described the scene:

Now I saw a new heavenand a new earth, for thefirst heaven and the firstearth had passed away.Also there was no moresea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, NewJerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for herhusband (Rev. 21:1-2).The New Jerusalem,

which John proceeded todescribe, will rest upon thegreat planet that will comeinto existence. This holy citythat comes down will be thecapital of the new heavenand new earth. It is calledthe “New Jerusalem” todistinguish it from the twoother Jerusalems mentionedin the Bible—the earthlycity still in Palestine todayand the “heavenly

Jerusalem” of Hebrews 12.(The heavenly Jerusalemand the New Jerusalem areactually the same city, butseen at different stages ofredemptive history.)

Let’s now consider threeaspects of this heavenly city, the eternal home of theredeemed: (1) its presentlocation, (2) its place in thecoming millennial reign ofChrist, and (3) its externalappearance as it comesdown to rest upon the greatplanet of the future.

THE LOCATION OFTHE HEAVENLY CITYThe eternal home of thesaints is now in heaven as the capital city, which isimplied in the name “theheavenly Jerusalem” (Heb.12:22). But this raises aquestion that has often beenasked, “Where is heaven?”

Some think it is locatedsomewhere in the northernskies. To support this, theypoint out that astronomershave discovered only onearea in space that appears to be empty—the region

10



around the North Star.No other stars have everbeen discovered there.Rather, only a faintluminous glow has beendetected. Therefore, theyspeculate that this must be the location of heaven.

For biblical evidence tosupport their position, theypoint to Psalm 75, whichreads in part:

For exaltation comesneither from the east nor from the west norfrom the south (v.6).They reason that if

“exaltation” does notoriginate from the east,west, or south, it can comeonly from the north. Thusthey conclude that since God is the One who givesblessing, this verse teachesthat His throne is locatedsomewhere in the north. Inaddition, they point out thatthe altar sacrifice was thebrightness of God’s glorycoming from the north(Ezek. 1:4).

These scripturalaffirmations may give us a hint as to the present

location of heaven and itscapital city, though we can’tbe sure that it is in somedistant place out in space.It may be much nearer toearth than we think, and we need not be disturbed bystatements of unbelieverswho say that no astronomershave ever seen evidence ofits existence. The fact is thatvast reaches in space havenot yet been probed by themost powerful telescopes.Besides, it is foolish to denythat something exists justbecause it cannot be seenwith the eyes or detected by our present equipment.Every scientifically mindedperson in our atomic agerealizes that something may be very real while being completelyimperceptible to us.

We believe beyond alldoubt in the existence of aglorious city called “theheavenly Jerusalem.” We are confident that the saintsof past ages and our lovedones who died in Christ arethere now, and that we willsomeday join them. The

11



patriarchs looked forward toentering this promised citywhen they died. Abrahamleft his homeland, an area ofwell-established cities, tofollow the call of God, thoughhe did not know his earthlydestination. Nevertheless hewas able to exercise greatfaith and patience whileliving as a wanderer because“he waited for the city whichhas foundations, whosebuilder and maker is God”(Heb. 11:10).

Even though Abraham,Isaac, and Jacob were neverable to gain full possession ofthe Promised Land, they didnot despair. They realizedthat a heavenly city wasawaiting them. That’s thereason the Bible says that“now they desire a better,that is, a heavenly country.Therefore God is notashamed to be called theirGod, for He has prepared acity for them” (Heb. 11:16).

This heavenly city,planned and built by God,is mentioned again inHebrews 12.

But you have come to

Mount Zion and to thecity of the living God, theheavenly Jerusalem, toan innumerable companyof angels (Heb. 12:22).I repeat, then, that

today the great city of Godfor which Abraham lookedis in heaven, the dwellingplace of the souls of allbelievers in Christ whohave died. We do not knowexactly where heaven withits capital city is located,but we wait for it withhopeful anticipation.

ITS PLACE IN THE MILLENNIALKINGDOMWhat will be the location of the heavenly city duringthe millennial reign ofChrist? Some believe that throughout the coming golden age it will be suspended above theearth as a satellite city.While this theory cannot be proven, there is someevidence to substantiate it.

In the first place, theScriptures indicate thatChrist and His glorified

12



saints will rule the earthduring the millennial age.Our Lord is depicted asreigning from Jerusalemaccompanied by resurrectedbelievers. This does notmean, of course, that theglorified saints will besubjected to the limitationsof earthly life. Their homewill be the heavenlyJerusalem, but they willserve in certain capacitieshere. Dr. Alva J. McClainexplained it this way:

The residence of the saints in heaven while ruling on earth,actually, is much less of a problem than that of a businessman whoseoffice is in a city while his residence is in the suburbs.A number of Bible

scholars believe that during the tribulationperiod, which comes justbefore the establishment ofthe millennial kingdom, theheavenly Jerusalem willbecome visible to earthdwellers. This would be inperfect keeping with the

fact that miracles of power will be on opendisplay. Furthermore, inRevelation 13:6 we mayhave a hint that the peopleon earth will be able to seethe heavenly Jerusalem.We read:

Then he opened his mouth in blasphemyagainst God, toblaspheme His name,His tabernacle, and thosewho dwell in heaven.The Greek text does

not contain the word andwhich we find in ourEnglish version. It should read, “Then heopened his mouth forblasphemies against God,to blaspheme His name,and His tabernacle—thosewho dwell in heaven.”Could it be that the sight of this satellite city wherethe saints dwell triggersthis blasphemy?

Another indication thatthe heavenly Jerusalem will be relatively near theearth is found in Paul’sdescription of the raptureand resurrection at Christ’s

13



coming for His own. He toldthe Thessalonian believersthat the meeting place willbe “in the air.”

The Lord Himself willdescend from heavenwith a shout, with thevoice of an archangel,and with the trumpet ofGod. And the dead inChrist will rise first.Then we who are aliveand remain shall becaught up together withthem in the clouds tomeet the Lord in the air.And thus we shallalways be with the Lord(1 Th. 4:16-17).The place where the Lord

and His saints will meet inthe air could be the locationfrom which they will sharewith Christ in His rule overthe earth during those 1,000years. If this is true, and theheavenly Jerusalem is asatellite city suspendedabove the earth, theresurrected and translatedsaints would have readyaccess to earth from theirdwelling place above. Thiswould facilitate their ruling

with Christ, as promised inthe Word of God.

A further implicationthat during the millennialage the heavenly Jerusalemwill be a satellite city isfound in John’s description,which we read earlier, as he saw it descending fromheaven (Rev. 21:2). Thelanguage used indicates that this city was already inexistence before it made itsdescent to earth. When werecall that Hebrews 12depicts the “heavenlyJerusalem” as a home of“the spirits of just menmade perfect” (v.23), wehave good reason to believethat the eternal home of the resurrected believerswill be the same city. Wefind it logical to think of it in three stages: (1) theheavenly Jerusalem wherethe spirits of the dead nowlive, (2) the satellite cityfrom which certainbelievers commute to earthduring the millennial age,and (3) the settled citywhich will ultimately restupon “a new earth.”

14



ITS GENERALDESCRIPTIONJohn described graphicallythe coming of the NewJerusalem to the earth.Remember, our entirepresent solar system willhave been dissolved into one great mass by God’s fireof judgment, and the newheavens and new earth willhave been built out of itsruins. Then John said:

Now I saw a new heavenand a new earth, for thefirst heaven and the firstearth had passed away.Also there was no moresea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, NewJerusalem, coming down out of heaven fromGod, prepared as a brideadorned for her husband.And I heard a loud voicefrom heaven saying,“Behold, the tabernacle ofGod is with men, and Hewill dwell with them, andthey shall be His people.God Himself will be withthem and be their God”(Rev. 21:1-3).What a breathtaking

sight this must have been!And how awesome the voicethat declared the glorioustruth that God will foreverdwell there with His people!As John looked at the citycoming down, he saw itglowing with the glory ofGod. He observed it restingupon its 12 jeweledfoundations and risingskyward, sparkling like adiamond in the sunlight andreflecting its brightness overthe whole earth. Then Johngave its measurements:

He who talked with me had a gold reed tomeasure the city, itsgates, and its wall. Thecity is laid out as asquare; its length is asgreat as its breadth. Andhe measured the city withthe reed: twelve thousandfurlongs. Its length,breadth, and height areequal (Rev. 21:15-16).The New Jerusalem is

depicted as being 1,500miles long and wide. We also read that “its length,breadth, and height areequal.” Many Bible students

15



believe these numbersshould be taken symbolicallyand that the city, cubical inform, resembles the shape of the holy of holies in thetabernacle and temple.There seems to be no goodreason, however, to departfrom the literal acceptance of the dimensions of the holycity.

Even if we take thenumbers literally, though,we cannot speak withabsolute certainty about its height. But if the phrase“length, breadth, and heightare equal” means that thecity is actually 1,500 mileshigh as well as wide andlong, we still cannot be surethat we should take this asdepicting the shape of aperfect cube or of a pyramidgoing up 1,500 miles. SomeBible students believe thatthe word equal in thiscontext simply means that it will be square, and that in height it will be level.

Whether we accept thecity as existing in the formof a cube, a pyramid, or aperfectly level square makes

very little difference. Ineither case the size is mostamazing. At the groundlevel it covers more areathan India, and if placed inthe United States, it wouldreach from the tip of Maineto the tip of Florida, andfrom the shore of theAtlantic Ocean westward toDenver. What a city thatwill be! It will rise up fromthe earth on 12 foundationsof precious jewels and willglow with perpetual light asit reflects the glory of Godand shines out through itsjasper walls. What beauty!What immensity! No needfor anyone to worry aboutwhether or not there will beroom for the redeemed!

Yes, glory—indescribableblessedness—will be theeternal portion of all whotrust in Jesus Christ.Believers are now citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem,and someday in glorifiedbodies they will enter theNew Jerusalem. What agreat salvation is ours! What a wonderful prospect!What a blessed hope!

16



The Home Of Beauty

TThe day is comingwhen a greatexplosion will occur

and a cleansing fire willsweep across our entireplanetary system. Thiscatastrophic event will markthe end of time, the finaldefeat of Satan, and theushering in of eternity. Afterdescribing the millennium,the apostle John said:

Then I saw a great whitethrone and Him who saton it, from whose face theearth and the heaven fledaway. And there wasfound no place for them(Rev. 20:11).The apostle Peter

also described this day ofjudgment when he wrote:

The heavens will passaway with a great noise,and the elements willmelt with fervent heat;both the earth and theworks that are in it willbe burned up (2 Pet. 3:10).In this manner the

material of our present

universe will be purged,purified, and transformed.Out of this all-encompassingconflagration will emerge a new planet which Johncalled “a new heaven and a new earth.” The heavenlyJerusalem, where the saintsof the ages now dwell withChrist will then descendfrom a region untouched bythe flame and come to reston the new earth, where itwill remain forever as thecapital city of heaven. It will then be called the NewJerusalem. The apostle Johndescribed this great event inRevelation 21.

When we think about theeternal home of all whobelieve in Jesus as personalSavior, some questionsnaturally arise: “What kindof place will it be?” “Whatwill we do there?” Many ofour questions are answeredin Revelation 21 and 22.Included is a description ofthe beauty of the heavenlycity from without and itsglory within. In this chapterwe will consider these twoaspects of our eternal home.

17



ITS BEAUTY FROMWITHOUTLet’s imagine we’re standingon a vast plain with theheavenly city towering aboveus in resplendent beauty. Wesee a brilliant, shining city,with light streaming throughits jasper walls and pearlygates, and a full spectrum ofcolor gleaming from itsjeweled foundation.

Its Jasper Wall. As wegaze in awe on the city, thefirst thing to attract ourattention is its massivejasper wall. The apostleJohn described it as follows:“Her light was like a mostprecious stone, like a jasperstone, clear as crystal. Alsoshe had a great and highwall” (Rev. 21:11-12). Inverse 17 he said this wallmeasures 144 cubits inheight (216 feet). Eventhough we may not be ableto identify exactly what kindof jasper this is, we do knowthat these semi-preciousstones are translucent incomposition, so that light isable to pass through them.From these jasper walls,

therefore, radiate brilliantrays of dazzling color for allto see. The glory of the citywill thus be visible fromafar, and even the dwellersin the area outside the wallswill share in its brightness.

Although the wall aroundthe city is real, it is alsosymbolic. The purpose of thewall is not to preserve thecity against invaders, forGod will have no enemies in the new earth. Being 216feet high, it impressivelysignifies that no one willenter the city apart fromGod’s grace. The wall is toohigh to be scaled by humaneffort, and the only portalsare the 12 guarded gates.The requirement foradmittance is salvation,and no one who has rejectedGod’s plan will be able to goin. Salvation is the gift ofGod’s grace to those whohumbly acknowledge theirneed of forgiveness and whoreceive Jesus Christ asSavior.

Its JeweledFoundations. The nextthing to catch our vision as

18



we look at the city is its jeweled foundation.Normally, foundationsundergird the walls of a cityand lie below the groundwhere they cannot be seen.But this is not the case inthe New Jerusalem, for thefoundation supporting itswalls is fully visible to all and is indescribablybeautiful. Comprising 12layers of different preciousstones—from sapphire toemerald—the wall stretchesall the way around the city.

Many Bible studentsbelieve that these jewelsreflect all the colors of the rainbow, though we do not know the precisecharacteristics of each stone.Beginning at ground level,these were probably thecolors seen by the apostle:the jasper stone may havebeen a light green or yellow;the sapphire, a sky-blue or azure; the chalcedony,containing a combination ofcolors, was mostly green andblue; the emerald, brightgreen; the sardonyx, red andwhite; the sardius, reddish

in color; chrysolite, goldenyellow; beryl, sea-green;topaz, yellow-green andtransparent; chrysoprasus,golden-green; jacinth, violet;and amethyst, either rose-red or purple. The radiatinglight of the city, shining outthrough the jasper wall and blazing through theopen gates, reflects fromthese precious stones insplendrous color.

The beauty of the city to the observer from theoutside will be magnificent,as described in Revelation21:19-20. In the foundationstones will be inscribed thenames of the 12 apostles of the Lamb (v.14), thosevaliant men of Israel who first proclaimed themessage of a risen Christ to the Gentile world.

Its Pearly Gates. Inthe walls of the heavenlycity are 12 gates of pearl,and they will never close.Here is John’s description:

Also she had a great andhigh wall with twelvegates, and twelve angelsat the gates, and names

19



written on them, whichare the names of thetwelve tribes of thechildren of Israel . . . .The twelve gates weretwelve pearls; eachindividual gate was of one pearl. And the streetof the city was pure gold,like transparent glass(Rev. 21:12,21).Some Bible scholars

believe that these gates ofpearl suggest salvation bygrace. Even as a wound to an oyster results in theformation of a valuablepearl, the gates of heavencan be entered only because the Lord Jesus was “wounded for ourtransgressions” (Isa. 53:5).Although men wickedlyrejected Him and crucifiedHim, it was through thisdeath that salvation wasmade possible. Now, all whobelieve on Him can lookforward to entering thepearly gates of heaven. JesusHimself said, “I am the door.If anyone enters by Me, hewill be saved” (Jn. 10:9).

The gates are open at all

times and in every direction,for salvation is still offeredfreely to everyone. Theangels who keep watch atthe open gates, therefore,are a wonderful contrast tothe cherubim who guardedthe closed gate of Eden afterAdam and Eve sinned.These angels keep the wayof access open, while thecherubim kept the Gardenclosed to fallen humanity.

In the gates are inscribedthe names of the 12 tribes ofIsrael, for “salvation is ofthe Jews.” The Lord JesusChrist was born of the seedof Abraham and David,and only those who comethrough the blessedness of His “Messianic gate” canpass through the pearlygates into heaven.

ITS BEAUTY WITHINHaving envisioned thebeauty of the NewJerusalem from the outside,let us now pass through oneof those pearly gates andenter the city. As we crossthe threshold, we gaze inwonder, for before us lie a

20



golden street, a crystal river,and the tree of life.

Its Golden Street.One of the characteristics of the heavenly city is theabundance of gold. Aprecious commoditythroughout man’s history,gold has been used as anoverlay in works of art andas a standard of value, andhas been the means of agreat amount of both goodand evil in society. It servedthe purposes of God in thetabernacle and temple, formuch gold was in evidencethere; it was also used byidolaters in the making ofimages. On earth, men havefought, suffered, and died for it. But in the NewJerusalem, gold will be so plentiful that it will beused for cobblestones andbuilding blocks. And it willbe like glass, possessingtransparent qualities, sothat the glorious light of the holy city will both shinethrough it and be reflectedby it. Here is John’sdescription:

The city was pure gold,

like clear glass. . . .and the street of the city was pure gold,like transparent glass(Rev. 21:18,21).Traditionally, gold

has symbolized purity.In the wedding band, forexample, the circle speaks of endlessness and the goldstands for purity. The goldenstreet of the New Jerusalem,therefore, might wellsuggest the pure and holywalk of God’s redeemed intheir eternal home. And the brightness of the city,reflecting from the gold thatabounds everywhere, willhave its uncorruptedcounterpart within the heartof every citizen of heaven.Yes, holiness and purity willpervade the eternal city.

Its Crystal River. Ariver clear as crystal willflow through the NewJerusalem. The apostle John declared:

He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,proceeding from thethrone of God and

21



of the Lamb (Rev. 22:1).Just as in Eden there

was a river to water thegarden, so also in the NewJerusalem there will be ariver of life. It will begin atthe throne of God, the veryuppermost part of the city,and it will course downwardthrough the entire area.

Cities have always beendependent on a good watersupply, providing for theirinhabitants freshness,cleanness, and life. Eventoday the river continues tobe an emblem offruitfulness, vitality, andabundance, its waters beingfed by melting snows frommountain ranges andrefreshing springs, andconstantly purified as theytumble downward to be usedby people. In fact, our Saviorvery fittingly used the words“rivers of living water” (Jn.7:38) to indicate the outflowof blessings from the life ofthe believer through thework of the Holy Spirit.

In the New Jerusalem,a river of crystal will flowforever, reminding us for all

eternity that God hasgraciously and abundantlyprovided for our everyspiritual need.

Remember, life ineternity will not be anebulous existence in somenameless place. No indeed!We will lead rich and full

lives in glorified bodies. We’lldwell on a renewed earth ina real city of gold, and ourlives will be filled withsignificance and meaning as we give praise to ourRedeemer and gladly do His bidding.

This crystal river flowingthrough our eternal homewill be of sparkling beauty

22

mLife in eternity will not be a nebulous

existence in somenameless place.

We will lead richand full lives in

glorified bodies.n



and of clarity beyond thepurest water man has everseen. Think of it! All whobelieve in Christ will walkthe banks of this gloriouscrystal river. What a blessedjoy will then be ours!

Its Tree Of Life. Athird item of special interestin the New Jerusalem willbe the tree of life. WhenAdam and Eve sinned, theLord God drove them fromthe Garden of Eden. Onereason He did this was toprevent them from havingfurther access to the tree of life. You see, they hadrebelled, bringing the curseof death on themselves. Thetree of life was therefore outof bounds for them. But inour eternal home we willonce again be free topartake of the fruit of thistree, for Revelation 22 says:

In the middle of its street,and on either side of theriver, was the tree of life(v.2).The term tree of life does

not refer to one single tree,but to a species. Apparentlythere will be many such

trees, for we are told that“on either side of the river,was the tree of life.” Whileonly one tree of life stood inEden’s garden, here in theNew Jerusalem—man’seternal paradise—amultitude of these trees are seen lining the river andproducing fruit continuously.Their leaves will be a specialblessing to mankind, forJohn said that “the leaves of the tree were for thehealing of the nations.”

It’s difficult to envisionjust how the trees, thecrystal river, and the street of gold will be related. Some excellentBible teachers feel that ariver will flow through themiddle of a broad street,and that alongside the riveron each bank will be thetrees. Others believe that agrove of trees is centeredbetween the avenue of goldon one side and the river on the other. Regardless ofwhich view you may choose,it’s evident that those whoconceive of heaven as a place where the redeemed

23



will do nothing but sit ongolden stairs playing harpsare grossly mistaken. Life in heaven will be filled with beauty and variety.

Christian friend, we’vebeen concerned with whatthe Bible tells us about oureternal home. We have seenits beauty from without: itsgleaming jasper walls, itsjeweled foundations, and itsgates of pearl. We have alsoseen its glory within as wehave envisioned the street of gold, the crystal river,and the tree of life.

This glimpse of oureternal home should bringtwo responses to the heart of the true believer inChrist. First, there should be a renewed determinationto place top priority on thespiritual and eternal ratherthan on the physical andtemporal. May we therefore,in anticipation of the gloryand beauty of our eternalhome, begin right now to“lay up . . . treasures inheaven” (Mt. 6:20) byputting the Lord first and by a constant

willingness to serve Him.

Second, the thought of heaven should cheer us when we becomediscontented with life and discouraged about thefuture. No matter how badlythings may be going or how

difficult the struggles, theprospect of that wonderfulabode awaiting us should bea source of encouragementand hope.

Remember, in heaven we will live forever in thepresence of our loving Savior.Life will be rich and full, andwe will know a purity, bliss,and love such as could neverbe experienced here.

24

mThe thought of heaven should

cheer us when we become

discontented withlife and discouragedabout the future.n



The Home OfBlessedness

TThe pain, sorrow, andunhappiness in thisworld of ours are

distressing to any sensitiveindividual. Starvation isrampant in some parts of the globe, mothers andtheir children have been lefthomeless by war, and youngand old alike are destroyingtheir lives inch by inchthrough alcohol and drughabits. Crime has increaseddrastically. Selfishness andsin have turned our earthlyhome into a habitat ofuntold suffering andwickedness.

A time is coming,however, when all of this will be changed. Our solarsystem will be purged by agreat consuming fire, and itwill be replaced by a newheaven and a new earth.Writing in Revelation 21 and 22, the apostle Johnrecorded his vision of animmense city of shimmeringbeauty, descending slowlyfrom heaven to become the

capital city of our eternalhome. It will be radiant with the light of God’s gloryshining through its jasperwalls, its jeweled foundation,and its pearly gates. Andthis city, the New Jerusalem,will be the eternal abode ofall who have placed theirfaith in Jesus Christ. All who have been saved willwalk the street of gold in transformed, glorified bodies. We’ll enjoy heaven’sbeautiful crystal river andhave ready access to its treeof life. We’ll be eternallydelivered from every evil and burden that plagues our world today. And we’llfinally have become whatGod intended us to be.

What a wonderful lifewe’ll have in our eternalhome! In that perfect societywe’ll realize our full spiritualpotential as individuals.Having entered an eternalfellowship with God, we’ll be engaged in an endlessvariety of meaningfulactivities. We’ll join with the saints of all the ages in a spirit of communion,

25



fellowship, and love, allcentered on the Lord JesusChrist.

In this concluding lessonon Our Eternal Home, I’dlike to consider with yousome of the marvelousblessings that await us. We’llsee that the imperfections ofthis life will be missing andthat positive blessings willbe there in abundance.

THE EFFECTS OF SIN REMOVEDSo that we may morecompletely understand theblessings and glory of ourlife in heaven, John’s recordmentions a number of thingsthat mar human existenceon earth, and assures usthat they will not be presentin our eternal home.

No Tears. Our days on earth are filled withtragedy, heartache,suffering, disappointment,and evil. As a result, tearsare all too common in theexperience of mankind. Thelonely vigils at bedsides, thesecret burdens buried deepin a mother’s heart, and the

memories of tragedy,rejection, and pain are alltoo close to us. But beforeeternity begins, God Himselfwill wipe away all tearsfrom our eyes! The ministrywill not be entrusted toangels. No lesser citizens of heaven will perform thistask, for the Lord Himselfwill pour His healing balminto the wounds and hurtsof our lives. The apostleJohn wrote:

God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;there shall be no moredeath, nor sorrow, norcrying. There shall be nomore pain, for the formerthings have passed away(Rev. 21:4).Let me be quick to

point out that these words in no way imply that saints will shed tears in heaven concerningthe sins and failures of theirearthly lives. Not at all! The gracious, comfortingwork of God, not the remorse of the children,is the emphasis of this verse.

26



No Death. Not only willthere be an absence of tearsin heaven, but John alsosaid, “There shall be no moredeath” (Rev. 21:4). Thisfearsome enemy continuallycasts its shadow on our liveshere on earth. Eventuallydeath enters every happyfamily circle. Sooner or later,every home experiences thefeeling of emptiness—thedreadful vacuum caused bythe passing of a loved one.No member of humanity,even the most strong, canescape the relentless passingof time and the realizationthat the earthly sojourn isbrief. How happy we can bethat in our eternal home wewill experience no moreanxiety, no more wonderingwhen the end will come, nomore long hours by hospitalbedsides, and praise God, nomore funerals!

No Sorrow NorCrying. These words areclosely related to the tearsGod wipes away, but thesorrow absent from oureternal home has referenceto mourning or grief. Here

on earth we have manyoccasions for sorrow—ourown sins and shortcomings,personal misfortunes,disappointments in others,and distressing nationalconditions. When we reach the New Jerusalem,we shall never again mourn,but we’ll be completely free from sin, experience no adversity ordiscouragement, and never have occasion to beconcerned over calamitousnational or world conditions.In James 4:9 sinners arewarned to change theirlaughter into mourning, butin heaven the saints willexchange mourning for joy.

We also are reassuredthat there will be no morecrying. This refers to loud,uncontrolled sobbing, thekind of weeping that resultsfrom the shock of deep,piercing hurt. Thank God,when we reach the eternalhome, we will never againhear agonizing cries ofsorrow or anguish. Therewill be no heartbreak in heaven.

27



No Pain. We are also given the comfortingassurance that “there shallbe no more pain” (Rev. 21:4).What a blessing to readthese words from the Bible!A brief visit to a cancerward, convalescent home, orhospital quickly gives us anunforgettable glimpse of thewidespread suffering thatcurses our world. In heaven,however, we will never againexperience hurt of any kind.These bodies of ours in theirglorified state will be freefrom all disease. We’ll neveragain know physical distressor suffering. And, we’ll nevergrow old. A feeling of vigorand youthful energy will forever mark theresurrection body that will be ours.

No Night. Then too,we are told that night willnever fall in heaven.

The city had no need ofthe sun or of the moon toshine in it, for the glory ofGod illuminated it. TheLamb is its light. And thenations of those who aresaved shall walk in its

light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (thereshall be no night there)(Rev. 21:23-25).In the present, we’re

dependent on the sun forlight and heat. We have day and night, and the four seasons, because of the earth’s rotation and ourrelationship to the sun. Inheaven, however, there willbe no need of sunlight, forthe radiant glory of God will fill the city and spreadthroughout the entire earth.

No Defilement.Another element common tothis life that will be missingin heaven will be defilementfrom evil. Revelation 21:27tells us that “there shall byno means enter it anythingthat defiles, or causes anabomination or a lie.” Todayour larger cities are filledwith crime, violence,obscenity, and hatred.Pornographic literature,obscene theatricalproductions, and blatant

28



immorality pervade thestreets. In urban areas,parents are even afraid tolet their children walk to the playground alone, forfear they will be harmed or molested. Drug addictionand its related evils andheartaches threaten many teenagers who attend our high schools.Violent crimes such as rape,armed robbery, and murderare on the increase.

The promise of nodefilement in heaven,therefore, comes as goodnews. Within the gates ofthe New Jerusalem no sin can enter. No defilingsubstance nor personal actsof desecration can mar itseternal purity. And nospiritual or physical harm will ever come to any of God’s children.

Think of it: No rebellion!No murder! No violence! Noimmorality! What a blessedplace heaven will be!

No Curse. Anothereffect of sin that will beremoved forever when weenter our eternal home is

found in the promise that“there shall be no morecurse” (Rev. 22:3). In ourworld, farmers must toilendlessly in their battleagainst weeds, poor soil,plant disease, and insects.A violent storm can wipe out a year’s crops in a few minutes. But in heaven, nothing will impairproductivity. All the effects of Adam’s curse will be goneforever. Fields and orchardswill flourish. Finallydelivered from theconsequences of Adam’s fall, nature will smile onmankind. We’ll experiencean abundance that has beenunknown since the fall ofman.

In our eternal home,we will be free from tears,death, sorrow, crying,pain, darkness, anddisappointment.How comforting andstrengthening it is to reflecton the curse-free world thatawaits us! The tears andsorrows of this life will only serve to make heaven all the sweeter.

29



MAN’S DESTINYFULFILLEDThe evils that mar our life on earth will be gone in heaven, and we will fulfill perfectly the purposefor which God created us:to enjoy His presence,fellowship, and blessing.God has planned that weshould be exalted aboveangels, for they are “sentforth to minister for thosewho will inherit salvation”(Heb. 1:14).

We Will Know HimPerfectly. Our presentknowledge of God, while real and precious, remainsincomplete. Sin has enteredand distorted the picture,and we often fall short of the Lord’s ideal for us. Butin heaven we will knowHim perfectly. We’ll beholdthe glory of His presence,and faith will turn to sight.

I heard a loud voice fromheaven saying, “Behold,the tabernacle of God iswith men, and He willdwell with them, andthey shall be His people.God Himself will be with

them and be their God”(Rev. 21:3).Yes, we will delight in

the glory of the Lord God.And we will know Himpersonally, for the Biblesays:

They shall see His face,and His name shall be on their foreheads (Rev. 22:4).Our hearts will throb

with joy as we comprehendthe fullness of the Lord’sglory and majesty. Lovingadoration and sincere praisewill flow from our hearts aswe gaze into the face of ourSavior.

We Will WorshipAnd Serve Him. Inaddition to the blessing ofknowing and enjoying God,we will be kept busy infruitful activity.

There shall be no morecurse, but the throne ofGod and of the Lambshall be in it, and Hisservants shall serve Him (Rev. 22:3).Sometimes heaven is

incorrectly pictured as aplace of never-ending

30



boredom and sameness. Itsinhabitants are portrayedas floating around onclouds, wearing long whiterobes, and playing harps allday. Or they are depicted asstanding forever around thethrone of God, mouthing Hispraises in unison for alleternity.

I’m glad that’s not theaccurate story. We’ll worshipGod! It will be an importantand rewarding part of ourheavenly activity. Theshortcomings andimperfections of our praisehere will all be removed.Our minds won’t wanderduring prayer as they do now, and we won’t bethinking about business or other less importantmatters when our fullattention should be directed toward God. Notemple will be needed in theNew Jerusalem (Rev. 21:22),for it would be an elementof the imperfect, symbolicworship of this world.

The new world will alsopresent opportunity for anendless variety of activities.

The joys we derive fromGod’s beautiful world ofnature will still be ours,only on a far higher plane.The delight of fellowshipwith others will also exceedanything we have everexperienced on earth. In our heavenly home we willknow one another perfectly,and each will be withoutfault. Our fellowship todayis often marred by evasionand a covering of ourdeepest thoughts, but then a wonderful spirit-to-spiritcommunion of radiantpersonalities will exist.Remember, the verse said,“His servants shall serveHim.” We’ll be busy doingthings He considersimportant, and we’ll beinfinitely happy as we doHis will. Yes, in our eternalhome we’ll know a life ofpraise, satisfaction, andusefulness such as we havenever experienced here onearth.

We Will Reign WithHim. Finally, all believersin Christ will reign with theLord Jesus for all eternity.

31



The apostle John, afterdescribing the light of God’sglory that will surround us,revealed that we will sharein His dominion over theearth. He declared:

There shall be no nightthere: They need no lampnor light of the sun, forthe Lord God gives themlight. And they shall reign forever and ever(Rev. 22:5).This completes our

glorification. We will actuallyshare in the authority of God over the transformedcreation. Exalted far abovethe angels, transformed intothe likeness of Jesus Christ,set free from all pain,sadness, sin, and death, we’llenjoy a life of never-endinghappiness, satisfaction, andglory. We will have realizedthe purpose for which Godmade us, for with JesusChrist we will exercisedominion over the earth.

You can make certainright now that heaven willbe your eternal home bypraying something likethis:

“Lord Jesus, I wantheaven to be my home.Therefore, believing thatYou died for me and arosefrom the grave, I acceptYou and the salvation Youhave provided. Forgivemy sin. I’m trusting Youand You alone for mysalvation. Save me. I dobelieve. Amen.”If you prayed this

sincerely, you can claim the promise of the LordJesus, “The one who comesto Me I will by no meanscast out” (Jn. 6:37).

32

This booklet is taken from messages taught by Richard W. De Haan on the Day Of Discovery televisionprogram. Richard was presidentand teacher of Radio Bible Class(now RBC Ministries) from 1964 to 1984.

Managing Editor: David Sper

Cover Photo: TSW/Stephen Studd

Scripture quotations are from the NewKing James Version. Copyright © 1982by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used bypermission. All rights reserved.

© 1991, 2002 RBC Ministries,Grand Rapids, MI. Printed in USA.



Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.

Discovery Series presents the truth of Jesus Christ to the world in balanced, engaging, and accessible resources that show the relevance of Scripture for all areas of life. All Discovery Series booklets are available at no cost and can be used in personal study, small groups, or ministry outreach.

To partner with us in sharing God’s Word, click this link to donate. Thank you for your support of Discovery Series resources and Our Daily Bread Ministries.

Many people, making even the smallest of donations, enable Our Daily Bread Ministries to reach others with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible. We are not funded or endowed by any group or denomination.

CLICK TO DONATE

http://ourdailybread.org/donate/

our eternal home

Documents