1. We will not sleep for all eternity. We sleep because our bodies grow weary and tired. We will never be tired throughout eternity, so there will be no need to sleep. God never sleeps: “He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).
2.
God
will increase our knowledge so that we will “know fully.” When we stand face-to-face with Jesus “then
I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12). We
will need this knowledge for the assignments we will carry out.
3.
Our
bodies will shine throughout eternity. “When He appears, we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). In
heaven our bodies will become like the body of Jesus after He was resurrected
and glorified. “His face was like the shining of the sun in its
strength” (Rev. 1:16). Our resurrection bodies will literally shine with
brightness, just like Jesus’. “The righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father”
(Matt.13:43). Daniel wrote: “And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of
the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
(Daniel 12:3)
4.
We
will meet every redeemed person who ever lived.
You will sit down and dine with those whom you have read about in the
Bible. “And I say to you, that many will come from the east and the west, and recline at the table with
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 8:11). If you
are a Christian, you are reading about yourself in this passage. We will
literally meet all the people who have been redeemed throughout the history of
the earth and since we will “know fully,” we will know them by name
5.
We
will have job assignments throughout eternity. We would be bored if we had nothing to
do throughout eternity. The kingdom of God will be composed of different ranks
and positions (Luke 7:28, Rev. 19:16). We will be rewarded for every good thing
we did on earth after being saved (Matt. 10:42). “Well done, good and faithful
slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many
things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matt 25:23). Our rewards will
be our assignments in heaven. Positions throughout the kingdom, from least to
greatest, will be assigned according to how faithfully we lived on earth.
6.
Our
eternal dwellings will not be like our earthly houses. Jesus
compared our temporary houses on earth with eternal dwellings in heaven. He
said, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when
it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9). Jesus
said, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; I go to prepare a place
for you” (John 14:2). In heaven we won’t need houses with roofs to protect us
from weather. We won’t need bathrooms or bedrooms. We won’t need a garage (no
cars in heaven). We won’t cook so no need for a kitchen, refrigerator, or
stove. These are literal structures for
each believer, but as to what their function will be, we will find out
when we get there. Earthly homes serve an earthly purpose, and our eternal
dwellings will serve a heavenly purpose. www.makinglifecount.net
For more information about life in heaven, read my book Making Today Count for Eternity.
