MP3: The Mighty Angels of Revelation 21 Continued
Hosts: Nathan Jones & Vic Batista
Our Heavenly Home
Vic Batista: People short-change themselves when we get too caught up in the world and forget what God has in store for us in the Eternal State. Instead, people can when they think about Heaven and having a saving relationship with God label it a waste of time because their thinking has become futile. But, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit opens up our understanding of the Scriptures, we get excited about Heaven and just can’t wait to get there because of how beautiful and amazing it will be.
Nathan Jones: The New Jerusalem will be materialistically beautiful, but the true beauty of our heavenly home is that God our Heavenly Father lives there, as well as our family. I love the story by Evangelist D.L. Moody in a book he wrote about Heaven.
“When I was a boy I thought of Heaven as a great shining city with vast walls, and domes and spires, there was nobody in it except white robe angels who were strangers to me. But by and by my little brother died and I thought of the great city with walls, and domes and spires and one little fella that I was acquainted with; he was the only one I knew at the time. Well, then another brother died, and there were two that I knew. And then my acquaintances began to die and the flock continually grew. But it was not until I sent one of my own little children to his heavenly parents that I began to think I had a little of myself.
My second child died, a third, a fourth and by the that time I had so many acquaintances in Heaven that I did not see any walls, and domes, and spires. I began to think of a residence of the celestial city as my friends. And now so many of my acquaintances have gone there that it sometimes seems to me that I know more people in Heaven than I do on earth.”
Moody was trying to explain to us that the glory of Heaven is God. The city itself certainly might be wonderful, but what makes Heaven truly spectacular is that’s where our eternal family dwells. Heaven on Earth is living with our fellow Christians and original fellow family members who are saved in fellowship with God forever. Heaven is the believer’s true home, and home isn’t a home unless you have family living there.
What makes #Heaven truly spectacular is that's where our eternal family dwells. Click To TweetVic Batista: What is eternal life without someone to share it with?
Nathan Jones: That’s true, and we won’t have a sin nature anymore because we will be living in our glorified bodies. We’ll never get sick to death of being around each other if we end up spending too much time together. But, the city is 1,500 miles cubed, so if you need to get away for a little “me time” then I’m sure there are plenty of places you can go.
Vic Batista: Talking about Heaven gets me so excited because of how beautiful it will be there. Imagine walking down streets of gold with no trash or junk littering the way. Just beautiful!
Nathan Jones: The wonder of the New Jerusalem is beyond belief! To think as we read in John 14 that Jesus has been preparing a place for us. God made the whole universe in six days, but He has had 2,000 years to work on the New Jerusalem! I don’t know if He used the whole 2,000 years, but clearly this city is supposed to be the crowning achievement of His creation.
Vic Batista: I remember when I came from the Dominican Republic and was only a child. Everyone in the DR said that the dream was to go to New York City because New York City was supposed to be like Heaven with streets paved with money. What a sad reality I faced when I arrived in New York City in 1976. No streets made of money!
Nathan Jones: That would be quiet a letdown. New York City is still amazing. We’ve both been there, and you even lived there. A lot of the streets are actually paved with money, that is if you go to Wall Street, which is all about making money. But, New York is a pale shadow of a truly majestic city — the New Jerusalem!
Vic Batista: Isn’t it awesome to know that the reality of Heaven will not let anyone down? I don’t think that any Christian is going to get to Heaven and complain.
Nathan Jones: No, not at all.
In the seventy-sixth segment of our series “The Mighty Angels of Revelation,” we’ll enter into the Eternal Temple!
Being saved for less than a year and fairly new to Bible study, these segments are a tremendous help to me, thank you! How many segments are there in total? Would be great with all this new understanding of Revelation to witness the Rapture soon after the last segment or at least in my lifetime!
Mark, thank you for those encouraging words! So good to hear the “Mighty Angels of Revelation” series have been a blessing to you. So far we’re in the 70s for segments and still have Revelation 22 to go.