Your Concept Of Christian Heaven?

[Green Man]

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, boy and girls[smile]!
I was wondering if any/many of you would please tell me what you think your Christian Heaven will be like, or what you want your Heaven to be like. What are you looking forward to in the afterlife?
I look forward to reading all of your input.

 

[handy]

I don't have a lot of time right now, but the Bible does teach that heaven isn't our final destination, but rather the New Earth, which is really a re-creation of this one, only without sin and death.

So, having a full eternity to explore all the wonders this world, and perhaps even this galaxy/universe all with full fellowship with God rather than the separation we now face because of our sins...am I looking forward to that?

You bet'cha!

(Perhaps then I'll get to realize my dream of rafting the Colorado through the Grand Canyon!)

 

[xounstaer]

i will be happy with other people crossing the line and believing this is the new earth (eventhough/unthanks there is still lots of bad)

and that i may find interaction with those people in whatever way. or build them a house. and keep working at making things' better.

i crossed the line myself and on another forum where i was banned i opened a topic like this.

so greetings from me to you and anyone who posts here what they would do in the 'new world' or 'afterlife'.

since we must have things to do otherwise it would be sooooo boring;)

 

[Riverwolf]

In 2005, we flew to Colorado, then drove into Utah and spent 5 days floating and camping on the Colorado river. A good time for sure.

I can see this thread exploding with just a few non-traditional views, maybe like mine. Will my late parents, who to the best of my knowledge were not "saved" in the christian sense, be there? Or my late wife who died of suicide, and again was not saved to my knowledge, will she be waiting there for me? Someone on this forum once said that our memories will be altered or erased so we will not miss those who missed the narrow gate. Hogwash!
As for myself, I seldom think of what would make me happy or make my life perfect. Just now if this incredibly fast moving joint destroying "arthritis?" condition will be gone, and the sun would be shining and I am with the Lord and all who love me, that would be a simple Heaven to me.

 

[Christ_empowered]

This post got me to thinking. I'm a new believer, so I still haven't entirely moved beyond the image of believer lounging on clouds, perhaps playing golden harps. I'm stealing this one from The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis, but I think maybe Heaven is the place where we become really alive and fully human for the first time ever. We get new names, we get new bodies, all the tears are wiped from our eyes, and, living the presence of the Creator we chose to embrace and/or who chose to embrace us (still not quite sure on that one...), we become vibrantly, fully alive and "real".

I don't think we'll lose our memories, but I heard it said that once by someone much wiser than me that if you choose Heaven, your time on Earth 1.0 will seem like a vague memory of a somewhat unpleasant night in a somewhat uncomfortable hotel. It just won't matter the way it does now, because we'll have new lives and a whole new perspective.

 

[handy]

I've heard something along the lines of never remembering loved ones or our time here on earth...perhaps someone will have some texts regarding this idea...I'm not sure that I know any.

But, as for if we do remember loved ones who we know are in hell, I think there are several things to keep in mind...

First, no one can make the judgment that another individual is definitely going to hell. We just can't make that judgment. The most we can say of anyone is that there is no assurance of salvation. The beauty of responding to the gospel is that we can have full assurance of salvation and that's a great blessing. But, there is no biblical way we can say there is "assurance of damnation" for any individual.

Secondly, I believe that throughout our Christian walk, as we are sanctified and glorified, what this means is that we come closer and closer to being in full agreement with God about things. We start off diametrically opposed to God's view of what is good and holy, and as the Holy Spirit works perfection in us, we draw closer and closer to seeing things His way. So, when we are in heaven, if we do indeed remember loved ones who are not there, one thing we will have going for us is that we will be perfected and therefore be able to see that loved one for the true sinner they are. We will be able to fully understand why eternal damnation was the only just option for those who reject Christ. While this might not mitigate our sorrow at their fate, I do believe that it will enable us to accept it. Part of life on this earth is learning to accept bad things that we don't want, but understand that it is what it is. Such as learning to accept that, yeah, Dad is going to die of the cancer. We don't like it, but nonetheless come to accept it.

That we cannot fully do this on this side of heaven has more to do with the fact that we truly cannot fully understand how bad sin really is. We still, even as long-standing Christians who love God and live out our faith, try to minimalize sin, to make it out as something much more trivial than it is. After the Great White Throne Judgment, we will never do so again. Only then could we possibly accept that God's plan for those who reject Him is just.

 

[Green Man]

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen[smile].
I thank you for your kind replies. Although I did not receive very many they were most enlightening.
Thank you all for your time and insight[smile].

 

[Mike]

As it says in 1 Corinthians, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love himâ€

As with those who make predictions of end times and the coming of Christ, the speculation of what eternity with the Lord will be like is nothing more than... speculation. It's neat to think about, and I have my visions too, but I'm sure I'm way off. I imagine there will be senses, sounds, tastes that we've never experienced.

When I think about what some of you have been talking about, I imagine that we will have the memories of our lives and the people we knew. But I think we'll be so overwhelmed by the presence of God, he will drown out any ability to dwell on them. We know there will be no sadness, no pain, no tears. That would seem to include sadness over loved ones who are not with us. That was an interesting analogy that was given about this all being as one nights dream.

 

[Elijah674]

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, boy and girls[smile]!

I was wondering if any/many of you would please tell me what you think your Christian Heaven will be like, or what you want your Heaven to be like. What are you looking forward to in the afterlife?
I look forward to reading all of your input.

Hi, good material seen about our memories as I see it. So I will pass on the time of the New Jerusalem coming down, and then hell, & then the new recreated heavens + earth of Rev. 21's [TIME]. This all takes place before our heavenly Home is set up on earth for all worship, as I see it.

And will skip also the division of this Home & our 'homes' + what wre will be doing from then on. My concept will be aimed at the [FIRST] 1000 years of our being in heaven.;)

OK: Christ comes! The Saved DEAD ones are raised & we that are still alive will ALL be changed in a twinkeling of an eye into bodily perfection as well as spiritual. We GO TO HEAVEN WITH CHRIST. Leaving [ALL WICKED STILL DEAD].
For 1000 years we will all take part in the JUDGEMENT of the EXECUTIONAL STAGE of these ones. (millions over the years + angels) And the shortest verse in the Bible is 'Jesus Wept'! And before Rev. 21 finds New Jersusalem with [ALL TEARS WIPED AWAY], we find that we will ALL TAKE PART IN THIS ACCURATE INTRIACATE JUDICIAL JUDMENT! 1 Cor. 6:1-3.

And of course, God even has this all totally documented in the Record Books with every detail why these ones did not choose life eternal. (we might even find some there in these books who are not, because of our 'tame' profession of Love?) Eccl. 12:13-14 + Rev. 20:12 finds that this is the ONLY WAY the lost dead will be standing in heaven.. BY RECORD BOOKS.

Most today will want to by/pass this first 1000 years while we are in heaven perhaps? But, it is truely time that we [NOW] have, which the LORD DESIRES for us to get His work FINISHED so that the lost ones can be WARNED while TIME IS STILL ON THEIR SIDE. The 'Real' Love in heaven must FIRST BE FOUND ON EARTH by HIS Professed ones! Rev. 3:16

--Elijah

 

[rzr]

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, boy and girls[smile]!
I was wondering if any/many of you would please tell me what you think your Christian Heaven will be like, or what you want your Heaven to be like. What are you looking forward to in the afterlife?
I look forward to reading all of your input.

I do not concern myself with the concept of heaven. Sure Christ spoke of it and described it in terms of how a man may relate to it, but the idea of heaven does not matter to me..But what I look forward to in the afterlife is to simply please God......

 

[reba]

Seems to me God made the Garden for man in my mind Heaven would be like the garden before the fall.

 

[Adstar]

Re: Christians, what do you think Heaven is going to be like?

Well from Scripture i do not believe people will be spending eternity in heaven. I believe we will be spending eternity in the New Jerusalem. Which comes out of heaven and down to us.

If you want to read up on this place, what it looks like and it's dimensions read the Book of Revelation chapter 21. It is the kind of discription many have used as a description of heaven. But the scriptures say it will come out of heaven. So it is not heaven at all. it is a seperate place.

Here is a link to the chapter on an online bible site.

Revelation 21 - Passage*Lookup - New King James Version - BibleGateway.com


Hope you enjoy the read.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[Green Man]

Thank you for your insight, Adstar[smile].

 

[rzr]

My concept of Christian Heavan isn't much more than what scripture describes.....Read it

 

[Drew]

I don't have a lot of time right now, but the Bible does teach that heaven isn't our final destination, but rather the New Earth, which is really a re-creation of this one, only without sin and death.

So, having a full eternity to explore all the wonders this world, and perhaps even this galaxy/universe all with full fellowship with God rather than the separation we now face because of our sins...am I looking forward to that?

You bet'cha!

(Perhaps then I'll get to realize my dream of rafting the Colorado through the Grand Canyon!)

I could not have said it better myself. I agree - the Bible teaches that the final destination of the redeemed is indeed a renewed and transformed "physical" world.