As we are looking at heaven and our eternal abode, what we are going to answer today is: Where will we live forever? That is a subject that has come up a lot lately. Some have gotten a little bit testy about this. There have been a lot of books and articles in recent times telling us that we will not live in heaven for eternity. The books say that we will live on the earth, and we should quit talking so much about going to heaven when we die. It’s almost like let’s not worry about heaven because after all we are going to live on the earth forever and so let’s talk about that. Too many Christians, according to these particular authors, just want to get out of this place and get to heaven where it is obviously a much better place to be. So, they see that as escapism.
Let’s look at some of this. Some of it is true and some of it is untrue. The true part is this: We are going to live on the earth forever. It talks about that in Revelation 21:2 when he says, “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them.’” So, we have a picture here of the new Jerusalem which I believe will be our primary abode in eternity, coming down out of heaven to the earth and it will rest on the earth and be on the earth forever. So, in the big picture, these people who are concerned about these things are right. We will live on the new earth forever. So, that will be where we are.
On the other hand, if I die before the Lord returns, I want to go to heaven, don’t you? We think back throughout the centuries of Christians who have been dying for hundreds and hundreds of years. Where does our spirit go before Christ returns and we are resurrected? The spirit goes to heaven. I’m quite interested in heaven, and I want to know as much as I can about heaven. When I die, if the Lord has not returned first, that is where I will be, and I want to know something about that . . .
