by Randy Alcorn
His father replied: "Son, I feel like a little boy on Christmas Eve."342
Christmas is coming. We live our lives between the first Christmas and the second. We walk on disputed turf, between Eden and the New Earth, not that far from either. The dispute will soon be settled. Christ will forever reign over the universe. And we will reign with him.
In this last chapter, I want to draw us toward Heaven-influenced living, and further prepare us for the adventure that awaits us on death's other side.
CHAPTER ONE OF THE GREAT STORY
In the final book of the Narnia series, The Last Battle, C. S. Lewis paints a beautiful picture of the eternal Heaven. Early in the book, Jill and Eustace are traveling on a train, when suddenly they are thrust into Narnia. When their adventure is over, the children—having experienced the joys and wonders of Narnia and the presence of Asian, the great lion—are afraid they will be sent back to Earth again.
Then, in a section called "Farewell to Shadowlands," Asian gives the children some good news: " 'There was a real railway accident,' said Asian softly. 'Your father and mother and all of you are—as you used to call it in the Shadowlands—dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.'"
Then Lewis concludes the story with one of my favorite paragraphs in all of literature:
And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read; which goes on forever; in which every chapter is better than the one before.343
At the end of The Last Battle, when Lewis refers to the typical fairy-tale ending—"they all lived happily ever after"—some readers may be tempted to respond, "But fairy tales aren't true." However, the Bible isn't a fairy tale—it is utterly realistic, devastating in its portrayal of sin and suffering, not at all naive. Nowhere in Scripture do we see sentimental wishful thinking. What we see is mankind's devastating separation from God; the death of countless sacrificial lambs; the hard, agonizing work of Christ's redemption; the tangible nature of his resurrection; and the promise of coming judgment. At last we see the restoration of God's ideal universe, fulfilling his plan of the ages, culminating in a resurrected people living with him on a resurrected Earth. Then, and only then, will we live "happily ever after."
But we will indeed live happily ever after!
By God's grace, I know that what awaits me in his presence, for all eternity, is something so magnificent it takes my breath away even now. Job said it most succinctly: "In my flesh I will see G o d ; . . . I, and not another" (Job 19:26-27). The prospect of seeing God eclipsed all of Job's heartaches. Surely it can eclipse yours and mine. Our ship of happiness may not come in today—but it will certainly come in. Meanwhile, laying claim to Christ's bought-and-paid-for happiness brings us joy today.
WHAT CAN DEATH DO TO US?
"To die will be an awfully big adventure," says Peter Pan.344 But it will be a wonderful, big adventure only for those who are covered by the blood of Christ. Those who die without Jesus will experience a horrifying tragedy.
Of course, dying is not the real adventure. Death is merely the doorway to eternal life. The adventure is what comes after death—being in the presence of Christ. Just before he was hanged by the Nazis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer prayed aloud, "Oh, God, this is the end; but for me it is just the beginning." His trust in God's promises served him well in the face of death.
We shouldn't glorify or romanticize death—Jesus didn't. He wept over it (John 11:35). For every beautiful story of people peacefully slipping into eternity, there are other stories of confused and shrunken people, wasting away mentally and physically, leaving behind exhausted, confused, and grief-stricken loved ones. I've often seen death close-up. Unless Christ returns in our lifetime, it's certain that my own death—and that of everyone I love—awaits.
Death is painful, and it's an enemy. But for those who know Jesus, death is thefinalpain and the last enemy. "For [Christ] must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15:25-26).
Death's destruction was foretold in ancient prophecy: "[God] will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces" (Isaiah 25:7-8).
The apostle Paul echoes Isaiah, saying, "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.''Where, O death, is your victory?Where, O death, is your sting?'"(1 Corinthians 15:54-55).
If there be so certain and glorious a rest for the saints, why is there no more industrious seeking after it? One would think, if a man did but once hear of such unspeakable glory to be obtained, and believed what he heard to be true, he should be transported with the vehemency of his desire after it, and should almost forget to eat and drink, and should care for nothing else, and speak of and inquire after nothing else, but how to get this treasure. And yet people who hear of it daily, and profess to believe it as a fundamental article of their faith, do as little mind it, or labor for it, as if they had never heard of any such thing, or did not believe one word they heat.
RICHARD BAXTER
Do you crave God's perspective on the death that awaits you? Reread the previous three paragraphs. Read them aloud. Memorize them. Ask yourself, "What's the worst that death can do to me?" Consider Romans 8:35, 38 39: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? . . . Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Not only will death not separate us from Christ—it will actually usher us into his presence. Then, at the final resurrection, Christ will demonstrate his omnipotence by turning death on its head, making forever alive what appeared forever buried.
If you believe this, you won't cling desperately to this life. You'll stretch out your arms in anticipation of the greater life to come.
If my descendants, perhaps my grandchildren or great-grandchildren, should read these words after I've died, know this: I'm looking forward to greeting you when you arrive in the intermediate Heaven (unless Christ returns in the meantime and we meet at the resurrection). I'll have some favorite places picked out for you, and we'll go there together. But we won't stay there long. Ultimately we'll travel together to our true home, the New Earth. We'll settle and explore it side by side, as pioneers.
What a world it will be. I'm overwhelmed just thinking of it. What a great God we'll enjoy and serve forever. What a great time we'll have together there. I look forward to seeing every reader who knows Jesus, meeting most of you for the first time, and being reunited with those I've known here on the present Earth. I can't wait for the great adventures we'll have with Christ and each other.
Don't let a day go by without anticipating the new world that Christ is preparing for us. God loves the Heaven bound, but he is proud of the Heaven minded: "They were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:16, emphasis added).
A WORD TO THE DEPRESSED
The fact that Heaven will be wonderful shouldn't tempt us to take shortcuts to get there. If you're depressed, you may imagine your life has no purpose—but you couldn't be more wrong.
As long as God keeps you here on Earth, it's exactly where he wants you. He's preparing you for ano
ther world. He knows precisely what he's doing. Through your suffering, difficulty, and depression, he's expanding your capacity for eternal joy. Our lives on Earth are a training camp to ready us for Heaven.
I know depression can be debilitating. Many godly people have experienced it. But if you are considering taking your own life, recognize this as the devil's temptation. Jesus said that Satan is a liar and a murderer (John 8:44). He tells lies because he wants to destroy you (1 Peter 5:8). Don't listen to the liar. Listen to Jesus, the truth teller (John 8:32; 14:6). Don't make a terrible ending to your life's story—finish your God-given course on Earth. When he's done—not before—he'll take you home in his own time and way. Meanwhile, God has a purpose for you here on Earth. Don't desert your post. (And by all means, go to a Christ-centered, Bible-believing church, and get help to find a wise Christian counselor.)
If you don't know Jesus, confess your sins and embrace his death and resurrection on your behalf. If you do know him, make your daily decisions in light of your destiny. Ask yourself what you can do today, next week, next year, or decades from now to write the best ending to this volume of your life's story—a story that will continue gloriously in the new universe.
By God's grace, use the time you have left on the present Earth to store up for yourself treasures on the New Earth, to be laid at Christ's feet for his glory (Revelation 4:10). Then look forward to meeting in Heaven Jesus himself, as well as those touched by your Christ-exalting choices.
QUESTIONS IN LIGHT OF HEAVEN
We'll have eternity to celebrate great victories on the old Earth, but we have only this brief window of opportunity now to win those victories. As missionary C. T. Studd said, "Only one life, 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."
What will last for eternity? Not your car, house, degrees, trophies, or business. What wzY/last for eternity is every service to the needy, every dollar given to feed the hungry, every cup of cold water given to the thirsty, every investment in missions, every prayer for the needy, every effort invested in evangelism, and every moment spent caring for precious children—including rocking them to sleep and changing their diapers. The Bible says we'll reap in eternity what we've planted in this life (Galatians 6:7-8).
Setting our minds on Heaven is a discipline that we need to learn. Pastors and church leaders should train themselves and their people to be Heaven-minded. This means teaching and preaching about Heaven. It means presenting a biblical theology of Heaven that can shape and transform people's lives, liberating them from the shallow hopelessness of life centered on a fallen and failing world. Ask yourself these questions:
• Do I daily reflect on my own mortality?
• Do I daily realize there are only two destinations—Heaven or Hell—and that I and every person I know will go to one or the other?
• Do I daily remind myself that this world is not my home and that everything in it will burn, leaving behind only what's eternal?
• Do I daily recognize that my choices and actions have a direct influence on the world to come?
• Do I daily realize that my life is being examined by God, the Audience of One, and that the only appraisal of my life that will ultimately matter is his?
• Do I daily reflect on the fact that my ultimate home will be the New Earth, where I will see God and serve him as a resurrected being in a resurrected human society, where I will overflow with joy and delight in drawing nearer to God by studying him and his creation, and where I will exercise, to God's glory, dominion over his creation?
INCENTIVES FOR RIGHTEOUS LIVING
Theologian Paul Helm writes, "The goal and end of a person's calling does not terminate in this life, but it makes sense only in the light of the life to come.. . . The basic fact about the present life is that it is important and valuable in all its aspects because it leads to the world to come."345 The world to come is what we were made for—and it gives shape and meaning to our present lives. If we think regularly of the heavenly and the eternal, we aren't easy prey for Satan's lies and distractions.
Knowing that this present world will end and be resurrected into new heavens and a New Earth should profoundly affect our daily behavior. "You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God. . . . In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him" (2 Peter 3:11-14).
If we understand what "a new heaven and a new earth" means, we will look forward to it. (And if we're not looking forward to it, we must not yet understand it.) Anticipating our homecoming will motivate us to live spotless lives here and now. Recognizing our future life on a resurrected Earth can help empower us to stick with a difficult marriage, to persevere in the hard task of caring for an ailing parent or child, or to stay with a demanding job. Moses stayed faithful to God because "he was looking ahead to his reward" (Hebrews 11:26).
Christ-centered righteous living today is directly affected by knowing where we're going and what rewards we'll receive there for serving Christ. After all, if we really believe we're going to live forever in a realm where Christ is the center who brings us joy, and that righteous living will mean happiness for all, why wouldn't we choose to get a head start on Heaven through Christ-centered righteous living now}
A LIFE THAT GETS US READY
"Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:3, NASB). If my wedding date is on the calendar, and I'm thinking of the person I'm going to marry, I shouldn't be an easy target for seduction. Likewise, when I've meditated on Heaven, sin is terribly unappealing. It's when my mind drifts from Heaven that sin seems attractive. Thinking of Heaven leads inevitably to pursuing holiness. Our high tolerance for sin testifies of our failure to prepare for Heaven.
Heaven should affect our activities and ambitions, our recreation and friendships, and the way we spend our money and time. If I believe I'll spend eternity in a world of unending beauty and adventure, will I be content to spend all my evenings staring at game shows, sitcoms, and ball games? Even if I keep my eyes off of impurities, how much time will I want to invest in what doesn't matter?
What will last forever? God's Word. People. Spending time in God's Word and investing in people will pay off in eternity and bring me joy and perspective now.
Following Christ is not a call to abstain from gratification but to delay gratification. It's finding our joy in Christ rather than seeking joy in the things of this world. Heaven—our assurance of eternal gratification and fulfillment—should be our North Star, reminding us where we are and which direction to go.
When we realize the pleasures that await us in God's presence, we can forgo lesser pleasures now. When we realize the possessions that await us in Heaven, we will gladly give away possessions on Earth to store up treasures in Heaven. When we realize the power offered to us as rulers in God's Kingdom, a power we could not handle now but will handle with humility and benevolence then, we can forgo the pursuit of power here.
To be Heaven-oriented is to be goal-oriented in the best sense. Paul says, "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14).
Thinking of Heaven will motivate us to live each day in profound thankfulness to God: "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:28).
In Perelandra, C. S. Lewis's protagonist says of his friend Ransom, who has recently returned from another planet, "A man who has been in another world does not come back unchanged."346 A man who gives sustained thought to another world—the Heaven where Christ is and the resurrected Earth where we will live forever with him—also does not remain unchanged. He becom
es a new person. He'll no longer fill his stomach with stale leftovers and scraps fallen to a dirty kitchen floor. He smells the banquet being prepared for him. He won't spoil his appetite. He knows what his mouth is watering for.
ALL THINGS MADE NEW
Nanci and I have spent some wonderful moments with our family and friends—at Christmas or on vacation or at simple times in the family room after dinner—and we've said those enchanting words: "It doesn't get any better than this."
No matter how difficult your life has been, you've said the same thing about some magnificent moment, haven't you? Maybe it was recently. Maybe it was long ago. Maybe you can barely remember. "It doesn't get any better than this." Can you think of even one time in your life when, even for a fleeting moment, that seemed to be true?
Well, it isn't true.
The most ordinary moment on the New Earth will be greater than the most perfect moments in this life—those experiences you wanted to bottle or hang on to but couldn't. It can get better, far better, than this—and it will. Life on the New Earth will be like sitting in front of the fire with family and friends, basking in the warmth, laughing uproariously, dreaming of the adventures to come—and then going out and living those adventures together. With no fear that life will ever end or that tragedy will descend like a dark cloud. With no fear that dreams will be shattered or relationships broken.
If the ideas presented in this book were merely the product of my imagination, they would be meaningless. But here's what the apostle John recorded near the end of the Bible:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. . . . And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." (Revelation 21:1, 3-5)