Death and Heaven

It's been a while, and I've had a couple different things on my mind. A few of them I'm still sitting on, but I've really felt like I need to write something on here.

A couple of weeks ago I was walking my dog, and I watched a squirrel attempt to run across the road. The key word there is attempt. It didn't make it. I watched as the car hit it, and it's body once so full of life now lay motionless in the road. I'll be honest, part of me was saddened. The older I get, the more death saddens me. I'm at the point where I don't even like hunting anymore because I don't want to take life of any kind.

It's not that I'm afraid to die, honestly the older I get the more part of me looks forward to it. I'm not suicidal, and I'm not wanting to die, there are things I still want to accomplish. I want to see my children and grandchildren. I want to own my own piece of land and plant on it. I want to be able to really enjoy this life with my wife, and look back and laugh at the hardships, like so many people tell us we will. But I know what is waiting for me on the other side of death, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was just a little excited about it.

But death saddens me because it is something that was never meant to happen. It's a result and reminder of the fallen state of the world. Watching a squirrel get hit by a car reminds me that this world is not how it was supposed to be. Death is bad, and it was not part of God's plan or creation. But one day, death itself will die, and never be seen again. One day everything will be as it should be again. And on that day all who believe will be with Him forever in glory.

And so we come to the second point in the title, Heaven. I am blessed to be able to work with another Christ follower, and over the last few weeks we've been able to talk a little about topics of faith. One of them involved talk of Heaven. I don't know exactly what Heaven will be like, and what I'm about to write are thoughts I've gained from Scripture, but don't hold me to it if I don't get it exactly right.

I think Heaven is going to be a very personal place. Jesus said in John 14.1-3, "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

Each of us was made uniquely by God. Each of us is different, and God loves that about us. I believe Jesus is there, preparing a place specifically for each of us. A place that speaks to your heart. I think my place will involve a large piece of ground to cultivate, a garden just like the beginning.

If we look at Genesis 1-2, we get a picture of what Heaven will be like, because there we see what life was intended to be. We see perfect unity with each other and God. We see peace and life. If we look at the end of Revelation we see many similarities between the two. We see that everything is moving back towards the beginning.

In Heaven, we will be in the presence of God. We'll enjoy unity and fellowship with Him that we have never known before. And I think that Heaven might not be all that far away. In Revelation 21 John talks about the new heaven and the new earth, because the first have passed away. What if when we die it's just like falling asleep, but then you wake up in a sort of out of body experience. You find yourself in a new, perfect body. You find yourself on a new, perfect earth, and you find yourself before God. I don't think death will feel like the end at all as we go through it, simply a new beginning.

And finally one other thought, I think animals will be in heaven. No, they are not made in the image of God like people, but they are part of God's creation. In Revelation 21.5 Jesus says, "Behold, I am making all things new." And we are told in Isaiah 11.6-7, "And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox."

Again, I'm not stating this as fact, I could be completely wrong about all of it. But those are some of my recent thoughts on death and heaven.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you