What Will Heaven Be Like?

1817 Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, But we don’t desire heaven and we fear death because we fear heaven because we think all the good stuff to be done is here on earth and heaven is just rest, you know R.I.P. What will we do in Heaven? Let me suggest three things we will do in heaven: Understand our earthly life by God’s knowledge, share in all other human lives, and endless exploration into God and the New Universe First , we will review our past life with divine understanding and appreciation of every single experience, good and evil: This corresponds to the first stages of Heaven known as Purgatory. It might consist of moral reeducation, rather than mere punishment, rehabilitation rather than retribution. Second, we do the same to other’s lives from within. We will know them more intimately and completely than we could ever know our most intimate friend on earth b/c we share God’s knowledge of one another. The Communion of Saints will be even more interesting than human love on earth. Think of the first time you fell in love. The joy of learning about another person and doing all good things with them . Yet without out all the imperfections, and not just with one person, but with all people. We will have the ability to know every human that ever lived. Even more intimately than we knew our closest friend on earth. Who would you like to become best friends with in Heaven? Your spouse, or son or daughter. Maybe a friendship cut short here on earth. I think of my two best friends killed in high school and college. My guardian angel. Who do you want to meet? We will not only explore our own lives and the lives of others - We will begin the endlessly fascinating task of exploring, learning and loving all the facets of the inexhaustible nature of God. The Contemplation of God is not boring. Heaven will be: Dynamic rather than static. Exploring rather than staring at God. Endless beginnings rather than merely the end because the whole world will be renewed and transformed The material universe itself is destined to be transformed Heaven will be a “New Heavens and a New Earth” 2 Pet. 3:13 “New Heavens and New Earth” means that Every good thing on earth will be in heaven Philippians 3:21 For us, our homeland is in heaven and from heaven comes the savior we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe. F rom The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis chapters fifteen and sixteen Drawn into a stable Set the scene with the end of the world Closing of the stable door Their sadness at the loss of everything good in Narnia Bigger on the inside than it was on the outside This is fiction but it certainly helps us think about the Heaven and think about it we must b/c that reality charges everything here with eternal significance and that is hope.