We Can Only Imagine Heaven
God is not an ogre who refuses to tell us the details about heaven. I Can Only Imagine is a great song from the 1990’s I believe. Here is the chorus
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You, Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I list these words because the genius of what they did was list some possibilities in heaven with humility. At the same time, they help us taste it.
Why do we know so little?
Pictures of Why We Can Only Imagine Heaven
I believe it was Max Lucado who told the story illustrating that the baby in the womb has no idea what is outside the womb. If you told that baby what it was like, it would not understand or have any means of conceiving it. The description would not help the baby. Might we note, if you asked the baby in the womb to come out, I guess they would say no. How could life in the mother’s womb be missing anything?
That is a good picture of why we know little of heaven. Jesus appeared after the Resurrection in a glorified body like we are promised after we die. It is like our present bodies but somehow greater. By seeing and touching Jesus, the disciples became fearless of death or suffering as they knew a life beyond imagination was waiting for us.
Jesus also said we would not marry in heaven. We can infer that it is hard for us to be one with anyone on this earth because of our sin and deep selfishness. In heaven, we can be closer than with our spouse with everyone.
Final Thoughts
Billy Graham often said,
The moment we take our last breath on earth, we take our first in heaven..
Along these lines, Jesus parables starting with “the kingdom of heaven is like…” focus on getting into heaven and who will and will not. The pertinent point for us is to understand what God the Father is looking for. Only after we enter will we be able to understand what God has prepared for us. Until then, we can only imagine heaven.
Notably, Billy Graham said he will not get into heaven because he is a preacher, but because of faith in the blood of Jesus by which we are all saved. That is the main thing.
