Book 2 of Musings Heavenly People

Heaven is Heaven because of heavenly people. Environment alone won't do it.

When we think of Heaven we think of beautiful surroundings. Also we hope to be free from all worry and stress, all pain, all sickness, all dying.

This indeed is a bright hope. You know, we were created in a garden long, long ago. The memory of that garden is still in us (this is why we like gardens so much!) So when we think of Heaven we think of a wonderful environment, much like that of Adam and Eve in the beginning.

However, a little reflection will prove that unless you have heavenly people, a heavenly environment will not bring us the peace and joy we are anticipating.

Think for a moment about the churches you know of, or your present church. How would you like it if the people of your church were brought up to Heaven just as they are? How would you like that?

There undoubtedly are people are people in your assembly who irritate you. Would you enjoy having them with you for eternity in their unchanged state?

Maybe you have left one church and gone to another, hoping to find a more "heavenly" situation. Did you?

Do you know how the Apostle Paul spoke of the churches of the first century?

For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged. (2 Corinthians 12:20-21)

The above is a description of the average Christian church.

There is quarreling.

There is jealousy.

There are outbursts of anger.

There are factions who promote division.

There is a considerable amount of slander and gossip.

There is arrogance.

There is disorder.

There is impurity.

There is sexual sin.

There is debauchery (extreme indulgence in sensual pleasures).

The above is a true picture of the average Christian church in America, and, I expect, in the rest of the world.

Now here you are. You have arrived in Heaven. Christ has "raptured" His people into Paradise, although they have not been changed. Rather they are here by "grace."

You are so happy to be here! You are singing and dancing and praising the Lord. At last, at long last, you have arrived in Heaven!

Now, what do you find?

There is quarreling.

There is jealousy.

There are outbursts of anger.

There are factions who promote division.

There is slander and gossip.

There is arrogance.

There is disorder.

There is impurity.

There is a lust for but an inability to perform sexual sin.

There is debauchery.

How do you feel about this? Remember, you are in the most beautiful of all possible surroundings. There is no bad weather, no pain, no dying, no stress, no worry about unpaid bills. You are in Paradise.

"Oh," but you respond, "people are not like that in Heaven. They can't sin once they get there."

Is that so? Where did you find in the Bible that dying changes people? You know, in these days we really need to have our faith based on the written Word of God, because there is so much deception.

Who told you that dying changes our personality?

Who told you there is no sin in Heaven? Sin began in Heaven around the very Throne of God, as Satan chose to disobey the Father. If this is a fact, and it is, where did you get the idea that once you get to Heaven you will automatically change from a sinner to a saint and are no longer able to sin?

I have discussed how we are changed, and where we are changed and when we are changed, in other writings. My only point in the present article is to point out that surroundings can never make a Heaven. Heaven is Heaven because the people are heavenly. If they behave there as they do here, I for one would like to hide out in the woods where no one could find me.

Adam and Eve had everything that brings contentment. They could not have wanted anything else if they thought about it for a year.

But God soon had to drive them from Paradise, and they became farmers. Let me tell you, farming is one of the hardest jobs there is. To farm a field is a far cry from living in Paradise!

Why were Adam and Eve driven from "heaven"? Because they weren't heavenly.

God wants to bring us back to Paradise. But it is useless to bring us back to Paradise as long as:

There is quarreling.

There is jealousy.

There are outbursts of anger.

There are factions who promote division.

There is slander and gossip.

There is arrogance.

There is disorder.

There is impurity.

There is sexual sin.

There is debauchery.

Can you say "Amen"?

So we can see there will be no "any moment rapture." The churches are not ready to enter the Presence of Jesus Christ.

What is God going to do? At the end of the age He is going to send forth messengers who will remove everything that causes sin from His Kingdom.

As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. (Matthew 13:40-41)

So what will be true of God's Kingdom after the messengers have done their job?

There will be no more quarreling.

There will be no more jealousy.

There will be no more outbursts of anger.

There will be no more factions who promote division.

There will be no more slander and gossip.

There will be no more arrogance.

There will be no more disorder.

There will be no more impurity.

There will be no more sexual sin.

There will be no more debauchery.

Now we are ready to enter the beautiful surroundings of Paradise.

Even today we know we can be in lovely surroundings, and yet there can be quarreling, outbursts of anger, and bad feelings.

Environment alone is not sufficient. It is heavenly people who will make Heaven heavenly. How do you feel about this?

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. (Psalms 133:1-3)