Heaven

At the end of the first canto of Dante’s Inferno, Virgil speaks of a city and tells Dante why he unable to go there.  Virgil says…

     For the Emperor who governs from on high

     Wills I not enter His city, where none may appear

     Who lived like me in rebellion to His law.

     His empire is everything and everywhere,

    

     But that is His kingdom, His city, His seat of awe.

     Happy is the soul He chooses for that place!

This “city” that Virgil is speaking of is heaven.  Since we will be studying the darker part of the “afterlife” for the remainder of this class, I thought I would devote a blog to the alternative to hell...heaven.

Just as hell was created to punish evildoers and those that do not believe on Christ, heaven was made as a reward to those who believe on Christ and follow his commandments. 

Many have tried to express what heaven will be like, but I think William Biederwolf put it best.  He said, “Heaven would hardly be heaven if we could define it.”  I think this is very true.  The Bible says in Revelation 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Even if this was all that heaven was, than it would be a wonderful place.  Just think about no more sickness, or dying, or pain.  And there will also be streets of gold, and reuniting with loved ones who have gone on before.  But the best thing about heaven will be being in the presence of God for all eternity, and praising Him forever!

Revelation 5:9-13  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.