Have you ever heard someone say, “I would rather be partying with my friends in hell than sitting on a cloud strumming a harp all day.” Satan has done a masterful job creating images that are totally misleading to draw the unsuspecting into his defeated cadre. I will deal with the false image of hell later. In this blog I deal with the false image of heaven.
Perhaps the false view of heaven as boring results from an incomplete understanding of Scripture, although it doesn’t give us much to go on. However, the testimony of eyewitnesses is very different. First of all, fun in heaven is pure, uplifting, and fully satisfying. Worldly fun isn’t necessarily any of these. There are no hangovers from heavenly fun. Perhaps praising isn’t on the world’s list of fun things to do. But God’s love so permeates heaven that everyone and everything longs to burst forth in joyful praise that is pure, uplifting, and satisfying. The time spent with friends and relatives is going to be great fun as there are no sinful hang-ups of greed, jealousy, judgment, pride, back-biting, reticence, etc. In the presence of God’s love and the Jesus-given perfection of each person, the relationships we will enjoy will be great fun.
Then there is the beauty. We take pleasure in enjoying the beauty of this world in a fun outing to a national park or a beautiful garden or a relaxing beach or a mountain vista or a lush valley with a babbling brook. But heaven is more beautiful than any of these, so much so that the witnesses have trouble fully describing the beauty and joy since it is so far beyond anything we have experienced here. The flowers have more colors than the flowers here, are perfectly formed, never fade, have wonderful fragrance, and make joyful sounds. Some have said the flowers even turn their “faces” and watch you as you pass by. The trees are majestic and the fruit that is easily within reach on them is more delicious than any fruit here. Having a picnic with heaven’s fruit will be superior to any picnic here. It is all perfect. The flowers are perfect and the trees are perfect. The music of heaven is literally out of this world. The range of voices, the harmony, the blending of many voices, and the accompaniment of heaven’s musical instruments are all beyond description and a deep fulfilling joy.
The architecture of the buildings is fabulous. They are made with the finest wood, marble, and other materials, and studded with beautiful colorful gems of all types. The pieces used to create the structures fit together so perfectly no nails, screws, or mortar are needed. You can enjoy taking a stroll through heaven on the beautiful golden streets and admire the exquisite architecture and amazing beauty of the buildings and the landscapes. Your stroll could take you up in the sky since gravity is not an issue there.
You are going to have fun working and doing the things for which God has gifted you. If you are gifted in art you will have a wonderful well-equipped studio to enjoy your art. If you have culinary gifts, you will have a kitchen that will allow you to create delicious foods that you will serve to others as an act of love. Whatever your gift, dance, music, building things, teaching, writing, research, learning, speaking, will all be there better than it ever was here. Nothing is done for money there. All work is done as a ministry of love to the other citizens of heaven.
I’ll not go into all the options I have read for leisure activities there. One person had his own golf course because he had been too poor to afford lessons or a membership in a golf club. Others talked of riding horses. One described various fun places you can visit such as shows, theaters, and amusement rides. I would enjoy participating in some of the games children play. In short, whatever you enjoy doing here that honors the Lord, you will be able to do there. So heaven is going to be more pure fun than you have ever experienced here. Start getting excited about your eternal home. Oh, by the way, if you are gifted in playing a harp, you can do that there, too, but probably not on a cloud. There don’t seem to be any clouds in heaven!