This marks our 19th and final message in the series Looking Unto Jesus. We have looked at Jesus in pre-creation, and today, we look unto Him in the holy, eternal heaven. After His second coming, we passed through the “suburbs” of heaven—the redeemed earth and the surrounding universe—and entered the Outer Court. We climbed the five steps: No curse, no night, no hunger, no tears, and no pain. We were bathed in the Bronze Sea and emerged transformed. We entered the Holy Place and saw the “4 S’s”: Sights, Saints, Sabbaths, and Services.
What a healthful place, where none are sick! A fortunate land, where all are kings! A most holy place, where all are priests! Yet, so far, everything I have described is a complimentary welcome gift—the secondary joys of heaven. The real heaven lies behind the Veil, inside the Holy of Holies. My hands shiver as I attempt to open that veil for you. This is the heaven of heavens.
A true believer, after hearing of the courts and gardens, would scream, “This is all fine, but where is my heaven?” For a believer, true heaven is the direct enjoyment of God and being with Christ. Richard Sibbes memorably explained, “Heaven is not heaven without Christ.” In the Old Testament temple, when you entered the Most Holy Place, you saw only one thing: the Ark of the Covenant. On top was the Mercy Seat, indicating God’s covenantal blessings coming to us through Jesus.
The fullness of that blessing is experienced only in heaven, as Revelation 21:3 promises: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them… God Himself will be with them and be their God.”
The Beatific Vision: Seeing the Face of God
When the veil is suddenly removed, we are struck spellbound, standing in breathless wonder. It is said of the Temple of Diana that it was so bright with gold that watchmen told visitors, “Take heed to your eyes,” for the splendor could cause blindness. But here is a vision that makes even the greatest prophets fall like dead men. This earthly body cannot bear it.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, who is the “earnest” or foretaste of our inheritance, let us catch a glimpse. For the first time, you receive a direct sight without any hindrance. Behold the great Lord, the fearful Jehovah—infinite, eternal, sovereign, and almighty. This is the “Beatific Vision”—seeing God face to face. We see the source of all life, goodness, and blessedness.
I will divide this into two headings:
- Heaven is the full enjoyment of God by seeing His face for all eternity.
- Real heaven is to be with Christ forever.
1. Enjoying God Directly
Who can describe God’s face? Even angels hide their faces. To know it, we must be clothed in immortality. Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This vision is the greatest motivation for pursuing holiness.
Why must we see Him? Because we were created specifically to enjoy God. The deep yearning and eternal void inside us cannot be filled by anything created. As Augustine said, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” Our Catechism (Q. 38) says we are “made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.”
There are three traits to this sight:
- It is Direct: In this world, we see God indirectly through creation or the “dim mirror” of the Word. In heaven, faith becomes sight. We see Him clearly, without a medium or cloud.
- It is Permanent: On earth, our sense of God’s presence is transient—it comes and goes. In heaven, there is no sin or mist to hide Him. We shall see Him eternally.
- It is Ever-Expanding: This is an inexhaustible fountain. Because God is infinite and we are finite, we will never finish exploring the riches of His glory. After billions of years, we will only be at the beginning. Every second reveals a new facet of His being, bringing more joy, more fascination, and more worship. This is a cycle of expanding happiness that lasts forever.
2. Being With Jesus Christ
As soon as that veil opens, we also see our Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven means “being with Jesus.”
In John 14:3, Jesus promised, “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” Here are three reasons why this is so sweet:
First, we are there only because of Him. Heaven is a place of perfect purity. We are fallen creatures—”gentile dogs” who lived in darkness and lust. We could never come near this glory; it would blow us to pieces. If we ever stand on the shore of heaven, it is only because of Jesus Christ. He is “The Way.” He paid the price as the Lamb slain. He provided the spotless righteousness that makes us legally fit for God’s presence.
He also brings us there through His present ministry. He is our merciful High Priest, interceding for us and upholding us by His Spirit. If He removed His hand for one moment, we would fall into the depths of hell. Perseverance is not our effort; it is Jesus guarding us. When we arrive, we will owe everything to Him. Over the gates of hell is written “Deserved,” but over the gates of heaven is written “Free Gift.”
Second, Christ is seen clearly for the first time. The wonder of the Christian life is that we love someone we have never seen. Peter says, “Having not seen Him, you love Him.” Sometimes we feel a “glimpse” of Him during communion or trial—a breath of His presence that fills the soul. But what will it be when the veil is opened?
We will see our Savior face to face—not as the humbled, bleeding man on the cross, but as the glorified, exalted Lord. We shall gaze into His matchless beauty. Words fail here. What will it be like to hold the hands pierced for you? To touch the face that sweated blood for you? To gaze into those eyes and say, “My Jesus, I love Thee”?
I have decided that when I first see Him, I will not say anything. Words cannot express that moment. I will simply sit at His feet and wash them with tears of gratitude. And don’t worry—even there, He will be standing with a handkerchief to wipe away every tear, so we may never cry again.
He will not appear merely as the glorified God, but as the glorified God-man—bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. We shall have close intercourse, actual vision, and bodily nearness with Him in a way we have never experienced. He will sympathize with and understand the most deep-seated feelings of our nature. Oh, what a heaven! I can only imagine whether I will dance, weep, or fall prostrate.
It is so touching to think that while we long to see Christ, His love for us exceeds our own. Can you imagine that, more than all of us combined, it is Christ who longs for us to be in glory? As soon as the veil is opened, we will see a billion times more longing in the eyes of Christ. Oh, how fully satisfied He will be to see us standing perfect in heaven! With transcendent love and tearful eyes, He will see us perfect in holiness from head to toe.
Consider a mother bearing a child for nine months. She endures labor and the sacrifice of her own body, but when she sees that healthy, perfect child for the first time, tears swell in her eyes. What will it be for Christ, who travailed in soul from all eternity as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world? He suffered and continues to intercede today, ministering for thousands of years to bring us to heaven. When we at last stand in perfection as a monument of His grace, He will see us and rejoice. To be with Christ is heaven.
One of His deepest desires is found in John 17:24:
“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
We want our friends and family to see us at our best. When a young boy wins an athletic medal or a girl sings in college, they want their parents there to see what they can do. It is almost as if Jesus looks at His disciples and says to the Father, “Father, there is so much of Me they have never seen. They have seen only My humble form. I want to unveil to them My full glory.”
When we see the glory of our Savior, we will be overwhelmed with love, admiration, and worship. We will sing the lines from the Song of Solomon: “Your voice is sweet and your countenance is lovely… my beloved is chief among ten thousand… he is altogether lovely.”
As believers, we have seen something of the loveliness of Christ, but it is nothing compared to what we shall see. We will be moved to the depths of our being with gratitude and wonder. Imagine—all of God’s infinite being was fully satisfied with Him for past eons of eternity; how wonderful He must be! Robert McCheyne wrote: “When I see Thee as Thou art, then Lord shall I fully know—not till then—how much I owe.” To see Him face to face will be the most wonderful sight in heaven.
This will fill the soul with unutterable joy. Heaven is to be with Christ; heaven is to clearly see Christ. A true believer longs for heaven primarily for this reason; all other things are secondary.
The Center of Glory
Christ is the center of heaven for the believer because He brings us there, He is seen clearly there, and He lifts us to the highest glory in union with Him.
In the coming eternal heaven, the full orb of God’s perfections will be glorified and praised through the work of redemption. In Christ, you and I will be at the center of heaven’s glory for all eternity. What an awesome thought: what God is doing in us will be the focus of worship forever. Angels and authorities will see the smallest believer and find something so awe-inspiring about God that they will praise Him for eternity. No creature can attain a greater glory than this.
We are lifted to such heights through our blessed union with Christ. This inseparable union saved us, raised us, and brings us to our inheritance. We have become joint heirs with God. Ephesians 2:7 tells us that God’s manifold wisdom is revealed through the church. We are raised as His body; when honor is given to Christ, it reaches us.
Why is Christ exalted at the right hand of God? It is not to take Him further away, but to show us the dignity that awaits us. As the Bridegroom has raised the Bride to His rank and wealth, so are we honored. Augustine called Adam’s fall a “happy sin” because, in Christ, humanity is raised to a far higher glory than if Adam had never sinned.
Practical Implications
Brothers, this is our future! Think of this glory. Calvin said that he who does not yearn for heaven has not made much progress in the Christian life. It is sad that we plan two-week vacations more thoroughly than we think of eternity. We must make a conscious effort to fix our future in our minds. Richard Baxter gave several reasons why we should “bathe our souls in heaven’s delights”:
- It is infallible evidence that we are truly saved.
- It provides the highest motivation for the Christian life and brings joy in the midst of trials.
- It leads to a fervent life of service on earth.
- It is the best preservative against temptation; we purify ourselves because we expect to enter the Holy of Holies.
- It invigorates our graces and strengthens us in affliction. When heaven is bright, the world becomes dim.
- It honors God and prevents our minds from being consumed by this world.
- There is nothing else worth setting our hearts upon.
Satan may make heaven feel like a dream, but we must live by faith in things unseen. This may be my last message on heaven, but do not stop thinking about it. Make it a habit to meditate on it at least once a week.
Psalm 17 speaks of men of the world who have their portion in this life—satisfied with wealth, food, and children. But verse 15 says: “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”
Let me ask: What satisfies you? If God paid all your debts, provided for your children’s future, and gave you lands and houses, would you be satisfied? If so, unless your heart changes, you are a person of this world. When Jesus returns, those satisfied only with this life will be cast out. Even the most immature born-again child of God has tasted enough of Christ to know they can never be satisfied until they behold the form of their Redeemer.
Think of the word “Eternity.” Study it thoroughly. If the Spirit opens a sinner’s eyes to that word, they will be saved; if a believer grasps it, they will persevere. If you could see one glimpse of heaven, you would see worldly pleasures as garbage.
Until the Lord comes, we partake in the bread and cup. These remind us of the body we shall one day touch and the sacrifice we shall one day see clearly. Prosperity preaching is false because it creates a man-centered religion where God is used to get “goodies.” But the true heaven is God Himself.
May we not be stupified by senseless hearts that hear the story of this bloody love with dullness. Christ cries to us, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Is there any sorrow like unto my sorrow?” Let us turn aside to view the wounds of Him who took us up to heal our own at such a dear price.
Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Bangalore 