Misconceptions About Heaven (Part 1)

Welcome to No Compromise Radio Ministry. Mike Abendroth here. Glad you tuned in. Glad you're listening to the new introductory music as well. I'm getting used to it. You can write me, Mike, at nocompromiseradio .com.

You can also go to Amazon and pick up Gospel Assurance, both the devotional version and the longer extended guide. And it's on Audible as well. Speaking of books, Pat Abendroth of the Pactum Omaha Bible Church.

I think his new book on covenant theology is out. It's a dissertation he had written for Ligonier Ministries. And if you want to order that, I think that's Amazon as well. I did something today that I've never done in 3 ,500 shows of No Compromise Radio.

I started the show. I went to eight minutes. I started recording. I went to about eight minute mark and thought, this is really awful. And so I just stopped. Normally after about one or two minutes, I don't want to go backward.

So I just keep going. But this was so horrendous. I had to start over. If you would like Bible content, if you would like to listen to... See, I should just start over again. It's happening again. So let me just get straight to the point.

Heaven as a Real Place

I want to teach an under-taught topic today. An under-taught topic. We live in society that seems to be so many wonderful things that we can experience. This topic sometimes gets pushed to the back burner.

This topic is not written about that often. I love Burkhoff's Systematic Theology, 784 pages total. There's one page on this topic. And that topic is, drum roll, heaven. Heaven. Most scholars, according to Wilbur Smith in his article on heaven in Zondervan's Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, says that people write more about hell than they do heaven.

If you look at Shedd's Systematic Theology, or technically his Dogmatic Theology, two pages about heaven, 87 pages about eternal punishment. Why is that? Do you ever say to yourself, what's going on there?

Why all this talk about hell, Blanchard's book, Whatever Happened to Hell? There are books on heaven. I know MacArthur wrote one. I know Johnny Erickson Tata did. I can't remember the book written by Jonathan Edwards.

Obviously, there are books written about heaven. But maybe it's so inconceivable. Maybe it's so... I mean, how do you get your mind wrapped around eternity and infinity and timelessness? And I mean, it's probably hard to do.

But heaven is biblical. Heaven is real. And therefore, we have to think about it more often, I think. I think if we think about heaven more often, Philippians chapter 3, our citizenship is in heaven. And because of that, let's get together and be kind to one another, not have the ladies argue.

And Philippians 4, let's rejoice. Let's pray, knowing that we're kingdoms. We're citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Easy for you to say. Remember J .M. Barrie's Peter Pan character? He said, to die will be an awfully big adventure.

That's so true. I mean, maybe we think about heaven a lot when a loved one dies, or we're getting older and we're thinking our bodies are just decaying and heaven's going to be wonderful when that great day happens and we get new bodies.

So today on No Compromise Radio, we're going to talk about misconceptions of heaven. So we teach the negative so that we can understand the positive. Sound good to you? Well, that's what we're going to do.

And I'm not going to restart the tape again, the digital recording, because it just, it is what it is. Clearing up some misconceptions about heaven. I mean, obviously, it's something that's in the future.

That's true. But is it on the earth? What's going on? Is it like George Orwell's sugar candy mountain where these animals were so miserable, but they're looking forward to going to a place, quote, that it was Sunday, seven days a week.

Clover was in season all year round and lump sugar and linseed cake grew on the hedges, end quote. Misconception number one, heaven's simply here and now. Heaven's simply here and now on earth. It's not really a place.

It's like with a song that says, this is heaven when I'm with you, that all there is, is here now. When bad things happen, bad things happen. But anything good, then this is all the heaven that there's going to be.

It's kind of your best life now mentality. But did you know that's a misconception? Because heaven is a place. I'm glad when there's wonderful things that happen on this earth, but heaven is a real place.

We're not talking about spiritual consciousness. We're talking about a place. And the Bible uses several figures to let us in on that truth. Can you think of some words that are used in the Bible about heaven to make us think it's a place?

Well, Jesus used the word house. In my father's house, John 14, are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself.

It's a house. It's a home, Jesus said. And of course, that should make us think, hmm, not Victorian or ranch or colonial or something like that. It should make us think, oh, security, protection, care, love.

That's what we think of when we have a home or a house. Just can't wait to get home. And this is the realm of our loving relationships and protection here at our house. It's a place. It's also called, heaven's also called a city.

That should lend itself for you to think, oh, that's a real place. It's not just a house. It's a city. For here, we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city, which is to come. That's Hebrews 13.

Revelation 21, and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. It's a city. It's a protected place. It's a place where we dwell together.

We're in the city. We're not out in the wilderness. No, we're in a protected place and cities would have high walls and foundations and gates and all those kinds of things. It's a place because it's, let's allude it to as a home or a house, a city.

How about paradise? And you probably be thinking about gardens. Today you'll be with me in paradise, Jesus said to the penitent thief. Paul was caught up into paradise in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. We should be thinking to ourselves as Christians, this isn't heaven right now.

Heaven is a place and it's going to be a wonderful place. I think regularly of the Spurgeon quote, when he was talking about wonderful moments in our lives. And if you consider some of the greatest things that you've ever seen or things that have happened to you, and maybe you're there for the birth of your child.

Well, if you're a woman, you were there. If you're a man, you're able to watch and you think here's this new life that comes into the world. Or if you listen to some music, you're seeing the sunset at the beach with the one that you love sitting next to you, you look at Niagara Falls or Grand Canyon.

I don't know. The day of your marriage, you see your wife to be walking down the aisle, whatever the best of the best is. Well, what's going to be greater than that moment when you pass into glory. And if you're sick and old and dying, you're in really bad shape.

And then all of a sudden heaven Spurgeon said, the best moment of a Christian's life is his last one, because it is the one that is nearest heaven. And then it is that he begins to strike the keynote of the song, which he shall sing to all eternity.

Now I'm thankful for taste buds. I'm thankful for my wife and my children and my grandchild. I'm thankful for ocean breezes, but there's something even better. There's something even better. And heaven is a place.

Heaven Is More Than a Place

It's interesting. What's another misconception here on no compromise radio. You don't have in front of me. I've got things like catechism for young children, how to pray the rosary that's sitting here on my desk.

How can that be here? The Joel cube of the book of common prayer and the new England Prima, the new England primer assembly of divines and Mr. Cotton's catechism. You know, Cotton Mather, let's just say this Mr. Cotton's.

Oh, that's not cotton matter. Is it John Cotton? John Cotton, John Cotton was here in new England. Of course, John Cotton, we're getting off the subject, but I want to try to find out what the scoop is.

John Hancock. There's a picture of him here. Mr. Cotton's catechism. Don't know. Can't tell. Second misconception. Heaven's mainly about a place. Well, wait a second. You just told me that heaven's a place and it was a misconception that it's just something floating around.

It's a real place. And now you're telling me it's more than a place. Well, yes, that's what I'm saying. That's misconception number two. Heaven isn't mainly about the place. It is a place, but it's more.

I mean, does the Bible, does the new Testament talk about believers going to heaven when they die? Well, it would be true that they go to heaven because it's a place. But did you know the terminology in the Bible is regularly, they're going to go, Christians, believers, when they die, they go to be with Christ.

Heaven should be thought of more in terms of a person than a place. Once again, it is a place, but think more person than place. John Owen, the reason why God is said to be in heaven is not because his essence is included in a certain place so-called, but because of the more eminent manifestations of his glory there.

Obviously, God is omnipresent and why would there be some kind of specific location? And I think Owen answers the question. Sometimes we say things like this, our loved ones are gone to glory. That's a good way to think about it.

That's a good way to think about it. Hebrews 2 .10, Jesus brings many sons to glory. Listen to chapter two, verse 10 of Hebrews, for it was fitting that he for whom and by whom all things exist in bringing many sons to glory should make the founder of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

It's wonderful to know that heaven, yes, it's a place, but it's being in the presence of God. I'd prefer rather to be absent from the body, Paul said, and to be at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5, 1 Thessalonians 4, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Revelation 21, talking about heaven and God himself shall be among them. And what I said earlier with John 14, but I cut off the last part of the verse, John 14, three, I go and prepare a place for you.

I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also. I mean, you've seen probably the mugs. The most wonderful thing about grandpa's house is grandpa, right? Well, how much more?

What's the greatest part about heaven? Well, it's not just, it's because a wonderful place, although it's a wonderful place, it's who's at the wonderful place. And I think if you look at the book of Revelation, you're going to see who's at the center of heaven and Revelation chapter five, there's these kinds of concentric circles that go out from the throne of God.

But the one in the center is what makes heaven heaven. And it's the Lord Jesus with his glorified body. Then I saw a Revelation five in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne, a scroll written within and on the back sealed with seven seals.

I mean, Revelation five, there are few scenes in the Bible as exciting and as breathtaking as Revelation chapter five, there's someone seated on the throne and there's a ruler of the universe. And we see here in Revelation chapter five, there's this scroll and this book and God's redemptive plan and what's going on with this sealed book.

Verse two, and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice who is worthy to open the scroll and break it seals. And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.

I mean, heavens is a place, but there's something more here. And I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. To open this scroll, you are going to need some good credentials and sinners can't open that scroll.

Angels can't open that scroll. Who is the one who is worthy, who has enough weight, who has enough gravitas to open this book? We're going to need this book to be opened, to get every wrong righted, to make sure injustice is taken care of.

Michael the archangel can't open it. Gabriel the archangel can't open it. People in heaven, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they can't open it. Paul, Peter, no one can open it. I mean, who's going to be able to open it?

No one in heaven. We're not able. And so John begins to weep because without this, there's nothing that's going to happen except tears. God maybe is checkmated. Maybe God can't deal with the injustice in the world.

But of course, Jesus is the one who carries out God's final purposes on earth. We're not the right man on our side, Luther would say, and he must win the battle. And one of the elders said to me, weep no more.

Behold, verse five, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. The lion of Judah, the Lord Jesus. We are so thankful that the father sent the son to rescue us and to obey the father and do his perfect will.

This one from the line of David, the root of David, the one from Judah, he's conquered and he can open the scrolls. That's what we want. That's what we need. And here we have in the center of heaven, a real place, but with the person and between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

You're looking for the lion of the tribe of Judah and you see a lamb instead. And is this not the central theme of scripture, Jesus, the substitutionary lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, a lamb, a lamb slain.

I mean, if you're going to have an animal to rally around that would represent your country, France, the tiger, Russia, the bear, Britain, the lion, United States, eagle. And here we have the lamb, a lamb.

You're looking for the lion King, but you see a lion like lamb. You see a lamb, like lion, the crucified Messiah dying on our behalf, resurrected, ascended glorified body. He's at the center of heaven.

You want to know what makes heaven heaven is Jesus is there. And here we have that picture of the living one who died and behold, says in revelation one, I am alive forever more. This is why heaven is heaven is because Jesus is there.

This is why heaven is heaven is because you're in the presence of God. Your sins have been forgiven and you stand before God, not ashamed, but you can stand in his presence, Jude with blamelessness and with great awe.

Jesus has all the credentials in heaven. He's worthy. He can open up the seal. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne, revelation five, seven. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls of full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Here we have revelation showing us that heaven is mainly about a person, Jesus Christ, God being with man. God himself will be with them as their God revelation 21 goes on to say, they will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads.

Revelation chapter 22. Isn't that amazing? I mean, I thought revelation was wonderful, but the more I think about it, it reveals who's at the center of heaven. Sometimes we're thinking to myself, I want to know all the end time stuff that's going on.

Well, after the end times, and we're with the Lord, I don't need to know all the little details about the timing of things. I need to know who's there because I will get there in time. Samuel Rutherford said, Oh my Lord, Jesus Christ, if I could be in heaven without you, it would be hell.

And if I could be in hell and have you still, it would be heaven for me for you are all the heaven I want. And Martin Luther said, I'd rather be in hell with Christ than be in heaven without him. Heaven is more than a place.

I mean, heaven is a place. It's more than some spiritual thought. Heaven's about a person. Let me give you another misconception. Heaven is boring. So far we've seen that. In fact, positively heaven is a place.

Heaven is where Jesus is. It's mainly about a person, not the place. And heaven is boring. That's the misconception. Sir David Wilcox of Cambridge said, would you bury me with some earplugs in case the heavenly choir sing everlastingly and are not in tune.

Huck Finn, the character in Mark Twain's book, thought heaven was a place where a person would quote, go around all day long with a harp and sing forever and ever end quote. Ted Turner, the CNN magnet, heaven is going to be a mighty slender place.

And most of the people I know in life aren't going to be there. There are a few notable exceptions and I'll miss them. Heaven is perfect. Who wants to go to a place that's perfect? Boring, boring. And you know what?

Most modern art I don't think has helped. Most Renaissance art I don't think has helped when it comes to heaven and some cherub floating around playing harps, even Farside cartoon. Gary Larson's Farside.

There's a man with angel wings and he's on a cloud doing nothing. And he says, I wish I brought a magazine. Is that what heaven's going to be like? Nothing to do, boring. A little girl asked in The Gates Ajar, a 1868 novel by Elizabeth Stewart Phelps, if she were very good up in heaven, whether they'd let her go down to hell and play on Saturday afternoons.

But this is how people think. I love the song. When we've been there 10 ,000 years, we've no less days to sing his praise than when we first begun. And that's Revelation chapter five. It goes on to say, they sang a new song.

Worthy are you to take the scrolls and open it seals for you were slain and by your blood, you ran some people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have made them a kingdom and priest to our God and they shall reign on the earth.

That's what's going on in heaven. Worship, awe, mouth open. Here's the Lord Jesus, the one who gave his life for ransom for many. And it's because his blood, his sacrificial death, his obviously he's resurrected.

He's alive in heaven. This is why heaven is heaven is because it's there where Jesus is. And can you imagine being with Jesus? Oh, it's boring. I mean, the apostles on earth, when Jesus was on earth, I don't know what they ever said about him.

It's outside of scripture, but I don't think they're going to say this is boring. Jesus is boring. To live is Christ, right? To die is gain. We're not talking about a boring place. You're going to have a greater capacity for joy in heaven than you ever had on earth.

How can you be bored where there's a worship of an infinite God? We think our pleasures and experiences of joy are simply limited to our taste buds and our drive for food and for sex and how we laugh and we like beauty.

But there's something else that's going on here. Boring to be good all the time, someone said. Oh, you know what? Yeah, because sin is exciting and unrighteousness is fun and doing the right thing is really boring.

Randy Alcorn said, we've fallen for the devil's lie. His most basic strategy, the same one he employed with Adam and Eve, is still to make us believe that sin brings fulfillment. However, in reality, sin robs us of fulfillment.

I mean, we get to worship him and we get to serve him. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and the lamb will be in it and his servants will worship him. Learning about God, worshiping, serving, that doesn't sound boring to me.

Not Everyone Goes to Heaven

Misconception number four, most people go to heaven when they die or it's easy to go to heaven. A Gallup poll quite some time ago said that 78 of Americans expect to go to heaven when they die. I mean, people just think, well, the only thing you have to do to go to heaven is to die.

The only thing you have to do to go to heaven is to be baptized. The only thing you have to do to go to heaven is to do more good than bad. Is that the way we should think about heaven? Well, if you listen to the show and you are listening to this show, you realize that's not true.

That would be false, that we can't go around thinking about heaven that way because why do we even need the Lord Jesus if we can get to heaven by any of those other ways? I like the passage in Luke 13, he went, Jesus on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

And someone said to him, Lord, will those who are saved be few? And he said to them, strive to enter through the narrow door for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. What about the many?

And what about the few? Well, my name is Mike Cavendroth. This is No Compromise Radio Ministry talking today about heaven. If you'd like to go to heaven, you have to be believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

You must believe there's no heaven for those who don't believe in the Lord Jesus. And so I encourage you today to put your trust in the Savior, the risen Lord Jesus Christ. And if we can help you in that regard, you can write us info at nocompromiseradio .com.

This is a ministry that wants to help. And if you have questions, you can always email us and ask us. Certainly ask your pastor first, but if we can help you in any way, shape or form, we'd like to do that.

Thanks for listening. My name is Mike Cavendroth, No Compromise Radio Ministry.