Chapter 3

 

III. What Is It Like In Heaven?

 

A. It is a place of beauty.

    1. Hebrews 12:22 refers to “the city of the living God, the _______________ Jerusalem.”

    2. A further description of that heavenly city is given in Revelation 21. Please read it and fill in the following blanks.

        a. Verse 2 likens the beauty of that city unto “a ___________ adorned for her husband.”

Note: A bride is the most beautiful person in the world to her groom. She makes herself up that way on purpose, because she wants to be pleasing in his sight. The heavenly city, new Jerusalem, is also very beautiful. It was made to be pleasing to the sight of those who will inhabit it forever.

        b. This holy city is a creation of God, because it is seen “descending out of _____________ from God.” (vs. 10)

        c. This city has the glory of God, and has a dazzling light “like unto a _________ most precious,” according to verse 11.

 

Think about light sparkling in a diamond as you gaze at it.

That is how beautiful the light in heaven will be!

 

        d. The size of the city is very impressive!

           1.) According to (vs.16), it is __________ furlongs long, wide, and high.

            2.) A furlong is about 607 feet, which means that the size of the city is __________________ feet long, and __________________ feet wide, and __________________ feet high!

            3.) A mile is 5,280 feet. That means that the heavenly city is about __________ miles long, and __________ miles wide, and __________ miles high!

Illustration: As the crow flies, the city would be about as long as the distance the Mackinaw Bridge in Michigan is from Miami, Florida; and about as wide as the distance the Mackinaw Bridge is from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

 

In terms of square miles, the heavenly city, New Jerusalem,

is going to cover 1,903,020 square miles. That figures out to be

over half of the area of the United States. Just think

of it — one city bigger than half of the United States!

 

But that is not all, the heavenly city is as tall as it is wide! As of the date of this writing, the tallest building in the world is the Sears Tower in Chicago. It is 1,454 feet tall. That is a little over 1/4 of a mile high. Architects want to see a mile high building erected. They say it is possible from an engineering standpoint, but that it would be financially unprofitable to the owner at this point.

 

Think of the heavenly city — it is beyond comprehension

as to its size. It goes up, not 1/4 of a mile, not 1 mile,

but 1,379½ miles into the sky!

 

Exactly how the city is built that high or the shape of it, we are not told. But there is a wall running around the outside of the city that is ______ cubits tall, according to verse 17. If a cubit equals 18 inches, then how high is the wall running around the city? ______ feet high.

        e. According to verse 18, the building of the wall of the city is made of ____________.

Note: Verse 11 describes this stone as being “clear as ______________.”

Illustration: The wisdom of having an outer wall that high made out of jasper stone as clear as crystal is readily apparent. Just talk to some people from New York City. Many of their streets never see direct sunlight because of the many tall buildings around them. New proposed high rise buildings are meeting with much opposition there in that city. Any building higher than 75 feet is considered to be a high rise. Think of the wall around New Jerusalem — 216 feet high! But there are no dark, shadowy corners or streets in heaven, because the walls are clear as crystal, and thus let light through, creating a bright, cheery place.

        f. The above material refers to this outer wall running around the outside of the city, but everything inside the city is “pure ________, like clear glass.” (vs.18)

 

The interior of the city is pure gold as clear as glass.

When gold, silver, or some other precious metal is placed smoothly

over the backside of a piece of glass, what do you have? A mirror!

The heavenly city is going to be like one huge mirror.

 

Illustration: The John Hancock Tower in Boston is 790 feet high, and it is covered with reflective glass. Because it is so high and reflects the clouds and sky like a big mirror, people say that it “disappears in the sky.”

Can you imagine how beautiful the heavenly city, New Jerusalem, is going to be? The city will “disappear in the sky” as it reflects the glory and majesty of God! The huge city will not draw attention to its wonderful architecture, but to its glorious Architect!

        g. According to verses 14, 19, & 20, of how many layers does the foundation consist? ____ layers

Note: The foundation of most homes is barely visible, and only shows for about 6 to 12 inches. Because it does not show very much, it is usually not covered with anything — it is just gray-looking cement or cement blocks. But look at the foundations to this city! Name the different precious stones used to garnish it.

            1.)                                                                                             2.)

            3.)                                                                                             4.)

            5.)                                                                                             6.)

            7.)                                                                                             8.)

            9.)                                                                                             10.)

           11.)                                                                                            12.)

 

      h. What things are going to be used to make the 12 gates? (vs.21) ____________

      i. That same verse tells us “the street of the city was pure ________, as it were transparent glass.”

      j. What provides light for the city, according to verse 23? ________________________

Note: What a dazzling picture of beauty the Bible paints of the heavenly city! Just make certain that YOU will be there!

 

— What Is It Like In Heaven?

B. It is a place of safety.

    1. According to Revelation 21:25, the gates to the heavenly city will not need to be shut, because there will be no __________ there.

Note: People are much more afraid when it gets dark, because wicked deeds are often done under cover of darkness so the evil person will not be recognized.

    2. John 3:20 says, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the __________,” because the light shows his evil deeds.

    3. Weapons are sometimes carried, “because of ________ in the night.” (Song of Solomon 3:8)

    4. Job 24:16 says of wicked people, “In the dark they ______ through houses.”

    5. The next verse says that the morning light brings fear to them “if one ________ them.”

Note: People do evil deeds in the darkness so no one can see their faces, and thus bring them to justice.

But in the heavenly city, there is “no need of the ______, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” (Revelation 21:23)

 

The fact that there will be no darkness or night

there in heaven will rule out a lot of fears.

 

    6. Revelation 21:24 says “the nations of them which are __________ shall walk in the light” of the heavenly city.

    7. According to Revelation 22:14,15, “______________ (the city) are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”

   8. Where these unsaved people are kept without the city is told in Revelation 20:15 — in the ________________________.

    9. No one who is not written in the Lamb’s _______________________ can enter into the heavenly city. (Revelation 21:27)

    10. Once again, Revelation 21:8 says the evil group will “have their part in the lake which burneth with ________ and __________________.”

    11. This evil group also includes the devil and his helpers, because Revelation 20:10 says they are cast into the lake of ________ and __________________.

Note: Safety is assured in heaven, because there is no darkness there, and no evil people to do wicked deeds.

 

— What Is It Like In Heaven?

C. It is a place of rewards.

    1. Hebrews 9:27 says that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the ________________.”

Note: To the unbelievers, this judgment will be the sentencing to different degrees of punishment. They are “judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their __________.” (Revelation 20:12)

But concerning believers, they will stand before another judgment. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of ____________; that every one may receive the things done in his body.” (II Corinthians 5:10)

    2. I Corinthians 3:11-15 tells more about the Christian’s judgment. Please read it and answer the questions below.

        a. According to verse 11, our foundation is _______________________.

        b. On top of this foundation, verse 12 says it is possible to build a life with several different materials:

            1.)                                                                                         4.)

            2.)                                                                                         5.)

            3.)                                                                                         6.)

      c. But verse 13 shows that caution should be used as to which material we use, because “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by ________; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”

 

You will quickly notice that the most important matter

at this judgment is not the amount  of a person’s works,

but the sort  or quality of them.

 

            1.) What does fire do to “wood, hay, and stubble?” _____________________

            2.) What does fire do to precious metals? ____________________________

(Psalm 12:6 gives you a clue: “The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, _________________ seven times.”) So the believer’s works face the test of fire to see how pure they are.

        d. If any believer’s works make it through the fire without being consumed, “he shall receive a ____________,” according to verse 14.

        e. If his work is consumed by the fire, “he shall suffer ________” (the loss of rewards). (vs.15)

   3. II Timothy 2:12 says if we suffer (for Jesus’ sake here on earth) then “we shall also __________ with him.”

   4. The story given in Matthew 25:14-23 is given to illustrate the kingdom of ____________. (vs.14)

      a. The first servant received ____ talents. (vs.15a)

      b. The second servant received ____ talents. (vs.15b)

      c. The third servant received ____ talent. (vs.15c)

      d. After a long time, “the lord of those servants ____________,” and reckoned with them. (vs.19)

      e. The servant with 5 talents traded with them to gain ____ more talents. (vs.16)

      f. The servant with 2 talents used them to gain ____ more talents. (vs.17)

      g. The servant with 1 talent dug in the ground and ______ the money. (vs.18)

      h. “After a _______ time,” the lord of those servants returned, and settled up accounts with his servants. (vs.19)

      i. Because the servant with 5 talents had gained 5 more, he was rewarded by being made “__________ over many things.” (vss.20,21)

      j. The servant with 2 talents who had also gained 2 more, was also rewarded by being made “__________ over many things.” (vss.22,23)

       k. The servant who had 1 talent, and who went and hid it was cast “into outer _________________: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (vss.24-30)

Note: This parable is given to illustrate the “kingdom of heaven,” according to verse 14. God has given each of us certain abilities to use for His glory. Two out of the three people did, and they were richly rewarded for it. They had been faithful in a few things; but in each case, they were made ruler over many things when the Lord returned. Even so will it be with us when the Lord returns, if we are faithful in serving Him now.

The people who fear the Lord, but never bother to serve Him, may very well be like the man with one talent. He ended up being cast into “outer darkness,” where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (vs.30) It is clear that he was cast into hell. He was just a pretender, and not really a possessor of eternal life. The man was never really saved.

    5. II Timothy 2:5 reminds us that a man is not crowned, “except he strive ________________.”

Note: This tells us again that the things done in the wrong way will receive no heavenly reward. We must do the right things — in the right ways!

    6. According to Matthew 19:30, “many that are first shall be ________; and the last shall be __________.”

 

This tells us that many  people who seem to be first

in serving God right now, are not going to be first concerning

rewards in heaven. The reason is that they either have the wrong

motives, or the wrong methods in serving the Lord.

 

REVIEW:

    1. The beauty of the heavenly city is likened unto a __________ adorned for her husband.

    2. The wall of the heavenly city is made of ____________, which is as clear as crystal.

    3. When gold, silver, or some other precious metal is placed smoothly on the backside of a piece of glass, that glass becomes a ____________. The heavenly city will be like a huge one, causing the city to “disappear in the sky” as it reflects the glory of God.

    4. Each gate of the heavenly city is made up of one big __________.

    5. The street of the city is pure ________.

   6. The gates of the city will never need to be shut, because there will be no __________ there.

   7. There will be no need of the sun, moon, or stars in the heavenly city, because the glory of God and the ________ will lighten it.

    8. Lost people are not allowed to enter the heavenly city, so where will they be kept? ________________________________

    9. All believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of ____________.

    10. Our foundation is _______________________.

    11. What will try our works to see of what sort they are? ________

    12. The most important matter at the Judgment Seat of Christ is not the amount of a person’s works, but the sort or ______________ of them.

    13. If your works can make it through the fire, then you will receive a _____________.

    14. If your works are consumed by the fire, then you will suffer the ________ of rewards.

    15. Being faithful in a few things here on earth, will result in being made ruler over _________ things in heaven.

   16. Many that are first right now, will be ________ in obtaining heavenly rewards someday, because they have the wrong motives or methods in serving the Lord.

 

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