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In heaven, Christians will be gathered from different cultures and backgrounds to celebrate our great King. All Christians will praise and worship God. They cried out in a loud voice. Revelation 7:10. The singular use of voice seems to imply a shared language. In Genesis 11 the people sought to build a great tower at Babel. God made them have different languages because they were seeking self-glorification and not looking to glorify Him. In heaven, we will solely glorify God. There may be a universal language that God has everyone know. God could also allow everyone to understand all languages. Heaven will be perfect, so we can expect that we will be able to communicate with all who are there. The overarching impact on our relationship with others in heaven will be our perfect, everlasting union with God our Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. We can seek to have God’s love impact our life on earth and those we interact with. The blessed assurance of heaven awaits us and the joy of fellowshipping with fellow believers. There is a touching poem called, “Knowing you’ll be there,” that describes that Christians will meet again in heaven. Knowing you’ll be there The other day I passed the place you always liked to go And I picked up the phone because I thought you’d want to know But I forgot you weren’t there I miss you on those days That I’m reminded of your smile And the funny things you’d say Knowing we can spend a lifetime Reminiscing on the past Knowing I will see your face again Where tender moments last It makes me want to go there Knowing I won’t be alone Knowing you’ll be there Makes it easy to go home. For Christians it is never goodbye when our time on earth is done, but see you later. In heaven, we will be reunited! We will love God with all our heart, soul, and mind! We will also show this love to others in everlasting perfection through love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control! References: Stohlmann, M. (2020). The world's greatest future. Seattle, WA: KDP Jennings, S., & Skyes, M. (2002). “Knowing you’ll be there.”
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In the movie, Avengers: Endgame, one of the super heroes, Iron Man, sacrifices himself in order to defeat evil and save those on the side of good. Later on in the movie there is a funeral scene for Iron Man. A video message is played that Iron Man had recorded of himself the day before he died. Part of his message describes his hope that good will win. “I’m hoping that if you play this back, it is in celebration. I hope families are reunited. I hope we get it back and something like a normal version of the planet has been restored.” A wreath is then placed in a lake. The camera pans around the scene to show all the superheroes from the previous twenty-two movies that led up to this movie who have gathered to pay their respects. When I watched the end of this movie it made me a little teary-eyed because I thought about Jesus’ sacrifice for all humans. On the cross Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil for all time. He died on the cross and gloriously rose three days later so that we can be victors in Christ! Through this, we live forever with Jesus in heaven thanks to the free gift of eternal life! The last thing that Iron Man says in his recorded message is that there is no need to worry. “Everything is going to work out exactly the way it is supposed to.” In our lives we can trust that everything will work out exactly as it is supposed to. Those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will spend eternity in heaven. Seeing all the superheroes gathered together made me think about how this will occur in heaven. In heaven all the host of Christian believers will gather. It will not be a somber scene like the movie though. We will gather together to praise and worship God in joy! There is a great hymn called, “Behold the Lamb (Communion Hymn),” which describes the forgiveness of sins received through Holy Communion as we gather at the table of our King. It also notes how we are strengthened to life everlasting in heaven where we will join around the table of our King with all believers. Under the YouTube video of this hymn a man posted a comment about what he thinks about when listening to the hymn. “When they come to ‘around the table of the king’, I think of my family in heaven, my Grandparents, Great Aunties and Uncles, my miscarried sibling and miscarried cousins and my cousin who died unexpectedly on the day before his 30th birthday. I imagine them turning their heads and smiling at us, as a way of inviting us to come and sit with them. This song makes me think of that day when we will all sit together in perfect peace and love, enjoying each other’s company at that happy reunion.” Behold the Lamb who bears our sins away, Slain for us: and we remember: The promise made that all who come in faith Find forgiveness at the cross. So we share in this Bread of life, And we drink of His sacrifice, As a sign of our bonds of peace Around the table of the King. The body of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, Torn for you: eat and remember The wounds that heal, the death that brings us life, Paid the price to make us one. So we share in this Bread of Life, And we drink of His sacrifice As a sign of our bonds of love Around the table of the King. The blood that cleanses every stain of sin, Shed for you: drink and remember He drained death’s cup that all may enter in To receive the life of God. So we share in this Bread of Life, And we drink of His sacrifice, As a sign of our bonds of grace Around the table of the King. And so with thankfulness and faith We rise to respond: and to remember Our call to follow in the steps of Christ As His body here on earth. As we share in His suffering, We proclaim: Christ will come again! And we’ll join in the feast of heaven Around the table of the King. References:
Stohlmann, M. (2020). The world's greatest future. Seattle, WA: KDP. Townend, S., Getty, K., & Getty, K. (2007). “Behold the Lamb.” Brentwood, TN: Capitol CMG Publishing. |
Micah StohlmannChristian, author, and professor of mathematics education. Archives
January 2023
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