Heaven

Heaven is that place of God’s glorious presence without the possible intrusion of what is evil. It is because of the corruption of creation, due to Adam’s fall, that the presence of God is not revealed in all of His glory and beauty. In creation there is but a glimmer of the God of glory, but in heaven there is the complete and unreserved manifestation of His glory and beauty.

If God were to manifest His glory without reservation upon this creation, then the opportunity to be saved would immediately cease for the opportunity to have faith will have ended, as we shall then behold God. For on the day that the heavens are rolled back as a scroll and the glory of God is manifested upon all the earth, the day of the Lord has come. It is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the glory of His Father, that will usher in the great judgement of all mankind.

Who are those who shall enter the joy and glory of heaven?

Revelation 21:27 – and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Only a saving faith in Jesus, here counted as having one’s name written in the Lamb’s book of life, will enter into the joy and glory of heaven. Jesus spoke this to his disciples, while He was on earth [Luke 10:20].

Revelation 22:14 – Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

Here again is an expression that points us to Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can clean our robes with His righteousness [2 Cor. 5:21]. Our robes are washed by Jesus’ blood [Rev. 7:14] and we who have been baptised into Christ have clothed ourselves with Christ [Gal. 3:27]. In one of Jesus’ parables regarding the kingdom of heaven, He likened heaven to a wedding feast and one man was cast out into hell for not having wedding clothes on [Matt. 22:11-13].