What a great, glorious, and perfect future God has planned for all believers! You may live 80, 90, or even 100 years on this earth, but the best is yet to come - a continual, heart-rejoicing, and God-glorifying eternity.
As a Christian, one of your greatest needs is to know, understand, and be excited about this hope God has for you. But what exactly is it to which God wants you to look forward? Here is what He tells you in His Word:
1. You will be with Jesus!
“And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The primary focus of your hope is not a place, not things to do, nor people to see, but the person of “Jesus Christ, our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1). The centerpiece of your hope is that you will literally be with Jesus Christ – God in the flesh. This Jesus, who is your Savior, Lord, Redeemer, King, Husband, and Friend, loves you so much more than anyone else.
You can’t imagine what it will be like to be with Jesus, who lived, died, rose again, is now seated next to God the Father, and will soon be coming back to be with you, and with all the believers. Jesus prayed, “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” (John 17:24). Then, as never before, you will be loved by Him, learn from Him, serve Him, and worship Him!
2. You will have no more problems!
“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17); “… there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying” (Revelation 21:4). You will have no more sinful thoughts, words, or actions. You will have no more anger, pride, hate, selfishness, impurity, fear, anxiety, or jealousy. You will have no more aches, ailments, tiredness, trials, or conflicts. You will be perfect, your life will be perfect, and all your relationships will be perfect!
3. You will be with all the believers!
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19). You will be with all the believers who have ever lived, those who have already gone to Heaven, and those still living on Earth. This means you will be with your saved loved ones. What a joy to be with believing family members and friends you knew on Earth, as well as other believers you heard about, or didn’t hear about, and will meet for the very first time. Oh, what divine fellowship and friendships we will have in the future!
4. You will be in Heaven, the house of God!
“I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Psalm 23:6). Heaven, a breathtakingly brilliant and magnificent place, will be inhabited by Jesus our mediator, God the judge, myriads of angels, righteous spirits, and the Church (Hebrews 12:22-24). Heaven, the most holy place of all, is also referred to as “Your tabernacle … the courts of the Lord … the house of my God … Zion” (Psalm 84)!
1. You will be with Jesus!
“And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The primary focus of your hope is not a place, not things to do, nor people to see, but the person of “Jesus Christ, our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1). The centerpiece of your hope is that you will literally be with Jesus Christ – God in the flesh. This Jesus, who is your Savior, Lord, Redeemer, King, Husband, and Friend, loves you so much more than anyone else.
You can’t imagine what it will be like to be with Jesus, who lived, died, rose again, is now seated next to God the Father, and will soon be coming back to be with you, and with all the believers. Jesus prayed, “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” (John 17:24). Then, as never before, you will be loved by Him, learn from Him, serve Him, and worship Him!
2. You will have no more problems!
“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17); “… there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying” (Revelation 21:4). You will have no more sinful thoughts, words, or actions. You will have no more anger, pride, hate, selfishness, impurity, fear, anxiety, or jealousy. You will have no more aches, ailments, tiredness, trials, or conflicts. You will be perfect, your life will be perfect, and all your relationships will be perfect!
3. You will be with all the believers!
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19). You will be with all the believers who have ever lived, those who have already gone to Heaven, and those still living on Earth. This means you will be with your saved loved ones. What a joy to be with believing family members and friends you knew on Earth, as well as other believers you heard about, or didn’t hear about, and will meet for the very first time. Oh, what divine fellowship and friendships we will have in the future!
4. You will be in Heaven, the house of God!
“I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Psalm 23:6). Heaven, a breathtakingly brilliant and magnificent place, will be inhabited by Jesus our mediator, God the judge, myriads of angels, righteous spirits, and the Church (Hebrews 12:22-24). Heaven, the most holy place of all, is also referred to as “Your tabernacle … the courts of the Lord … the house of my God … Zion” (Psalm 84)!
5. You will have a new home!
“I go and prepare a place for you” (John 14:1-3). Yes, you will be in Heaven, but Jesus will have also prepared a special dwelling place for you, which will be located in the new Jerusalem, that glorious city (Revelation 21:10-21). I believe you will have your own spotless, delightful, perfectly-suited place – a place you can call home, and be at home, where you can wonderfully worship the Lord and sweetly fellowship with others!
6. You will be given a new body!
It will be “raised in incorruption … raised in glory … raised in power … a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).
At Christ’s coming, you will receive an imperishable body, one that cannot die or be destroyed, but is immortal and eternal.
It will be glorious, perfect inside and out, altogether beautiful, and like Jesus’ body, a display of God’s glory. It will be powerful, always energized, much stronger than anyone in this present world, and able to go anyplace and do anything God wants you to do. It will be a spiritual body, perfect in character, speech and actions, and perfectly able to always worship and serve the Lord, and to fully love and be fully loved!
7. You will receive an inheritance!
This is “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled” (1 Peter 1:4). “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). We are not just talking about silver, gold, and precious gems, but the entire world and all it contains – birds, flowers, fish, seas, animals, mountains, forests, clouds, cities, and much more. As co-heirs with Christ, He will possess and share the world with us!
8. You will be greatly rewarded!
“… each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:8, see also Revelation 22:12). God is not cheap, but One who will richly reward you in Heaven for all your labor on Earth. This reward, I believe, relates to your relationship with Christ, the nature of your heavenly dwelling place, and the work God will give you to do. I hope you realize that it is supremely and eternally worth it to serve the Lord!
9. You will see Jesus Christ reign over the world!
“God reigns over the nations” (Psalm 47:8). When Christ comes back, He will perfectly reign over this world. His truth will be proclaimed; He will judge the people; He will guide the nations; His mercy will be shown to the poor; and many will be saved (Psalms 67, 72, 96). Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Your prayer will be answered: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10)!
10. You will reign with Jesus Christ!
“… they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6). “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’ ” (Matthew 25:21). As a priest of God, you will reign with Christ, serving and helping Him rule over this world. Having a glorified body will enable you to happily, heartily, and successfully do all the work He wants you to do!
“I go and prepare a place for you” (John 14:1-3). Yes, you will be in Heaven, but Jesus will have also prepared a special dwelling place for you, which will be located in the new Jerusalem, that glorious city (Revelation 21:10-21). I believe you will have your own spotless, delightful, perfectly-suited place – a place you can call home, and be at home, where you can wonderfully worship the Lord and sweetly fellowship with others!
6. You will be given a new body!
It will be “raised in incorruption … raised in glory … raised in power … a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).
At Christ’s coming, you will receive an imperishable body, one that cannot die or be destroyed, but is immortal and eternal.
It will be glorious, perfect inside and out, altogether beautiful, and like Jesus’ body, a display of God’s glory. It will be powerful, always energized, much stronger than anyone in this present world, and able to go anyplace and do anything God wants you to do. It will be a spiritual body, perfect in character, speech and actions, and perfectly able to always worship and serve the Lord, and to fully love and be fully loved!
7. You will receive an inheritance!
This is “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled” (1 Peter 1:4). “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). We are not just talking about silver, gold, and precious gems, but the entire world and all it contains – birds, flowers, fish, seas, animals, mountains, forests, clouds, cities, and much more. As co-heirs with Christ, He will possess and share the world with us!
8. You will be greatly rewarded!
“… each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:8, see also Revelation 22:12). God is not cheap, but One who will richly reward you in Heaven for all your labor on Earth. This reward, I believe, relates to your relationship with Christ, the nature of your heavenly dwelling place, and the work God will give you to do. I hope you realize that it is supremely and eternally worth it to serve the Lord!
9. You will see Jesus Christ reign over the world!
“God reigns over the nations” (Psalm 47:8). When Christ comes back, He will perfectly reign over this world. His truth will be proclaimed; He will judge the people; He will guide the nations; His mercy will be shown to the poor; and many will be saved (Psalms 67, 72, 96). Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Your prayer will be answered: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10)!
10. You will reign with Jesus Christ!
“… they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6). “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’ ” (Matthew 25:21). As a priest of God, you will reign with Christ, serving and helping Him rule over this world. Having a glorified body will enable you to happily, heartily, and successfully do all the work He wants you to do!
11. You will experience an abundant and eternal life!
“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). In the coming ages, you will always experience the wonderful love and goodness of God. You will never – not for a second – be sad or worried, but will continually be filled with abundant joy and peace. You will experience innumerable pleasures, always enjoying and being encouraged by your relationship with Jesus, your relationships with saints and angels, and sharing in the everlasting glory of God!
12. You will worship God all the time!
“Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever” (Psalm 145:2). In your entire eternal existence, your primary purpose will be to love and worship God, and that is what you will perfectly and joyfully do. Without question, your favorite, soul-satisfying experience will be wholeheartedly praising God and giving Him all the glory. “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. … For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations” (Psalm 100:4-5)!
This is but a limited description of your hope – your awesome, fantastic, spectacular, and heavenly future! This God-given hope is an incredible undeserved gift, a personal and perfectly planned-out future.
Be excited about it, long for it, and look forward to the fulfillment of God’s guaranteed and glorious plans for you. They are supremely and infinitely better than anything you have ever experienced on Earth!
Take the time to really think about what God has in store for you, and be thankful He is so loving, kind, and generous to you. God has only given you one life on this earth, and that for a very short while. He will then set in motion the rest of your eternal life, the most wonderful life you could ever imagine.
We now live in the end-times, and it won’t be long before your hopes will be realized, when you will finally and fully be saved, when you will perfectly and forever worship and serve your great God and Father, and your Lord Jesus Christ.
“Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever” (Revelation 5:13-14)! (Isaiah 19:25).
Steven J. Hogan has been a pastor-teacher for more than 25 years and has been the pastor at Hope Bible Church of Tampa, Florida, since 2003.
“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). In the coming ages, you will always experience the wonderful love and goodness of God. You will never – not for a second – be sad or worried, but will continually be filled with abundant joy and peace. You will experience innumerable pleasures, always enjoying and being encouraged by your relationship with Jesus, your relationships with saints and angels, and sharing in the everlasting glory of God!
12. You will worship God all the time!
“Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever” (Psalm 145:2). In your entire eternal existence, your primary purpose will be to love and worship God, and that is what you will perfectly and joyfully do. Without question, your favorite, soul-satisfying experience will be wholeheartedly praising God and giving Him all the glory. “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. … For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations” (Psalm 100:4-5)!
This is but a limited description of your hope – your awesome, fantastic, spectacular, and heavenly future! This God-given hope is an incredible undeserved gift, a personal and perfectly planned-out future.
Be excited about it, long for it, and look forward to the fulfillment of God’s guaranteed and glorious plans for you. They are supremely and infinitely better than anything you have ever experienced on Earth!
Take the time to really think about what God has in store for you, and be thankful He is so loving, kind, and generous to you. God has only given you one life on this earth, and that for a very short while. He will then set in motion the rest of your eternal life, the most wonderful life you could ever imagine.
We now live in the end-times, and it won’t be long before your hopes will be realized, when you will finally and fully be saved, when you will perfectly and forever worship and serve your great God and Father, and your Lord Jesus Christ.
“Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever” (Revelation 5:13-14)! (Isaiah 19:25).
Steven J. Hogan has been a pastor-teacher for more than 25 years and has been the pastor at Hope Bible Church of Tampa, Florida, since 2003.
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