Chapter 4
HEAVEN IS A PLACE OF ETERNAL GLORY
Let us turn again to the Sacred Record. Revelation the twenty-first chapter, and verses twenty-two to twenty-seven; "And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it."
Note the expressions, "The glory of God did lighten it," "the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it," "they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it."
The word "glory" is hard to define, yet the Bible says a lot about it. It is spoken of as adornment, "glory spoiled," "glory departed." It suggests the idea of honour, rarity, purity, weight, beauty, and such like. "The glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord." The glory of God means often the presence of God. We read about "the Son of Man coming in His glory," "the glory of His power," "the throne of His glory." God is the "Father of glory," and all revelations of Him in nature and grace are revelations of His glory; the glory of His wisdom, the glory of His power, the glory of His love, the glory of His grace. What glory in that home, that heavenly home, when the great redeeming effort by the Holy Trinity is finally accomplished, and all the holy out of every kindred, nation and tongue, gather home for ever. Glory be to God!
"For ever with the Lord. Amen. So let it be. Life from the dead is in that word; 'Tis immortality."
Heaven is beyond description. The most wonderful figures in Scripture are used to convey to us a little at least of what heaven is like, but figures fail. Human language is too poor to do justice to such a place as heaven!
To those who say, "There is no such place, or that it is just a dream," I would answer in the words of the good old Christian sister, who, when an infidel was trying to tell her that her belief of heaven was only a dream, said, "Hush, hush! If it is only a dream, please don't wake me.
Arthur F. Ingler in his hymn entitled, "The Pearly White City," beautifully describes heaven thus:
"There's a holy and beautiful city, Whose Builder and Maker is God; John saw it descending from heaven, When Patmos in exile, he trod. Its high, massive wall is of jasper, The city itself is pure gold; And when my frail tent here is folded, Mine eyes shall it glories behold.
"No sin is allowed in that city. And nothing defiling or mean; No pain and no sickness can enter, No crepe in that city is seen; Earth's sorrows and cares are forgotten, No tempter is there to annoy; No parting words ever are spoken, There's nothing to hurt and destroy.
"No heartaches are known in that city, No tears ever moisten the eye; There's no disappointment in heaven, No envy or strife in the sky; The saints are all sanctified, wholly, They live in sweet harmony there; My heart is now set on that city, And some day its blessings I'll share.
"My loved ones are gathering yonder, My friends are fast passing away; And soon I may join that bright number, And dwell in eternity's day; They're safe now in glory with Jesus, Their trials and battles are past; They over-came sin and the Tempter. They've reached that fair city at last."