The prophetess Belinda Carlisle once sang:
Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth ?
Ooh heaven is a place on earth
They say in heaven love comes first
We'll make heaven a place on earth
Ooh heaven is a place on earth
And the great 21st century theologian Bryan Adams worte:
Baby you're all that I want
When you're lyin' here in my arms
I'm findin' it hard to believe
We're in heaven
And love is all that I need
And I found it there in your heart
It isn't too hard to see We're in heaven
But is this a big enough view of Heaven?
Its true, heaven is about the intimacy of relationship, and it might even be true, on some secondary level, that it is a perfect relationship between human beings, but is that the whole story?
It seems to me that the relationship the Bible wishes to emphasis is our relationship the living God:
"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God." Rev 21:3
The final act of redemption history is the coming of God to be with his people; the sin that separated us from our creator has been finally destroyed and all that remains is love, fellowship and intimacy with the one for whom we were made.
As I have dwelt on these things this week I have found it interesting that "heaven" in these lyrics is relational, particularly, sexual intimacy. There is no doubt that sex is wonderful, glorious and good but it is a shadow of the intimacy and 'oneness' enjoyed by Jesus and his bride, the church.
In buying into these sentiments as a culture, have we narrowed our view of Heaven or is it just a pipe dream to think that we can ever be close to a transcendent, majestic and holy God?
One of the most wonderful pictures in this passage of revelation is the image of God comforting each individual believer, wiping away each tear with tenderness and mercy:
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Rev 21:4
On the 20 March 1991 Eric Clapton's four year old son Connor fell to his death from the 53rd story of his mother's apartment building in New York. This tragedy prompted him to write one of the most moving songs I have ever heard and in thinking about Heaven this week I wonder if Eric wasn't onto something when he wrote:
Beyond the door
There's peace I'm sure.
And I know there'll be no more...
Tears in heaven
Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth ?
Ooh heaven is a place on earth
They say in heaven love comes first
We'll make heaven a place on earth
Ooh heaven is a place on earth
And the great 21st century theologian Bryan Adams worte:
Baby you're all that I want
When you're lyin' here in my arms
I'm findin' it hard to believe
We're in heaven
And love is all that I need
And I found it there in your heart
It isn't too hard to see We're in heaven
But is this a big enough view of Heaven?
Its true, heaven is about the intimacy of relationship, and it might even be true, on some secondary level, that it is a perfect relationship between human beings, but is that the whole story?
It seems to me that the relationship the Bible wishes to emphasis is our relationship the living God:
"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God." Rev 21:3
The final act of redemption history is the coming of God to be with his people; the sin that separated us from our creator has been finally destroyed and all that remains is love, fellowship and intimacy with the one for whom we were made.
As I have dwelt on these things this week I have found it interesting that "heaven" in these lyrics is relational, particularly, sexual intimacy. There is no doubt that sex is wonderful, glorious and good but it is a shadow of the intimacy and 'oneness' enjoyed by Jesus and his bride, the church.
In buying into these sentiments as a culture, have we narrowed our view of Heaven or is it just a pipe dream to think that we can ever be close to a transcendent, majestic and holy God?
One of the most wonderful pictures in this passage of revelation is the image of God comforting each individual believer, wiping away each tear with tenderness and mercy:
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Rev 21:4
On the 20 March 1991 Eric Clapton's four year old son Connor fell to his death from the 53rd story of his mother's apartment building in New York. This tragedy prompted him to write one of the most moving songs I have ever heard and in thinking about Heaven this week I wonder if Eric wasn't onto something when he wrote:
Beyond the door
There's peace I'm sure.
And I know there'll be no more...
Tears in heaven
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