NIV 365 / Hints of Home

The NIV 365-Day Devotional Reading Plan

Day 306 of 365 Hints of Home Think about heaven. What do you think it will be like? Look like? Read Many of us have adopted the picture of heaven that our culture has painted for us - an ethereal spirit world where we hover in the clouds like ghosts or angels and play harps. But God's Word tells us that heaven is nothing like that. Scripture refers to heaven as "a new heaven and a new earth" - a physical, touchable, feel-able place. "In keeping with [God's] promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13). The new heaven and the new earth are compared to the first heaven and the first earth. In the book of Revelation, John wrote, "I saw 'a new heaven and a new earth,' for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away" (Revelation 21:1). The earth we live on now is a prototype of the new earth. Think What we know of this planet tells us a lot about the new earth. We have land, air and water - we can expect all of those things to be on the new earth too (see Isaiah 65:17,25; Revelation 22:1 - 2). Scripture tells us that the new earth will have a capital city, the new Jerusalem (see Revelation 21:2). We know what cities are like - they have buildings, streets, culture and people having conversations and doing things. Heaven is also spoken of in terms of a country (see Hebrews 11:16). We know what countries are like - they have land, towns and government. Isaiah says we'll do things a lot like we do them now: "They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit" (Isaiah 65:21). Live As Randy Alcorn points out in his book, Heaven, your first moments on the new earth will be like truly coming home for the first time. Many people have thought, I don't know if I want to go to heaven if I'll just sit around on clouds all day. I just want to live forever on an earth where things are as they should be - no more crime, no more hate, no more evil, no more pain, where everyone loves each other and gets along. That's exactly God's plan. Taken from NIV The Great Rescue 2 Peter 3:13 2 Peter 3:13 KJV 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.