Because of the way ghosts, spirits and the afterlife are portrayed in many cultures, it’s easy to assume that Heaven and the afterlife will be a vaporous and ethereal experience. Even after spending years with Jesus and seeing his miracles first hand, the disciples were confused about the resurrection and the afterlife.
After Jesus resurrection, He ate and told the disciples to touch Him in order to put their fears to rest. Initially, they thought He was a ghost from a ghostly realm. Jesus told them, “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
This was the same physical Jesus they already knew—but His body had been seriously upgraded. The New Heavens and New Earth will experience the same transformation. They will not be wispy illusions–they will be much of what we already know—physical and tangible. This verse tells us about two of the capitol city’s physical attributes.
“The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:14 NIV
In this verse, the Bible is talking about the New Jerusalem. This city is a physical place that needs a support structure. The names of the of the twelve apostles are not written on columns of smoke. The twelve foundations are actually something you can touch and feel. Jesus did not say; “I go to prepare a vapor for you.” Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for us.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3 NIV
The Bible describes Heaven and Eternity as a physical place with physical attributes. It’s not a whimsical higher consciousness, or a state of dreaming. In Revelation chapter 21, John further describes the New Jerusalem. The city is a place that we can relate to because there are streets, buildings, a river, trees, fruit, walls, etc. –all of the attributes we would expect a city to have.
Jesus doesn’t want us living in fear about eternity. There is continuity from this life unto the next life. He wants us to have great joy and anticipation that the New Heavens and the New Earth are physical and perfectly suited for us!
Jesus thinks of you as He prepares this place. In fact, long before you decided what you would do about Jesus, Jesus decided about you. He decided to die for you, draw you to himself, give you a place at His table, heal you, cleanse you and love you. You, like Job, can rest in the hope of physically seeing Him one day in a physical place. Job said;
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27
Reflections
When you stand before GOD and see with your own eyes the magnitude of what He has done for you, what do you think you will say to Him? What can you say to Him now?