To Encourage You

Revelation 21:22-23 “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

Romans 1:20-23 “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

Do you wonder what heaven is like?  How does it differ from the way things are now, here on earth?  According to the Bible, in some ways it is a lot like earth.  But how, you might ask?  Well, the Bible is clear that the only reason either heaven or earth exist is for the glory of God.  “Glory,” in essence, means “a manifestation of the greatness of God.” In Isaiah 6 we hear these words from the seraphim, a type of angel: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” In other words, the entire creation is a reflection and demonstration of the awesome greatness of God.  As the seraphim proclaim to us, this includes the earth, but more so, it includes heaven. 

Heaven is such a manifestation of the greatness and glory of God that there is no sun there.  The glory of God gives it light.  God is so majestic that we are told that He “dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:16).  God’s glory is everywhere, both in heaven and on earth.  Of course, man’s sin has greatly marred the original glory of earth that God intended for it.  Nevertheless, God’s glory still shines for anyone who has eyes to see it.  We are told in Psalm 19:1-3 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.”  

Perhaps the most striking difference between heaven and earth, then, is man’s reaction to God’s glory.  In heaven, every being, every angel, every creature, every man, and every woman unceasingly declare the glory of God.  They praise Him for His glory. They demonstrate it in their words and lives.  It is the greatest focal point of their existence.  However, on earth, incredibly, because of their sin, many men and women refuse to give God glory. Worse yet, they are so foolish and their thinking is so darkened, that they “exchange the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” 

We’ve all seen how many of the world’s religions have a way of glorifying created things rather than the Creator.  All over the world, since the Fall, people have worshipped  things like the sun, moon, stars, a golden calf, trees, etc., etc.  However, notice that men have also exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal men.  One example of this from the Bible is from the life (and death) of King Herod. We are told in Acts 12 that “On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, ‘The voice of a god, and not of a man!’ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.” 

In more recent times, we can recall how the Japanese emperor, at the time of World War II, was worshipped as a deity.  The same holds true in North Korea today with the so-called “Kim dynasty.”  But what about in America?  Isn’t it true in our own country that people who don’t give God a second thought are so quick to glorify a professional sports figure, a movie star, or anyone else who can do something or other a little better than the rest of us.  We even have a popular TV show called “American Idol,” of all things! 

But even more incredible than this is that in the end, when people who have rejected God become subject to His great wrath, they will still refuse to give God glory.  We see this in Revelation 16:8-9 which says: “The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.”  It is this very thing that is the difference between those who one day will end up in Heaven and those who will not.   Those who will be there are those who have repented from their sin and ascribe great glory to God who alone deserves glory.  Those who won’t be there are those who refuse to give God the glory, and instead foolishly choose to give glory to everything but God, including themselves. 

So, what describes your life? Are you one who lives to give God the glory, or one who does not?  The difference is as vast as the gulf between heaven and earth – or hell, for that matter.