A GLIMPSE INTO THE BEYOND

CHRISTIANS KNOW LIFE AFTER DEATH IS IN GOOD HANDS- GOD'S! HOWEVER, LIKE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, THEY ARE CURIOUS. THEY WOULD OFTEN LIKE TO KNOW WHAT A PERSON EXPERIENCES IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH, AND WHAT IR WOULD BE LIKE IN HEAVEN. THE BIBLE SPEAKS ABOUT BOTH MATTERS IN ONLY A LIMITED WAY.
AFTER THE LAST HEARTBEAT... CONFUSION EXISTED IN THE CHURCH AT  THESSALONICA. SOME WERE TEACHING THAT JESUS WOULD RETURN VERY SOON, AND WHEN HE DID THOSE WHO HAD ALREADY DIED WOULD NOT TAKE PART IN THE JOYS OF ETERNAL AGE  THAT WOULD BREAK IN WITH HIS COMING. PAUL  REMINDED  THEM  THAT WHEN CHRIST CAME HE WOULD RAISE ALL FROM THEIR GRAVES, AND TAKE ALL WHO BELIEVE IN HIM TO HIS ETERNAL HOME, [1 THESS.4:13-18.] IN V. 14 PAUL WRITES: "FOR SINCE WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN, EVEN SO THROUGH JESUS, GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP"
 CHRIST "DIED"  HIS OWN "FALL ASLEEP." THE DIFFERENCE IN TERMS IS MOST COMFORTING. HOWEVER, ONE SHOULD NOT READ TOO MUCH INTO THE TERM "FALLEN ASLEEP" ABOUT WHAT THE DEAD IN CHRIST EXPERIENCE WHILE WAITING FOR THE GREAT DAY OF THE RESURRECTION OF ALL FLESH. THE BIBLE TELL US VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THOSE WHO FALL ASLEEP IN CHRIST. PAUL IS CONTENT TO SPEAK OF LIFE AFTER DEATH AS BEING "WITH CHRIST" A CONDITION WHICH HE DESCRIBES AS "FAR BETTER,"  PHILIPPIANS [1:23;] SEE ALSO REVELATIONS
[7: 15-17], ESPECIALLY V.17.
THE REVELATION OF JOHN GIVES US EVERAL GLIMPSES OF THE WONDER OF LIFE IN GOD'S PRESENCE, AMONG ANGELS AND ARCH ANGELS, ITS IMAGES SHOULD NOT BE PUSHED TOO FAR LITERALLY, BUT SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD AS AN ATTEMPT TO CONVEY IN EXPRESSIBLE HEAVENLY TRUTHS IN ADEQUATE EARTHLY WORDS. NOTE THE VISION DESCRIBED IN REVELATION, 4,5. GOD IS SEATED ON HIS THRONE IN HEAVENLY SPLENDOR. AROUND HIM IS A CIRCLE OF TWENTY-FOUR THRONES, ON EACH OF WHICH IS AN ELDER, CLAD IN WHITE AND WEARING A GOLDEN CROWN. AT EACH OF THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE THRONE PLATFORM IS A MYSTERIOUS HEAVENLY CREATURE, EACH WITH A DIFFERENT FACE REPRESENTING GOD'S QUALITIES (  LION-AWESOMENESS; OX-STRENGTH;-MAN WISDOM; EAGLE -MOBILITY). EACH CREATURE COVERED WITH EYES., INDICATING GOD'S UNCEASING WATCHFULNESS. THE BEASTS AND ELDERS CONSTANTLY SING GOD'S PRAISES, 48b; [4:11]. IF THE ELDERS, CLAD IN WHITE SITTING ON THRONES, DO NOTHING BUT BOW BEFORE HIM WHO SITS ON THE CENTRAL THRONE AND CAST THEIR GOLDEN CROWNS BEFORE HIM, HOW GREAT AND AWESOME HE MUST BE.!
JOHN SEES "A LAMB STANDING AS THOUGH IT HAD BEEN SLAIN" [5:6.] THE LAMB IS THE CRUCIFIED, RISEN, ASCENDED AND TRIUMPHANT CHRIST STANDING NEXT TO THE FATHER'S THRONE. HE HAS BEEN GIVEN AUTHORITY OVER THE UNIVERSE, AND HOLDS IN HIS HANDS THE KEY TO THE CONTROL OF HISTORY. [5:7].
 BEYOND THE CIRCLE OF TWENTY-FOUR THRONES IS ANOTHER CIRCLE OF "MANY ANGELS, NUMBERING  MYRIADS, AND THOUSANDS OF THOUSANDS," [5:11].  THEY TOO SING THEIR OWN SONG OF PRAISE. FURTHER OUT IS YET ANOTHER CIRCLE, CONSISTING OF "EVERY CREATURE IN HEAVEN, AND ON EARTH AND UNDER THE SEA". THIS CIRCLE OFFERS GOD ITS OWN SPECIAL SONG, [5:13b].
OUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NATURE OF LIFE IN HEAVEN WILL BE ANSWERED SOON ENOUGH. WHILE WE WAIT! TO HAVE THEM ANSWERED, WE DO WELL TO DO WHAT THOSE ALREADY IN HIS PRESENCE DO: PRAISE!  IN 1 CORINTHIANS 5:7,8 PAUL WRITES: FOR CHRIST OUR PASSOVER LAMB, HAS BEEN SACRIFICED. THEREFORE LET US KEEP THE  FESTIVAL, NOT WITH OLD YEAST OF MALICE AND WICKEDNESS, BUT WITH BREAD WITHOUT YEAST, THE BREAD OF SINCERITY AND TRUTH. PAUL HERE REFERS TO THE TRADITIONAL PASSOVER OBSERVANCE OF HIS DAY TO POINT TO THE CHRISTIAN'S GREATER PASSOVER CELEBRATION IN CHRIST.