What Makes Heaven So Glorious?
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What makes heaven so glorious?
The word glorious is an adjective that means delightful; wonderful; completely enjoyable, entitled to great renown, brilliantly beautiful or magnificent; splendid. The Bible teaches very clearly that heaven is glorious. One cannot read passages such as 1 Peter 1:3-4 and not think about the glory of heaven: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” The imagination begins to run away with wonderful scenes of blissful enjoyment that await the faithful. Another passage that peaks our curiosity about the glories of heaven is 2 Peter 3:13: “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” However, what is glorious about heaven? There are only two answers to this question. First, heaven is glorious because God is glorious. Let’s read together the description of God in Revelation 4:3-11. In this passage, the glory of God and those who surround Him is compared to precious stones, rainbows, golden crowns, crystal as clear as glass, fire, thunder, majestic beings, and words of great praise. This is a picture of God’s glory. Revelation 5 continues this thought with the glorification of Jesus Christ before the throne of God. He is the one who is worthy, lion-like, a precious lamb, having seven spirits of God, rich, powerful, kingly, and honorific. Both God and Christ are glorious and this is why heaven is glorious.
But there is another picture of glory in Revelation, and it takes place in Revelation 21 with the description of the new heaven and the new earth. One of the angels that John was speaking to invited him to see the bride, the Lamb’s wife (Revelation 21:9). It is the bride that is described in the next several verses. Let’s read together the description of the bride of Christ in Revelation 21:10-27. In this passage, the glory of the bride, the Lamb, and God is revealed together, but the emphasis is on the bride. She also is compared to precious stones, gold, pearls, and transparent glass. God is with her and in her and illuminates her and there is no need of either sun or moon because all her light comes from God the Father and the Lamb, Jesus Christ. This is a glorious picture indeed, but remember who the church is. The church is the people of God who make up the body of Christ. That is you and me, but this is not the church of the earth, but rather, the church glorified for all saved will receive glorified bodies and live with God and Christ for all eternity. Heaven is also glorious because the saved will be there in all of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
What are the practical applications of this teaching? If you want beauty in your life, look to God, Christ, and the church. If you desire honor, then seek the things of God, Christ, and His people. This means that we must look at each other like God looks at us. We must value one another like God values us because He desires to share His glory with you, and both He and you are what make heaven glorious. Listen to what Jesus said in his prayer in John 17:5, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Jesus then goes on to pray the following as well, “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one” (John 17:22). Heaven is a glorious place because that is where God is, Jesus is, and where the saints will be for all eternity. It is God and people that make heaven glorious.