How Beautiful Heaven Must Be!

I appreciate Brother Blake for leading that song this morning, and that’s going to be the topic of our discussion today as we think about this song, How Beautiful Heaven Must Be. And we’re not going to have a PowerPoint this morning. We’re just going to get out our Bibles and search the Scriptures together as we think about heaven.

And you might want to crack your songbook open to that song that we just sang and just look at the lyrics with me as we study through it And think about the concepts that are found within it. But let’s start with looking at Revelation 22 and verses 1 through 5 to begin with. Revelation 22 and verses 1 through 5.

It says, We’re for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there. They need no lamp nor light of the sun.

For the Lord God gives them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. This song, How Beautiful Heaven Must Be, is at least based in part upon these verses in Revelation 22 and verses 1 through 5. It was written by Cordelia Bridgewater in 1920, and it’s a wonderful spiritual song that gives us great hope for heaven.

As we think about the lyrics of this song, we’re going to notice four things. First of all, that in heaven, heaven is beautiful because the pure live there. Secondly, heaven is beautiful because God’s light is there. Third, heaven is beautiful because the river of life is there. And finally, heaven is beautiful because rest for the weary is there.

Well, let’s think about those four things as they’re reflected in this song, how beautiful heaven must be. First of all, heaven is beautiful because the pure live in heaven. Look at the lyrics. We read of a place that’s called heaven. It’s made for the pure and the free. These These truths in God’s Word He has given. How beautiful heaven must be. Well, there’s no doubt that we read about heaven in the Bible. Jesus said in John 14, verse 2, I go to prepare a place for you, and that place is heaven. Paul reflected in 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 2, “…for in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven.”

In Philippians 3 and verse 20, he wrote, “…for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait Wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And Peter said that we have an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1 and verse 4. So there can be no doubt that the Bible teaches about heaven. And it’s a place that’s made for the pure and the free.

In Revelation 21, verse 27, it says, “…but there shall by no means enter into it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination, or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” So it’s a place for the pure.

Hebrews 13, verse 14 says this, “…Pursue peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Without holiness, we’re not going to see the Lord, and one of the functions of holiness is purity, being able to separate ourselves from the corrupting elements of the world. John wrote in 1 John chapter 3 and verse 3 about our hope for seeing Jesus again and our hope for heaven. He says, And everyone who has this hope purifies himself, even as he is pure. Heaven is a place made for the pure and the free.

And Jesus talked about that freedom in John chapter 8, in verses 31 and 32, when He said, If you abide in My Word, then you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Reminds me of a lyric of another song that we sing, Blessed be the tie that binds. And the last stanza of that song says, When free from envy, scorn, and pride are wishes all above, Each can his brother’s failings hide and show a brother’s love.

Now that’s the attitude that we need to have if we want to go to heaven. It is truly a pure place, and it is made for a pure people. Heaven is beautiful because the pure live there. But then secondly, heaven is beautiful because God’s light shines there. Look at the lyrics.

In heaven, no drooping or pining, no wishing for elsewhere to be. God’s light is forever. They’re shining. How beautiful heaven must be. We will want to be in heaven at every moment. I know that’s hard for us to grasp here on the earth, where moment to moment we find ourselves wanting to be in other places.

Sometimes we’re at home and maybe we think, well, I need to go to the store. Or sometimes we’re at work and we just think, well, I’d rather be somewhere else. And how many of us have nodded off occasionally during worship services thinking, I sure would like to be away from this boring preacher.

Well, sometimes we want to be in other places, no doubt. But you know what? When we get to heaven, we’re not going to want to be anywhere else. We’re going to want to be there, and be there, and be there, and be there, and never want to go anywhere else.

Listen to what Jesus said in John 14, verses 1 through 3. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. You know, the place I think most of us probably want to be more than any other here in this life we refer to as home. Home. That’s the place where we want to be.

You know what? That’s what Jesus is promising here in John 14 and verses 1 through 3. Not home in a temporal sense. Not home in a passing way. Not a home where people come and go. But a permanent home. A home that’s going to be there forever. A home that will never have to leave.

In Revelation 21, verses 3 and 4, we read, And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. And all of those things that make us want to be somewhere else, they’re not going to be anymore, so that we will always want to be in heaven.

God’s light will shine forever and ever in heaven for all eternity. 1 John 1 and verse 5, John tells us this is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Paul said of God that, “…who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power.” Amen. 1 Timothy 6 and verse 16 and Revelation 21, 22 and following we read, But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it.

The Lamb is its light, and the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light. The Kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. It’s gates shall not be shut at all by day. There shall be no night there. We got another wonderful song in our songbooks. In the land of fadeless day lies a city four square. It shall never pass away, for there is no night there. God’s light is forever there shining. How How beautiful heaven must be. Heaven is beautiful because the river of life flows in heaven. Now, I don’t know if there’s anything more beautiful than a river flowing down a wonderful scene of green grass and beautiful trees. I think probably those are some of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever seen.

We’ve often had the opportunity to go to different places where rivers flow, such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and, you know, the most beautiful spots are those spots where there’s a flowing river, and I’ve got pictures of the falls at Yellowstone on my Facebook profile and of the Grand Canyon and different places that I’ve been where rivers flow through. It’s just gorgeous, beautiful.

Now imagine all that beauty in heaven because of the river of life. Pure waters of life there are flowing, and all who will drink may be free. Rare jewels of splendor are glowing. How beautiful heaven must be. In heaven, we will have eternal life. You know, the river of life is what flows there. And the river of life means eternal life. Always having the opportunity to partake of life.

And life won’t be like it is here where we’re constantly battling and fighting to keep it each and every day. You know, just go a few days without food and your life gets very weak. Or water. Or oxygen, for that matter. Life won’t last very long without those things.

But in heaven, there’s a river of life. Life will be there for us to partake of as if it’s a river that we can drink of at all times. Eternal life. This is the promise that He has promised us. Eternal life. 1 John 2 and verse 25. John 17 and verse 3 says, And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelation 22, verse 1 and following. Yes, the river of life will be there, and it will be a river that constantly satisfies us with life.

Life will no longer be a struggle, will no longer be a challenge. We’ll have it at all times without having to sustain it. Rare jewels of splendor are glowing there, the song says. What are these jewels of splendor? In Revelation 21, verses 9 through 11, we read this, Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, The holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, her light was like the most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

Rare jewels of splendor are glowing, but what is described by those jewels? It’s that heavenly city, that beautiful place. And who is it? It’s the Lamb’s wife. Well, who is the Lamb’s wife in the Bible? We know who the bride of Jesus is. It’s the church. See, those glowing, splendorous jewels are Christians. They’re faithful people who will live in heaven with us forever.

Revelation 21, 18-21 says, The construction of its wall was as jasper, and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper, the second, sapphire, the third, chalcedony, the fourth, emerald, the fifth, sardonyx, the sixth, sardius, the seventh, chrysolite, the eighth, beryl, ninth, topaz, and the tenth, chrysophase.

The eleventh, Jason, and the twelfth, Amethyst. The twelve gates were like twelve pearls. Each individual gate was of one pearl and the street of the city was pure gold like transparent glass. Now, God, through the Apostle John, is trying to tell us something about God’s people and how valuable they are to Him.

And sometimes people talk about walking those streets of gold, you know, and being in that heavenly city. And I think that’s a good metaphor for us to think about. It reminds me of a story of a man, you know, who got to heaven and he was there before the pearly gates and he had a briefcase with him.

And there was a man at the gates, and he said, I’m sorry, you can’t bring that in here with you. And he said, Oh, I’ve just got to. I’ve just got to bring this briefcase into heaven with me. And he said, Well, it’s our policy, sir. You can’t bring anything from earthly life here into this place.

And he said, but I just must, I just must, please let me bring this briefcase. And he said, well, well, if you insist so much, let me just look what’s inside of it. And he opened it up and there were just several bars of gold. And the man was kind of puzzled. He was standing there and he looked at him and he said, well, I just don’t understand, sir. I don’t understand what you’re doing with this. Why you’re wanting to bring this into heaven? I mean, why would you want to bring pavement up here? You know, gold.

Gold means nothing in heaven. It’s just the pavement, right? Well, that’s kind of a humorous little story, but, you know, what God is trying to illustrate to us by talking about heaven when these terms of all of these various different jewels and gold and the nature of it is not that those physical things are what heaven is constructed of or what the city is constructed of.

Remember what was said there. The angel said to John, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife. That’s who he’s talking about. The bride, the Lamb’s wife. Think about what Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2 and verse 19. He said, For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? There’s the question he asked.

What is our hope or our joy or crown of rejoicing? What is it? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? That’s heaven. That’s heaven. You and me and all of our loved ones who are faithful Christians. That’s heaven being together there forever.

We’re the heavenly city when we have been glorified into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Heaven is beautiful because rare jewels of splendor are glowing there. And then finally, heaven is beautiful because rest for the weary is there. How beautiful heaven must be, sweet home of the happy and free.

How beautiful heaven must be. Heaven is our ultimate home. Ecclesiastes 12 and verse 5 says that when we pass away, we will go to our eternal home. Jesus said, I go to prepare a place for you. He’s there preparing for us right now.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 1, For we know, if our earthly house of this tabernacle or this tent is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven.

If indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent, grown, being burdened, because we want to be, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that immortality might be swallowed up, or that mortality might be swallowed up by life.

We have an eternal home there that we’re going to, where we can rest. Think about Hebrews chapter 11 and verses 13 and following. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly, if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now, they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. That’s home. That’s heaven. That’s beautiful.

There remains, therefore, a rest for the people of God. Hebrews 4 and verse 9, in Revelation 14 and verse 13 says, Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.

Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works follow them. How beautiful heaven must be! The pure live there. God’s light shines there. The river of life flows there. And rest for the weary is in heaven. Would you like to make heaven your home today? We would implore you to enter that heavenly city when your life is over. But heaven is a place for the pure. And that means that we’ve got to deal with our sins. Jesus did that for us on He went on the cross when He died there so that we could be forgiven. And He wants us to hear His Word and believe it. Repent, confess Him as Lord, and be baptized so that our sins may be forgiven. And at that point, God forgives us of our sins and we are then pure, covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.

And if we walk in the light as He is in the light, the blood of Christ cleanses us from all of our sins, and we have fellowship with one another, 1 John 1 and verse 7. And having our sins constantly cleansed by Christ’s blood means that we’ll be ready to enter that heavenly home.

Do you want to be ready this morning? Have your sins washed away by Jesus Christ today. While together we stand and while we sing.

End of transcript. Thank you for reading along!