Our Heavenly Home ~ Bob Coy

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:1-2 NKJV)

It really doesn't get any better than this. After all is said and done, the final prophecies in Scripture concern our heavenly home. This is where you and I will spend all eternity, and it's best if we just allow God's Word to speak for itself when it comes to this wonder that awaits us:

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." (Revelation 21:3-4 NKJV)

Notice that heaven will be wonderful both by virtue of the things that are absent and the things that are present. In heaven there will be an absence of tears, death, sorrow, crying, pain, and the things of the past. If that's all we had to look forward to in heaven, it would still be a place we would all long for. But what makes heaven truly heavenly is the presence of our great God. The Bible tells us that He will dwell with us there forever, and we'll never know the slightest sense of separation from Him.

Does this seem fanciful and distant to you? Is it hard to wrap your heart around this and embrace it as reality? Remember, heaven is just as much a part of God's prophetic picture as any past prophecy that has been fulfilled. From God's perspective, this is as real as the emergence of Israel, the birth of Christ, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. To doubt heaven is to deny the prophetic proof that God has graciously given to us.

Discuss with your group the promise of a heavenly home. What do you appreciate most about your home here on earth? When it comes to a heavenly home, what do you look forward to the most?

Dig into Revelation 21:1–4. What words would you use to describe this scene? What are the implications of verse 3? How does this passage give you hope? In light of your eternal future, what changes would God desire you to make now?

Decide as a group to make sure each of you has a place reserved in heaven. Ask the folks in your group if they know for sure that they will be in heaven when they die. Then ask each person to share what he or she is basing that belief upon. Let this be the week your group shares a clear gospel invitation to each and every member.