“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).
I had a conversation with a young Christian woman who expressed something I thought I’d never hear. She was afraid of heaven.
“Why would you be afraid of heaven?” I asked her.
“Because it goes on without any end. It’s horrifying to think that I’ll be doing the same things over and over without any end or anything new.”
This young woman expressed a fear that some people have about eternity. In our normal lives as they are now, we experience things linearly. We have one experience, it ends, then we move on to another experience, and it ends, and the cycle continues. There is closure. We are used to things ending. But it heaven, life will continue with no end for hundreds of trillions times trillions times trillions of never ending years. It’s hard for most people to contemplate just how everlasting heaven really is. Some are even afraid of being bored, doing the same things, with no end in sight.
Should you fear heaven?
I think hell is more terrifying. Imagine suffering in pain for hundreds of trillions time trillions times trillions of never ending years. There is nothing to do, there is only eternal punishment for rejecting the eternal God.
But heaven is different. And we have no need to be afraid of it. The new heaven will have no tears, no pain, and no fear. Why? Because we will be in the forever presence of the one living and loving God and scripture says, “Perfect love casts out fear” (I John 4:18).
Does heaven frighten you? There is no need to be afraid. Eternal joy and satisfaction in Christ will be the new normal and we shall never tire of it.
Memory Verse
“To him be the dominion forever and ever” (I Peter 5:11).
Application
If you are in the unusual position of being afraid of heaven, then take your fear to God in prayer, who wants to clear you of your fear. Express to him your trust in his goodness and his intentions for your forever life. Read Revelation 21:1-4 again—dwell on it—and pray through it, thanking God for what he will do. Your fear will begin to melt away.