How Beautiful Heaven Must Be
Most of us who have lived any length of time have seen much ugliness in this world. We have witnessed the results of greed, malice, neglect and carelessness in the ravaging of nature, destruction of cities and villages, theft of property, and disregard of human life. Such ugliness has infiltrated many segments of our present society through riots, terrorism, immorality, pornography, foul language, disregard for lawful order and neglect of the rights of others. This list could go on and on, but you know it well.
To be sure, there are yet some remnants of beauty in our world. We can still sing, “O beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain; for purple mountain majesty above the fruited plain”. And we can behold the lingering evidence of God’s creation if we just take the time.
However, as we find ourselves surrounded daily by the turbulent whirlwind of such ugliness, some of you may feel what I have been feeling for a while. It may be my approaching the final sunset or it may be just getting tired of seeing and hearing it all. Whatever, perhaps we would do well to pause and embrace something really beautiful … something to fill our minds and hearts with peace and joy. Oh, to be transported, even for just a while, to a place of rest, tranquility, quietness for our troubled souls.
While musing on this, an old church hymn came to mind (you’re not surprised). “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be” was written in 1920 by Cordelia Bridgewater. One wonders if she might have had some of these same yearnings in her day. The words of the refrain are simple and heartfelt: “How beautiful Heaven must be, sweet home of the happy and free; fair haven of rest for the weary, how beautiful Heaven must be”.
Now, we cannot begin to capture the beauty of Heaven with any words or phrases in our vocabulary. However, by God’s mercy and inspiration, the biblical writers have blessed us with some measure of Heaven’s loveliness. Through their writings and by the Holy Spirit, we can find at least some solace for our souls.
When we think of beauty, we normally think of visual experience. The images and scenes we behold are impressed upon our minds and translate into satisfying feelings and thoughts. Such it is when we read as well. Concerning the biblical references to heaven, none can compare with St. John’s vision from the island of Patmos about 95-96 AD.
“I saw seven golden lampstands …. In the midst stood One like the Son of Man, clothed in a garment girded about with a golden band. His head and hair were white as wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire … and His voice as the sound of many waters” (Revelation 1:12-15).
“… I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven … and a voice saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this” (Revelation 4:1).
John was then taken up by the Spirit to see something of the magnificence of Heaven and then to tell us as best he could. While his message was initially meant to bring encouragement and hope to those early Christians besieged by the Roman persecutions of that day, these narratives of heavenly scenes can bring encouragement and hope amid the ugliness in our time.
He saw a throne and the One who sat upon it whose appearance was like a jasper (clear as crystal – Rev. 21:11) and the sardius stone. A rainbow encircled the throne and was shown like an emerald. In front of the throne, there was a sea of glass, like crystal (Rev. 4:2-6).
St. John continues to relate, throughout his writing, the events which were taking place in that celestial realm and those which were yet to come.
Before his visionary visit ended, however, he was granted a broader view of God’s dwelling place. Our reading of those closing chapters gives us a sense of the breathlessness and wonder which came over St. John as he beheld the scenes set before him.
After being carried in the Spirit to a high mountain, an angel showed him a great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God. Her light was like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. The wall of the city was also of jasper and the foundations of the wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The city itself was pure gold, like clear glass. There were twelve gates in the city wall; each gate was one huge pearl. He noticed that the street of the city was also pure gold.
There was no sun nor moon to shine upon this city because the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb (Christ Jesus) is its light. (Rev. 21:10-23).
How beautiful Heaven must be!
While contemplating the apostle’s description of the heavenly realm – the dwelling of God, the angels and those Christians who have gone on before us – I couldn’t quell the thought that rose in my soul, “that is our future home as well!”. Glory to God!
I was also reminded that there are other aspects of beauty in Heaven beyond the visual. The Psalmist reflected on the beauty to be found in the company of the Lord, “In Your presence Is fulness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures (sweetness, beauty) forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Another psalmist echoes that sentiment, “How lovely is Your tabernacle (dwelling place), O Lord of hosts … even the sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest where she can lay her young” (Psalm 84:1, 3). Even more so, there is such beauty in Heaven set before us to be embraced in the sweetness and safety of God’s care. Our Lord Jesus left us with the promise, “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” (John 14:2, 3).
How beautiful Heaven must be!
Then, too, there is beauty to be discovered in the experience of living among those of like minds where there are few, if any, conflicts, dissensions or strife. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). In sharing his vision, St. John made several references to the vast multitudes of angels and living creatures worshipping before God’s throne, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, singing and praising God as with one voice (Rev. 5:11ff; 6:9ff). Much of St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians emphasizes the beauty and blessings of “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).
How beautiful Heaven must be!
As mentioned at the outset of this writing, it may be more on my mind because my time here is nearing its end, but it seems that we all could benefit from a few moments, now and then, to retreat from the ugliness and chaos of this world and meditate on the beauty, the pleasures, and the tranquility of Heaven.
Cordelia Bridgewater may have closed her eyes in such a moment of retreat and then wrote her fourth verse:
“The angels so sweetly are singing
Up there by the beautiful sea.
The song of redemption is ringing,
How beautiful Heaven must be.”
Given the things he had seen and heard in that heavenly vision, is it any wonder that St. John closed his revelation to us with those prayerful words, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20).
To God be the glory. Great things He has done.
Fr. Andrew
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