Things To Do In Glory7 min read

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We must admit it: most of us have wondered if we will be bored in Heaven. After all, all we will be doing is singing – right? Well, not quite. God has given us a wonderful glimpse of what will be going on throughout eternity in the last two chapters of Revelation. Please note that this is not a prophetic writing. It is rather devotional in nature. And while we must distinguish between Heaven and New Jerusalem, we can appreciate that the things mentioned represent the principle of what our occupation will be in glory. Eternity will not be boring. Rather, a glorious prospect awaits us!

“The nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it.”

Colorful trees – peaceful rivers – distant mountains – soft grass – melodious birds – nearly sunset. Allow these words to paint a picture in your mind of a most beautiful and peaceful scene – one that appeals to your senses. Suppose you are there – worry free. What would you in your heart want to do? Probably not much except gaze in wonder at the creation God has made. At times this is all that is appropriate. In a scene such as that, there is no place for busyness, appointments, or calls. It is rather a place to simply sit and enjoy what is before us.

When we reach glory, will we not be exposed to the same? It may not be a scene with the same elements; nevertheless, we will see things that cause us, no doubt, to simply stand silently in awe. No doubt there will be several of these moments in glory, and we will have forever to enjoy them. “Them which are saved shall walk in the light of it.” When we finally reach our rest that has been awaiting us, will we not want to take “time” to simply enjoy it? Will we not want to stand and meditate on the preciousness of it? The more we realize the beauties of eternity, the more we will understand why a main “attraction”, as it were, is to simply walk through the city with streets of gold, pondering the dwelling of God. God has tremendous things awaiting us, and He will allow us to enjoy it.

But also, it is specifically enjoyable, because we are walking in the light of the city. Light implies purity: praise God that we will be free from both sin and its effects! But we also know that “The Lamb is the Light thereof,” which gives an infinitely bright nature to what we will be exposed to in glory. We will not only walk in light, but we will walk in light that shines forth from the King of Glory. Truly this is something to enjoy and to rest in.

“And the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.”

This gives us an ironic picture. Kings are thought of as those who have glory and honor brought to them, and yet here, the Lord shows us that to Him there is no difference of who one might be. Regardless of nationality, position, or fame, the Lord says “Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” And this event is specific in its timing, yet it also represents an everlasting principle. When death is destroyed, which is the last enemy, forever will the knee be bowed to the Saviour and King. We who have bowed the knee on earth before the great day of judgment love to see the Lord Jesus reverenced. We love to see Him honored and upheld as rightful King. And in glory, we will see the utmost expression of men glorifying God from their hearts as it should be; never will a man ever again take the name of the Lord his God in vain or ever deny the existence of his Creator. Our God will be glorified by all, even the rulers whom we would least expect to do so considering their attitude toward power today. May we then look forward to glory, for it will be fully Christ-centered and an honorable place. We have a tremendous future, for we too are thankfully part of this bringing of glory and honor into God’s presence.

“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth.”

At this point let us take a moment to appreciate that which we will not do in glory, that is, sin. Free from flesh, free from temptation, free from the world, and free from Satan – this will be the mode of our service. It will be pure. It will be holy. It will be as we wish it to be now. Are we not sick of waking up in the morning fearing what our flesh may succumb to? Are we not bothered by the extent to which we are tempted by sin? Surely we are! Thankfully we must not only look presently with caution as we view the tendencies of the flesh, but we can look with anticipation to the place in which we will serve with perfection. This is the true desire of the child of God.

“And his servants shall serve him”

We find such joy in service while on earth – do we not? It is what consumes us. It is what drives us. This is our happy occupation despite the principle of our flesh. And yet there is a day coming when, as Spurgeon puts it, “being entirely free from this hampering body, we shall serve Him day and night in His temple, for ‘they are without fault before the Throne of God.’” Let us not think we will be inactive in glory. By no means; rather our service will come to its climax! In our bodies, we are subject to disease, sin, sorrow, depression, sickness, and contention: our service is dramatically hindered. But won’t it be nice to have eternal opportunity to serve as we should, in perfection? Never will another word of grumbling come out of our mouth, but we will always be hungering and thirsting after righteousness, always giving God the glory, always being joyful in doing so. And if such a prospect is not music to your ears, perhaps you should rethink your view of service while there is still time before we give account of our lives to God.

“And they shall see his face”

Words cannot describe the privilege of such a promise. We at times covet the position of the disciples, as they could see Him teach, see Him speak, see Him care. They saw His face. But only did a select few see His face in a glorified sense – even then only for a short period of time. And even then, they could only appreciate it to the extent that their flesh allowed. But think of it: we will have eternal opportunity to see His face without hindrance, without sin. Never will we tire of it, because no longer will our nature be to decline. The words of the hymn writer capture a glimpse of the scene for us.

“By and by when He holds out His hands,

Welcoming hands, nail-riven hands,

By and by when He holds out His hands,

I’ll wish I had given Him more.

 

“In the light of that heavenly place,

Light from His face, beautiful face,

In the light of that heavenly place,

I’ll wish I had given Him more.”

 

“They shall reign for ever and ever.”

We cannot fathom such a blessing. We were first sinners, now sons, and soon kings. We may think, as we groan in this wilderness, that authority can never be God-fearing and will always be corrupt. But the day will come when we will reign with Christ in absolute holiness. No more will Christians be the subject of reproach, but will be glorified in Christ. The question is, how are we preparing for reigning? Will we be faithful? Will we be the servant who was diligent with the “ten pounds” given to us by the Lord (Luke 19:12-27)? If we could only get a grasp of what it will mean to reign, our service would be far better.

In conclusion, let us never think think of glory as being a place of inactivity, for we are called to so much better than that. O the excitement of what awaits! Do you not think that this is motivation to be faithful until the end in light of such facts? May we so find comfort and conviction that we would learn to appreciate more fully what the Lord Jesus has provided for us in Himself.

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