The Other Side - Pt 4

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-4 ESV).

The last thought about “The Other Side” is that we will see Jesus. It will be nothing short of amazing to finally see, with our own eyes, the risen, glorified, incarnate Christ in heaven. Truly, this will be one of the most glorious parts of heaven. The one to whom we’ve prayed a thousand times, though he has always been invisible to us, now we can look into his eyes. We can put our hands into the holes in his wrists. We can hug him and say, “Thank you” into his ear. That is certain; however, there are hints in the Bible of something even more intriguing as we find in our reading today. Theologians have often spoken of the “beatific vision” — that heavenly vision which involves not our resurrected bodily eyes, but “the eye of the soul.” In this way, it is said, we will behold Christ in his divine nature, a glory that surpasses the sweetness of laying our physical eyes on him. Not only will heaven heal your earthly sorrow, but it will also recall and fulfill all your earthly happiness. Even the greatest theologians labor to describe this experience. But all agree it is the ultimate happiness of creatures. John Owen said that it “will make us blessed unto eternity.” And, remember, Jonathan Edwards called it “happifying.” Such an encounter with the glory of Christ can scarcely be imagined. How will we even endure such light and joy? Surely this will be the pinnacle moment of our existence, as we ascend into that permanent roar of joy from which we shall never, and can never, descend. These features of heaven’s eternal shoreline change how we swim. For now, we struggle through rough waters, deep fatigue, and thick fog. But the day is coming soon when the seemingly unending waves will give way to a broad, sturdy shoreline where the joy is full and the pleasures are forevermore. Knowing this awaits us at the shore can help us keep swimming, no matter how choppy the waves get. Stay focused on the other side. That will be enough to get you through this difficult day in which we live!