A good question people often ask is the nature of this “heaven” that we are promised in the Bible. This is described as being such a wonderful place. There is no more crying, no more sin, no more hurt. We live in God and Jesus’ presence for all of eternity!
We never again are hungry (for we are always fed by the fruit of God), and we are never thristy (there will be a crystal stream running through the new Jerusalem temple). Also, we will never again be in darkness–for the light of God and the lamb will produce the light we need, and there will be no sun or moon or darkness.
Also, the lamb will lay down with the lion, which simply means there will no longer be any agression or killing. Wow, sign me up! Sounds like a great place to me. Sometimes as I look at this world around me, or experience health issues, I think about how this life isn’t worth it, and all of the negativity and pain we all go through. But then I am quickly reminded that it won’t always be this way. God will make justice in the end, and we can serve with Him in paradise! But this brings up a great question:
What if Our Loved Ones Aren’t With Us in Heaven? What if Our Family Members Go To Hell? Will We Be Sad?
This is a great question. After all, it would be nice if everyone could just choose what is right in this world, and do what is good. But we all know that some people simply refuse to do this. Serial killers, rapists, and more seem to refuse to do good regardless of how often they are given a second chance.
But when we think about who will and who won’t get into heaven (or the New Earth), we must remember that only God can judge the heart. We may suspect someone will go to hell, but only God knows for sure. So we can’t make the assumption that someone will go to hell, even if they lived a terrible life. For all we know, they could have had a deathbed conversion.
But at the same time, we know that due to the odds and the fact that the Bible says many will choose the “wide path that leads to destruction,” we know that we are bound to be missing some loved ones, friends, or family members in heaven (or the New Earth). Does this mean we will be sad and constantly miss them? Not necessarily. In fact, God declares that there will be no more sadness. If God says that, it must be true.
Heaven and the New Earth are described as a wonderful place. We will actually be able to dwell in God’s presence. We will have perfect relationships with people. We will have no pain, no more depression, and no more sadness. We will exist for all of eternity. Even though we may not have some of our loved ones with us, I think we will always have the positive memories, and the presence of God will fill us with so much joy and happiness.
Think of it like this: Did we ever lose a pet or something similar at a young age? I know I did, and I was devastated. It still sad, but I hardly ever think about it. In fact, I have had so many happy times since then, I can barely even recall it! I think it could be like that in Heaven. We may miss the ones that didn’t make it, but at the same time, there will be so much more happiness that it won’t make us sad to think about the ones that went to hell.
At the same time, if there are loved ones or family members that we suspect don’t believe in God, or they don’t follow God’s commands and teachings, perhaps we should work harder to get them to consider God’s way.
I am the type of person that believes you should never go around forcing your beliefs on other people. But if there is a loved one involved, there is nothing wrong with sitting down and discussing religious beliefs and why we believe this or that. You don’t have to be rude or forceful. But instead be loving and convincing. Sometimes you may be able to help someone develop a stronger relationship with God.