When I anticipate my first glimpse of heaven, I remember the first time I went snorkeling.
I saw countless fish of every shape, size and color. Just when I thought I'd seen the most beautiful fish, along came one even more striking. Etched in my memory is the sound of a gasp going through my snorkel as my eyes were opened to a breathtaking underwater world.
As believers, I imagine our first glimpse of heaven will cause us to gasp in a similar way—with amazement and delight. That first gasp will likely be followed by many more as we continually encounter new sights in that endlessly wonderful place.
Though most of us are in no hurry to get to our final destination, we all have questions about it. After in-depth study of the Scriptures, here are some of the most frequently asked questions.
1. We won't miss our old lives.
Have you ever bought an economy ticket for a flight, but because of overbooking, been upgraded to first class? Did you regret the upgrade? Did you spend your time wondering, What am I missing by not being in the back of the plane?
The upgrade from Earth to heaven will be vastly superior to that from economy to first class. If we would miss something from our old lives, it would be available to us in heaven. Why? Because we will experience all God intends for us. He fashions us to want precisely what He will give us so what He gives us will be exactly what we want.
2. We won't become angels.
I'm often asked if people, particularly children, become angels when they die.
The answer is no.
Death is a relocation of the same person from one place to another. The place changes, but the person remains the same. The same person who becomes absent from his or her body becomes present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). We won't be angels but we'll be with them.
3. We will have work to do.
The idea of working in heaven is foreign to many people. Yet Scripture clearly teaches it. When God created Adam, he "took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it" (Genesis 2:15). Work was part of the original Eden. It was part of a perfect human life.
God Himself is a worker. He didn't create the world and then retire. Jesus said, "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working" (John 5:17). Jesus found great satisfaction in His work. "‘My food,' Jesus said, ‘is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work'" (John 4:34).
We'll also have work to do, satisfying and enriching work that we can't wait to get back to, work that'll never be drudgery. God is the primary worker, and as His image-bearers, we're made to work. We create, accomplish, set goals and fulfill them—to God's glory.
This article originally was published by Lifeway and is an excerpt from Randy Alcorn's book, "Heaven: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything the Bible Says About Our Eternal Home". If you'd like to read the full article of "9 Facts About Heaven That Might Surprise You", click here!