My friend Gus passed away a few months ago. Gus was a fellow trout fisherman. Weekends usually found him in his little boat on a nearby lake, casting for fish. I got a letter from his daughter Heidi the other day. She told me she’s been talking about heaven with her grandkids since Gus went to his home in heaven. Her 6-year-old grandson, who also loves to fish, explained what heaven is like and what Great-Grandpa Gus is doing: “It’s really beautiful,” he mused, “and Jesus is showing Grandpa Gus where the best fishing holes are.”
When Paul reported his God-given vision of heaven, words failed him. He said, “I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words” (2 Cor. 12:4 nlt). Words cannot convey the facts of heaven—perhaps because we humans are unable to comprehend them.
While we might gain some comfort from knowing more details about heaven, it is not the knowledge of heaven that assures us; it is our knowledge of God Himself. Because I know Him and I know how good He is, I can leave this life and everything in it with utter confidence that heaven will be beautiful and Jesus will show me “where the best fishing holes are”—because that’s the kind of God He is!
INSIGHT
: In the book of Revelation, the apostle John writes of the new heaven and earth and the heavenly city of Jerusalem (21:1–22:5). In this marvelous scene we are brought back to a garden setting, reminiscent of the garden of Eden at the dawn of human history (Gen. 2–3). What was ruined by sin in Eden is now fully restored (Gen. 3:1-19; Rev. 22:1-3). The Tree of Life, representing never-ending physical life that was denied humanity because of sin, is now readily available and accessible (Gen. 3:22-24; Rev. 22:2). The curse brought about by sin is completely reversed (Gen. 3:14-19; Rev. 22:3). There will be purity, perfect service, and perfect communion with God. The greatest blessing will be the unhindered fellowship with God Himself, for we “shall see His face” (Rev. 22:4).
