Best of Bible Study & Games/BestOfBibleStudyAndGames1996isv.zip/FIRSTDAY/FIRSTDAY.TXT

Text File | 1993-10-17 | 8KB | 132 lines

This file is an excerpt from a message delivered by Robert Hey of Merced,
California, as he ministered the funeral of his father.  It is powerful
picture of what the first day in heaven could be like based upon what has
been revealed in the Scriptures.



                            First Day in Heaven
                                    by
                                Robert Hey

Before flying here from California on Friday, I asked our 10 year old
daughter Rebecca what she would ask Grandpa or say to him if it were
possible to talk to him now that he has entered heaven.  Rebecca thought
for a minute and said: "I would tell him that I love him and miss him, and
then I would ask him, 'Grandpa, what is heaven really like?'"  I told her
that I would say the same thing.  As I thought about this on the airplane,
I got out some paper and began writing what Dad's first day in heaven might
be like.  What I wrote is based mostly on what the Bible teaches about
heaven from the last two chapters in the Bible: Revelation, chapters 21 and
22.  In fact, when I flew home a week before Dad died, these two chapters
were the last Scriptures I read to him there in the hospital.

I wrote this as if Dad were talking to Rebecca in answering her question,
but I believe his message would be the same to all of us.  It's based on
Scripture with a little of my imagination thrown in.

"Hello Rebecca.  I love you too with a perfect love.  Don't worry about me
because I'm in good hands and feeling no more pain.  I want you to know
that the Bible really is true when it says in heaven: 'There shall no
longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or
pain; the first things have passed away.'  Your Daddy read that verse to me
right before I died.  Now I am completely happy.  As I breathed my last
breath there on that hospital bed, Grandma was holding my hand and the
nurse was by my bed."

"Suddenly, I saw a bright light.  It was the angel who had watched over me
my entire life coming to take me away.  He wore a dazzling white robe that
radiated God's glory, and he signaled for me to come up to him.  Yes,
Rebecca he did have beautiful white wings.  As I went up from the hospital,
I hardly noticed the blue and white earth slipping away behind us.  We
traveled at a rate of speed many times the speed of light.  We traversed
the entire universe in a flash of time."

"Before I could even begin to grasp the incredible beauty of the universe
with its vast galaxies, I looked ahead and saw heaven and the beautiful
celestial city, called the New Jerusalem in the Bible.  Somehow I knew I
was coming home.  The brilliant colors and the magnificent lights coming
from the heavenly city were unlike any I had ever seen on earth.  It looked
like a translucent diamond or multiprismed crystal shining with God's
greatness.  In fact, the walls of the city were made of solid diamond."

"As we approached the entrance way, I noticed a huge gate made of solid
pearl.  The angel motioned for me to enter and I was so excited I could
hardly stand it.  I suddenly found myself walking on a street made of pure
transparent gold as clear as glass.  I marveled at the architecture of the
buildings.  Everything was so perfect.  While on earth I always enjoyed
making things, so I was curious about what was holding this place up.  I
decided to examine the foundation.  To my amazement the foundation was made
of 12 precious gems, each hundreds of feet thick.  I noticed the color of
Grandma's birthstone in one of the foundations."

"The city itself was nearly 1500 miles high, 1500 miles wide, and 1500 miles
long.  I saw the crystal clear River of Life with waterfalls cascading down
from one level to the next.  The Tree of Life lined the banks of the river,
and I was able to eat of its fruit.  During my final days on earth I could
not eat, and it was so refreshing to eat fruit from the Tree of Life.  I
noticed beautiful flowers everywhere in the city.  I heard the most
beautiful multi-harmonious singing I'd ever heard.  The heavenly choir was
praising the Almighty God and I began to sing along with them.  Joy flooded
my soul!"

"The angel seemed to be escorting me somewhere.  Off to the right the angel
pointed to an exquisite mansion off in the distance.  He said, 'Harry, that
one is yours, where you will live and serve God.'  I was overwhelmed and
speechless.  I finally asked the angel, 'You mean God built a mansion just
for me?'  'Yes, Harry,' he said, 'Just for you; that's how much God loves
you.'"

"We continued moving in an upward direction near the apex of the city.  At
last, there He was, the One I had waited to see.  The One who spoke the
universe into existence by His mighty power, and the One who formed me in
my mother's womb, was seated on a royal blue sapphire throne with hundreds
of angels ministering all around Him and millions of saints praising Him.
It was Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  As I looked at
His face, it was like looking at a thousand suns, and I was drawn to Him
like a magnet."

"His robe was beautiful and its train filled the throne room.  Love in its
purest form radiated from His Holy Presence.  He held out His hands and
motioned for me to come forward.  As I approached the throne, I saw nail
prints in His hands from over 2,000 years ago when he died for you Rebecca,
and for me in order to reconcile us to God.  I bowed my knee before Him and
said, 'Jesus, my Lord and Savior, I praise your Holy Name.  Your majesty,
thank you for shedding your blood and dying for me on that cross to take
away my sins.  Thank you for coming into my life and giving me a new
nature.'"

"Then King Jesus spoke to me in a majestic voice that sounded like thunder
or the sound of a roaring waterfall, yet it was full of compassion and
love.  He said, 'Harry, my precious child, for the last 70 years I've loved
you and I'll love you for all eternity.  Because you placed your faith in
Me on earth, you have eternal life.  Welcome home.  Enter into the joy of
your Lord.'"

"Well, Rebecca, that was my first day in heaven as measured by your time
clock on earth, and what a day it was.  We have no time here because there
is no night or day and there is no sun or moon.  God's glory lights the
city.  Everyone here is so happy.  I never get tired anymore.  I have
perfect peace and joy.  Rebecca, stay close to Jesus, read your Bible every
day, and love Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love
your neighbor as you love yourself.  Tell other people that Jesus loves
them so much that He died to wash away their sins and rose again on the
third day.  Now He reigns over the entire universe and someday He is coming
back to earth to destroy His enemies and set up a Kingdom that will never
end."

"Rebecca, encourage everyone you know to receive Jesus Christ into their
hearts while there is yet time.  The days on earth pass so quickly.  People
need the Lord in the center of their lives, and they have no guarantee they
will be alive tomorrow.  Besides, serving God on earth is the most
important thing you can do.  Well, it's time for me to go.  Someday you and
your family and grandma and all those who have faith in Jesus Christ will
join me here.  I love you and I'll be waiting for you.  Tell Grandma I love
her."

Transcribed by Tony Capoccia of

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