Is heaven a place where believers will sit on the clouds and strum harps forever?
I sure hope not. It sounds boring! And, according to “heaven expert” Randy Alcorn, there is far more to look forward to.
In his book entitled Heaven, he says, “Some of the best portrayals I’ve seen of the eternal Heaven are in children’s books. Why? Because they depict earthly scenes, with animals and people playing, and joyful activities. The books for adults, on the other hand, often try to be philosophical, profound, ethereal, and otherworldly. But that kind of Heaven is precisely what the Bible doesn’t portray as the place where we’ll live forever.”
God has never given up on his original creation, Alcorn goes on to say. “Yet somehow we’ve managed to overlook an entire biblical vocabulary that makes this point clear: Reconcile, Redeem, Restore, Recover, Return, Renew, Regenerate, Resurrect.”
“God determined from the beginning that he will redeem mankind and restore the earth. Why? So his original plan will be fulfilled.”
Alcorn provides 46 well-documented chapters on everything from the theology of heaven, to what it means to us in our earthly lives, to what we have to look forward to. He closes with a chapter on anticipating the great adventure that is waiting for believers.
This book resonated with my heart and gave me a new appreciation of what God has in store for us throughout eternity. Have you read it? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
This book is available in the church library.
~ Valerie
Valerie Comer is a published fiction author with a strong interest in local food security. She and her husband farm, garden, and keep bees in the Creston Valley.