When We All Get To Heaven

I've been teaching each Sunday on some of the traditional hymns of the Church and recently had the opportunity to talk about "When We All Get to Heaven,” a Christian hymn written by Eliza Hewitt and met Emily D. Wilson in 1898. Hewitt praises the wondrous love of Jesus:

When we all get to heaven

What a day of rejoicing that will be

When we all see Jesus

We'll sing and shout the victory

If we are going to talk about ‘getting to heaven’ two sections of scripture immediately come to mind.  The first is 1 Thessalonians 4:16 & 17 

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

There is a companion verse as well. Companion verses are often the same wording found elsewhere or a similar recollection or event.   1 Thes 4:16 is a prophetic verse of a future event so a companion prophetic verse speaks to and provides additional insight into the same prophetic event.  That verse is 1 Corinthians 15:51 & 52 

"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, on a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."

So how do we learn from these verses?  

First – notice that in these two verses, the word that is used for those that died by the Apostle Paul is sleep.  The prophet Daniel affirmed that those who “sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake” (Dan. 12:2). This obviously is a reference to the physical body.

Jesus once said to his disciples: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep but I go that I may awake him out of sleep” (Jn. 11:11).

I prefer thinking of the dead as being asleep.   When you sleep you are peaceful.   The anxiety of the day, the stress of life, all of our aches and pains, they disappear in the bliss of a good nights rest.  Yes, sleep is good.

The early church used the same term; they thought of death in the same way.  They even called their burial grounds koimeteria, or “sleeping places,” and from this term derives our modern word, “cemetery,” a place to which the bodies of our loved ones are kept until they awaken.

The term sleep refers to the body….the body is said to be asleep.  It does not say the same about the soul.  We are both SOUL and BODY.  

HOWEVER,  At the same time, we have very little in the BIBLE about what heaven is LIKE PRIOR to this event, that we are reading about in 1 Thes 4:16

Second, in these verses, Does Paul really describe what many call the "rapture"? That word “RAPTURE” has many fans and just as many detractors.  Many look forward to what is called the rapture but may not know where it comes from. Others, may argue that the word "rapture" is nowhere to be found in Scripture.

Well, let me settle that argument once and for all, the word ‘rapture’ is certainly in the Bible, you just have to use the Latin Vulgate version which was the primary Bible translation utilized for one thousand years preceding the Reformation. In our English version we read that we are to be “caught up” which is the English translation of the Greek word harpazo which was translated "rapturo" in the Latin Vulgate that derives the English words "Rapture" or "raptured". Setting aside the argument that the word rapture is not found in modern translations, the more important question is what does the original Greek word harpazo actually mean?

Well, in Greek, harpazo means to snatch up or take suddenly and vehemently, often with violence and speed or quickly and without warning.

So, this teaching of a ‘rapture’ is part of the broader teaching of the second coming of the Lord or what’s know as the Day of the Lord or the END TIMES.

There are many Bible scholars, pastors and teachers and I am included who believe that the second coming of Jesus Christ will be in two phases. First, Jesus will come for believers, both living and dead, in the “rapture”.  We see that these verses in 1 Thes 4 and 1 Cor 15 that show the transformation and catching up of all Christians, dead or alive, to meet Christ in the air—it will be sudden, and in secret, no one knows the day or the hour and it will be unknown to the world of unbelievers at the time.

I believe that it is amazing event, this removal of a countless millions of people that will usher that which is known as the seven years of tribulation and that at the end of this seven years, Christ will return to the earth with His church, the saints who were raptured along with those that are known as the “Tribulation Saints” (all of them martyrs).   There are many verses that substantiate this second coming including Matthew 24:30, 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:13, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 19:11-14).

Christ will be victorious over His enemies and will reign on the earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:3) with His saints, the church.

THEN After 1,000 years, living unbelievers and the wicked dead now raised to life will be judged at the great white throne judgment. They will then be cast into the lake of fire, while the saved will live forever with Christ in a new heaven and earth (Revelation, chapters 20-22).

The primary teaching of these verses in 1 Thessalonians 4 and also 1 Corinthians 15 is that 1) this event is sure, it will happen just as all other prophecies regarding the first and second coming of Jesus has and will happen 2) it is for God’s people, for those that know Jesus, for the SHEEP of his pasture,  we want to make sure that we are included in that group of true believers and 3) HEAVEN (or what we know of the ultimate heaven) is exclusively a gathering of ALL BELIEVERS of ALL AGES and ONLY BELIEVERS and the Bible teaches that this resurrection is a transformation of the same bodies we had on earth.

This teaching by Paul ends with this encouragement.  18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The hymn, “When We All Get to Heaven,” by Eliza Hewitt and Emily D. Wilson is one great encouragement as well:

When we all get to heaven

What a day of rejoicing that will be

When we all see Jesus

We'll sing and shout the victory

While we walk the pilgrim's pathway

Clouds will overspread the sky

But when trav'ling days are over

Not a shadow not a sigh

The Time Is Short

One of the simplest and at the same time, one of the most profound songs we can sing is “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so”

The love of God is this, God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish but will have everlasting life.  The truth of this statement, found in John 3:16 is well known.   However, many do not understand that the time is short.  The Bible makes it clear that today is the day of salvation, however there will be a time when judgement will begin. 

Judgement begins at what is described by the prophets as the ‘Last Days’, or “the time of Jacobs Trouble” and also “The Tribulation.”  The Apostle Peter, wrote that there would be scoffers even within the church that denied that this day would come.  “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,  and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3&4)

People have been hoping that the Lord would be returning soon for almost 2,000 years.   Likely the reason for the hope is the feeling that we are close, but have not yet arrived at the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.  The Jews had trouble understanding that Jesus was the Messiah because he didn’t fit their mold.  They were looking for a political leader, someone that could overthrow the tyranny of the Romans.  The Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes were looking for someone like them, someone that would use the law as a measuring rod rather than Jesus who demonstrated the love and mercy of God. 

It is very similar today even in the church.   For many, the love of God has grown cold.  Many that consider themselves to be Christians no longer hope in the second coming but scoff at those who believe that all of the prophecies will be fulfilled, Jesus will return and will reign for 1,000 years. 

I believe the Apostle Peter mentions this time as well, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”  (1 Peter 4:17) 

There will be a time when judgement will come.  For some, it will be too late.  The Bible tells us that we who are His are not appointed to His wrath.  When the wrath of God is manifest, there will be many that will literally be left behind.   We are in a period today called the “Age of Grace” when the grace of God is readily available, and the coming judgment is still at some point in the future.  When Jesus was handed the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah, he found where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the favor of the Lord (Luke 4:18-19)

 That year started when Jesus announced it, and that year continues to this day. The year of the favor of the Lord however will soon come to an end.   Judgement will begin in the house of the Lord with true believers being raptured, taken up into heaven and ‘Kept from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth’ (Revelation 3:10)

 Finally, we know that God’s favor is still here because it is still ‘today’ “For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)

The Way Home

Many are familiar with the verse in John 14:1, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”

The context of the verse is one of Jesus’ final discussions with his disciples. In the previous chapter Jesus had told them that He was going away.  In fact, had the disciples been paying attention, they would have heard Him say very clearly, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." (Mark 9:31)

However, their being troubled was not merely that Jesus was going away. At the very heart of their being “troubled” was the great unknown of life after death.

The idea of a resurrection was debated among the Jewish people and leaders. The Jewish rulers and teachers themselves were divided in whether there was a resurrection.  

If you recall, there were two groups of teachers.  The Sadducees and the Pharisees.  During the time of Christ and the New Testament era, the Sadducees were aristocrats. They tended to be wealthy and held powerful positions, including that of chief priests and high priest, and they held the majority of the 70 seats of the ruling council called the Sanhedrin. The Pharisees were an open class, a common man, properly educated and following 613 laws could hope some day to become a Pharisee.  While they were often the target of criticism by Jesus because of their legalism, they did believe in the literal resurrection of the dead.

Jesus very clearly tells them why they should not be troubled.  Let’s look at the following verses:

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.  (John 14:1-3)

These verses are often used at funerals and memorial services.  They indeed give us hope and a promise of being with Jesus, of being in heaven.

Notice that Jesus says that Father God has a house with rooms for us.  This is God’s house, not His hotel. He is basically saying that we are His children and we will live with him in his house. Also, Jesus says there is a place for us.  We don’t have to worry, God never runs out of room.

So what did Jesus mean that he was going to prepare a place?

 There were two ways that Jesus would prepare a place for us:

1) Sin needed to be atoned for!  The wrath of God, the condemnation, the curse of God, was still unsatisfied.  At that time, Jesus was about to become a curse for us (Galatians 3:13) and bear our condemnation (Romans 8:3) and became the acceptable and perfect sacrifice for sin (1 John 2:2)

2)  Death needed to be defeated!  Jesus was about to be the first fruit, the first resurrected from the dead (note that Lazarus was brought back to life but still had his mortal body).

If your heart is ever troubled the last verse is the most important.  Jesus says, “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 4:3).   

Jesus didn’t just teach about heaven, Jesus taught the resurrection.  This was the belief of the Pharisees, of Jesus and the early church.  All too often, we act more like we believe as the Sadducees.  While heaven is very popular, the teaching of Jesus returning for us and the belief in a literal resurrection is not.

  

Remember the conversation between Jesus and Martha when Lazarus had died?

  

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”(John 11:25 & 26)

  

The early church believed firmly in the resurrection.  It is a part of the Nicene, Apostles and Athanasian Creeds.  (i.e.“At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies”)

  

It is in this context that Jesus returns for his followers, those that had died and those that remain.   He returns, that which was mortal becomes immortal and Jesus shows us the way home.