Heaven

I. Introduction

One of the most fascinating themes of Christian theology is the doctrine of heaven. For centuries humans have tried to determine whether their souls can and do survive after death. Many answers have been given, some assuring us that there indeed exists a place called heaven, while others contend that the deaths of our loved ones basically signify the end of our relationships with them, and that we have no hope of ever seeing them again. Serious Christians who rest their hope in living eternally after death will of course find the second answer unpalatable. This is because it seems to run contrary to what they believe Scripture teaches.

It is not my intention in this book to argue for the existence of heaven. I believe that this task has been accomplished by more capable thinkers and theologians. Rather, on the assumption that heaven is indeed a real place in which believers in Christ’s saving grace will find themselves, I try to show how the reality of the doctrine of heaven functions as a satisfactory solution to the problem of suffering – a problem faced by both believers and unbelievers alike. I contend, however, that only believers will have the privilege of enjoying the promise of heaven.

I have deliberately chosen to avoid scholarly language in this work for very simple reasons. First, pieces of scholarly work on heaven are already available. Hence those who wish to look at a much deeper treatment of heaven can always peruse those works. Second, the writing of this book was inspired by a series of sermons that I preached in a three-day revival service at Jimtown Baptist Church, Lexington, Kentucky. After receiving a lot of encouragement from those who attended the services there, I felt it would be a pity to pass up the opportunity to present the material on the printed page. In order to make the material as accessible as the Jimtown sermons were, I decided to make this work simple and understandable.

For this reason, those familiar with my two previous works will quickly find the language in this book relatively simple and, hopefully, straightforward. Of course this might be a disappointment to those who perhaps hoped for a more academic treatment of the subject. However, the aim of this book is strictly pastoral rather than academic. In order to reach his flock, the pastor must do his best to execute the responsibilities of his calling in as down-to-earth a manner as possible. This is especially true for suffering parishioners who desire simple and uncomplicated answers for why they suffer as they do. To be sure, many philosophers of religion agree that the suffering Christian will perhaps not be helped by sophisticated philosophical arguments detailing why a good, loving and just God allows his children to suffer. What the suffering Christian really needs is the sort of pastoral care that assures him or her that God can still be trusted even in the midst of tragedy.

Like most believers, I have been unfortunate enough to watch loved ones suffer. The fact that I am a pastor did not make this experience any easier for me. I have struggled and continue to struggle through the process with suffering parishioners. Like any pastor, I have made numerous hospital visitations to pray with suffering parishioners faced with the uncertainties that their situations seemed to entail for them. In such instances, I have been forced to give them a shoulder to cry on, or at least be at the forefront in doing so. At other times I have only watched helplessly as they asked the all too important why-question concerning their suffering. This is especially so in cases where loved ones died unexpectedly, tragically snatched from their significant others by some unexpected event.

Whereas the answer and solutions to such questions and situations are perhaps not immediately available, this does not imply that they will never be available at all. The purpose of this book is to assure believers that in the long run, our sufferings will be taken away, if the promise of heaven is anything to go by. Hence, if this book is to fully address the problem of suffering for Christians across the board, whether in a scholarly or a non-scholarly fashion, the language must also be accessible to all.