10 Things You'll Do in Heaven

10 Things You'll Do in Heaven
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“Don’t you want to go to heaven when you die?”

I remember being asked that question at a time in my life when I was far from Christ. All I could say in response was something like, “Well, I certainly don’t want to go to the other place.” The reason for that response is that heaven didn’t seem all that appealing to me. While floating on a cloud seemed pretty cool, I wasn’t too stoked about donning a diaper and playing harp music like some angelic being. And besides, I was pretty convinced there wouldn’t be any baseball up there. Sounds like a pretty boring eternity.

Even after becoming a disciple of Jesus, eternity still didn’t hold massive appeal to me. Don’t get me wrong, being with Jesus seemed pretty awesome. But that didn’t really change my distaste for the prospect of playing a harp for all of eternity. I like worship music as much as the next guy, but is that really what I’ll be doing for all of eternity?

My vision of heaven entirely changed when I read a few books (NT Wright, Christopher J.H. Wright, and Randy Alcorn, to name a few). They painted a picture, using Scripture as their guide, of an eternity that was filled with the grand and beautiful things we enjoy on Earth. Benjamin Gladd has recently written an article that only further reshapes my view of what we’ll do in eternity.[1] Gladd shows how God’s Word informs us that we’ll be priest-kings in heaven. It’s a compelling vision. We’ll have plenty to do. Boring will never be a word to describe eternity.

What else does the Bible say we will do in heaven? Here are 10 things we will do in heaven, with Scripture references.

[1] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/do-nothing-eternity/
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Yuri_Arcurs

  • Worship hands, Asbury revival spreads to fourth school

    1. We Will Worship God.

    There isn’t mention of wearing diapers, floating on clouds, and playing the harp. But there are numerous mentions of worshipping God. If we take the way that Scripture speaks of worship, it is all-encompassing. We will certainly worship God by doing things—like enjoying the new heaven and the new earth. But there will also be scenes like this one in Revelation 7:9-12,

    "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'"

    If you’re in Christ, you’re in that verse. We will worship for all eternity. And at times (can you say “times” when talking about eternity?), it’ll look just like Revelation 7.

    Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/James Coleman

  • woman working on laptop overlooking a beautiful scenery outside

    2. We Will Serve God.

    Because we tend to dislike work so much, we might assume that things like serving are part of the fall. Certainly, servile fear and abominable things like slavery are part of the fall. But having a heart of servanthood is definitely throughout heaven. Do you really think that our foot-washing Savior doesn’t have service flowing throughout His being? Though a parable about talents, we see in Matthew 25:21, 23 this principle of serving faithfully with a little and so being given a charge over much more. When we take this to Revelation 5:10, we see the language that Gladd used in his article. Yes, we will be kings and priests. But we will serve in that capacity. You’ll have a job in heaven—but it will be a delight and not a curse.

    Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Olezzo

  • Friends on a beach

    3. We Will Fellowship with God and Others

    If you’re an introvert, don’t get too squirmy here. You will have joyful fellowship with others. There won’t be awkward pauses—or maybe there will be, but we won’t care. We will be at home with God and with others. Revelation 21:3 is all about fellowship,

    "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.'"

    And Matthew 8:11 gives us a picture of sitting at the table of fellowship with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the other believers throughout the history of time. Can you imagine how amazing this will be? We will be fully united and enjoying creation with others. Rather than having no identity and just floating around without personality, the fellowship will be rich in the new heavens and the new earth.

    Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Xavier Lorenzo

  • a man reading, why we should all read presidential biographies

    4. We Will Learn and Grow in Knowledge

    I don’t know exactly what this will look like. We might be transformed in one single moment, and all of our “learning” will be on day one when we see Christ for who He is. But 1 Corinthians 13:12 seems to at least imply that there will be some kind of process of being known and fully known throughout eternity. Our understanding of God, His creation, and His purposes will likely expand forever. Even though we are now in heaven, we will not become the all-knowing God. Our wonder and gratitude will likely be refreshed daily if you can talk about days in heaven.

    Sam Storms says it this way, “The essence of heaven is the vision or the beholding of God, the eternal expansion of our knowledge of God, and the ever-increasing love, joy, and delight that we will experience in God and in one another.”[1] On another occasion, I heard him explain it as God increasing our capacity for joy and then filling it, then increasing, then filling, on and on and on for all eternity. Wow!

    [1] https://www.samstorms.org/all-articles/post/when-the-perfect-comes:-the-ever-increasing-joy-of-heaven--1-corinthians-13:8-13-
    Photo Credit: ©Ben White/Unsplash

  • woman resting on beach

    5. We Will Enjoy Perfect Rest

    Naps are amazing, aren’t they? I don’t know if we’ll be napping in heaven, but we will certainly be rested. You know those rare moments when everything feels right inside you and outside of you. All the burdens are lifted, if just for a moment, and you experience a deep rest and tranquility within your soul. Well, imagine that for all of eternity. Revelation 14:13 says this,

    And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

    No more striving in heaven. Just peace. Just rest.

    Photo Credit:  © Getty Images/May_Chanikran

  • multicultural diverse friends jump for joy on beach

    6. We Will Party

    When Jesus wanted to give us pictures of heaven he often talked about great banquets. He liked to feast. Even the Lord’s Supper—used to commemorate His death—has within it this idea of another banquet that is yet to come. We drink of His death in anticipation for His resurrection life. Isaiah 25:6 speaks of a grand feast prepared for God’s people, rich with the finest of foods. And Revelation 19:9 tells us about the marriage supper of the Lamb.

    Jesus knew how to party. Not a party where you have to numb things or a party where you feel dirty and ashamed the next morning. But a party that slaps at the deepest part of our soul. There will be banger parties in heaven. And we’ll all show up for them.

    Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/jacoblund 

  • man hiking pathway to mountaintop nature

    7. We Will Explore and Delight in the New Creation.

    I am super excited about this one. I love exploring new things. Take me into the woods, and I’m going to leave the trail and start exploring the woods. (It’s kind of surprising I’m not dead yet). And when my wife and I were looking at houses to purchase, I kept looking for all the little nooks and crannies and secret rooms. Maybe I read Chronicles of Narnia too much. The new heaven and the new earth will be filled with things to explore for all eternity. Revelation 21:1-2 paints a picture that this new habitation will be ours to enjoy for all creation.

    Imagine a world where every square inch reflects God’s glory, free from the curse of sin! And we get to explore it.

    Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Uwe Moser

  • woman joyful arms raised at beach

    8. We Will Experience Eternal Joy

    I might be cheating a little here by inserting some of the things we won’t be doing. We will not have tears. No sorrow. No pain. No skinned-up elbows or children crying or battered and bruised people. There will be none of this brokenness in heaven. But in its place will be joy. Revelation 21:4 promises that God will wipe away every tear. We will have no more death and no more pain. In its place stands Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

    These are pleasures to the fullest (no ceiling and no bottom) and stretching out for all eternity. Eternal in capacity and duration. Whatever you’ll be specifically doing, I suppose even playing a harp, you’ll do it with a fullness of delight.

    Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/jacoblund

  • 9. We Will Sing and Make Music

    9. We Will Sing and Make Music

    This is another one that I’m stoked about. Though I bet I’m reading into the text a little. Revelation 5:9 says we’ll sing a new song. I take great comfort in the fact that it doesn’t say caterwaul. That’s about all I can muster outside of Eden. Maybe I’ll have some great pipes in heaven, and the music I make will be more than just a joyful noise. Singing in heaven will be a perfect expression of our gratitude and joy. However, I’m told by a very reliable source that there will, in fact, not be any country music there. (Okay, nobody actually told me that—but I assume it to be true).

    Photo Credit: David Beale/Unsplash 

  • 10. We Will See God

    10. We Will See God

    This is the greatest promise of heaven. We will see God Himself. Jesus declared in Matthew 5:8 that the “pure in heart, will see God.” Revelation 22:4 shows the fulfillment of this promise when we read in Revelation 22:4, 

    “They will see His face…” 

    We will finally see God for who He is. No more lies clouding our vision. No more distrust filling our hearts. We will see Him as He is. And we’ll be transformed for all of eternity. The greatest thing that will happen in heaven is that we’ll “get God.” We will be with Him and no longer looking dimly—but with clear vision.

    Far from being bored at the thought of heaven, I’m excited and cannot wait. If God is able to make this world enjoyable, with all of its cracks and jagged edges, can you imagine what He’ll do in a new world that is no longer sin-cursed?

    Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/shuang paul wang

    This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com. Christianity.com
    Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. He is also the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and Jesus Is All You Need. His writing home is http://mikeleake.net and you can connect with him on Twitter @mikeleake. Mike has a new writing project at Proverbs4Today.