Heaven
Eight Promises for the Believer
because of Calvary
By Dr. Ken Matto
The Promise for those who have died
(John 5:28-29 KJV) Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which
all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, {29} And shall come forth; they
that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done
evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
One of the greatest promises in the Bible is the promise that the Believer will
be raised from the dead, that is, they will be reunited with their body and will
live eternally in the New Heaven and the New Earth. There will be one general
resurrection where the unbelievers and believers will be raised and this will
happen on the last day of history.
The Promise for those still alive
(1 Th 4:16-17 KJV) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead
in Christ shall rise first: {17} Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord.
When the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth on the last day, there will be
billions who are alive. Those who are saved will be changed in an instant and
will be taken to Heaven to live with the Lord forever. (1 Cor 15:51-52 KJV)
Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed, {52} In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed. It is at this time that we will receive our new bodies
which we will live in for eternity.
The Promise of the Preparation
(John 14:1-2 KJV) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe
also in me. {2} In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
The Lord Jesus Christ was speaking to His disciples about His impending
crucifixion. In John 14:2, He is telling them that He was about to go to prepare
a place for them and the preparation had required that He go to the cross to
completely pay for their sins. Once He had completed the cross and was
resurrected, then all the sins of His people were now paid for and their place
was now prepared for them.
The Promise to be in His Presence before the
End
(2 Cor 5:8 KJV) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent
from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
The Apostle Paul shares with all the readers of Scripture that when any believer
physically dies before the return of Christ on the last day, they are
immediately ushered into the presence of the Lord. The body goes into the ground
but the soul into the presence of God to await the reuniting of body and soul on
the last day. The Christian does not experience anything such as soul sleep or
any judgment because all sins were paid for and removed at Calvary. (Col
2:13-14 KJV) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
{14} Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was
contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
The Promise of a Prompt Exchange
(John 8:52 KJV) Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a
devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my
saying, he shall never taste of death.
(1 Cor 15:52 KJV) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed.
Here is one of the greatest promises in the Bible for the Christian. The Lord
Jesus states that anyone who believes in Him will never taste of death which
teaches us that the transformation from this life to eternal life in Heaven will
be so immediate that the Believer will not see one moment of darkness or even
know what death is. We will be more alive one moment after death than we have
ever been in this life. The twinkling of an eye will be less than a second.
As soon as we close our eyes here, we are there!
Promise of a Pristine Place
(Rev 22:15 KJV) For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and
murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Never will the Believer ever have to face any sinful things nor any temptations
anymore. We are free from all temptations for all of eternity. It is temptation
that causes much anxiety in the Christian life and with that gone, there will
only be the purest form of peace for the Christians.
Promise of a Pain Free Existence
(Rev 21:4 KJV) And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any
more pain: for the former things are passed away.
One of the chief promises God gives us is that never again will there be any
pain in our bodies. All the suffering the Believer will ever face will be on
this earth. Take the greatest pain or chronic sickness you have in your body and
try to envision yourself eternally without that pain or sickness. God promises
it will be no more, therefore it shall be no more.
Promise of the Eternal Presence of God and the
Lamb
(Rev 22:3-4 KJV) And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and
of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: {4} And they shall
see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
Probably the greatest promise of all is that every redeemed believer will live
in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father. No longer will
there be any separation between us caused by sin. Since all our sins have been
washed away in the blood of the Lamb, we now stand fully qualified to be in the
Holy presence of God.