Randy Alcorn - In Light of Eternity: Perspectives on Heaven

I N L IGHT OF ETERNITY
P UBLISHED BY W ATERBROOK P RESS
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible. Any italics in Scripture quotes are the authors.

Portions of this work were originally published in: Edge of Eternity by Randy Alcorn, copyright 1998 by Eternal Perspectives Ministries, published by WaterBrook Press. Deadline by Randy Alcorn, copyright 1994 by Randy Alcorn. Used by permission of Multnomah Publishers, Inc. Dominion by Randy Alcorn, copyright 1996 by Randy Alcorn. Used by permission of Multnomah Publishers, Inc. Some concepts in this book are adapted from Money, Possessions and Eternity by Randy Alcorn (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House, 1989).

The A. W. Tozer quotes on is from Born After Midnight (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Christian Publications, Inc., 1959), page 107.

The C. S. Lewis selections on are from Lewiss The Problem of Pain (New York: Macmillan, 1948), pages 115, 145, and 147.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of The Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.

W ATER B ROOK and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Random House Inc.

The song Thank You was copyrighted in 1988 by Gaither Music/ASCAP. It was performed by Ray Boltz on the 2001 album titled Moments for the Heart: The Very Best of Ray Boltz Volume 1 & 2.

eISBN: 978-0-307-55343-0

Copyright 1999 by Eternal Perspective Ministries

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

v3.1

To my trusted friend and brother Barry Arnold
&
to all those whove given their lives to the high calling of world missions,
becoming less at home on earth in light of their true home in heaven
&
to Mom and Dad, my friend Jerry Hardin,
and many other loved ones whove made it home before me
I can hardly wait to see you again.

Thanks to Thomas Womack and Doug Gabbert for suggesting we assemble my articles on heaven and eternal rewards as the beginning point for this book. Thanks especially to Thomas for looking through my writings and organizing them, allowing me to add and edit more efficiently. Thanks to Laura Barker for all her detailed work on the final product. Thanks also to Dan Rich, Rebecca Price, Lisa Bergren, Steve Cobb, and others at WaterBrook. I deeply appreciate all your efforts.

Thanks to my wonderful wife and best friend, NanciI cant say enough about who you are and all you do. Youre Gods gift to me. And to my terrific daughters, Angela and Karina, for always being so encouraging and delightful and for making parenting a pleasure. Karina, thanks also for your skillful help in editing the first manuscript. Thanks to Angela Alcorn, Janie Stump, and Sarah Thebarge for checking Scripture references.

Thanks to Bonnie Hiestand and Kathy Norquist for everything from typing to assistance with phone calls and e-mail, but especially for your faithful service to our King and to EPM.

Thanks to C. J. Mahaney and Dave Harveyand other dear friends in PDI churcheswho encouraged me to write some more nonfiction.

On heaven, Ive benefited from the writings and teachings of many, including John Bunyan, Joseph Bayly, Peter Kreeft, John Gilmore, Joni Eareckson Tada, John MacArthur, and Gerry Breshears. On reward, Bruce Wilkinson and Erwin Lutzer. On our longing for God, C. S. Lewis, A. W. Tozer, and John Piper.

Thanks to my brothers and sisters at Good Shepherd Community Church, as well as the faithful supporters of Eternal Perspective Ministries. Your assistanceand above all your prayersdo not go unnoticed. Youll play a major part in touching the hearts of those who read this book.

The highest praise goes to the person who made me and for whom I was made: the Carpenter from Nazareth, King Jesus. My heartfelt thanks to you for your heart-piercing grace and your inexplicable desire to spend eternity with me and others like me. Despite my utter unworthiness, I offer you my heartfelt praise for going to prepare a place for me and for working to prepare me for that place. I love you.

Our prayer, sovereign Lord: that you would use this book to do a miracle of grace. Break through the lies of the evil ones who incessantly try to malign and minimize the glorious nature of our home in heaven. Use these feeble words to point readers to your Word, which alone is grain, not straw, which alone is the rock and fire that mans wordsand those of the spirits of darknesscannot stand up to.

I once heard a pastor make a startling confession: Whenever I think about heaven, it makes me depressed. Id rather just cease to exist when I die.

I tried not to show my shock as I asked him, Why?

I cant stand the thought of that endless tedium. To float around in the clouds with nothing to do but strum a harp its all so terribly boring. Heaven doesnt sound much better than hell. Id rather be annihilated than spend eternity in a place like that.

Where did this Bible-believing, seminary-educated pastor get such an idea of heaven? Certainly not from Scripture, where Paul said to depart and be with Christ was better by far than staying on earth (Philippians 1:23). And yet, though my friend was more honest about it than most, Ive found many Christians share the same misconceptions about heaven.

Ive received thousands of letters concerning heaven because I picture it in my novels. Heres a letter that came last week:

Ive been a Christian since I was five. Im married to a youth pastor. The reason I am writing is to thank you for writing Deadline.

When I was seven, a teacher at my Christian school told me that when I got to heaven I wouldnt know anyone or anything from earth. I was terrified of dying. I was never told any different by anyone either.

Until reading Deadline I was still terrified of heaven. But Im not afraid anymore. Heaven will be great.

Its been really hard for me to advance in my Christian walk because of this fear of heaven. You dont know the weight thats been lifted off me. I cried every time I read about Finney being in heaven and all his experiences. Now I cant wait to get there.

Because of pervasive distortions of what heaven is like, its common for Christians not to look forward to heavenor even to dread it. I think theres only one explanation for how these appalling viewpoints have gripped so many of Gods people: Satan. Demonic deception.

Jesus said of the devil, When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). Some of Satans favorite lies are about heaven. Revelation 13:6 tells us the satanic beast opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. Our enemy slanders three things: Gods person, Gods people, and Gods placeheaven.