2 Death cannot take away our enjoyment of life
When I ask believers what they think will not be there after they die, one of the common answers is that “time will be no more.” When asked, “Why do you think that?” some recall the King James Version of Revelation 10:6, which says there will be no more time. But in fact what is expressed in that passage is that there will be no more delay in the fulfilling of God’s promises. Others have said, “Yes, but isn’t God beyond time?”

Yes He is. God created time and stands outside of and apart from all of His creation – even though He is actively engaged in every aspect of His creation. If you go back to the covenant God made with Noah, Genesis 8:22 says, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease.” Some of you understand that this is a promise God gave Noah when He declared that this earth would never again be destroyed by a flood. But we have no way of knowing whether it applies to the “new earth.” What we do know is that it provides the promise that God has given us about His providential care of this earth.

Let us see if we find any of those markers in describing the earth to come. Isaiah 66:22-23 says, “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, declares the LORD.” This statement seems to indicate a rhythm of life – including new moons, weekly Sabbaths, and set times of worship. There is also evidence from
Revelation 22:1-2, which says, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.” We can notice some features in that description of the life to come.

First, there is water flowing from the throne and in the middle of the street. There is also a variety of food available. But notice the reference to months – indeed 12 months are mentioned. That would give the impression of seasons and years – as the tree in the centre of the city yields fruit at different times of the year. Without going into endless speculation of whether we will experience the rhythms of sleep and wake, the Bible does speak of the rhythm of seasons – and even of the weekly celebration of stopping everything in order to worship. Time, it appears, goes on. What do you think you will miss of this sin cursed earth in which we presently live? A cup of coffee in the morning? The sensation of the sun on your face? A hug and a smile from an old dear friend? Curling up by the fire with a book in hand? Hiking through the mountains and breathing in the fresh, clean, cold air? How about love, friendship and long conversations? An evening study in the Word of God? Or coming to the house of worship and bowing in reverence or singing for joy to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?

The awesome reality of God’s promise is this: the true believer will never lose out in the life to come – neither our humanity or the good things we enjoyed on earth. In fact, what awaits us in eternity is far greater and glorious than even words could describe!

APPLICATION: For the believer, we will lose nothing at death! Ponder that reality today and let it begin to permeate how you think and speak about eternity with others. Are there people in your life that need to be encouraged with this truth?

WHAT AWAITS US IN ETERNITY IS FAR GREATER AND GLORIOUS THAN EVEN WORDS COULD DESCRIBE!

Dr. John Neufeld
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