Dear Christian friends:

On Easter Sunday afternoon our children surprised my wife and I when they presented us with a ticket for airfare and one weeks stay in Hawaii in June. With the ticket they gave us a brochure which tells about all the interesting and exciting things we can do over there. So we are thinking a lot these days about Hawaii and what we will see and do when we go there.

Our text this morning tells about another paradise, the paradise in heaven. We Christians are planning to go there. Jesus, our Good Shepherd who invites us to follow Him, will at last lead us to that paradise in heaven. None of us has gone there yet, but we are eager to go there because of John's vision here in our text. John explains about the wonderful things that we will see and do there. He gives us:

The first picture in John's brochure we see in verse nine. John writes, "After this I looked and saw a large crowd of people. No one could count all the people; there were so many. They came from every nation and race and tribe, and language. They stood before the Lamb and before the throne of God. They were dressed in white robes with palms in their hands and waving." What a wonderful, thrilling picture that shows!

What does this first picture tell us? It tells us that the people in heaven are united although they were before separated.

Here on earth people are separated from one another by laws and selfishness and hate. We are separated by national boundaries. One nation hates another as we see with the USA and Libya today. We are separated by race and family and language. Here on earth we have many and various "fences" and "walls" that separate-us. Even a handicap such as deafness separates. The deaf are separated from the hearing. These "fences" and "walls" which separate us give us much sorrow, grief, pain and suffering. Even Christians are divided by denominations:Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc. Also this division of Christians here on earth gives us much sorrow and sadness.

But in heaven we will not be separated from one another. We will be perfectly united in God's love as we stand before His throne and worship together in one great, united voice! People from every nation and race will love each other and love God and Jesus the Lamb. The people in heaven will all dress the same, with "white robes" and everyone will have a palm branch to wave. All nations and races, also the angels will join together to praise God and Jesus the Lamb. (verses 10-12) What a wonderful, beautiful picture that shows us about our future paradise!

Let us even now, while we are still here on earth, praise God for the perfect love and unity we shall have in heaven! And let us also now begin to show that unity by loving other nations and other Christians although they have different skin color or different language and culture.

The second picture in John's brochure about heaven is a picture of a victorious multitude. The people in heaven celebrate their victory over sin and tribulation. John writes, "One of the elders said to me, 'These are people that have come through great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and their robes became white. Therefore, they stand before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple." (verses 14-15)

Here on earth we sin and suffer much. Sin and troubles seem to defeat us! But God gives us the victory! He gives us the Lamb's blood to wash our dirty robes and make them white, holy, without sin. (verse 14)

"The blood of Jesus Christ God's Son, cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) Those John saw before God's throne in heaven were before sinners on earth the same as we are now!

Therefore, let us not despair when our sins blame us or when we must suffer troubles or die! God will increase our faith, so that we trust Jesus who died for us on the Cross and arose from death. He is the Lamb! Let us even now join with the people in heaven and sing: "Our salvation (our victory) comes from the Lamb and from our God sitting on the throne!....Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength belong to our God forever! Amen." (verses 10-12) Sin and suffering are only a short time here on earth. God will give us everlasting victory the same as those John saw in heaven!

The third picture in John's brochure about heaven is that of security. The people in heaven are secure, although before, here on earth they were often afraid.

John writes. "They stand before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple. He that sits on the throne is with them and protects them. They will never be hungry or thirsty again (Never again will they worry about food and drink). The sun and the heat will never hurt them (Never again will they worry or fear about sunburn or sun stroke or skin cancer). The Lamb before the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead His people to springs of living water and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes (We shall have no more tears, no more sorrows and griefs, no more sadness or broken hearts. When God wipes away a tear, it is gone forever)." (verses 15-17) What a beautiful picture of security! Our security in heaven will be much better than Social Security here in the USA!

Well, we have seen the three beautiful pictures in John's brochure about heaven: the picture of unity, the picture of victory, and the picture of security. This brochure of heaven should encourage us and make us eager to go there, and not fear death, but welcome it as the door that opens to paradise! Even now, before we die, while we struggle here on earth, we can enjoy these pictures of heaven. We can show the unity of all nations and denominations; we can rejoice in the victory God gives us over sin and troubles; and we can rest in the security that we have in God's power! Let's begin to celebrate now as we wait and hope for that journey to paradise!

Amen.