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Unimagined Glory (Journey Through Heaven) Christian Music Artist
What is heaven like? The Bible gives us some insights in various passages, especially in the book of Revelation, but even that, is looking through a glass darkly. The world we live in now is an abberation, completely designed for decay and death. Everything and everyone around us is in some state of deterioration.
If you truly understood what Heaven is like, and what it would be like to be there, you would change all your negative lifestyle habits and attitudes. Think of the happiest moment you've ever experienced, think of the best you've ever felt, think of the most incredible beautiful sight you've ever seen, magnify it billions of times, and understand there is no end to this joy, no aging, no pain, no disease, no loneliness, no fear, no doubt, no discomfort, no death, and you only scratch the surface of what it's like in the Paradise of God. Majesty beyond conception, brightness and light of such beauty, it's beyond description.
Let's imagine we're standing on a vast plain, with the heavenly city towering above us in resplendent beauty. Our eyes behold a brilliant, shining city, with light streaming through its jasper walls and pearly gates, and a full spectrum of color gleaming from its jeweled foundation. As we gaze in awe on the city, the first thing to attract our attention is its massive jasper wall. The apostle John described it as follows: "The light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. We know that these semi-precious stones are translucent in composition, so that light is able to pass through them. From these jasper walls, therefore, radiate brilliant rays of dazzling color for all to see. The glory of the city will thus be visible from afar, and even the dwellers in the area outside the walls will share in its brightness.
Although the wall around the city is real, it is also symbolic. The purpose of the wall is not to preserve the city against invaders, for God will have no enemies in the new earth. Being 216 feet high, it impressively signifies that no one will enter the city apart from God's grace. The wall is too high to be scaled by human effort, and the only portals are the 12 guarded gates. The requirement for admittance is salvation, and no one who has rejected God's plan will be able to go in. Salvation is the gift of God's grace to those who humbly acknowledge their need of forgiveness and who receive Jesus Christ as Savior.
The next thing to catch our vision as we look at the city is its jeweled foundation. Many Bible students believe that these jewels reflect all the colors of the rainbow, though we do not know the precise characteristics of each stone. Beginning at ground level, these were probably the colors seen by the apostle: the jasper stone may have been a light green or yellow; the sapphire, a sky-blue or azure; the chalcedony, containing a combination of colors, was mostly green and blue; the emerald, bright green; the sardonyx, red and white; the sardius, reddish in color; chrysolite, golden yellow; beryl, sea-green; topaz, yellow-green and transparent; chrysoprasus, golden-green; jacinth, violet; and amethyst, either rose-red or purple. The radiating light of the city, shining out through the jasper wall and blazing through the open gates, reflects from these precious stones in splendrous color.
And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass (Rev. 21:12,21). Some Bible scholars believe that these gates of pearl suggest salvation by grace. Even as a wound to an oyster results in the formation of a valuable pearl, the gates of heaven can be entered only because the Lord Jesus was "wounded for our transgressions" (Is. 53:5). Although men wickedly rejected Him and crucified Him, it was through this death that salvation was made possible. Now, all who believe on Him can look forward to entering the pearly gates of heaven. Jesus Himself said, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved" (John 10:9).
The gates are open at all times and in every direction, for salvation is still offered freely to everyone. The angels who keep watch at the open gates, therefore, are a wonderful contrast to the cherubim who guarded the closed gate of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned. These angels keep the way of access open, while the cherubim kept the Garden closed to fallen humanity. One of the characteristics of the heavenly city is the abundance of gold. A precious commodity throughout man's history, gold has been used as an overlay in works of art and as a standard of value, and has been the means of a great amount of both good and evil in society.
It served the purposes of God in the tabernacle and temple, for much gold was in evidence there; it was also used by idolaters in the making of images. On earth, men have fought, suffered, and died for it. But in the New Jerusalem, gold will be so plentiful that it will be used for cobblestones and building blocks. And it will be like glass, possessing transparent qualities, so that the glorious light of the holy city will both shine through it and be reflected by it. Here is John's description: The city was pure gold, like clear glass. . . . and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass (Rev. 21:18,21). Traditionally, gold has symbolized purity. In the wedding band, for example, the circle speaks of endlessness and the gold stands for purity. The golden street of the New Jerusalem, therefore, might well suggest the pure and holy walk of God's redeemed in eternal paradise. And the brightness of the city, reflecting from the gold that abounds everywhere, will have its uncorrupted counterpart within the heart of every citizen of Heaven. Purity pervades the eternal Paradise of God.
A river clear as crystal will flow through the New Jerusalem. The apostle John declared: And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev. 22:1). Just as in Eden there was a river to water the garden, so also in the New Jerusalem there will be a river of life. It will begin at the throne of God, the very uppermost part of the city, and it will course downward through the entire area. In the New Jerusalem, a river of crystal will flow forever, reminding us for all eternity that God has graciously and abundantly provided for our every spiritual need. Remember, life in eternity will not be a nebulous existence in some nameless place. No indeed! We will lead rich and full lives in glorified bodies. We'll dwell on a renewed earth in a real city of gold, and our lives will be filled with significance and meaning as we give praise to our Redeemer and gladly do His bidding.
This crystal river flowing through our eternal home will be of sparkling beauty and of clarity beyond the purest water man has ever seen. Think of it! All who believe in Christ will walk the banks of this glorious crystal river. What a joy will then be ours! It's difficult to envision just how the trees, the crystal river, and the street of gold will be related. Some Bible teachers feel that a river will flow through the middle of a broad street, and that alongside the river on each bank will be the trees. Others believe that a grove of trees is centered between the avenue of gold on one side and the river on the other. Regardless of which view you may choose, it's evident that those who conceive of Heaven as a place where the redeemed will do nothing but sit on golden stairs playing harps are grossly mistaken. Life in heaven will be filled with beauty and variety.
We've been concerned with what the Bible tells us about our eternal home. We have seen its beauty from without: its gleaming jasper walls, its jeweled foundations, and its gates of pearl. We have also seen its glory within as we have envisioned the street of gold, the crystal river, and the tree of life. This glimpse of our eternal home should bring two responses to the heart of the true believer in Christ. First, there should be a renewed determination to place top priority on the spiritual and eternal rather than on the physical and temporal. Therefore, in anticipation of the glory and beauty of our eternal home, begin right now to "lay up . . . treasures in heaven" (Matt. 6:20) by putting God first, and by a constant willingness to serve Him. The thought of Heaven should cheer us when we become discontented with life and discouraged about the future. No matter how bad things may be going or how difficult the struggles, the prospect of that wonderful abode awaiting us should be a source of encouragement and hope.
We will know a purity, bliss, and love such as could never be experienced here. Writing in Revelation 21 and 22, the apostle John recorded his vision of an immense city of shimmering beauty, descending slowly from heaven to become the capital city of our eternal home. It will be radiant with the light of God's glory shining through its jasper walls, its jeweled foundation, and its pearly gates. And this city, the New Jerusalem, will be the eternal abode of all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. All who have been saved will walk the street of gold in transformed, eternal, glorified bodies. We'll enjoy heaven's beautiful crystal river and have ready access to its tree of life. We'll be eternally delivered from every evil and burden that plagues our world today. And we'll finally have become what God intended us to be.
In that perfect society we'll realize our full spiritual potential as individuals. Having entered an eternal fellowship with God, we'll be engaged in an endless variety of meaningful activities. We'll join with the saints of all the ages in a spirit of communion, fellowship, and love never ending. We'll see that the imperfections of this life will be missing and that positive blessings will be there in abundance. All you have to do is stop clinging through sentimentality and emotion, to the miserable, hopeless, death centered way of life the world has decieved you into living, and cut your emotional bondage to it, become a new person inside and out, and find a destiny of never ending hope.
http://nstarzone.com/LIGHT.html
Snippets from:
"Jim Wilhelm I knew this was Heaven!"
As I was traveling through the light, I was laying flat on my back and could see the faint outline of this image, which appeared to be very softly speaking to me, but I could not understand any of the words, but somehow I was profoundly comforted by him. My trip through this light seemed to be very short, then suddenly I found myself lying in the tallest bright green grass I had ever seen . As I looked around I noticed that all the colors were absolutely pure and very bright. I was laying down,as I noticed the blades of grass were at least four feet high and about six inches wide.
I recall standing up and pushing the blades of grass to the side, revealing a river right in front of me, running from my right to my left , and I was amazed that I could see right to the bottom of this beautiful river. The river was very deep. I was amazed at how clearly I could see the bright shiny stones at the rivers bottom. They looked like clear, shiny jewels.
Never had I ever felt this happy, and music was everywhere, and it sounded so beautiful it defies description. I JUST KNEW THIS WAS HEAVEN.
Everything we see on earth is dull in comparison to the colors that are in Heaven. The music is so beautiful in Heaven, and I know we are not capable of even coming close to making music on Earth that compares. The music in Heaven is too beautiful to describe with words. I felt so happy in Heaven, my Spirit was completely filled up with joy, love, and peace, which was indeed the Holy Spirit filling me up with ultimate purity. It was in Heaven when I learned this deeper meaning of God's beauty and love. Throughout my entire Heaven experience, I continually had the distinct feeling that someone was close by, as I experienced this intense feeling of love.
Looking to my right where the river came from, there was a beautiful stone built wall that was about one half mile high. It was about 200 yards away from where I was standing by the river. Beautiful music appeared to be coming from behind the wall. It reminds me of how it sounds directly outside Yankee Stadium during a sold out baseball game, only, behind the Heavenly wall there were people talking, and also people worshiping, and the sound of people speaking and worshiping in Heaven is much more pure than anything here on earth. The colors everywhere were extremely magnificent (I cannot stress that enough) and beyond any description one could ever believe. I approached the wall but could not see inside of it. It sounded like thousands, maybe even millions of people were worshiping within these walls, so I knew I was not alone.
Then came the return trip through that same bright light. I did not want to return to earth and kept asking that God please not send me back. I don't recall receiving an audible answer, but I felt assured from the love and peace and happiness around me that this was just a trial for me and that God was not finished with me yet. The next thing I remember is waking up in an Ambulance with a nurse yelling to someone (Step on it, he is not going to make it). I next awoke on an aircraft and later learned they had air lifted me to Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.
The whole time, I continued to feel that heavenly feeling, a feeling of absolute love. I recall the nurses on the plane taking my vitals and one nurse telling the other, I would never make it. They thought I was unconscious but I did hear many of their conversations. I could not respond to them and tell them just how wonderful I felt.
One of my daughters, who is a nurse and was on the night shift at the hospital, told me later that she had been outside the hospital waiting for me and watched them bring me in from the aircraft. She never recognized me until she was told who I was. You see, my
head had swollen up so badly as a result of the poison from that wasp spray that I couldn't be recognized .
The next few days I began to gradually improve. I was told I never stopped smiling during my stay in that Hospital. I just felt so wonderful from my experience, and I just knew I had been in Heaven. Praise the Lord and thank you Jesus. That feeling of joy, love and peace that defies my own understanding would not leave me and I was so grateful for that.
A week or so later they flew me back home on one of the same little airplanes, and I just knew I was not the same person. I felt so clean and pure and happy and had the ability to love like never before.
As time went on during that summer, I tried to tell everyone about my experience, but each time I attempted to share Heaven with others, I became so frustrated because I would just sit and weep with joy. I found there was just no way I could describe my experience . I simply could not put it into words.
A few years ago, I was invited by my Pastor to speak at a men's breakfast . I was very hesitant to do so, as I still, after approximately 17 years, could not do the Lord justice by describing what Heaven was really like. Somehow, and with the help of God, I got through that morning, but did not feel I had completed my mission.
Some weeks later, my Pastor spoke one Sunday morning about Don Piper's book--90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN. That immediately aroused my interest. Shortly thereafter, the Pastor mentioned my name during a Memorial service. A young lady contacted me after the service and requested that I tell her about my experience in Heaven. I just starred at her and froze, and immediately realized I could not answer her as there was just no way I could describe it in heavenly terms---frustration again, only this time I was determined to think clearer and I prayed to God to please give me the words, so that I could minister to others.
When I read the first few chapters of Don Piper's book, I just wept with joy. I knew that God had answered my prayer. Our experiences were very closely related, and the best part was when Don described his own personal frustration by waiting many years, before he was able to describe and talk about his experience in Heaven. The only differences I noticed was that Don reunited with his deceased family and friends. and actually saw people and talked to them. I did not. But yes, he also talked about the beautiful colors he would not believe existed, just as I had earlier described. Reading Don,s book completely reinforced my own experience in Heaven and although I still find it difficult to talk about it, I feel that God is moving me along in his direction now.
Yes, there really is a Heaven, I know, and I would encourage everyone to prepare for it. It is really authentic and real, just as our Holy Bible describes it. I have some good news for you: The Bible says that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
That whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but will have everlasting life. What that simply means is this: God loved you enough that he made a way for your sins to be forgiven. Washed away. So at that moment you take your last breath, and you are standing before God your creator, it's not God casting you away for all eternity into a place called Hell. But its God ushering you into his holy presence for all of eternity. In a place called Heaven.
Do not delay in making your decision for the Lord---LOOK--God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as he is with the attitude of your heart. I know that God sent me back here to earth for a purpose. I pray that you will learn to believe in a
God who sent his only Son to die for you on a cross because he loves you. I pray you will anticipate Heaven in a way that reveals profound truth in your life as you move forward with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God bless you. I would like to give you an
opportunity to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. So right now, please bow your head and pray after me--
Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally . Thank you for dying on the Cross for my sins. I now will open the door of my life and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you Jesus, for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life and make me the kind of person you want me to be. We ask this in Jesus, precious name, Amen.
If you have prayed this prayer with me, Congratulations!!! You are the newest future resident of Heaven, and you can now look forward to an eternity in Heaven.
If you would like to contact me, my name is Jim Wilhelm.
My Email address is delljim@gmail.com.
My mailing address is :
17200 W. Bell Rd.
Lot 2185
Surprise, AZ 85374
and my phone number is: 623-229-7642.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior today, please contact me. I would love to hear from you and pray with you today. If you have had a similar experience as mine, or would like to ask any questions or just talk, I would also love to hear from you. I pray that God blesses you. Anticipate the day when you can someday walk through the gates of Heaven. It is certainly something to look forward to, God Bless You!!
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