46 / 298
His Will for Heaven and the World to Come
40
Why is He tarrying? There are a lot of people who don’t know Him yet. A lot of people need to
be saved. It’s His mercy that He is tarrying.
In verse 4, what does it say is going to happen? “And God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes; and there shall be no more death…” Paradise is regained. Paradise is restored. The original
creation, the original and perfect plan and will of God, is restored—back to the way He intended
it before it got messed up. No more death.
“Neither sorrow,” which means no more grief, no more depression, “nor crying.” What about
that? No more sobbing. What else? “Neither shall there be any more pain...” Now pain covers
everything from stubbing your toe to a toothache to a terminal disease. No more pain. None!
“…for the former things are passed away.”
It would be difficult to find a Christian who has been around church at all, or read a Bible, who
wouldn’t quickly agree with you and say, “Yes, that is how it will be in heaven.”
If someone asked you, “How much disease is in heaven?” You would answer, “None.”
“How many sick people are there in heaven?” “None, there are no sick people.”
“How many blind people, deaf people, and deformed people?” “None. There are no sick people
up there. None are sick.”
So we’re in agreement that it is not God’s will for any sickness, disease, or death in heaven or in
the world to come. But what about the question, “Is it His will, though, for people to be sick and
suffering on the earth?” Millions would say, “Well, obviously, sometimes it is.” So, you’re
saying that God has a different will for the earth than He does for heaven?
Does God really have two different wills for heaven and earth? Lots of people learn about this in
Sunday school, in Matthew 6. People call it “The Lord’s Prayer.”
He said in Matthew 6:9-10, “After this manner pray: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed
be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
How are we to understand this? Millions of people believe that God has a purpose for people
being sick and suffering
on the earth
, although they would never agree it might be His will for
them to be sick
in heaven
.
People say, “Well, I want to hurry up and get to heaven so I don’t have to deal with all of this
sickness and disease.” I thought you said it’s God’s will for you to be sick.
“I believe it; God put this on me to teach me something or to glorify Himself.” Well, don’t be in
a hurry to get to heaven, then, because in heaven, His will is unhindered and perfected. If it’s His
will for you to be sick down here, you’ll be much sicker in heaven.
They say, “No! No I won’t.”