Glimpses of Heaven

By Greg Laurie, Op-ed contributor Monday, July 22, 2013

Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.
- Hebrews 8:1-2

It is important to remember that heaven is a real place. Many times we think of heaven as some sort of translucent, spacey, endless church service. Some may think, I am not sure . . . . I don't know if I am going to like heaven and just sitting around on a cloud, strumming a harp, singing forever. I kind of like earth. But that is a misunderstanding about heaven.

What do we like about earth anyway? We like the beauty. We like the joys. We like the love of family and friends and companionship. There are so many things that we enjoy on earth. God has given us these things; therefore, we don't have to feel bad about them. But here is what we need to know: Earth is not the original with heaven being a copy; heaven is the original, and earth is the copy.

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The temple built in Jerusalem was a copy of the real temple in heaven. Hebrews 8:5 tells us, "They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: 'Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.' "

As C. S. Lewis wrote, "All the things that have ever deeply possessed your soul have been but hints of [heaven]-tantalizing glimpses, promises never quite fulfilled, echoes that died away just as they caught your ear. . . ." The real thing is heaven.

The things that we enjoy most on earth will be waiting for us in heaven, but in a perfected state. We will not miss out on anything. Heaven is the real place for real peace.