The Hope Of Heaven | Voddie Baucham

If you have your Bible with you, turn to the second-to-last chapter of the Bible, Revelation chapter 21. Our focus today is the believer’s hope of heaven. We’ve previously discussed the church militant and triumphant, spending time reflecting on this age and stage of militancy. Now, we turn our attention to pure triumph. Where are we headed? Where does it all end? How does it all conclude?

Death is a constant presence for the living, and its reality becomes more evident as we grow older. While it’s always there, we don’t always recognize it. At times, death seems unavoidable, imminent, and overwhelming. It can even lead to feelings of hopelessness. I’ve personally experienced moments in my life where death felt particularly close, and each of these situations changed my perspective on mortality. These experiences, however, are not unique to me—many others have faced similar realities and been confronted with the stark reality of death.

One such time was when I lost my cousin. We grew up together, and he was like a brother to me. He died at 16. For context, I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, an area plagued by drugs and gangs. By God’s grace, I escaped that environment, but my cousin didn’t. At 16, he was tragically killed in a drug deal gone wrong. It was my first encounter with death, and I had to confront the reality of mortality. As a teenager, I felt invincible—until I saw my cousin in his casket. That moment marked a shift in my understanding of death.

I wasn’t a believer at the time, and I faced death with despair and hopelessness. The second major brush with death for me was when my father passed away at 55. Although I didn’t grow up with my father, God restored our relationship, and I had the privilege of discipling him when he came to faith. However, God took him at a relatively young age, and his death was a profound reminder of life’s fragility.

Related to that, I also faced my own health scare. Nearly 15 years after my father’s death, I had to undergo my second heart surgery. And let’s not forget the pandemic. When it first hit, the constant news updates and daily death tolls made us all aware of our mortality. Many of us lost loved ones during those challenging times, which reminded us that no one escapes death—it comes for us all.

So, where do we find hope in these uncertain times? How do we remain hopeful when faced with the reality of death? Knowing death is inevitable is one thing, but finding hope despite that knowledge is another. No one receives a terminal diagnosis and celebrates it, but as believers, we hold on to the hope of eternal life.

In Revelation 21, we find four powerful answers to this question. First, we have hope in the promise of a world that is better than this one. This is a crucial reminder during difficult times, especially when we’re holding onto life and grappling with suffering. Though this life is all we know, God has promised something far better.

In verses 1 and 2, we read: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” This vision describes a new world—one that is far better than what we know now. It’s not just an upgrade, like a new car model; it’s a complete transformation.