The Hope of Heaven | Jentezen Franklin

There is but a step between me and death. This phrase, especially the last sentence, really struck me. David, in his distress, expressed how close he felt to death due to the constant threat from King Saul. As he spoke to Jonathan, Saul’s son, David shared his fear and torment. The young man concluded that he felt like he was just a step away from death—his life was fragile, fleeting. In this season of his life, he understood how quickly everything could change. One moment you could be here, and the next, you could be gone. It’s a profound thought that we should always keep in mind: you’re only one step away from death. You may be alive and well today, but life can end in an instant. And after death, we will all stand before the Lord. Death is inevitable; one in one dies. The only way to heaven is through death. We will face it, and no one is exempt. Tonight, any of us could end up in a casket.

I say this plainly because it’s something we don’t like to think about, especially young people and those in middle age, or even older adults. But death can come suddenly, unexpectedly, without warning. Are you ready? Are you prepared to face God? All men die. As Hebrews 9:27 states, “It is appointed unto man once to die, and after death the Judgment.” Each of us will answer to God for the life we’ve lived. Kings die, queens die, the rich die, the poor die, the young die, and the old die. The wealthy, the poor, the scholars, and the illiterate—all face death, and then comes the Judgment.

If you died today, where would you be? If today were your last day, where would you spend eternity? Church membership won’t guarantee you entrance into heaven. There are only two options: heaven or hell. Church membership won’t save you, and tears won’t either. It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ that we are cleansed from all unrighteousness. There is no other name by which we can be saved but Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. All other paths are deceptions.

Jesus Himself said Heaven is real. In John 14, He promises, “I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am, there you may be also.” Jesus lived in heaven, came to earth, and confirmed that heaven is real. He testified to its existence, saying, “I’ve been there, and I’m telling you, it’s real, eternal, and magnificent.” The beauty of heaven surpasses anything we can imagine. The Apostle Paul, who was taken to heaven, wrote in 2 Corinthians 12 that what he saw there was beyond comprehension. He said, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Paul, the brilliant scholar whose writings still captivate and inspire today, witnessed heaven’s glory and admitted that we can only grasp a fraction of what God has prepared for us. Imagine the most beautiful, peaceful, and joyful place possible—then know that even that is only a glimpse of what heaven holds. John, in the Book of Revelation, describes heaven’s perfection, calling it the New Jerusalem. This city is four-square, symbolizing absolute perfection. On earth, nothing is perfect—not even you or me. Yet, in heaven, everything is flawless.