Planning Ahead

He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.

Revelation 21:10

It happens, but rarely—a college freshman showing up for the fall semester, suitcases in hand, seeing the campus for the first time. Or a family moving to a new city without several prior visits to check out schools, houses, stores, and churches. In other words, we have a built-in desire to know about the places in which we are going to spend extended time. And logic suggests that the longer we are going to be in a future place, the more effort we will expend to learn about it.

But that logic often breaks down when it comes to the place we are going to live for eternity. Think of it—Jesus Christ, at this very moment, is preparing a place for us to dwell forever (John 14:2-3). Doesn’t it behoove us to learn and know everything we can about that place? We ought to be like Abraham, who lived his whole life in anticipation of “the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10).

If you’re not sure where to start, use Revelation 21 as a guide to your heavenly home, the new Jerusalem.

Those who have the new Jerusalem in their eye must have the ways that lead to it in their heart.

MATTHEW HENRY^a