A Place Called Heaven by Dr. Robert Jeffress

Author:Dr. Robert Jeffress
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christian Living;REL012000;REL012120;Heaven—Christianity—Miscellanea
ISBN: 9781493409242
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2017-06-20T04:00:00+00:00

Will the Joy of Heaven Be Diminished by What Happens on Earth and in Hell?

It seems clear that believers in heaven know what is taking place on earth—at least in some sense. And they know what is taking place in hell according to the story of Lazarus and the rich man. So a natural question is how can we be happy in heaven while watching those we care about on earth suffering from devastating illnesses, broken relationships, or destructive addictions?

And how could we ever enjoy one pleasure of the new heaven and new earth knowing that some of those friends and family members we love the most will be suffering in hell? To put a finer point on it: Could you really enjoy all that God has prepared for you—no matter how spectacular—knowing that one of your children is being tormented day and night forever and ever?

This is a difficult question to answer because we lack the wisdom and insight to fully understand the mind of God. However, here are three possible answers to the question of how we can reconcile our joy in heaven with our knowledge of the suffering of our loved ones on earth and in hell.

Will God Purge Our Memories?

One Christian thinker frames the theory this way: “God may erase memories for a wayward son from the mind of his mother so that she may enjoy the full bliss of heaven unaware that she even had the son who is now damned.”10 This idea comes from Isaiah 65:17:

For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;

And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.

However, this can’t mean that we’ll forget everything about our former lives on earth. Many of the relationships we formed here will continue there—including our relationship with Christ. For example, Scripture says Jesus retains His scars (John 20:24–29). Seeing them will be a constant reminder that our sin compelled Him to endure the cross. And the reminder of our sin that necessitated His death will compel us to enthusiastically worship Him for eternity.

The context of Isaiah 65:17 is verse 16. Speaking to the nation of Israel, the Lord said, “the former troubles are forgotten . . . they are hidden from My sight!” It is God who does the “forgetting,” not us. This doesn’t mean our omniscient God can’t recall Israel’s past transgressions. Rather, God chooses not to hold Israel’s sin against her. When I forgive someone that doesn’t mean I do a “memory wipe” of the wrong he or she committed against me. Even if I wanted to forget the offense, it would be biologically impossible to do so, since every experience we have is chemically and electrically embedded in our brain. Instead, forgiveness means letting go of my right to hurt another person for hurting me.

Nothing in Scripture indicates that God is going to erase our memories of those we know and love who may be suffering on earth or in hell.

Christians Will Be Preoccupied with the

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