This post is written by Matt Rogers as a companion for Unit 36, Session 3 of The Gospel Project for Adults, Volume 12: From This World to the World to Come (Summer 2024).
We live in a distractable society. Maybe you’ve tried to sustain focus and attention on some concept only to find that your mind darts around like a gnat. You hear the ping of a notification on your phone or your brain reminds you of some random detail that you need to handle. Sometimes we just daydream about nothing at all.
It’s not necessary to explore the psychology of daydreams to notice that people often drift because the realities of this world are difficult, frustrating, and sad. We allow our minds to wander to give us a break from the complexity of this life. Daydreams are like pressure releases that allow us to check out for a minute and attend to something else. That’s why we often daydream about a peaceful place or a simpler time.
The book of Revelation invites readers to daydream about heaven. The evocative images throughout the book—streets of gold or crystal seas—are meant to excite the imagination. Of course, people haven’t been to heaven and come back to tell us about it. The best we have is John’s inspired vision and record in this book. He’s given a glimpse of heaven and lives to tell about it so that those who read this book can have some concept of the glory that awaits.
The call in Revelation 22:7—“Look, I am coming soon!”—is both an exhortation and an encouragement. First, as an exhortation, readers should look for Jesus’s coming. We should be like the servants in Jesus’s story who are awake and watching when the master of the house returns (Mark 13:32-37).
But these words are also an encouragement to us. They remind us to look to heaven, to look forward with excitement and anticipation to the return of Jesus Christ. The often repeated image of Jesus’s return as a marriage should help us have a sense of the excitement about it (Revelation 19:7-10; 21:1-2). Perhaps you remember your wedding day or the wedding of a dear friend. The date is set in advance and there’s excitement building as the day approaches. Friends and family gather. People put on their best clothes. Food and drink abound. There’s joy everywhere you look. Many times couples who go to the wedding of others before they are married are even more excited for their wedding day to arrive. Seeing joy makes us long to experience joy ourselves.
In Revelation, we get a sense of John’s joy as He writes about this great wedding. It’s akin to attending a wedding when yours is just around the corner. You get a glimpse of John’s joy, which inflames your own anticipation for this glorious day.
It’s odd, then, that far too many Christians spend little time daydreaming about heaven. We often get so distracted with the little things of this life that we fail to spend time thinking about the joy that awaits. This wouldn’t be such a big deal if it was only about our missing out on heavenly thoughts, though. Thinking about heaven sends us into the brokenness of this world with hope and joy. Heavenly thoughts are a gift of God that allows us not to lose heart in this world. When Jesus encourages His disciples and subsequent Christians, He says: “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world” (John 16:33). Jesus conquered and He is now seated on the throne of heaven. As a result, His people will conquer and reign with Him forever (2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 22:5). Since these things are true, Christians can be courageous in the face of whatever suffering they endure.
We should think of heaven more often. We all want courage and hope to navigate this life, and the way to get the courage we long for is by being heavenly minded.
Do you think about heaven as often as you should?
Matt Rogers is the pastor of Christ Fellowship Cherrydale in Greenville, South Carolina. He and his wife, Sarah, have five children: Corrie, Avery, Hudson, Willa, and Fuller. Matt is also an assistant professor of church planting at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, the church development coordinator with the Pillar Network, and a freelance author.
