Our sense organs 45

On the third of June 1998, possibly the most
tragic railway accident in the history of Germany
occurred when a broken wheel caused a highspeed
train ICE to derail and slam into a concrete
bridge in the small town of Eschede near Hannover.
One hundred people died in that accident.
On the twenty-first of June, a funeral service for
the victims was held in Celle, with the President
and the Chancellor of Germany both in attendance,
as well as the friends and families of the
victims. Of course, in a situation like this, a sermon
should offer comfort and support to the relatives.
However, the sermon should still be truthful.
Both Catholic and Protestant clergy preached
that the victims of the accident would all go to
heaven. That is not right. We do not know how
many of the deceased really knew the Lord Jesus.
It would surely be a percentage similar to that
among people in our neighbourhood and at our
place of work. Unfortunately, there are only few
who have truly taken the Lord Jesus into their
lives. According to the Bible, only they will be
received into heaven (John 3:3).
In a similar situation involving an accident at the
time of Jesus, he comments on those on whom
the tower of Siloam fell (Luke 13:4). Jesus’ answer
is worth noting: “But unless you repent, you too
will all perish” (Luke 13:5). He uses the event not
to bless the dead, but to preach to the living.
One preacher writes: “People used to be afraid of
hell. Today, they are afraid of talking about it.”
One can only speak of being saved where there is
danger to be saved from. Because there is a hell,
we need a saviour. This saviour is the Lord Jesus:
“For God did not send his son into the world to
condemn the world, but to save the world
through him [= Jesus]” (John 3:17). Jesus Himself
is the gate to heaven: “I am the gate; whoever
enters through me will be saved” (John 10:9).
What do we know about heaven?
The following quip about heaven is from the German
poet Heinrich Heine (1797 – 1856): “We
shall let the angels and sparrows have heaven”
(from Wintermärchen). Hopefully, he changed his
mind after he had written that line, or he is
regretting his eternal isolation in the place of
darkness.
Heaven as a concept is used in many sayings and
forms of speech to describe various aspects of
life. When one is happy, one is “in seventh heaven.”
Something that is very good is “heavenly.”
There is even a delicious flavour of ice cream
called “Heavenly Hash.” For most people the only
knowledge they have about heaven is what they
hear in everyday expressions like that. Is that all
that there is to say about heaven?
So what do we know about heaven?
On closer examination it becomes clear that the
idioms fall far short of a satisfactory description
of heaven. God has revealed a number of specific
details about heaven to us. The Bible is the only
authoritative source of information – anything
else is pure speculation and the product of
human imagination. The Bible often addresses
this topic which is the greatest goal given to
mankind. Numerous aspects of heaven become
clear when we read the Word of God and apply
reason to the understanding of it. In our study
we will occasionally refer to relevant aspects of
our life here on earth for comparison.
While we can test whether the Bible is right
about earthly things, we have to accept what it
says about heaven in faith. That is why Jesus
said, “I have spoken to you of earthly things and
you do not believe; how then will you believe if
I speak of heavenly things?” (John 3:12).
It is impossible to grasp that this eternal and
almighty God would like to share our company in
heaven. He sends His servants to invite all peoples
and nations until all are in attendance: “Then
the master told his servant, ’Go out to the roads
and country lanes and make them come in, so
that my house will be full’ ” (Luke 14:23).
We have been given an unmistakable description
of the way to heaven so that we don’t miss this
greatest of opportunities. Jesus states in John
14:6: “No one comes to the Father except
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