The beauty of Heaven
I had been asked to speak at a Bible study, so I was praying for a message to share. Sometime during that same night I had an unforgettable dream! In the dream I felt like I was floating while I was looking at this opening in a wall that was some distance away. Although I could not see Him, I just knew the Lord was right there beside me.
Through this large opening in the wall I could see a golden light. I am somewhat familiar with the many different types of lighting that exist in the world today; incandescent, fluorescent, high-pressure sodium, metal halide, quartz, and LED, but I had never seen light that looked like that light! It reminded me of diffused gold. It was bright but not blinding, and beautiful but not of its own self, captivating. The very next thought that went through my mind was “Lord can I go in, can I go in?”
No sooner had I made my request and we started floating right toward that opening. As we passed through, I saw sights, which as the Apostle Paul said, no earthly words can fully describe. I saw something that I had not previously known about.
I saw an entire city of pure gold. The buildings had door openings and window openings but no doors or windows. Yes the streets are gold as the Bible says. They are made up of large shining cobblestones. They were absolutely stunning! As they say in the south “Well stop my mouth” because what I had been saying for years I had to take back. Even as a kid, when I heard about the streets of gold of heaven, I used to say; “Lord I’m just a country boy and I don’t care about any streets of gold of Heaven! Just give me a simple cabin down by the water in a little patch of woods and I will be happy!” However, when I saw that whole city with building outlines similar to that of Old Jerusalem made out of solid gold, it changed my whole perspective.
My very next thought was, “I wonder if I will see anyone here I know?” A friend that I had been seeing for a season, had endured the tragedy of having her mother and her sister die of cancer a year and a half apart. I had never met them; I only had seen pictures of them. However no sooner did they come into my mind than there they were in front of me, with their arms around each other. I will never forget the smiles on each of their faces! They went from ear to ear. I have never seen anyone smile like that here on earth. It was truly heavenly!
In actuality it seemed as if each desire of my heart was being granted. My next thought was, “What about the part of heaven that is called Paradise?” No sooner had I thought it than I was immediately standing in a huge field filled with flowers. They were of every color imaginable, and extended as far as I could see in both directions. Off in the distance were snow-capped mountains. Just as I was becoming mesmerized by all the stunning beauty that surrounded me, I woke up!
I remember quickly trying to go back to sleep and all the while praying, “Lord, take me back there, take me back there!” However sadly it wasn’t my time to stay, only to visit. I soon learned that God had a plan in it all!
The next morning I was getting out of bed I was saying, “Lord, that was an awesome dream but You still have not told me what I am to speak on tonight down at Jacksonville Beach!” His still small voice then spoke softly to my spirit, saying “Nolan, I want you to speak on the subject of Heaven.” To which I immediately replied, “Lord I don’t know anything about Heaven!” I’m not sure, but I think I made Heaven laugh a little that day.
I urgently felt challenged in my heart to get into the scripture. I read Revelation 21:18, which declares that Heaven is a “city of pure gold.” WOW, that was a huge confirmation for me because as a boy in church we heard many messages on the “streets of gold”. I then realized that I know that I had never heard that it was a “city of pure gold!” God indeed had shown me His Heaven.
The next evening as we entered the hostess home of the Bible Study, we were not greeted in her normal smiling, God blessing way. She barely raised her head to acknowledge we were there. She cried as she quietly worshipped the Lord by playing her guitar. After a short time she introduced me and asked me to share whatever God had put on my heart. As I began by first sharing what the Bible says about heaven, and then went on to share my testimony of the Lord showing me heaven the night before, the hostess began to lift her voice in thankful praises unto God. Her tears quickly turned to a smile and her sadness to joy! I noticed that my friend was also getting very blessed by the Lord. I finished my message and closed with prayer. At that point both ladies began to share their stories.
Our hostess had been grieving the loss of her three-year-old grandson who just one year ago that day had gone to be with Jesus, losing a battle with childhood leukemia. As she heard what a beautiful place Heaven is, her tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy, and she was powerfully blessed by the Lord.
The friend had been secretly fighting a battle with the enemy over the fact that her Mother had an end stage conversion. She was never sure in her heart that her Mother was in Heaven. That night God’s love set them free!
