Read: Ezekiel 1:1-9; 25-28
The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. (v. 1)
Once when I was young, my parents announced that we were going to Baskin Robbins. I’d never heard of it, and I was distrustful of new things, so I complained about going. Then when we arrived, I was overwhelmed. The ice cream was familiar, but it was in completely unfamiliar configurations: cakes and other brightly colored novelties. It wasn’t until I had my first taste that I knew this was somewhere I wanted to be.
In Ezekiel 1, heaven opens and the prophet finds himself somewhere new. He is overwhelmed by what he sees. The scene is so far beyond Ezekiel’s experience that he struggles for words. At the center is a throne; on it is someone both like and unlike a human being. Ezekiel concludes that this must be “the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD” (v. 28). Ezekiel falls on his face, unsure whether heaven is somewhere he wants to be.
I regularly talk to Christians who express misgivings about the next life. The Bible is heavy on promises of an eternal future but light on details. Here are two words of comfort: First, our ultimate destination is not an ethereal heaven but a reunified heaven and earth. The best of this world is a foretaste of delights we cannot yet imagine. Second, “the glory of the LORD” has made himself known to us in Jesus. The closer we get to Jesus in this life, the more familiar heaven will feel in the next.
As you pray, ask the Lord to open your heart to the things of heaven.
About the Author
Ben Van Arragon
Ben Van Arragon is a preacher and writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He preaches and teaches the Bible in church, online, and anywhere else he has the opportunity.
