What does heaven look like? We tend to picture it as a place where we bounce around on clouds all day long, with huge smiles on our faces. But what does the Bible say about heaven?
Revelation 4:
John describes God as sitting on a throne with two gems, jasper and carnelian. The area around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. God resembles radiant jewels more than flesh and blood. John describes flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder coming from God’s throne. Before the throne are seven blazing torches and a sea of glass that looks like crystal. Surrounding the throne are 24 elders, dressed in white and wearing golden crowns. They cast their gold crowns before God, and say, “You are worthy, Our Lord and God, to receive gloy and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” There are four beings with 6 wings each. These beings have eyes all over their bodies and their wings. One has the face of a lion, one of an ox, one of a man, and one of an eagle. They never stop saying, day and night, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come!”
Isaiah 6:
Isaiah sees a vision of the Lord seated on a throne. The bottom of God’s robe fills the whole temple. Seraphim are above Him. Each seraphim has 6 wings, and they call out to each other saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty, the whole earth is full of his glory!” The foundations shook and smoke filled the house.
After encountering this vision, Isaiah’s response is this: “Woe is me… I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then, one of the seraphim brings Isaiah a piece of burning coal that had been smoldering on the altar. The creature touches Isaiah’s mouth with the hot coal and tells him that his guilt is taken away.
How should we respond to the reality of the holiness and magnitude of God?! Woe is ME!
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