Summarising ch. 8 of Created to Praise, by Derek Prime

Psa 84: 4 – ‘How blessed are those who live in your temple and praise you continually!’

Full development

Some acts of worship – e.g. the Lord’s Supper – belong to this life alone. But praise will be our eternal employment; it will reach its full development in heaven (Rev 19). It will massive, enthusiastic, ceaseless (Rev 4:8).

Reserve

The Bible shows reserve in its description of heaven. ‘I read somewhere of an American city street urchin who was taken for the first time to the country and who saw a songbird perched on a branch. “Poor little bird,” said the five-year-old city waif, “poor little bird, he has no cage to live in.” Thus is our understanding of heaven limited by the constraints of our own experience and  knowledge.’

Difficulty

Unhelpful mental images from childhood. But it is good to contemplate heavenly praise because that perfect praise will guide our imperfect praise now. More­over, we are only travelers here – heaven is our home.

Something greater

Heaven will be greater than all our expectations. There we will see in their true magnitude the sinfulness of sin and the glory of grace.

God’s presence

Our praise will be greater because we shall always be in God’s immediate presence.

Rev 7:15 – ‘For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them.’

Even now, nothing gives us more cause for praise than to be aware of tne presence of God. Samuel Rutherford; “Jesus Christ came into my cell last night, and every stone flashed like a ruby.” But in heaven we shall be continually in the presence of God.

Sight

“The beatific vision.”

Mr Standfast: “I have formerly lived by hearsay and faith, but now I go where I shall live by sight, and snail be with him, in whose company I delight.”

Love

Our love now is feeble and fluctuating, and thus, so is our praise. But in heaven we shall so clearly apprehend God’s goodness and beauty that we snail always delight in him, holding fast to him with perfect love.

Glory

We shall see perfectly what the disciples merely glimpsed, at the Transfiguration.

Jn 17: 24 – “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

Glorification

We are now limited by our physical bodies, and our sinfulness. We feel our insignificance (Job 4:19f; Psa 8:5) but in heaven we shall be like the Lord (1 Jn 5:2). Whatever the Bible means by our bodies being “glorified” or transformed so as to be like Christ’s glorious body (Phil 3:21), it certainly means we shall be freed from all the flesh’s hampering aspects, and unhelpful influences. We shall be completely purified from all tendencies to instability and inclinations to sensuality and temptation. Out bodies will be completely suited to the spiritual activities of our souls in their hi_ghest exercise in response to the glory of God – praise!’

Reunion and fellowship

Relationship in Christ are precious now. How much more so in heaven! What a glorious rendezvous! This idea of fellowship is implied in 1 Thess 2:19f

‘What praise the joy of spending heaven with those we have loved and admired will prompt. The sadness we have known in partin5 will be more than recompensed because of eternal reunion.’

Rewards

Rewards are not to be thought of as wages. Rather they are the surprises that a loving Father gives to his children, and they will take all who receive them by surprise (Mt 25: 57ff). They will be rewards of _brace. None of us will feel that he or she deserves them.’

Perfection

This is expressed in the two words “no more” (Rev 7_:16, 17; 21:4,5).

Satisfaction

Psa 17:15

Down to earth

The prospect of praise in heaven should be our present guide. We should now be seeking to give God glory, honour and thanks (Rev 4:9).

The centre

Christ will be at the centre of heaven’s praise (Rev 5:12). He is victorious.

The best is yet to be!