It may be that you will have passed on to heaven before you really appreciate its full value.

  - The Rule of Ciarán, Irish, 8th century[1]

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

  - Psalm 84.10

Belief in heaven has declined over the last generation among Americans. It used to be you could entice people to believe the Gospel with the promise that, if they did, they would go to heaven when they died. Today, most Americans scoff at the idea of heaven, or at least, don’t value it very much. They want their heaven on earth, right now, as much as possible, and on their own terms. They don’t want to think about dying, and are mostly persuaded that nothing of any real consequence awaits them beyond the grave.

But the value of heaven has also dipped among the followers of Christ. Contemporary Christians don’t much appreciate the value of heaven. I have on occasion asked groups of believers to raise their hands if they want to go to heaven. They all do. Then I ask them to raise their hands if they want to go today. Almost no one does.

Now I’m sure some of those folks have good reasons for wanting to postpone heaven, but I suspect that, for not a few believers, going to heaven is little more than the lesser of two evils. Their view of heaven is such that it doesn’t offer much in the way of fun or excitement, beyond escaping the torments of hell. I mean, what’s to do there?

But that’s not really the point. It’s not what there is or isn’t to do in heaven. It’s not what’s there, but Who’s there, and what it’s like to be in His Presence. For God is in heaven, enthroned in glory – the eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And concerning being where God is, the Scriptures teach, “In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16.11).

Fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. This is what comes from being in the Presence of God. No other diversions are required. And whatever other activities heaven – and the new heavens and new earth – hold in store for us, none will eclipse or obscure the pleasure and joy we have from being in the Presence of the Lord.

I wonder what it is about fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore that doesn’t appeal to us?

Celtic Christians were famous for valuing heaven. They practiced living in the there and then, here and now by making meditation on Christ and heaven a primary discipline in their daily lives. They regarded themselves as on a journey to eternal life with God, but they understood that the reality of that ultimate destination was to be known and enjoyed, if only in part, in their daily lives. Celtic Christians nurtured and sustained a clear and compelling vision of unseen realities, spent long hours in the Lord’s Presence in prayer, envisioned themselves traveling toward the “Promised Land of the Saints” and returning to tell its glories – for the benefit and comfort of all who heard.

Which is why the writer of Ciarán’s rule suggested it would be better for someone who claimed to be a Christian but had no vision of or communion with the heavenly realm to abandon the faith, rather than discourage others by his lack of excitement, vision, and joyous anticipation of the world to come.

People with no taste for heaven now will find no place in it then. Seeing Jesus enthroned in glory is the privilege of all who believe in Him. Granted, in this life we see only in glimpses and glances; but we see truly, nonetheless. And the more we apply ourselves to seeing Jesus, the more our esteem for heaven will rise.

But if we don’t greatly value the promise and prospect of eternal life in the Presence of God, we won’t be much use to those who are hungering for just a glimpse through a crack in the door of His eternal home.

The glory that shines from the face of Jesus Christ can irradiate and refresh us day by day (2 Cor. 4.6). Seeing that glory more consistently will raise the value we place on heaven, and increase our readiness to talk about heaven with others.

For Reflection
1. Where would you turn in Scripture to begin meditating on heaven and the Lord Jesus enthroned there? Psalm 45? Psalm 110? Revelation 4 and 5?

2. What can you do to add meditating on Christ and heaven a more consistent part of your daily walk with the Lord?

Psalm 93.1, 2 (Trinity: Come, Thou Almighty King)
The Lord in majesty reigns, girded and clothed in strength!
Earth stands secure: Nor shall it e’er be moved;
God on His throne above set it in place with love –
His reign is sure!

Lord, give me a compelling vision of heaven, and let me see Your face in glory, and I will… 

Some resources for seeing Jesus
You’ll need to work at this, and we have some resources to help. Our PDF, Glorious Vision: 28 Days in the Throne Room of the Lord, will walk you through Psalm 45 over a four-week period, to help you see Jesus more clearly and consistently. Write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I’ll send it to you right away. Over at the bookstore, you can find help learning to see Jesus in our books Be Thou My Vision, To Know Him, and What in Heaven Is Jesus Doing on Earth?

Thank You
We pray that, if Crosfigell ministers to you, you’ll consider sharing with us in the financial support of our ministry. If the Lord moves you to give, you can use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal, or you can send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 360 Zephyr Road, Williston, VT 05495.

T. M. Moore
Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[1] Ó Maidín, p. 45.