Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

9 September 2024

Reading From Ezekiel 42-43

“Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, and he said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoring and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places”

–Ezekiel 43:1-7

     When I was a young boy, the Lord gave me a vision of His throne in Heaven and I could hear the angels singing praises to the Lord and the sound of their voices was like the sound of many thundering waterfalls.  I was too young to know about how the sound of the glory of the Lord is described throughout Scripture and that is part of how I know the vision was from Him.  I would not have known about this sound apart from Him revealing it to me. 

     The fulfillment of this prophecy which came from Yahweh through the Prophet Ezekiel will be fulfilled when Jesus Christ returns and He is enthroned in the New Jerusalem.  As we read in the book of Revelation, the New Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ, the Church.  While on Earth, God lives within us by His Spirit, but in Heaven that unity and fellowship will reach its fulness in that we will live with Him there. 

     In the New Eden we will have perfect unity with God.  None of us will ever be lonely again, all of the purest desires of our hearts will be fulfilled, and we will experience the consummation of our faith and of all things.  Our greatest joy will be found in glorifying God and enjoying His Presence.  There we will experience the wonder and adventure of the New Heaven and the New Earth, renewed to its paradisiacal glory in our resurrected bodies.

“God, it is through visions like these that we catch glimpses of the incredible glory that awaits those who trust in You.  When we were born again, a foretaste of glory Divine filled our hearts and made us yearn for our heavenly home.  Thank You for caring for us enough not to leave us as orphans, but that Your Spirit dwells within us, You’ll never leave us nor forsake us and You’re preparing for us a place to be with You forever.  Amen.”

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 

–Romans 8:23

So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

–Hebrews 9:28

In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

–I Corinthians 15:52-53

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

–Colossians 3:1-3

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

 –John 14:1-4