Are There Seasons in Heaven?
I recently returned from a trip to the northern lower peninsula of Michigan to see fall colors. As I watched the display of colors from my car window, I found myself wondering, are there seasons in heaven?
Michigan Color Tours
For the second year in a row, a wonderful array of deep reds, oranges and yellows greeted us as we drove. You can’t always count on this. Some years are not as vibrant as others and sometimes the days we are able to travel are off, meaning we are either too early or too late to get the peak colors we long for.
No, these beautiful fall colors rivaling any in New England, are not guaranteed. They are gifts from God which makes them all the more precious. I have been disappointed at times, but not this year.
One thing to remember about color tours is that it’s not about the destination. The destination is just the excuse to drive for hours enjoying the colors that pop up along the way. In fact, I’ve often been disappointed after arriving at a particular destination only to find the colors to be far less than what I saw on the drive there. Colors in some of the many state parks are often muted by stands of pine trees, though they do have a beauty of their own as the sun shines through old stands of forest (as shown by featured picture taken in Hartwick Pines). Our trip to the tunnel of trees several years ago was too late in the season. Color was lacking as we drove through a drizzle of rain. However, we did see color on our drive there and awesome displays of trees against gathering storm clouds.
Are there Seasons in Heaven?
And sometimes we come home to even more wonder as shown in picture below of the sunset behind a tree in our front yard.
All of this contributes to the wonder on days like we just experienced. They are more appreciated for being rare.
Might heaven be like this? If heaven is endless days of beautiful fall colors, wouldn’t they lose their value? There would be nothing exceptional about them. Yet, a heaven without autumn colors, or new fallen snow, or that first spring breeze, or sunshine sparkling across a summer lake? Would it be heaven without these?
New Jerusalem
In Scripture heaven is pictured as a city, New Jerusalem, bedecked with jewels, where the streets are paved with gold.
“The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.” Rev. 21:18-21
I don’t know about you but this doesn’t impress me. Who wants to walk on gold? I’d rather walk on grass, or a warm bed of sand. The writers of the Bible came up with their own image of what heaven might be like. What spoke to them, doesn’t speak to me, and that’s okay.
But what’s important is that is signifies hope and divine promise. “This city, far greater than our earthly dwellings, represents a place free of pain, sorrow, and sin. When we think about New Jerusalem, we can reflect on the splendor of what awaits us as believers. It’s a promise of restoration and a dwelling place filled with God’s glory, where we will experience unending joy and peace.” (35 Important Bible Verses About New Jerusalem (Explained) – Bible Repository)
God’s Imagination
Fortunately, I don’t need to worry about which image of heaven is accurate. God’s imagination is so far superior to human imagination. God’s imagination created all of the natural wonders of the world. I can’t imagine what God has in store for us in heaven. Something even greater than what God has already given us? Is that even possible?
God’s imagination never fails to delight! Are there seasons in heaven? I guess I’ll just have to wait to see.
What are your thoughts? What do you think heaven will look like?
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