Standing in the Healers Hands

HEAVEN, the future looks great, part 3

Text: Revelation 21:1-7

1. His healing is powerfully (Revelation 21:4)

• Joni Erickson Tada broke her back swimming. Spoke of how a wheelchair had taught her to trust God’s mercy, grace and strength. She said she hopes the chair is in heaven. “Lord, you said in this life I would have trouble. This chair has been trouble to me! The weaker I was in that thing, the harder I leaned on you, the stronger I discovered you to be. I would not have known your grace if it were not for that awful thing. I want to have it up here to say: Thank you for the gift of that chair so I could know your nearness, power of your peace, sustaining power – now you can send it to hell.”
• Jesus was a healer while on this earth. But he didn’t heal everyone! In heaven, he heals everyone’s wounds.
• The song says, “The only scars in Heaven, they won’t belong to me and you — There’ll be no such thing as broken, and all the old will be made new — And the thought that makes me smile now, even as the tears fall down — Is that the only scars in Heaven are on the hands that hold you now” (Casting Crowns)

2. His healing is deeply (Revelation 21:4)

There are some hurts that go so deep, that they can ultimately only be healed by Christ. Hurts of abuse, broken relationships, the loss of a spouse or a child; words that someone said that just stick with you. Some people carry wounds of having been hit. And we carry the scars of this life. We get as much healing as we can here, but the emotional and spiritual toll is so great, that some wounds can only be healed by Christ. Those deeply personal wounds are deeply healed by Jesus.

Notice, he doesn’t just magically make the tears go away; we carry our tears into heaven. And this is so personal; Jesus steps from the throne and stands face to face with you. The creator before the creation. And he personally wipes tears away that only he can heal.

The Bible describes many kinds of tears:

• Tears of deep wounds. Psalm 56:8
• Tears of injustice. Eccl. 4:1
• Tears of suffering.
• Tears of disgrace. Isa. 25:8
• Tears of depression. Ps. 42:3
• Tears of disobedience. Ps. 119:136
• Hezekiah, Isa. 38:5
• Psalm 56:8 put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
• Ps 126:5: Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

3. His healing is profoundly

I often hear the opinion that those in heaven are completely unaware of what’s going on with earth. That they are so absorbed in heavenly things, that there is no interest in the earth. In fact, some suggest that for them to see anything of the happenings on earth would dilute their joy in heaven.

We might notice that in Revelation 6, the saints in heaven see what’s happening on earth and ask God for justice.

Some even suggest that we forget much of our life here on earth. I disagree.

• God doesn’t have to reduce our intelligence or our memory to give us peace and joy.
• Our memory serves to enhance our understanding of what Jesus did for us on the cross.
• I am not suggesting your loved ones can see every aspect of you or your life now. But they are aware of the broad strokes of the happenings on earth. Only God is all seeing or all knowing. Your loved ones in heaven are not tracking around after you.

How can we be at all at peace in heaven or have joy if we are still aware of suffering?

• Revelation 21:3-4, the promise that God will wipe the tears away comes from the throne.
• Tears are wiped away at God’s throne.
• When we view the world from the standpoint of the throne of God, we have peace knowing he has the power, the plan and the total control to rule the creation.
• The promise of wipe away tears is also found in Revelation 7:17. In that verse, the throne is once again emphasized. In fact, the Lamb is “at the center” of the throne.

4. His healing is intensely (Revelation 21:6)

• Many of our deepest wounds have been self inflicted.
• Our tears, especially those self inflicted, are wiped away by nail scarred hands. We can doubt God’s forgiveness on earth, because we don’t see his hands. To have the very hands that paid for our salvation, wipe away our tears will be so powerfully healing!
• Revelation 21:6, leading us to water is a picture of giving strength for a new day or season.1. His Spiritual Healing Brings Life to the Soul:

5. We can start healing now.

• Ask God to give me daily reminders of
• Believe God
• Pursue a