Tonight at church we studied heaven. We have had 2 people from our congregation go there these past few months, and several relatives of other people. It has been a time of reflection on what we have lost and what they have gained. We are happy for them rejoicing together in the presence of the Lord, but we miss them and hurt for those who were closest to them. And thus the study on heaven.
One of the passages we gleaned from was 2 Corinthians 5: 1-9, but the first few verses make those clothing references. "For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life."
Our bodies are a tent, a temporary shelter for our souls. It will be torn down someday, as will all flesh, But God will then build us our eternal home...a body that will not wear out or be destroyed for all eternity. He will not weave it or hammer and nail it into being...He speaks things into existence, remember? And it will be good...so good that we will not want for anything else. We long for that clothing, not desiring to be left naked, cold, and ashamed, but again, covered in the righteousness of Christ, which is eternal glory.We don't want to be mortal, but we are for a time...in body, that is, but not forever. Our new house (body) will be solid structure built on the foundation of Christ. We, according to 1 Peter 2:4-6, are living stones built onto the foundation of Christ Jesus and are being built into that spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. He is also a living stone, the chief cornerstone that God chose to be built upon...and we are stones...our buildings are His ultimate building when put altogether. Revelation 3 says some will be pillars in the temple of My God...
So still we do not want to be naked...there is still clothing in heaven...robes, buildings, sashes, God's train filling them temple...the angels cover parts of their bodies with wings, like their faces or feet...but we are dressed with the clothing designed for heaven. We want to be covered with the eternal life to be given us, even though we have no idea what glory it will be. We LONG for it...our hearts yearn for it. To be before God, in His presence properly covered with the garments of His choosing. No wardrobe worries. I hate going places and standing there at the closet wondering if people will be casual or semi-casual, or all gowned up when I go to any sort of affair. In Iowa, not many people really dress up, and it is not unusual to go to a wedding where people are decked out sitting next to guys in blue jeans and their "best" western shirt. There is even a parable where the guy gets thrown out of the wedding feast for not dressing appropriately. How do we dress for heaven? Good grief! Wouldn't that be the ultimate wardrobe choice? What do you wear before the God of Gods and King of Kings? It would make anything we have seem totally inadequate for the occasion. And it is. That is why no hand makes that clothing. God knows what we should wear for Him glory for all eternity. That is such a relief. We don't have to dress to impress...He impressed us with the seal of His Spirit and that is the only impression that matters. It is not about us impressing Him. It's about Him clothing us to make us acceptable to worship Him for all eternity.
We long to see that, like a groom longs to see his bride come down the aisle...what will she look like? He has seen her before, but this day is different. The dress will be different. It is a symbol of her earthly joining to him, and he knows she will never be more beautiful than that day when she glows with her love for him. We want to see the dress...the body that we will be given on that great wedding day when we become His forever in the perfect place...we don't want to groan that we have nothing to wear on that day...but He has gone dress shopping for us and knows just which style, cut, ornamentation, and size will make us the most beautiful in His eyes. There is something in a bride's heart that leaps when she finds "the one", that dress that was perfect for her wedding....the tears that well up when she realizes that she will wed in it and it is perfect. We will all have that experience, man or woman, married or single, on the day when we are forever clothed as the bride of Christ in our new bodies...and we will rejoice.
Come, Lord Jesus. Your bride awaits!
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