 Hello, David Diger Hernandez here, and you're watching Spirit Church here on the Encounter TV Network. You know, Jesus talked about the fact that he prepared a place for you and I. There is a place beyond this life, and after we have lived this life to the glory of God, we move into a whole different realm, into a new world, the dwelling place of God. I want to talk to you about heaven. This is the destination of every believer, and I know that as you hear this message, there will be joy overflowing. And you will see what God has promised to those who love him, what God has promised to those who receive Christ as Savior. I also want to share with you about a dream that I had about heaven. That's what we're going to be talking about here on this edition of Spirit Church. But first, Stephen Moctezuma is here with me. He's going to lead you in some anointed worship that we're going to get right into this message here. It's Stephen Moctezuma. I can only imagine when that day comes, when I find myself standing in the sun, I can only imagine when all I will do is forever, forever worship you. Surrounded by you, you Jesus, or in all of you, be still. Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees, or will I fall? Will I sing? Will I be able to speak at all? Surrounded by you, you Jesus, or in all of you, be still. Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees, or will I fall? Will I sing? Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine. Surrounded by you, will I dance for you, Jesus, or in all of you, be still. Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees, or will I fall? Will I sing? Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine. I can only imagine. I can only imagine. I can only imagine. Well, I want to begin my lesson by sharing with you my dream of heaven. I want to be very clear on this. I'm not saying that I visited heaven. I'm just giving you an experience that I had when I had this dream. Now, this dream was unlike any I had ever dreamt before. I remember it. It was so vivid. It was so real and unlike any other dream I've ever had. Now, I'm not saying that my dream is necessarily even accurately descriptive of heaven. I'm just saying that if heaven is anything like what I was shown, then it's a wonderful, wonderful place. I believe God communicated heaven to me in a way that I was able to understand it. So again, this is just something that I believe is an experience that I've had while dreaming, and it's a way that God communicated this to me. But I'm not saying it has authority like the Scripture does, nor am I saying that you can expect exactly what was in my dream to be experienced when you go into the afterlife. So I just want to share this with you to encourage you to give you an idea of what the beauty and the joy of heaven is like. So my dream begins, I'm standing on this shore, this beach, and I remember looking at the sand. The sand was fine and it was light colored. It was almost like a powder in my hand that I could feel. And looking out over the ocean, I could see that the water was crystal blue and clear. It was so clear in fact that I was able to look and see the coral reefs that were along the beach. The coral reefs were made of different colors. There was yellow, there was red, there was blue, there was green. And also in the water, I was able to see these fish swimming around. They were also about the same colors. And the fish had these lights on them. It looked like little LED lights on their scales. And they glowed and the waters were teeming with life. They were filled with lights and color and movement. Then I moved my eyes upwards and when I looked at the sky, it was different. And when I say that I mean that the sky was just larger, much larger than the sky that you and I look up and see today. It was blue with white billowy clouds that filled it. Now even though the sky was blue, I was able to see faintly through the sky into the cosmos. And I saw spirals of galaxies and colors and it was all very vivid and very awe inspiring. And as I'm staring out into all of this, taking in the sights, I'm breathing. And with every breath, I felt like life had filled me. It was like a cold, refreshing glass of water every time I took a breath. And I felt it bring my whole body to life. And so as I'm staring at all of this and taking all of this in, I look over and I see often the distance on this peninsula, this large house, just sitting there on the peninsula. Now the peninsula was covered with green grass and smooth, large black stones. And when I looked at the house, I remember that I didn't have to walk to it. I just wheeled myself there. I just thought to myself, I want to be there. And in an instant I was in the house. And I remember this house was three stories. It was just how I would have designed my house here in the earth if I had unlimited resources. And I remember going in under into the third floor, on the third floor, the bottom floor. And this actually had a glass that gave me a view into the ocean, where I was able to get an even better look at all of the life that was moving around. And while I'm in that house, I remember feeling just this immense joy, this immense love. There was a warmth about the place that I can't even begin to describe to you. Even right now, as I'm trying to convey this message and I'm trying to convey the details, I can remember what it felt like, but words fail to adequately describe that sense that I was sensing. I just remember there was love all around me. There was life all around me. There was joy and there was peace and it was just this beautiful experience. And then I remember all of a sudden I'm taken to another place and there was this city and there were cobblestone roads that led throughout this city. And I remember looking at all of the stores and the shops. It looked like something from like an old Italian village or something like that. And for me personally, I like places like that. So I think that was what the Lord was communicating to me. And as I'm walking through, I saw this restaurant. I went in and I sat down and this waiter comes out to me. I remember the waiter was dressed to perfection. The bow tie was on perfectly straight. The shirt was clean and the restaurant was pristine. I remember looking at the menu and on the menu, I noticed there were no prices anywhere. And so I asked the waiter. I said, so how much typically is a meal in this place? And I remember what he said. He said, you don't have to worry about paying for anything here because everything has already been paid for. And then I woke up and I'll never forget that dream. And again, I want to emphasize I'm not saying that I'm telling you that I went to heaven. Nor am I saying that this dream is a final authority or that you should take it and say, ah, that's what heaven is like. I'm simply saying that God communicated to me in a way that I was able to understand the joy of heaven. And so I want to show you now from Scripture what the Bible says heaven is like. Number one, it's a place where we belong. Philippians chapter 3 verse 20 says, But we are citizens of heaven where the Lord Jesus Christ lives and we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. I love this because this is descriptive of our identity. We don't belong here in this earth. We belong in heaven. That is where our citizenship is. When you finally make it to heaven, you're going to find rest and you're going to find a place where you belong. This is the place where the presence of God dwells. I love that the Scripture says where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. That's why heaven is so heavenly. The presence of Jesus is what makes heaven heaven. So it's a place where we belong. Number two, it's a place prepared by the Lord for us. John chapter 14 verses 1 through 3 say, Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my father's home. If this were not so, what I have told you that I'm going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you so that you will always be with me where I am. This is a place that was prepared by Jesus for you. Now I want you to think about how much the Lord loves you. I want you to think about the fact that he gave his life for you. He endured the pain of the cross for you. He endured the grief and the sorrow and the burden of sin for you. He endured the grave for you. He resurrected to new life for you. He set a new cosmos in order for you. And he sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for you. That one, our Jesus, who loves us immensely, who loves us more than we could ever fully understand, is preparing a place for you. Not only that, I want you to think of the fact that the Bible says that God has numbered the hairs on our head and that he delights in every detail of our lives. In other words, he knows what it is that brings you joy. He knows what it is that puts a smile on your face. God knows you with such depth, with such detail that he knows you better than anyone knows you. He knows you better than you know yourself. And this loving God, our loving Father, his loving Son Jesus, has prepared a place for us. Now if you look at the beauty in the earth, you look at the large mountain ranges, you look at the depths of the ocean, you look at the greenery in the forest and the beauty of the plant life, you look at the mystery of animal life and all of the things that make up creation. And when you do that, you realize that there is a mind behind it all. Now God created everything that we see here in a matter of six days. But he's been preparing a place for us all this time. Imagine what heaven is like. He keeps your likes and your dislikes in mind. He keeps what brings you joy in mind. He keeps what brings you pleasure in mind. And he creates this place for you to belong where his presence dwells. A home for you, a place in his Father's house. It is a place prepared by the Lord for us. Now in Revelation chapter 21, we see many descriptions of heaven, but I want to show you verse 1 of chapter 21 where the Scripture says, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared and the sea was also gone. Now that verse is going to be very key in the coming weeks as I go over with you the timeline of it all because many people have questions like, Well, when did the dead in Christ arise? And when does the resurrection take place? And why does the Scripture talk about two resurrections? And where does the believer go now in the meantime after they die? All of these questions we're going to get into and remember that verse is going to be very key as we dig into that. But I want you now to go to verse number 2 and 3 where I'm going to make my third point. Verses 2 and 3 say, And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne saying, Look, God's home is now among his people. He will live with them and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. So first we see that it's a place like a city. You can also see that in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 10 and Hebrews chapter 12 verse 22. You can reference those two verses later. They describe this city. So this is a place where there is function, where there is order, where there are different things going on. So heaven is like a city. In fact, heaven is described as a city. It literally like a city. So I imagine that in heaven that there are different places that serve different purposes. We don't lose purpose once we go to heaven. We don't become aimless once we go to heaven. In fact, on my final point, I'll tell you what we're going to be doing in heaven other than worshiping. But this is a very clear description of what to expect. It's not going to be some foggy, hazy existence where you're disconnected from reality and you don't know what's really going on. This is going to be a very vivid existence. This is going to be an existence where there is order and structure and purpose and identifiable markers all throughout the place. This is an actual place where you and I will go. I want you to really think about that. This is an actual place where you and I will dwell. It's the kingdom of heaven. Number four, also looking at verse number three, you see that it is a place filled with people. It's as I heard a loud shout from the throne saying, look, God's home is now among his people. This is a multitude. Who are God's people? It's a multitude of people. There will be many people who are in heaven. So it's not just going to be this big, empty, open space. It's going to be a place teaming with life and interaction and conversation and consciousness. We are going to see other people there. And so heaven is a place filled with people. Number five, when we look at verse four, the scripture says, he will wipe every tear from their eyes and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. So this is a place of joy and peace. I want you to think about the fact that there will be no more sorrow. There will be no more death. Number six, it's a place where there is no death. Life is eternal in this dwelling place of God. Never again will you have to lose a loved one to death. Never again will you have to face sickness. Never again will you have to face heartache. Never again will your mind be tormented. Never again will you struggle with the crippling effects of doubt. Your mind will be free. Your body will be new and resurrected. Your spirit will be in its proper place, united with God. And you will live in perfect peace and perfect joy and perfect harmony with all creation. So first, let's review and then we'll continue. Number one, it's a place where we belong. Number two, it's a place prepared by the Lord for us. Number three, it's a place like a city. Number four, it's a place filled with people. Number five, it's a place of joy and peace. Number six, we saw in verse four. It's a place where there is no death. Now go down to verse number 21. This is powerful as well. The scripture says the twelve gates were made of pearls. Each gate from a single pearl. And the main street was pure gold as clear as glass. Number seven, it's a place of prosperity. This is why we had to be very careful when criticizing people who preach prosperity. Now you know I'm not a proponent of the prosperity gospel. Nor do I believe that we serve God for what we can get out of him. Our prayer life should not be about rubbing a magic lamp and making the genie give us our wishes. That's not at all what the Christian life is about. The Christian life is about sacrifice. The Christian life is about death to self. The Christian life is about surrender to the Holy Spirit and to the will of God. I believe all that. But at the same time, we can't go to the other extreme and therefore rebuke everybody who believes that we should be prosperous. In fact, the Bible teaches about the prosperity of the saints. Not everyone's going to be a millionaire. And no, you're not going to get a 30-day breakthrough after sowing that $1,200 seed. I'm not talking about those gimmicks. I'm talking about actual biblical prosperity. Let me put it to you this way. If poverty was the will of God, then why is heaven so rich? Why is heaven so wealthy? Poverty brings sickness. When you look at the places of the world where there is poverty, you see that there is sickness. Poverty brings pressure and it takes away your peace of mind. Poverty brings about lack. Poverty brings about the inability to advance the gospel. None of those things are the will of God. And so we see heaven is prosperous. Therefore prosperity is reflective of the culture of heaven. So number seven, we see it is a place of prosperity. Verse 23 says, And the city has no need of sun or moon, For the glory of God illuminates the city, And the lamb is its light. Number eight, it's a place of light. The very presence of God illuminates everything. In fact, I believe that heaven has no shadows. Light so fills that place, Causing colors to become more vivid. Causing life to become more vivid. Causing what we see to become more intense. You see, heaven is not some fuzzy reality. I know I made this point, but I want to hone in on the point here when it comes to vision. I believe it's going to be more detailed, more real than what we're experiencing now. A lot of people imagine that going to heaven is like falling asleep and living in a foggy dream. But going to heaven is more like waking up than falling asleep. When you find yourself in the presence of God, when you finally reach that destination, you're going to feel like you're in reality then, and all of this was some foggy reality that you don't remember. That is the true vivid reality. Number nine, it's a place where we're like him. First John chapter 3 verse 2 says, Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. First Corinthians chapter 15 verse 6 says, After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. First Corinthians 15 20, but in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So we see that Christ, after he resurrected, was recognizable, and that's important for a point I'm going to make in just a moment. But we also see that we are going to be like him in that we're going to resurrect as well. In fact, Philippians chapter 3 verse 21 says, He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own. Using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. But the key point there, and change them into glorious bodies like his own. We will be like Jesus when we finally reach that destination. That's ultimately glorification. You see the moment you were saved, you were justified. That's justification. As you walk through your Christian life, you're sanctified. That's sanctification. And one day you will be like him. That's glorification. Justification, sanctification, glorification is the final destination. Now, the Bible tells us also, and this is one of the most beautiful points I believe in this message, the Bible tells us also that it is a place of reunion with other believers. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 13 through 18 say this, And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died. So you will not grieve like people who have no hope. Verse 14, For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord. We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words. Now, just on a side note, verse 14, it says God will bring back with him the believers who have died. In other words, they're with him upon his entry. They just receive new resurrected bodies at the rapture. So that will help clarify some of the timeline as we get into that in the next few weeks. So they're the first to the resurrection, but that doesn't mean that they're not with the Lord already. But still, this was written so that we might be encouraged to know that those who have died are not gone forever. So we will see our loved ones again if you ever lose a loved one, someone who you care about. If you have ever lost someone who you love and who you miss and who you hope to see again, I want to tell you what the Scripture teaches. This is that great hope. You will see them again. And you will know them. Remember, I told you I was going to bring out this point when I read 1 Corinthians 15-6 and 1 Corinthians 15-20. You saw that Jesus walked around and he was recognized by his disciples. And then the Bible says that we will be like him. In other words, we will be recognizable. In fact, Matthew chapter 17 verse 3 says, Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. Now two things there. I want you to notice that Moses and Elijah weren't in the grave. They were alive and well. They were in the dwelling place of God. So people who have died, they go to the dwelling place of God. But also notice, my main point, they were recognizable. Matthew chapter 8 verse 11 says, I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world, from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven. What is this talking about? This is talking about later on when we are all united as one, we will recognize Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 2 Samuel chapter 12 verse 23, when King David had lost his son, the Scripture says, But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me. Many of you watching have lost children who were not even born. Some of you maybe have had abortions, and that guilt is with you, but let me tell you something. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, and I want to give those mothers who are living with that guilt hope, you will see that unborn child in heaven. And I tell you this right now, I promise you, they hold nothing against you. So I'm not advocating for abortion obviously, but I want to talk to those of you who have crossed that line and can't go back. Know that your child is with the Lord in heaven even now. And we will see our loved ones again. Luke chapter 10 verse 20 says, But don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you. Rejoice because your names are registered in heaven. We have names in heaven. We are known like we are known here on earth. You can see also 2 Corinthians 1.14, Hebrews 12, 23 and 1 Thessalonians 2.19. Now, final point, number 11, heaven is a place where we reign. Revelation chapter 2 verses 26 to 28, And he that over cometh, And keepeth my works unto the end, To him will I give power over the nations, And he shall rule them with the rod of iron, As the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, Even as I have received it my father, And I will give him the morning star. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 2 through 3 say, Or do you not know that the saints will judge Or in the original language of the Greek, It says to rule or to govern. We will rule and we will govern the world. Do you not know that we are to judge, Rule or govern angels? How much more then matters pertaining to this life? You see, heaven is the restoration of the earth, The cosmos, and heaven. In our connection with God, We are firmly established again In our authority, joy, peace, love, unity, and dignity. When we go to heaven, And when heaven comes to us, It will be the reunion Of the dwelling place of God And the dwelling place of man. And it will be as God had intended In the garden Adam and Eve. And there will be The authority of man restored. And I believe we will rule and reign. Even things we can't even understand now. I don't want to get too deep into that Because I don't want to step out on ledges Where the scripture is not detailed. It is clear that we will rule and reign. How that looks, I'll leave that up to speculation. But it is definitely a place where we have authority. And of course there was worship in heaven. I know most people know that. That's primarily what we're going to be doing. But I wanted to address the points that maybe you didn't know. So also you can throw in number 12. We'll also worship in heaven. You can find many references to that In the book of Revelation. Well anyway, I pray that that lesson blessed you. Now in the coming weeks I'm going to address More of these questions concerning the afterlife. Another one I think we need to answer Is if we're in heaven and we still have free will Is it possible that we sin again? I'm going to address that in the coming weeks. But first I want to pray with you. And if you don't know Jesus And you don't know for sure that heaven is your home Let's make sure. Because you know we have loved ones who are waiting for us. And I'm sure there are people that we're praying for you possibly. And I'll find themselves in the dwelling place of God. Let's believe God. And I want you now to surrender your life to him. You know, the only regret that you'll have When you finally receive Jesus Is that you didn't receive him sooner. And when you receive him and you give your heart to him You'll say I'm so glad I'm clean. I'm so glad my conscience is clear. I'm so glad the burden of sin has been lifted from me. Father in Jesus' name I pray for each one watching. Touch that one who does not know you. And draw them to you. If you're watching this right now And you want to come to Jesus Just tell him. Tell him you want him to save you. Tell him you want his mercy and his forgiveness for your sins. Tell him that you believe in who he is And what he accomplished on the cross for your salvation. And surrender your life to him. Now Father I pray Each one receiving this prayer now Comfort them Lord Those who have lost loved ones Comfort them With the knowledge and the joy of heaven And give us the zeal and the fire To preach your gospel Others might Also sharing that joy In the name of Jesus I want you to say because you believe it Say amen you know When you get saved You get to go to heaven When you become surrendered Others get to go too And that is it for this lesson I want to welcome now the new members of Spirit Church There you are up on the screen We love you, we are praying for you I always say that because I always mean it. Spirit Church is now over 5,000 members strong From all around the world We want you to join the spirit family It's absolutely free Go to davidhernandezministries.com Spirit church when you sign up to become a spirit church member You're going to get every single week On a Sunday morning if you're in the right time zone You're going to get a brand new fresh teaching From the word of God that I prepare for you After hours of study Hours of prayer, I send it to you And it's anointed, it's new, it's fresh And you'll receive that in your email inbox Every single week And you'll get a song from Stephen Mock to Zuma We all love and appreciate His worship ministry Plus you can reply to that email for prayer support From our ministry staff So join the spirit family today Now to your comments Eternity series This is from last week's teaching Eternity, what is hell like Rio Giorgio writes Brother David, this was an eye-opening sermon I was very blessed and inspired to preach often With more determination Absolutely When you understand the reality of hell And the way to the consequence of eternity It will inspire you to preach the gospel with more urgency Lozola Sakyaka writes Amen I believe that many have been touched God bless you, your family And your ministry in the mighty name Of Jesus Christ Vetri Salvon writes Glory to God, awesome anointed worship Stephen absolutely, Stephen Mock to Zuma Is my absolute favorite worship leader And if you haven't done so already Be sure to go check out his playlist On the EncounterTV channel EncounterTV network features his music So make sure you go and also subscribe To his emailing list, you can do that StephenMocktoZuma.com He'll send you a worship video every single week The next commenter Writes powerful sound doctrine From scripture, thank you for uploading the message God bless you, we surely Need to preach the gospel urgently And Cecil Abbey writes God bless you David, you always strike A nerve with God's messages We are so marching on to Wind Souls, I like that, we are so Marching on to wind souls Hallelujah, well that's absolutely right If you could possibly read your comment On next week's edition of Spirit Church Here on the EncounterTV Network And go ahead and leave a comment on the video Now also And that's if you're watching this on YouTube But also, I want to talk to you now Don't turn off the video Cecil makes a very good point here We are winning souls You know we did some calculations as a ministry And this is an estimate Every 28 days We reach as a ministry 1 to 2 million people With the gospel message I want you to think about that We reach anywhere from 1 to 1.5 To 2 million people Every single 28 days Now that is a Staggering number considering Where we are as a ministry And this is only the beginning If we're reaching that now When we're just getting started Imagine what we'll reach Who we'll reach as we begin to expand This is where I need your help And don't turn this video off I am talking to you And I want your support I want your partnership I want to invite you To come with me As we preach the gospel You may not be able to go with me physically But you can go with me in spirit You can join with me We can change this world We can win more souls You may be looking around at the conditions of this world You may say I don't really know If what I'm doing could ever make a difference You may look at all of the Evil arising And all of the things that are happening And all of the conditions The spiritual storms that surround the nations Of the world and you may say What could I possibly do When you join with us You're not just joining with me You're not just joining with Steven You're not just joining with the Holy Spirit There are thousands, literally thousands Of other believers who have partnered with us And said we're going to join together And we're going to make an impact I need your help, we need your help Partner with me, let's do this together I believe that when you're my partner in ministry Every soul I win God adds it to your heavenly account And I believe it's your reward In heaven as well Don't you want others to go to heaven too Don't you want others to experience The joy of eternal life In the presence of God Don't you want others to Experience the joy of forgiveness from sin Then partner with me today I want you to give a one-time Gift or a monthly gift To help our ministry do one thing We want to preach the Saving and healing gospel In the power of the Holy Spirit Basically preach Jesus In the power of the Spirit Help us do this through events and media That's what our ministry does, that's where we focus And we want to do that with excellence And efficiency and effectiveness But we can only do it And we can only expand it When you decide to say I'm going to step up and do it Maybe you've been considering doing it Maybe you've been receiving from these videos Maybe you've watched a few, maybe you've watched a lot Doesn't matter, you're watching this right now For a reason And I'm asking you to give a one-time gift Or a monthly gift Consider a one-time gift of a hundred dollars Or fifty dollars or a thousand dollars We've had some people do twelve thousand, five thousand Different amounts Sometimes the wealthy people can do higher amounts I want to challenge you to do higher amounts Some of the people who are more middle class You can do what you can do And some people who say there's not much I can do Do what you can, everything counts Also consider Either a one-time gift or a monthly gift One-time gifts and monthly gifts help us Consider a monthly gift of ten dollars a month Thirty dollars a month, a hundred dollars a month And partner with us consistently To help us get the gospel out When you become my partner At thirty dollars a month or more I'll send you either carriers of the glory Twenty-five truths about demons and spiritual warfare Or encountering the Holy Spirit In every book of the Bible I'll sign it and send it to you As my initiation gift to thank you For becoming my partner So do that today One-time gift or monthly gift Help to keep us growing In this ministry and reaching more Every day when we're filling stadiums And reaching millions by television You watch it's going to happen Television, media, internet It's going to expand big This is just the beginning And you can say I was a part of that from the beginning So that is it for this edition Of Spirit Church here on the Encounter TV Network Until next time, remember Nothing is impossible with God Make a one-time donation Or become a monthly supporter By clicking on the donate link now