No More Night      Revelation 22:5 Sermon 12 September 12th, 2010     Pastor Mark Batterson shares of putting his three year-old son, Josiah, to bed one night. Like most small children Josiah hates going to bed and cries every night. You'd think he'd get used to it. There’s never been a night where he hasn't gone "night night," but he's a normal three year-old. His Dad though had this thought one night. Someday we won't go "night night." Revelation 22 says there is no night in heaven. So he decided to tell Josiah that they won't have to go "night night" in heaven. Josiah asked if they could go.   In the book of Revelation in the description of heaven, there is a little phrase that’s easy to overlook. It’s found in Revelation 22:5, where describing this wonderful place called heaven, it says, “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.” Over the past few months we’ve travelled through the Bible by night, but now we’re finished with the night. This morning we want to talk about the place, where hopefully, we all end up – heaven, a wonderful place where there is No More Night.   Heaven is a place, just as much a place as is New York or Chicago . Let me begin this sermon with two statements that I believe to be almost universally true: Everyone wants to know about heaven and everyone wants to go there. Recent polls suggest that nearly 80% of all Americans believe there is a place called heaven. That’s an encouraging statistic,  encouraging, because it tells us that even in this skeptical age there’s something deep inside the human heart that cries out, “There’s got to be something more.” Something more than the pain and suffering of this life. Something more than 70 or 80 years on planet earth. Something more than being born, living, dying, and then being buried in the ground. Sometimes we talk about what French philosopher, Blaise Pascal called a “God-shaped vacuum” inside the human heart. There’s also a “heaven-shaped vacuum,” a sense that we were made for something more than this life. We were made to live forever somewhere. In a real sense we were made for heaven.    There’s another fascinating statistic I need to mention. Not only do most Americans believe in heaven, most people expect to go there when they die. If you did a survey at Wal-mart this afternoon and asked, “Do you think you’ll go to heaven when you die?” the vast majority would answer, “I hope so,” or “I think so,” or perhaps, “I think I’ve got a good chance.” Not very many people would say they aren’t going to heaven.   Perhaps one modest point is in order. Whenever you talk about living forever somewhere, it would help to know for sure where you are going. After all, if you’re wrong about heaven, you’re going to be wrong for a long, long time…you’re going to be eternally wrong.   This morning we want to talk about one very important fact about Heaven – that Heaven is place where there is No More Night. But before we jump in, I should make one preliminary point. The only things we can know for certain about Heaven are the things revealed in the Bible. Everything else is just speculation and hearsay. The Bible tells us everything we need to know and it also tells us everything we can know for certain about heaven. If you’re taking notes… 1. What does it mean that there will be “no night” in heaven?   a. It means that there is no darkness in heaven. In 2 Samuel 22:29 King David prays, “You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light.” Darkness stands for the Christless life. Darkness is hostile to the Light. It stands for the ignorance of life without Christ. Darkness stands for the chaos of life without God. Darkness stands for the immorality of the Christless life. It’s characteristically unfruitful, and is connected with lovelessness and hate. And darkness is the abode of the enemies of Christ and the final destination of those who will not accept him.   I don’t care if it’s a Bela Lugosi movie…one of the movies from the Twilight series, or even the recent Will Smith movie, “I am Legend”…we all know what happens when it gets dark. Sometimes there’s music as well that gives you some clues, but you know the meaning of darkness. It’s the place where you cannot see the obvious. It’s the time when even the simplest things become dangerous. It’s a place where evil happens and the unknown can take over. But in heaven, there’s no more darkness. b. It means that there is no fear in heaven. A little boy was afraid of the dark. One night his mother told him to go out to the back porch and bring her the broom. The little boy turned to his mother and said, "Mama, I don't want to go out there. It's dark." The mother smiled reassuringly at her son. "You don't have to be afraid of the dark," she explained. "Jesus is out there. He'll look after you and protect you." The little boy looked at his mother real hard and asked, "Are you sure he's out there?" "Yes, I'm sure. He is everywhere, and He is always ready to help you when you need him," she said. The little guy thought about that for a minute and then went to the back door and cracked it a little. Peering out into the darkness, he called, "Jesus? If you're out there, would you please hand me the broom?”   While many struggle with fear, it seems that the darkness accents those fears. A situation in the daytime that barely merits a yawn can cause a near panic in the middle of the night. The other night our Chocolate Lab, Ernie, started barking at 3 am. Ernie hardly ever barks…so I knew something was up and with the cool night and all of the windows open, I thought perhaps someone was attempting to break-in. I flipped on all of the lights as I went downstairs (I should note that my bride slept through all of this), only to discover that Ernie was sick and wanted to go outside to take care of business…and he did not want to come back inside, even though it was 3 am. In the daytime though when Ernie barks, I hardly think twice about it.   The Psalmist recognized this fear. In Psalm 91 as he’s writing of God’s protection, he says, “You will not fear the terror of night” (vs. 5). Some folk have recurring nightmares. Others have the same things that wake them up night after night and cause them great fear. Heaven is not only the place of No More Night, it’s also the place of no more fear! Heaven is God’s Home and since we also know that “God has not given us the spirit of fear” (2 Tim. 1:7), we know that in heaven we will never again wake up in the middle of the night in a panic.   c. It means that there is no imprisonment in heaven. Isaiah has a wonderful promise: This is what the LORD says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’” (49:8-9).   The other day I saw that there’s a castle in Italy for sale for a mere $10 million, and it comes with a dungeon. It’s not though just iron doors or metal bars that imprison us. Many are imprisoned by grief or a broken heart. Often there are inner cells of hidden grief, hung far away from public view in the secret chambers of the heart. The saddest sights of earth are not those unfolded to the eye. There are scenes with a screen drawn between them, which are not for public gaze. They are kept with key and padlock; the gallery is paced with silent footstep and bated breath. It’s this hidden, muffled, unuttered grief which we believe is here referred to in the word "Sorrow."   It may be a wayward child or a broken marriage. It could be the cruel wound of a once trusted friend. It could be the pain of a ruptured relationship with parents or family. And you find that your spirit is shackled by the pain. It could be physical or emotional pain. Many around us play hurt. Some sickness or physical disability…and sometimes you just grow weary of it. Others struggle with a melancholy temperament. They wrestle with the blues. But someday the gates will all be thrown open. The doors of our prison of pain will be opened for all eternity. We must remember though that this world, this life is not heaven. God does not intend for us to be satisfied with this life or this world. We look forward to the life to come. It is those who put their hope in this life that are disappointed and discouraged with God. We look forward to that coming day when No More Night, means that the prisoner has been set free.   d. It means that there is no evil in heaven. I think that every believer wonders why it is that, by the constitution of the universe, evil has so much more power than good to produce its effect, and to propagate its nature. One drop of poison will pollute a whole cup of clean water; but one drop of clean water has no power to appreciably improve a cup of poison.   Our world is filled with evil. Sophisticated intellectuals often scoff at the notion that evil exists. According to their worldview, there’s no such thing as evil. It’s all a matter of perspective. As believers, we know that there is first of all unseen world of evil. Interestingly, while everyone accepts the existence of unseen radio waves, microwaves, and X-rays that travel through the air, though we cannot see them because we can see their effects. It’s the same with spiritual evil, with Satanic or demonic power. We can’t usually see demons, but we can see the results of their evil power.   A few years ago Newsweek did a cover story on evil. They analyzed the problem of evil and examined the life of Timothy McVeigh, who was scheduled to be executed. One article, titled "In Search of the Roots of Evil," concluded that much evil can be traced to a person's childhood and upbringing. The article also pointed to possible biological factors.   We though know that you can’t just psychologize sin. Evil is not just some kind of warp in the human personality. Evil is deep within all of us. Yet only 31% of Americans believe that everyone has the capacity for evil. 33% blamed poor parenting, while 53% said religious and moral training is the best way to fight evil.   John 3:19 says, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” In that coming day of No More Night, there will be no more evil. Good will finally triumph over evil. Just think, in that day, you could turn on the news – and it would all be good news – because there is no more evil.   e. It means that there is no death in heaven. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Is. 9:2). Death and darkness are consistently associated together. With end of night, there’s also the end of death.    We rightfully view death as tragic and go to great effort and expense to hang on to this life for as long as possible. We avoid thinking or talking about death unless it’s absolutely necessary. When author William Saroyan was within days of his own death from cancer, he issued this statement to the Associated Press: “Everybody has got to die, but I have always believed an exception would be made in my case. Now what?”   Please understand that we Christians should love life and view it as an opportunity to serve the Lord. It’s not wrong to seek to extend our lives through proper medical procedures when we face a life threatening illness. Because of modern medicine, there are difficult decisions that we may have to face for ourselves or with loved ones when it comes to death. It’s not always clear where to draw the line. As a general rule, if a medical procedure will not restore a person to life or extend life, but only prolongs the process of dying, then it probably should not be used.   As Christians, our motive for wanting to extend life should be so that we can further serve our Lord, not just so that we can enjoy ourselves. The point is this; God wants us to live life to the fullest, to serve Him joyfully as long as we have life. Until Christ returns death is still our enemy that robs us of the presence of our loved ones. Scripture doesn’t condemn grieving; in fact, it tells us to “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15).   Jesus wept with Mary and Martha at their brother, Lazarus’ tomb, even though He knew He was about to raise him from the dead (John 11:35). As Christians, we also do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13), but we still do grieve. Someday though there will be no caskets, no funeral homes. Grieving will be over because there is no death. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:26, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 2. There is no night but there is the “sun of righteousness.” Turn to Malachi 4:2-3 (p. 677). Some scholars do not interpret this as a reference to Jesus, but rather to the conditions that will exist in the millennium. But I think it’s best to interpret it as a reference to Jesus Christ. Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, seemed to pick up the language of this verse when he prophesied that John would prepare the Lord’s ways, “to give His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high shall visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:77-79). Though we don’t have time to look at it today, there’s a link between John the Baptist in Malachi 3:1 and Malachi 4:5. Because of Zacharias’ similar language about the Sunrise from on high, I believe that this text is messianic. It has at least five implications.   a. The sun of righteousness brings light where there was darkness. These verses refer to the blessings of our salvation that begin at the moment we trust in Jesus, but grow brighter and brighter until that glorious moment when He comes again and we shall be caught up to be always with the Lord. Outside of Christ, the world lives in spiritual darkness, blinded to the truth of God’s Word. Only Christ can open blind eyes. By His power, God delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. Jesus made the bold claim, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). When Jesus Christ shines into your darkness, suddenly you can see. As Charles Wesley put it, “Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature’s night. Thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.”   b. The sun of righteousness brings healing where there was disease and brokenness. The darkness of the evil one’s domain brings spiritual sickness and death to the human race. The warm rays of the sun of righteousness bring restoration and healing. “Wings” is poetic language for the rays of the sun. One of Satan’s lies is to get us to think that sin brings satisfaction and that righteousness is restrictive. The truth is though that sin always brings disease and death, but righteousness heals and restores.   Have you ever had the flu, where your bones ache? If it’s gloomy and damp outside, it only seems to add to your misery. But then the sun breaks through the clouds and you find a chair in the sunlight streaming through a window. Those warm rays of the sun feel so good on your aching bones!   That’s an earthly illustration of the spiritual truth of the gospel. When you repent of your sins and begin to live in the warm rays of God’s righteousness, He brings healing from the wounds of sin in your life.   c. The sun of righteousness brings comfort and hope where there had been despair. Sometimes we fail to appreciate how wonderful the sunlight is. In some parts of the globe, sunshine in the winter there is a rare thing. Studies have shown that some people who live in the extreme north suffer from what’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder or (SAD). They get depressed because they live in the dark for months during the long, cold winters. When the first rays of the sun appear over the horizon, they throw a party! The sunlight brings them hope.   Outside of Jesus Christ and the salvation that He brings, there is no hope. One of the most depressing phrases in the Bible is Paul’s description of unbelievers, that they have “no hope and [are] without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). But when the sun of righteousness rises in your heart, He brings the wonderful hope of eternal life!   d. The sun of righteousness brings great joy where there was sadness. “You will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” Perhaps you’ve always lived in the city and have never seen this. After being cooped up in a stall, calves will literally jump as if for joy. Part of this for the believer is the great joy of being freed from the bondage of sin and judgment. The angel announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds by saying, “I bring you good news of a great joy” (Luke 2:10). There’s simply no greater joy than the news that God has sent a Savior to set us free from the penalty and power of sin, so that we may dwell with Him in the glory of His presence forever!   So, the sun of righteousness brings light where there was darkness; healing where there was disease; hope where there was despair; and, joy where there was sadness. Finally…   e. The sun of righteousness brings right where there was wrong. “You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under your feet.” In this evil world, God permits the wicked often to triumph over the godly. There are many injustices where the innocent suffer and their tormentors often literally get away with murder. But when the sun of righteousness rises in that final day that God is preparing, all wrongs will be righted. Perfect justice will prevail. Every sinner will be judged according to his works, and the righteous will rejoice. Perhaps you’re thinking, “But I thought that vengeance is wrong. How can the righteous rejoice over treading the wicked underfoot like ashes?” While personal vengeance is wrong, it’s not wrong to long for the day when God will exercise His perfect justice.   In Revelation 6:9-11, John looks into heaven and sees the souls of those who have been slain because of their testimony for Christ. They cry out, asking God how long it will be until He avenges their blood. God tells them to rest for a bit longer, until the number of martyrs is complete. Then, in Revelation 18, when wicked Babylon has finally fallen, the angel proclaims, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her” (18:20). God’s final answer to the problem of the prosperity of the wicked and the unjust suffering of the righteous is the coming day of judgment. His promise of that day should bring great comfort to all of God’s elect. Conclusion: There’s a vital question that our study should provoke in our hearts: How can I be sure I am going where there will one day be no more night? How can I be sure I am going to heaven? That’s the most important question of all and here’s a wonderful truth: God has made it easy for you to go to heaven. He did the hard part when He sent His Son to die on the Cross for you. He paid the price for your sins so that you could one day stand before God in heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He also said, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved” (John 10:9 NASB). Jesus is not only the way to heaven, He is also the door to heaven. If you want to go to heaven, you’ve got to go through the door marked “Jesus Christ.” There is no other entrance.   Several years ago Dr. D. James Kennedy, pastor of the famous Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale , FL , joined other evangelical leaders in a meeting with President Ronald Reagan at the White House. During the meeting Dr. Kennedy asked the president this question, “Suppose you were to die and found yourself standing at the door of heaven. If God were to say, ’Why should I let you into heaven?’ what answer would you give?”   Before I tell you how the president answered that question, let me ask – How you would respond? Picture the scene. You’re standing at the very gates of heaven. It’s more beautiful than you ever dreamed possible. This is where you want to spend eternity. This is where you belong. But before you enter, the Lord Himself asks what possible reason you have to claim admission. You pause, knowing that all eternity hangs on your answer. What will you say?   But back to the White House. President Reagan paused, thought for a moment, then replied, “Well, I guess I’d have to answer with John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” That is indeed a good answer because your only hope of heaven is through the Lord Jesus Christ.   As we draw this to a close today, let me make this very personal. If you were to die tonight, do you know for certain that you’d go to heaven? I’ve already said that this is too important to say “I think so” or “I hope so.” If you’re wrong, you’re going to be wrong for a long, long time.   What we need is solid ground on which to stand and we have it in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our entire hope of heaven is wrapped up in what Jesus did when He died on the cross for the sins of the world and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday morning. Friend, if you want to go to heaven, you must base your hope on the sure foundation of Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Are you trusting Him this morning? Have you committed your life to Christ?   One final word and I’m done. No one goes to heaven by accident. Heaven is God’s prepared place for prepared people. We prepare for heaven and then God prepares heaven for us. I’ve already told you that most people believe in heaven and most people think they’re going there, but are they on the right road? Are they building their lives on Jesus Christ—the solid rock? Too many, I fear, are standing on sinking sand and do not know it.   So what’s your hope for heaven? Mine is Jesus Christ. I’ve staked everything I have on Him. If He can’t take me to heaven, then I’m not going there.   What about you? When the dark night falls, the lights go out, and the waters of death swirl around you, what will happen to you then? If you know Jesus, you have nothing to fear. Put your trust in Jesus. Run to the Cross. Stand with your full weight on the Solid Rock of our salvation. May God help you to trust in Jesus Christ and Him alone for your salvation. And may God grant that we will all meet one day in heaven.   Safe at home…in heaven at last where there is No More Night. I’ll be there. What about you?