In this Advent season, this meditation on the world to come if fitting to fuel our hope. This book was originally a sermon given by Jonathan Edwards on 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, in which he describes heaven as a world of love.
Heaven is a world of love because it is where God, the eternal and unchanging fountain of love, dwells in all his glory. There we find the Father, the Father of compassion and love; the Son, the Lamb who loves us and gave himself for our sins; the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love who pours divine love into our hearts. It is in heaven that this fountain of love is pouring forth love without obstacles or hindrances on the saints like a deluge, to their greatest joy.
Furthermore, heaven only contains lovely objects. Not only God, but also all the saints. Perfectly washed and purified of all sin, their character completely sanctified, they will shine like the stars in the sky. So “wherever the inhabitants of this blessed world shall turn their eyes, they shall see nothing by dignity, beauty and glory” (42). This is the place where they will find the things they have loved more than the world itself during their life on earth: the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and our brothers and sisters gone before us.
Heaven is a world of love, for love is the principle that will reign over and in all hearts. Love proceeding from God will fill all hearts, so that among the inhabitants of heaven, love will be mutual, complete, eternal. Edwards describes at length the love the saints will have for each other. Their hearts will be free from jealousy, pride and anger. Thus, the different degrees of reward in heaven will not be a source of jealousy or covetousness, but of joy. The lower ones will rejoice with a pure heart at the exaltation of their brothers. The greater ones will be free of all contempt, for they will be perfect in humility, and will love their less exalted brothers to the highest degree.
The inhabitants of heaven will have no inner obstacles to love: neither moral nor natural weakness. Nor will there be any external obstacles to love. On the contrary, everything in heaven will stimulate their love and contribute to their pleasure. There will be no end to the mutual enjoyment of their love for one another.
The reign of love will result in a society where everyone behaves with righteousness and kindness. It will also mean the end of the torments caused by feelings contrary to love (egoism, jealousy, covetousness, etc.), giving way to a joyful tranquility. The soul will rest in peace and satisfaction.
« And oh! what joy will there be, springing up in the hearts of the saints, after they have passed through their wearisome pilgrimage, to be brought to such a paradise as this! Here is joy unspeakable indeed, and full of glory—joy that is humble, holy, enrapturing, and divine in its perfection! »
If heaven is a world of love, Edwards deduces that hell is a world of hate. His description of it is chilling. He is not so much talking about physical suffering, but rather about the moral and psychological violence of this place where all is ugliness and hatred. A world devoid of love and friendship, full of anger, violence, hatred and jealousy, where God is not present according to his love, but according to the terror of his justice. See, then, how desirable heaven is!
Thus is the sweetness of heaven. Therefore, let us seek it ardently, says Edwards. Let us think of it often. Let us long after the presence of Christ and his love. Let us prepare ourselves for this new world by living lives of love for God and for all men on earth. For, when we live in love today, Edwards tells us, we get a foretaste of the heavenly delights and pleasures that will be ours for eternity.
In short, this is a little book that attempts to put into words the ineffable joys of heaven. It has strengthened my hope, and I hope it will do so for yours.
This sermon can be found in PDF for free on this link this link (29 pages).
Edwards, Jonathan. Heaven Is a World of Love. The Crossway Short Classics Series. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2020.
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