HEAVEN'S ALTERNATIVE (4 OF 5)

Heaven's Alternative (4 of 5)
Heaven Series
Roger Thomas
Revelation 20:11-15


Did you hear the one about the hillbilly and his mason jar? The old mountaineer had lived a full but not exactly saintly life and now was on his deathbed. He summoned his weeping wife. "Sara," he said, "go to the fireplace and take out the third stone from the top." She did as instructed. "Reach in there," said her husband, "and bring out what you find." Her fingers touched a large Mason jar, and with some effort she pulled it up. The jar was full of cash.
"Sara," said the old man, "when I go, I'm going to take all that money with me. I want you to put that jar up in the attic by the window. I'll get it as I go by on my way to heaven."
His wife followed his instructions. That night the old mountaineer died. After the funeral his wife remembered the Mason jar and went to the attic. There was the jar still full of money and by the window. "Oh," the widow sighed. "I knew I should have put it in the basement."

There is an alternative to heaven! Revelation 20 records essentially the last step of God's plan for human earth history, as we know it. The Last Battle has been fought. God has ended the rebellion of sin and evil. The heavenly home is ready and waiting. But first, one last item on God's agenda must be completed. Revelation terms it the Great White Throne Judgement. Great and small, the living and the dead, rich and poor, the powerful and the forgotten will all be called to stand before the Lord to face the verdict of the ages. Ultimately two alternatives face humanity—only two. Heaven is but one!

Before we look closer at heaven's alternative, let me briefly note a few false notions that some cling to as additional options to the portrait of Revelation 20. Each of these notions is clearly false when compared to the teachings of the Bible and Jesus Christ. But simply being false doesn't keep ideas from being believable and popular in our world. I am quite con ...

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