The Sounds of Heaven

Have you ever wondered what Heaven sounds like?  Not sure about you, but I have.  Sure, Heaven will sound wonderful because there will be no pain, no suffering, no tears, and no sin.  And definitely Heaven will be filled with voices of the redeemed, and the heavenly host of all God's created beings offering worship and praise to Him continuously.  But what will that sound like?  I think we will be surprised one day to discover that much of what Heaven sounds like...we've already heard...at least to some degree.

This morning during a very powerful time of praise and worship to God, His life-changing presence was very tangible.  No one could deny that He was in the room today...no one.  We were not physically in Heaven, but certainly a measure of Heaven came to us this morning.  In the midst of it He spoke something very clearly to me.  He said, "You are hearing the sounds of Heaven."  I began to ponder this as we all continued to worship and the presence of His Spirit became stronger.  "I am hearing the sounds of Heaven" I thought.  "What does this mean?"  Then it began to come to me!

I was reminded of the thunder.  Before the storm arrives and before we even see the lightning, we hear the thunder.  When we hear the thunder...we know the storm is not only approaching, but it will come.  Before a train arrives, we hear the blast of the horn and the rumble of the big diesel engines.  And even though we know the train is approaching, it is even more certain to us that the train will arrive.  Why?  Because we're hearing the sounds of the train.  

The sounds I just described substantiate the genuiness of the sources producing the sounds.  In other words, we know the storm is real because we hear the thunder.  And we know the train is real because we hear the horn and the rumble of the engines.  There could be no denying the genuiness of Heaven in our gathering this morning.  Why?  Because the room was filled with the sounds of Heaven!  I heard it!  I helped to make the sounds!  (Excuse me while I ride out a few chill bumps!)  What were the sounds of Heaven?  The voices of people glorifying God with an intensity that seems to be growing.  You could say there is something "heavenly" about the sound of people audibly worshiping God.  Of course you can!  Those are genuine sounds of heaven!  The book of Revelation tells us that even now, the heavenly host surround His glorious throne night and day and give praise, worship, glory, honor, and power to the Lamb who sits on the throne.  When they do, the 24 elders cast their crowns of authority at His feet and fall on their faces before Him.  Obviously this is heavenly worship and I'm sure sounds incredible!  But this morning I too heard the sounds of heaven, because we too were casting our crowns of pride before Him and falling on our faces before Him as we offered to Him that same adoration.

And finally God said to me, "It is the sounds of heaven that draw the lost souls to Me.  As the worship goes up, My glory comes down and the reality of Heaven is revealed in the world."  I can't wait to gather again with God's people to make and hear the sounds of heaven!