What Will We Be Doing In Heaven?

What exactly will we be doing in heaven? One's things for sure, we will not spend eternity floating on clouds, playing harps, and singing hymns nor will we be greeting newcomers with a cheerful, "Welcome to Heaven!" as they arrive. Honestly, if that's what the future holds, count me out. It sounds mind-numbingly boring, a celestial retirement home where we do nothing but bask in God's presence for all eternity. Thankfully, that's not what the Bible teaches. That's a caricature, a distortion, a product of centuries of misunderstanding and a failure to grasp the true nature of our calling.

The truth is, the body of Christ, those who have been united with Christ through faith in Paul's Gospel, has a far more dynamic and significant role to play in God's plan. We're not destined for an eternity of passive bliss; we're destined for active participation in God's cosmic work. We're not going to be sitting around strumming harps; we're going to be reigning with Christ, exercising authority, and revealing God's wisdom to the celestial beings.

Let's get one thing straight: "heaven" is not some ethereal, otherworldly realm where disembodied souls float around. It's the sky, the heavens, the celestial realm. It's outer space. And that's where we, the body of Christ, are headed. Paul makes this abundantly clear. He says we are "seated with Christ in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 2:6). Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). We are blessed with "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). This isn't metaphorical language; it's a description of our future reality.

But what will we be doing there? Surely not just lounging around on clouds. Paul gives us a glimpse in Ephesians 3:10-11: "...that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord..."

Did you catch that? We, the body of Christ, are going to be revealing God's wisdom to the "rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." These aren't human rulers; they're celestial beings, angelic powers, spiritual forces. And we, the "church," the body of Christ, are going to be the means by which God makes His wisdom known to them.

Think about that for a moment. We're not going to be passive recipients of God's grace, sitting around admiring His glory. We're going to be active participants in His plan, agents of His revelation, teachers to the angels. This is a cosmic ministry, a role that transcends earthly concerns and extends into the very fabric of creation.

And it's not just about teaching. Paul also says we will "reign with Christ" (2 Timothy 2:12). This isn't some symbolic reign; it's a real exercise of authority. We will be "kings and priests" (Revelation 1:6; 5:10), participating in Christ's rule over creation. We will be "judging the world" and even "judging angels" (1 Corinthians 6:2-3).

Now, I know this might sound strange, even arrogant. How can we, mere humans, judge angels? How can we reign with Christ? It's because we are united with Him, members of His body, partakers of His divine nature. We are "new creations" (2 Corinthians 5:17), no longer bound by the limitations of our old, earthly existence. We will be transformed, glorified, given bodies that are immortal and incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15:51-54), bodies that are fit for the heavens.

And this transformation, this "snatching away" (1 Thessalonians 4:17), is our blessed hope (Titus 2:13). It's what we're waiting for, what we're longing for. It's not about escaping this world; it's about being equipped to fulfill our true calling, our cosmic destiny.

So, no, we won't be spending eternity playing harps and saying, "Welcome to Heaven." We'll be far too busy for that. We'll be reigning with Christ, revealing God's wisdom, and participating in His ongoing work of reconciling all things to Himself (Colossians 1:20). It's a future that is far more dynamic, far more challenging, and far more glorious than anything most Christians have ever imagined. It's a future that is worthy of the calling we have received as members of the body of Christ.