HEAVEN, Eternal, Sylvester Hassell “When Christ comes again it will be to be admired in all them that believe. Those who are then alive will be changed in the twinkling of an eye; their corruptible shall put on incorruption, and their mortal shall put on immortality. Those who are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man and come forth to the resurrection of life, their bodies fashioned like unto the glorious body of the Son of God. Thus changed, both classes of believers shall ever be with the Lord. The place of the final abode of the righteous is sometimes called a house, as when the Savior said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions” John 14:2; sometimes “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” Heb. 11:16; a country through which flows the river of the water of life, and “on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him; and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever” Rev. 22:2-5. Sometimes the final abode of the redeemed is called a “new Heavens and a new earth” 1 Cor. 2:9.
As to the blessedness of this heavenly state we know that it is inconceivable; “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” 1 Cor. 2:9.
We know not, O we know not
What joys await us there;
What radiancy of glory,
What bliss beyond compare.
We know, however: (1.) That this incomprehensible blessedness of Heaven shall arise from the vision of God. This vision is beatific. It transforms the soul into the Divine image; transfusing into it the Divine life, so that it is filled with the fulness of God. This vision of God is in the face of Jesus Christ, in whom dwells the plentitude of the Divine glory bodily. God is seen in fashion as a man; and it is this manifestation of God in the person of Christ that is inconceivably and intolerably ravishing. Peter, James and John became as dead men when they saw his glory, for a moment, in the holy mount.
(2.) The blessedness of the redeemed will flow not only from the manifestation of the glory, but also of the love of God; of that love, mysterious, unchangeable and infinite, of which the work of redemption is the fruit.
(3.) Another element of the future happiness of the saints is the indefinite enlargement of all their faculties.
(4.) Another is their entire exemption from all sin and sorrow.
(5.) Another is their intercourse and fellowship with the high intelligences of Heaven; with patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and all the redeemed.
(6.) Another is constant increase in knowledge and in the useful exercise of all their powers.
(7.) Another is the secure and everlasting possession of all possible good.”—C. Hodge.”
“The everlasting duration of the happiness of the righteous is shown by its being called eternal or everlasting life, eternal glory, a house eternal in the Heavens, an eternal inheritance, an everlasting kingdom, a continuing city, a better country, a being ever with the Lord, in accordance with the eternal purpose of God and the everlasting covenant of grace; were there any fears of its ever ending, it could not be perfect happiness.
As to whether there will be any degrees in the final happiness of the saints, those passages of Scriptures usually brought to support it usually belong to the militant, not to the triumphant state of the church.
The arguments against degrees in glory are: (1.) That all the people of God are loved by him with the same everlasting love. (2.) They were all chosen together in Christ before the foundation of the world. (3.) They are all equally redeemed with the same precious blood of Christ. (5.) They are all freely justified by the same righteousness of Christ. (6.) All are equally the predestinated and adopted children and heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. (7.) They are all raised up from the same low and lost estate by Christ to be kings and priests unto God’—John Gill.” (Hassell’s History ppg 266, 267)