Article — Heaven and Hell — Q & A

While scripture says believers will “rest from their labors,” it also says in the new holy city of Jerusalem that “the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him” (Rev. 14:13; 22:3).

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We'll serve God and Jesus in this city on a newly recreated earth. So you can throw out the imagery of floating in the clouds and strumming on harps.

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In God’s original design, Adam had a job in the Garden of Eden “to work it and take care of it.” And Eve was Adam’s helper. But after the fall, work became difficult, and “cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it” and “by the sweat of your face you will eat bread” (Gen, 2:15, 20; 3:17-19).

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One consideration is that our work will return to what it was like before the fall in the Garden of Eden, where work was fulfilling and enjoyable.

 

John's vision of the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven included the tree of life “bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month” (Rev. 22:2). Will we need to pick this fruit? We don't really know.

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Another consideration is that God is at work in heaven. Jesus said,

“My Father is always at work to this very day, and I too am working” (John 5:17).

 

The exact details of how we will work in the new heaven and new earth are not spelled out in scripture. But it will be beyond our imagination.

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“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).