Revelation 4:1-11
Psalm 150:1-6
Luke 19:11-28
John sees an open door to heaven. It is a door that was locked, but Jesus Christ has unlocked it. It was shut, but Jesus Christ opened it. Where is this door so that we can go through it? Rather, who is the door? Jesus Christ says that he himself is the door, the gate, the way. The open door is Jesus Christ. When we look at Jesus Christ, when we consider what he has done for us and promised to do for us, we are looking at the open door. To go through the door means to accept Jesus’ commandments of love and repentance.
John hears a voice like a trumpet. The voice declares, “Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards.” The voice was calling John to show him a vision, but this voice also calls us. “Come up here!” Yes, God sometimes speaks as a still, small whisper, but sometimes it is a voice like a trumpet. All the angels and saints in heaven are looking down at us. They know what heaven is like because they are there. They see us; sometimes we try hard to get to heaven and sometimes we forget it exists. They are shouting down to us, “Come up here! Join us! This is where you belong. This is what you have always wanted.”
John sees a throne in heaven, and someone is seated on it. This means that somebody is in charge. There will never be an election in heaven. God is in charge, so everything is perfect. Here, we pray for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. There, his will is done. Some people will not be able to handle not being in charge. Heaven is not made for them. They will have a place where they are in charge and weep because of it. Those who can submit their will to his will, shall be happy forever.
Around the throne is a rainbow that shines like an emerald. There is something in our souls that desires beauty, that stops and stares at Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon. That first moment of looking out and being caught in wonder, before any futile attempt to capture the experience with a camera, that feeling will be non-stop in heaven. We shall see things so amazing that we will stop and stare for 1000 years. We shall be forever satisfied while still desiring.
Daily Homilies
