THE COMING GREAT THANKSGIVING DAY

photo by Calwaen Liew on unsplash

God tells us a lot about heaven in the bible, but the things he tells us about absolutely overwhelm the imagination. Someday all believers of this age will be caught up into the presence of God. In the book of Revelation he tells us about amazing angelic beings who are there solely to give glory to God.

And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"

Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord,to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4.8-11)
We are also told about future events on the earth. There will be great tribulation in which thousands and millions of followers of Christ will be greatly persecuted and lose their lives. They will also arrive in God’s presence giving thanks to him.

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! "All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

There will be others entering heaven rank by rank at their appointed times, but all will give thanks to God upon their arrival.

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned…” (Revelation 11.15-17)

So, one by one, group by group, dispensation by dispensation, Old Testament and New Testament saints including those of us who now believe will all be brought into God’s presence, at which time we will all give God thanks. Then, we will all be together in his eternal heavenly state where we will all loudly and freely thank him together as one. We will thank him for the gift of his Son and his redemption. We’ll thank him for showing us grace and forgiveness. We’ll thank him for bringing us home to where his glory dwells. And:

When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we first begun. [i]