If there is one word that describes Christmas it is the word “anticipation.” Excitement builds as the day approaches and the early morning breaks with children scampering to see what is under the tree. In a flash the wrapping paper is ripped apart. Presents are counted as eyes sparkle at the new toys. The morning is filled with fun but as the day draws long bodies driven with adrenalin slowly begin to wind down. Sleep comes to many. The day is over. What began as a thrill ride melts into the regular pace of life. But Heaven ain’t Christmas.

The most enthralling message about Heaven is there is great anticipation with what it will be like to stand before “a throne set in heaven” (Revelation 4:2). It is hard (if not impossible) to imagine how glorious it will be to see the Lord face to face and hear His mighty voice. The apostle John glimpsed into the eternal portal and proclaimed, “And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald” (Revelation 4:3). Those surrounding the throne cried out, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come … 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). What a powerful feeling of joy to give praise to the Lord God Almighty.

The end of the Revelation unfolds the everlasting beauty of God’s presence among His people as He wipes away every tear from our eyes and removes death, sorrow, crying and pain (Revelation 21:4). Heaven will be a marvelous place of untold splendor that overwhelms all the senses of man. “The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass” (Revelation 21:21). The most glorious moment as we enter the realm of everlasting life is that we shall see HIS face and HIS name shall be on our foreheads (Revelation 22:4).

As the morning unfolded on this Christmas day I could not help but think, “This is all over now.” All the preparation, all the excitement, all the planning and joy of the moment has passed. Life begins to slowly turn back to a sense of normal. The weeks will open up to a new year and the months will turn to summer and life with its challenges will return. But Heaven? It will never stop. All that we anticipate and long for will never end. The promises of God to wipe away every tear means there will never, ever, never, ever be another tear in my eye. Pain? Gone. Sorrow? Gone. Temptation? Done with. Sin? Defeated. Death? Cast into Hell. Satan? Finalized! Me? ETERNAL LIFE! ETERNAL GLORY! ETERNAL SALVATION! ETERNAL INHERITANCE! And here is the greatest joy – it never ends. I mean it never ends.

You can take all the Christmas days, birthdays, celebrations, weddings, graduations and days of momentous times in our lives and none will match the everlasting glory of unending joy in the presence of our God and our Father. “And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).