Why is Heaven so rich when material things don’t matter?
First, we have to examine whether material things really matter or not. If material things did not matter, then God would not have created material things in the beginning and declared that they were good. It is true that when we place a priority and value on material things over devotion to God, care for other people, and even our own spiritual well-being that there is a problem. Concerning material things, the Bible tells us that God has given us all things richly to enjoy. We must keep everything in balance.
Heaven will definitely have a visual substance to it. Sometimes we refer to this as substance rather than material. Heaven is not a physical location but it is a real location. In heaven, we know that there is a tree of life and a river that runs from it. We know that there are spiritual beings such as angels and elders that inhabit this wonderful place. After Jesus rose from the dead he had a real presence but his body was unusual in the sense that he could walk through solid surfaces. It is difficult for us to fully comprehend exactly what our eternal state will be like once we are in heaven. There is obviously eating since there is a marriage supper of the Lamb but the food may be different than we are accustomed to here.
As to the grandness and ornateness of heaven, we understand that all created things are for God’s glory. Therefore, it is not surprising to find great opulence in heaven. The rarest gold and the most precious gemstones will be in abundance in the presence of God. It is fitting and appropriate since he deserves all praise and adoration.
This touches on another important point. Sometimes people think that it is more godly to do things in a manner that is diminished and perhaps shoddy. The overall teaching in scripture seems to motivate us to do our best in any matter for it is for the glory of god. However, we should not automatically consider a lavishly decorated building to be a sign of greater godliness. On the other hand, we should not imagine that going to the other extreme is more godly. If you go into the jungles of Africa, perhaps the most appropriate meeting place for Christians is a hut made of branches and leaves. For a church here in the USA to duplicate that in an attempt to be more godly is not necessarily a wise choice.
In conclusion, I would say that heaven is beautiful and amazing because God deserves that level of surroundings. Also, we must be careful to maintain a proper attitude about material things even here on Earth by either putting too great an importance or too little importance upon things. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Mat 5:16).
