Heaven (Part 14) – Will There Be Day, Night, and Sleep in Heaven?

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Heaven (Part 14)

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Will there be day and night in heaven? (Carey)

1. Yes, it appears so.
2. In the present heaven the angels worship God, and the saints serve God, day and night (Rev 4:8; Rev 7:15).
   1. The sun is said to not light on them (Rev 7:16).
      1. This does not necessarily mean that there will be no sun in heaven.
         1. This is in reference to the heat of the sun and the harm it can cause if one is exposed to it for too long.
         2. It is spoken in connection with hunger and thirst.
      2. Even if there is no sun in the present heaven, there doesn’t have to be for there to be day and night (Gen 1:3-5 c/w Gen 1:14-17).
3. Will there be day and night on the new earth?
   1. In the new Jerusalem on the new earth there is no night (Rev 21:23-25; Rev 22:5).
   2. There is no need for the sun, moon, or other sources of light because the glory of God is the light of it (Rev 21:23; Rev 22:5).
   3. The face of the glorified Lord Jesus Christ shines like the sun (Rev 1:16).
   4. The original earth had day and night both before and after the sun and moon were created (Gen 1:3-5; Gen 1:14-19).
      1. The new earth and heavens will be a restoration and glorification of the original earth and heavens (see Section IX – The nature of the new earth).
      2. Therefore, it would seem that there would be day and night on the new earth, although there will be no night in the city, the new Jerusalem.
   5. There will not only be a new earth, but also new heavens (2Pe 3:13).
      1. Heaven n. – 1. a. The expanse in which the sun, moon, and stars, are seen, which has the appearance of a vast vault or canopy overarching the earth, on the ‘face’ or surface of which the clouds seem to lie or float; the sky, the firmament.
      2. There are currently three heavens:
         1. The atmosphere where birds fly (Gen 1:7-8, 20).
         2. Outer space where the sun, moon, and stars reside (Gen 1:17).
         3. The dwelling place of God (2Co 12:2).
      3. When the new heavens and earth are created, paradise and the new Jerusalem where God dwells will come down to earth, and God will dwell with men (Rev 21:1-3).
      4. Therefore, there will be two heavens that will remain: the atmosphere and outer space.
         1. It is reasonable to conclude that the second heaven will have sun, moon, and stars in it just as the original creation did.
         2. Notice that Rev 21:23 & Rev 22:5 say that “the city had no need of the sun, neither the moon” and “they need no candle, neither light of the sun.”
            1. These passages are both talking about the city which gets its light from God’s glory (Rev 21:23).
            2. Neither of these passages say that there is no sun or moon in the new earth and heavens.
            3. They say that the people in the heavenly city don’t need them because God is their light.
            4. “The emphasis isn’t on the elimination of sun and moon, but on their being overshadowed by the greater light of God. Who needs a reading lamp when standing under the noonday sun?  Who needs the sun when the light of God’s presence pervades the city?  The sun is local and limited, easily obscured by clouds.  God’s light is universal, all pervading; nothing can obstruct it.  God himself will be the light source of the New Jerusalem, restoring the original pattern that existed in Genesis 1 before the creation of sun and moon.  Light preceded the light-holders, sun and moon, and apparently God’s very being provided that light (Genesis 1:3).  So it will be again―another example of how the last chapters of the Bible reestablish something from the first chapters.” (Randy Alcorn, Heaven, p. 272)
      5. If there are heavens then there are sun, moon, and stars in them just as there was in the original creation.
         1. If there are moon and stars in the new heaven, then it would stand to reason that there is day and night in the new earth just as there was in the original creation.
         2. If there was no night on the new earth, then what would be the point of having heavens with moon and stars in them that would never be seen?
         3. There is day and night in the lake of fire after the resurrection (Rev 20:10; Rev 14:11).
         4. If there is day and night in the lake of fire after the resurrection, would it not be reasonable to conclude that there is day and night on the new earth after the resurrection just as there was in the beginning?
         5. There will be no night in the heavenly city because God’s glory is there to give it light, but there will likely be night on the rest of the new earth outside the city.

“For there shall be no night there” (Rev 21:25).  Does that mean we will not sleep or need to sleep? (Karen)

1. Although there will be no night in the new Jerusalem, that doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be no night on the new earth outside of the city.
   1. Night is spoken of in heaven (Rev 4:8; Rev 7:15).
   2. See Section X, 21 – Will there be day and night in heaven?.
2. They who sleep do so at night (1Th 5:7).
3. Sleeping is resting (Mat 26:45; Joh 11:13), although not all resting is sleeping.
4. Rest v. – 1. a. To take repose by lying down, and esp. by going to sleep; to lie still or in slumber.
5. The spirits and souls of people rest in the present heaven.
6. The saints in the present heaven are said to “rest in their beds” (Isa 57:2).
   1. The martyrs were told to “rest yet for a little season” until their brethren would be killed and come to join them in heaven (Rev 6:11).
   2. Saints rest from their labors in heaven (Rev 14:13).
   3. There is no reason to think that their rest in heaven would not include sleep.
   4. If the souls and spirits of men in heaven need rest/sleep, it would follow that the resurrected bodies of the men in the new Jerusalem and the new earth likewise need rest/sleep since a fundamental need of a human body is sleep.