Heaven's Main Attraction

I am no authority on heaven though I must confess to having some interest in it since that day my father was quickly taken from me in what can only be described as the twinkling of an eye.  I was seven years old and soon decided that if my father was gone from us, he must surely be in heaven.  Neither am I an authority on the New Testament book known as Revelation.  I have taught Bible courses focused on this last book of the sacred writings, but my teaching may well have done more to confuse than to enlighten.  All I know for sure about heaven is that there is much I do not know about it.    

Some folks seem to have heaven all figured out.  They can flip through the verses of Revelation with a quickness and certainty that is amazing.  They seem to know so much while I see myself hanging on to the very little I think I know.  One of the things which is heard so often has to do with how our arrival at the Pearly Gate is going to enable us to see our fathers....and mothers, wives and husbands, children, and a host of other family and friends.  It will be like a Homecoming at one of those small country churches, only ten thousand times better.  While I hope it is true, I find the anticipated scenario a bit troubling as Jesus gets mentioned more as an afterthought instead of the main attraction.    

Revelation 21 begins with the words, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth..."  (vs. 1) and then transports us to the verse where John writes, "And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God..."   (vs. 2)  As we move from these words, we find a long section focused on John's vision of the New Jerusalem as well as "the river of the water of life, bright as crystal..."  (Revelation 22:1).  As the vision is wrapping us, there is no mention of that Homecoming my soul longs to experience, but there does come another word which causes us to realize something more important than seeing those who have raced ahead to finish the course of this life.  John writes, "...His servants will worship Him (The Lamb of God); they will see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads..."  Revelation 22:3-4).  I hope to see my father and others I have loved, but what I know is that I will see the face of Jesus, "the pioneer of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2)  and truly, that will be a greater blessing than any I could ever imagine.