God has graciously given us his word, our Holy Bible, so that we might know the secrets of heaven. God doesn’t tell us everything. God tells us what we need to know to find him and our salvation. God commands us to do good works and the number one good work we do for God is witnessing for Christ. God tells us how to live our lives in obedience to his will so that God is glorified. The Bible describes God’s dealings with man; from his creation in the book Genesis to the end of man’s reign on earth in the book of Revelation. As believers it would behoove us to study God’s word so that we know what has happened in the past, what is happening now, and what will happen in the future. You cannot please God if you’re not obedient to his commandments and you can only know what God’s commandments are by studying God’s word.
1 Corinthians 3:12-13 – Now if anyone builds on this foundation (Jesus Christ) with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it; because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.
Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
God wrote the Bible over a period of 1500 years, from 1400 BC to 100 AD. God used forty writers, mostly prophets of God, to write the 66 books of the Bible as they were moved by the Holy Spirit of God. These forty writers may have penned the Bible but every word they wrote was from the mouth of God. The evidence that God wrote the Bible is undeniable. How can anyone refute the fact that the Bible contains over 1000 prophecies, over 500 of which have been fulfilled and documented as historical fact? How can anyone dispute the fact that over 60 prophecies about the coming Messiah were fulfilled by the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? They can’t because only God can tell the future because he is the author of history. Only God knows the end from the beginning.
1 Corinthians 3:14-15 – If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures (the foundation of Jesus), he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss (rewards); but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Psalm 33:11 – The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.
Psalm 19:7 – The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
God appointed the Apostle Paul to preach the word of God to the Gentiles. We need to pay particular attention to Paul’s letters (epistles), which comprise 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament, if we want to know about the kingdom of God in more detail. As believers, we know we’ll be spending all eternity in heaven in the presence of Jesus Christ. Exactly what that will look like we’re not sure? God knows. One thing I do know is we’re not going to be floating on a cloud all day strumming on a harp. We know God loves work and that there will be work for us to do in heaven. We know we’ll be constantly busy in heaven but it’s not clear exactly what type of work we’ll be doing or where. I know God will make all things clear once we get to heaven but I want to know what I can do right now here on earth because all we receive in heaven will be based on the works we do during our lives here on earth. If we wait until we get to heaven it’ll be too late to earn treasures in heaven. We need to spend some time meditating on what heaven will be like when we get there and how we can reap rewards in heaven.
2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Romans 14:12 – So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Ephesians 5:15-16 – See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Based on my study of the Bible and its references to heaven I’ve come up with a mental picture of heaven that works for me. It’s not a complete picture of heaven by any means but enough of one so that I’m motivated to change my actions here on earth to coincide with my expected rewards in heaven. Let me share my thoughts with you. I believe there are at least four levels in heaven for believers, with each upward level having increasingly greater honor, glory, privileges and responsibilities. God refers to these reward levels as crowns. The Bible mentions only five crowns by name, Joy, Life, Glory, Righteousness and Incorruptible. I’m guessing there are many more unnamed crowns to be earned in heaven. I can’t believe that the thief who was saved by Jesus while on the cross just hours before his death will have rewards in heaven equal to the Apostle Paul. Paul labored for the Lord for over forty years suffering many hardships and enduring great persecution. Paul established the early Christian church and he is universally considered to be the greatest Christian who ever lived. Would that fair to Paul? No it wouldn’t. One thing I know about the Lord is that he is a just God. Paul and the thief are both equal in the sense they’re both saved but their rewards in heaven have to be vastly different because their works before God are polar opposites. One of the spiritual truths of God is you reap what you sow. The thief had no works and should be on level one. Paul, on the other hand, saved many thousands and will have the rewards of level four (gold).
Galatians 6:7 – Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
2 Corinthians 9:6 – But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
2 Timothy 4:8 – Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
James 1:12 – Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
1 Thessalonians 2:19 – For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming.
1 Peter 5:4 – And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
In 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, the Apostle Paul gives us a vivid picture of what’s going to happen on the last day when believers stand before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ to receive their rewards for good works done in the body here on earth. We know we’re saved by faith and not by works and the Scriptures are clear about this. So you can go to heaven without any works; not having saved a single person for the kingdom of God. In fact, I believe the majority of believers who go to heaven will fall into the level one category. The thief on the cross is a good example. We see that confirmed in 1 Corinthians 3:15, with believers having their good works burned up without losing their salvation. This is what I call level one; in heaven by faith but without any works. Don’t get me wrong, getting to heaven at any level will be wonderful beyond our wildest dreams. For one thing, we avoid eternal death in the lake of fire and Scripture confirms those in heaven will experience great joy. I’m just saying there’ll be some kind of a pecking order in heaven based on our actions here on earth to serving God. Everyone can’t be a chief. Somebody has to be the Indians and I think that’ll be the believers without any works (saved souls). That’s just being fair to everyone and it makes perfect sense. You keep what you earn with God.
Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 3:28 – Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Romans 4:5 – But to him who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
Paul refers to the rewards in heaven as being precious stones, silver and gold, each of which I call a level of heaven (levels two to four). These things are worthless to anyone in heaven but God is using them as a reference we’re familiar with to show that his rewards will have great value to us much like precious stones, silver and gold here on earth; only much better. The most important thing to God is saving us, his children, from the fires of hell. That’s why God sent his only son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins through his atoning death. When Jesus ascended back to heaven his work of saving souls for the kingdom of God was passed on to his disciples as their life’s work. This Great Commission is also commanded by God to be the life’s work of all believers as disciples of Christ, which we are.
2 Timothy 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
Titus 2:15 – Speak these things (the gospel), exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
The reward levels of heaven can only be based on how many people we help save for the kingdom of God by our witness for Christ. It’s the most important thing to God and nothing else makes any sense. Good works in the usual sense like helping the poor and needy Paul refers to those good works as wood, hay, and straw to show they won’t survive the fire of God on their own on the last day. Those good works can only be added to the rewards of someone who has already been rewarded precious stones, silver or gold. We know a human soul is priceless to God and I can’t imagine a good, kind and generous God who wouldn’t reward a believer who witnessed for Christ and saved at least one priceless soul for the kingdom of God. If a believer saves one person they will receive precious stones from God as a reward. God is generous and he cares more about quality than quantity.
Hebrews 6:10 – For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
2 timothy 2:15 – Be diligent tp present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
1 Corinthians 15:58 – Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
God doesn’t say what qualifies us to receive the silver and gold rewards levels so we have to search the Bible for clues. Over and over in the Bible God talks about a good harvest being a “hundredfold.” I’m taking this clue from God and arbitrarily assigning 100 saved souls as the number required to reach the silver rewards level. The silver rewards level has to be hard to reach by the believer but realistically attainable with continuous effort. One hundred is a good number. Whatever rewards God gives us for effectively witnessing for Christ in obedience to God’s will it will blow our minds. Our finite minds simply cannot conceive the riches God has in store for those who love him. I’m not really focused on what we’ll receive from God. God’s got that under control. I’m more focused on how to receive the maximum rewards God has to offer. As long as I give my all I’ll let the chips fall where they may. As my old boss used to say, don’t worry about the mule being blind, just load the wagon!
Galatians 6:9-10 – And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Titus 3:8 – This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
Colossians 3:2 – Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
And last we come to the gold reward level. The millennium lasts 1000 years. With God 1000 years is as one day and one day is as a 1000 years. The number 1000 is important to God so it is to me too. I’m arbitrarily assigning 1000 saved souls as the number to reach the gold rewards level. 1000 is a good number too because it can be reached with a lifetime of service to the Lord. I’m guessing only one in a hundred believers in heaven will receive the silver reward level and with the gold level it’s probably more like only one in a thousand. In the Bible God says those who save “many” will shine like the stars of the firmament. I believe “many” is 1000 people saved for the kingdom of God and that’s my personal goal. I know from experience that witnessing is a slog and the constant rejection can eventually wear you down to the point where it becomes overwhelming. Witnessing for Christ is “selling” God and sales is hard. It’s a volume business that takes a lot of time and effort. In order to save 1000 souls for the kingdom of God you must have a plan you can stick to and you must greatly leverage your witness for Christ to reach that level.
Daniel 12:2-3 – And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.
Ecclesiastes12:13-14 – Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.