What does heaven sound like? This week, I think I heard an excerpt.
The Bible offers a surprising amount of detail about what heaven will look like: Streets of gold. Gates of pearl. Walls of precious stones. The River of Life.
But what about the acoustic side of things—the sound? Revelation talks about saints singing Hallelujah. And Christians through the centuries have been convinced there'll be harp music. Revelation mentions seven trumpets played by seven angels, along with loud peals of thunder that help us imagine the voice of God.
But last weekend, on a beach in Jacksonville, Florida, I was given a preview of another sound that will be heard in heaven. More than ten thousand people from the Church of Eleven 22 gathered to witness and celebrate the baptism of 1,958 believers.
There were many columns of hundreds of people—and getting them all baptized took the entire afternoon. But as we celebrated this step of obedience with my niece, you could not escape the sound: clapping, cheering, rejoicing, praising.
Every single person was celebrated by a cluster of folks surrounding them in the waves. This choice to stand with Jesus, be identified with Jesus, and follow Jesus—was enthusiastically (loudly) affirmed.
I can’t help but think this, too, is an audio snapshot of heaven. A soundscape of eternal applause, endless cheering, unflagging rejoicing. That’s what heaven will sound like.
What a fabulous (non-ending) day that will be!
And I heard a sound from heaven, like the roar of rushing waters, and like a loud peal of thunder.
—Revelation 14:2
