Several authors¹ have suggested that the pleasures we can experience in our lives are but a small foretaste of the pleasure we could experience in Heaven.

"It is a sudden and miraculous grace that is in fact evangelism, giving a fleeting of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief . . ." (JRR Tolkien)

 

"Furthermore, when you understand that earthly pleasures are meant only as a foretaste of the indescribable pleasures that await us, your compulsion to overindulge is tempered by the realisation that no particular pleasure can ultimately satisfy." (Ted Dekker)

I prefer the seemingly widespread notion that the happiness of Heaven is immeasurably greater than even the greatest happiness here. But WHERE is there anything suggestive of this in the Bible itself?

_{¹ Writer Randy Alcorn suggests we CAN imagine Heaven. In fairness to his viewpoint the 'Eye hath not seen nor ears heard..." quote from Corintheans (if fully read through) does NOT mean we cannot contemplate the afterlife.}

Several authors¹ have suggested that the pleasures we can experience in our lives are but a small foretaste of the pleasure we could experience in Heaven.

"It is a sudden and miraculous grace that is in fact evangelism, giving a fleeting of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief . . ." (JRR Tolkien)

"Furthermore, when you understand that earthly pleasures are meant only as a foretaste of the indescribable pleasures that await us, your compulsion to overindulge is tempered by the realisation that no particular pleasure can ultimately satisfy." (Ted Dekker)

I prefer the seemingly widespread notion that the happiness of Heaven is immeasurably greater than even the greatest happiness here. But WHERE is there anything suggestive of this in the Bible itself?

_{¹ Writer Randy Alcorn suggests we CAN imagine Heaven. In fairness to his viewpoint the 'Eye hath not seen nor ears heard..." quote from Corintheans (if fully read through) does NOT mean we cannot contemplate the afterlife.}

Several authors have suggested that the pleasures we can experience in our lives are but a small foretaste of the pleasure we could experience in Heaven.

"It is a sudden and miraculous grace that is in fact evangelism, giving a fleeting of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief . . ." (JRR Tolkien)

"Furthermore, when you understand that earthly pleasures are meant only as a foretaste of the indescribable pleasures that await us, your compulsion to overindulge is tempered by the realisation that no particular pleasure can ultimately satisfy." (Ted Dekker)

I love it! But is this idea supported in the Bible?

Several authors¹ have suggested that the pleasures we can experience in our lives are but a small foretaste of the pleasure we could experience in Heaven.

"It is a sudden and miraculous grace that is in fact evangelism, giving a fleeting of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief . . ." (JRR Tolkien)

"Furthermore, when you understand that earthly pleasures are meant only as a foretaste of the indescribable pleasures that await us, your compulsion to overindulge is tempered by the realisation that no particular pleasure can ultimately satisfy." (Ted Dekker)

I prefer the seemingly widespread notion that the happiness of Heaven is immeasurably greater than even the greatest happiness here. But WHERE is there anything suggestive of this in the Bible itself?

_{¹ Writer Randy Alcorn suggests we CAN imagine Heaven. In fairness to his viewpoint the 'Eye hath not seen nor ears heard..." quote from Corintheans (if fully read through) does NOT mean we cannot contemplate the afterlife.}

This belief has been suggested again and again- CS Lewis and Ted Dekker among the few who have made this claim- Here is a quote from JRR Tolkien who felt the pleasure of fairy tales echoed Heaven, their purpose being 'joy':

"It is a sudden and miraculous grace that is in fact evangelism, giving a fleeting of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief . . ." Dekker: "Furthermore, when you understand that earthly pleasures are meant only as a foretaste of the indescribable pleasures that await us, your compulsion to overindulge is tempered by the realisation that no particular pleasure can ultimately satisfy." I love it! But WHY might it be so? Does it have a Bible-basis? Or any proof beyond a reasonable doubt?

WHY assume joy/pleasure can be experienced at 'different levels' and that, the highest we can gain here (or even imagine/concieve here) can be bettered- not only bettered, but vastly bettered?

WHY assume Earth's pleasures (fiction, film, books, drink, sex, dancing, singing, ANYTHING that brings enjoyment) is a sunbeam from God/'The Sun'. He might have made joy to help us cope while we're waiting for Him. That doesn't make joy an element of His very being.

Joy does not equal Good, as Goodness does not equal Joy. We desire joy above all else but God (who painfully crucified His human self to create Good) seems more taken by other ideas...

Like I said, love the idea, it just surely makes no real sense? We know God is beyond human knowledge but joy? And while we cannot picture what we want, do we not have an literally 'infinite' capacity to desire, beyond what can ever truly satisfy us?

Several authors have suggested that the pleasures we can experience in our lives are but a small foretaste of the pleasure we could experience in Heaven.

"It is a sudden and miraculous grace that is in fact evangelism, giving a fleeting of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief . . ." (JRR Tolkien)

"Furthermore, when you understand that earthly pleasures are meant only as a foretaste of the indescribable pleasures that await us, your compulsion to overindulge is tempered by the realisation that no particular pleasure can ultimately satisfy." (Ted Dekker)

I love it! But is this idea supported in the Bible?