What kind of rewards do we experience in Heaven?

Well, technically we don’t get them in Heaven! We find out what they will be when we are in heaven, at our judgment moment after our resurrection.

When we are resurrected and receive our judgment, we’ll find out what our rewards are going to be – but we don’t get them in Heaven. Because our rewards are a share in the inheritance of Christ: which the bible says is this world and all that it contains.

So in literal terms, your reward will be some portion of this earth. Just like today we own something, a house, an apartment, a car, some possessions. That’s our part of this earth right now. For most of us it’s not very meaningful, not very important, not very significant. Some of us may have a little more than others, but really who cares – it’s all going to burn up anyway!

But in the world to come, in this kingdom to come, when we will be back here on this earth ruling with Jesus – we will receive some portion of the earth at this time. Maybe a plot of land, maybe a part of a mountain, maybe a whole coastline. Who knows what God has planned for each of us? It depends on how we please Him!

But that inheritance will be ours to have and to enjoy the whole time we are in the kingdom. And that will be our reward…along with opportunities to serve Christ in the government of the kingdom.

In Heaven, after we are resurrected, we find out what our reward is, but we don’t receive it until we come back down with Jesus and live here again. In the meantime, while we are up there and waiting to receive our reward, we receive crowns. And the crowns are tokens of our eternal rewards. They are symbols that tell others how well we’ve done. Like a grade or recognition of our service to Jesus.

In the book of Revelation (Rev. 4:10), there is a scene where those who are in heaven are throwing/“casting their crowns” at the foot of the throne of God. Why? Because they are honoring Him for what He did to make possible their presence in that room and their rewards.

Those crowns are like badges, but they’re not the actual reward. The actual reward is when we come back down to this earth – and it will be something of significance. I like to joke that I hope I get Maui (Hawaii), and that’s where God might put me, I really like that place. We’ll see if that’s what God has planned for me. In any event, it will be something God has particularly assigned to each of us based on how well we’ve pleased Him.