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When we get to heaven, a lot of people are going to be looking for rewards. But what are the rewards in heaven?
Some people teach that the rewards are special crowns. They say some people may be given many crowns and others fewer. It is also typically believed that Jesus will make some people rulers over His lands and servants—other believers.
Some teach that the rewards in heaven are jewels and shiny trophies. Others have the idea they may have a bigger mansion than others. There are a lot of ideas people have as to the rewards waiting for us in heaven. But the Bible gives us a much different view of it.
Isaiah 40:10
10 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
Matthew 10:41
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
There’s no denying that there is a reward waiting for those that love God. But look at the examples I gave of the kinds of rewards many people are expecting. I want you to notice something very important: they are worthless.
Revelation 21:18-21
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
The rewards of gold and jewels that some people are expecting to find in heaven are worthless. They are the equivalent of dirt and concrete. The city itself is built from them. Roads are made of pure, transparent gold. How would you feel if I picked up a chunk of asphalt and said, “Here’s your eternal reward”?
Revelation 4:10-11
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
How many crowns do you want? What are they for? They are cast at the feet of Jesus as if they don’t belong to you. No one is going to care how many you have to throw down when the One worthy of all stands before them.
All of these rewards people typically think of are worthless. Sure, here and now gold, crowns, lands, and servants sound like honor. But there, they are nothing. In fact, the desire to be greater than another is unrighteous even here. So why would we think these types of rewards are what the Bible is speaking of?
Ruling and Reigning With Christ
Even being given authority to rule isn’t necessarily a reward.
Mark 10:42-44
42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. 43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall servant of all.
How many servants of God do you think you will outrank and have serve you when He said it shall not be that way among the righteous? The idea of being made rulers over God’s servants as men rule here is not something He ever intended.
Nevertheless, He does speak of ruling and reigning with Him:
Matthew 25:21-23
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Luke 19:17-19
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
2 Timothy 2:12
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Revelation 20:6
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
In every one of these cases, He is giving responsibility to people. Responsibility isn’t a reward in the sense that many people think of it. These are faithful servants being given authority to serve in more important tasks. Rulers in the kingdom of God are servants.
Luke 17:10
10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
Notice that He gave one servant the ability to gain five pounds and the other the ability to gain more. Both were faithful and deserved honor. Both were given authority.
But each one was given only what they were able to handle. One could not boast over the other because they both did only what they were capable of doing. The one with more could only do more because his master had given him more to work with.
The lesson is that no matter your position in heaven, you have nothing more to boast of than the person in the position below you. Positions in heaven aren’t about ruling over people; they’re about serving with others.
So the idea of being placed in a higher position with greater honor and authority over others, rather than authority to serve, is not the reward we look for. Ruling is a responsibility, not a reward.
Earning and Losing Rewards in Heaven
It is commonly taught that a person may receive salvation yet lose their rewards in heaven. This comes from misunderstanding the following scriptures:
1 Corinthians 3:12-14
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
Again, it is taught that the rewards are the things that don’t perish in fire such as gold, silver, and jewels. Many believe their rewards will increase or decrease depending on how they lived. The idea is that whatever was good in your life you will receive extra reward for.
It is often asked, “What is to keep someone from sin if salvation is through grace alone?” The answer is a changed heart—not the promise of gaining or losing rewards. Yet this is a teaching many false doctrines rely on.
Matthew 20:8-16
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Jesus lets us know that God doesn’t give rewards the way people here on earth do. He makes all of us equal. None are above another. None are valued more than another. And none have done above what they were called to do. The reward He gives doesn’t depend on how good or bad you have been.
The Real Reward in Heaven
I’m sure some reading this are yelling out the following verse in protest:
Revelation 22:12
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Surely, they think, this proves there are different levels of rewards depending on how good of a job you have done! But let’s get to the heart of the matter. Let’s find out what the reward is.
There’s a subtle hint many have missed in every one of the verses on the reward waiting in heaven. Look at the verses again. Look at the word reward. Notice it isn’t plural. There is no s at the end of the word. It is one reward.
The rewards given to the prophet and the righteous man in Matthew 10:41 are the same reward. 1 Corinthians 3:14 says it is a reward, not multiple. Revelation 22:12 says my reward in the singular.
If you search for the plural word rewards in the KJV you will only find it five times, and none of those speak of rewards given to the saints at judgment. In every case where a reward is mentioned for the saints, it is singular.
So maybe all the crowns, gold, jewels, land, positions of power, and so on aren’t what Jesus is talking about when He says He will give His people a reward. No—these are nothing compared to what the Bible actually says our reward is.
Genesis 15:1
1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Revelation 2:28
28 And I will give him the morning star.
God Himself is the reward of the saints. No gold, no crown, no position of power, nothing could possibly compare to Him. If we have Him, we have everything He has. As the Bible says, the meek shall inherit the earth.
Inheritance isn’t earned; it’s given. Gold, jewels, crowns, power—anything else you can think of—isn’t earned or lost by how much good or bad you do. Because if you are saved by grace through faith, your reward is Jesus.
If you want to know why it says He will reward every man according to his work, look at the following verse:
John 6:29
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
That one work is the one He is coming to reward. And His reward is with Him when He comes—because He is that exceeding great reward.
Now, there are a lot of things between now and the return of Jesus. The Bible speaks of a tribulation (time of trouble), a thousand-year reign of Jesus on earth, an antichrist, and more. I’ll be covering those topics soon. In the next study, we are going to talk about the rapture of the church as prophesied in Scripture.
Continue To Unit 6:6 – When Is The Rapture OR
Return To Christianity 101 Unit 6 – The Resurrection & the Big Picture