Category: Heaven

On Wednesday, June 11, 2025 we said goodbye to one of the most brilliant composers of my lifetime. Brian Wilson was the heart and soul of the Beach Boys, and all he accomplished was nothing less than a marvel. He musically pushed the limits of the pop rock culture, witnessing music in three dimensions where most others saw two dimensions. Good Vibrations (others point to God Only Knows) may have been his Opus, with a dozen key changes, a few time signature changes, and overlaying the voices for a fuller sound. Who would have thought to use a theremin in a song? He did, and it worked. He was once asked why he thought a certain musical arrangement would work when on paper it didn’t, he responded, “Because I can hear it in my head.” Because of his creative influence on the Beatles, experts believe that without the Beach Boys Pet Sounds album, the Sgt. Pepper album may never have existed. Brian taught his brothers to resonate with such tight harmonies that their voices seemed angelic as their singing sounded like it was from the heavenly choir. God poured an extra dose of creativity in Brian.

That said, Brian was also a broken man. His father verbally and physically assaulted him. Some say Murray’s violent abuse once landed a blow to Brian’s ear, causing deafness. As the popularity of the Boys waned in the late sixties, Murray chose to sell their catalogue unbeknownst to the group. While on the road to greatness and success, Brian faced a nervous breakdown from the pressure placed on him from the “suits” in the record studio by writing, producing, and touring with the Beach Boys. They rode that horse until it broke him. And broke him it did. With his mental anxiety already playing tug-of-war, Brian was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which produces hallucinations and paranoia, along with mild manic depression. The foundation of Brian’s life began crumbling. And since we’re talking about the 1960s, substance abuse was also in play. All of this was likely exasperated by a crackpot doctor who encouraged exploration of psychedelic drug treatment. Brian fought the demons, but not without coming out unscathed. He was a wounded man.

I grew up listening to Brian and the Beach Boys as their songs reverberated throughout my summer months. As a child, they were the soundtrack for my endless summers, and as an adult they are my playlist for the sounds of summer. They sang about cars, girls, and beaches, all carefully wrapped in their home state of California. Yes, they sang of other places and themes, but California was their heartbeat. Truth be known, they sang of an idyllic place in their minds, not necessarily a place on the map. American beaches are overcrowded, with unimpressive surfing waves, cars are usually minivans, and the people populating those shores are what they used to say about cruises: “newlyweds or nearly deads.” But Brian and the Boys kept singing about a perfect ideal, and through the years their songs became our songs, defining what it meant to go to the beach and embrace our summer months. In the end we bought into their vision, hoping and believing that somewhere the place they described existed, and we’d all hope to go there some day.

With music playing, because That’s Why God Made the Radio, we suddenly had the urge to go Surfin’ or on a Surfin’ Safari where we can embrace The Warmth of the Sun. I’d want you to Come Go with Me while we venture to Hawaii or the Kona Coast, or Kokomo, or even Salt Lake City. Why not go to a Drive-in In My Car, a Little Deuce Coup (or is it a Custom Machine?), as we’d Keep an Eye on Summer and certainly Get Around? The Girls on the Beach, no matter what beach, are all California Girls. We could form our own Car Club and have Fun, Fun, Fun All Summer Long. Because California’s Calling, I have Beaches in Mind.

Summer echoes with its own songs, and most of them are found in the playlist composed by Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. When we turn up the music in our homes or in the cars we are ushered into the utopian world created by Brian Wilson. And that is not a bad thing.

Israel sang of their ideal as well. They didn’t sing of girls and beaches, but they did have their own vision of a perfect place. They sang of a place and time that was near perfect. They sang of Israel entering its glory days. They sang of a Kingdom that was expanding, and generating revenue, and a nation faithful to God. They sang of hope as large as the sun they saw glistening on The Great Sea. Their idyllic vision was a song with four verses.

Verse One: David, or one of his descendants, sits on the throne in Jerusalem. The monarchy is established with the Davidic line intact. From Psalm 132:11-12 we have,

“For the sake of David your servant,
               do not reject your anointed one.
The Lord swore and an oath to David,
               a sure oath that he will not revoke;
‘One of your descendants
               I will place on the throne . . . for ever and ever.”

Second Verse: Israel lives in the Promised Land. No longer exiled to Babylon or occupied by the Romans or anyone else, they own this property promised to them as far back as Abraham. From Jeremiah 29:10 we have, “This is what the Lord says: ‘When the seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.’”

Third Verse: The reunification of the 12 Tribes of Israel, united as one, while living in harmony under a unified Kingdom. From Ezekiel 37:21-22, we have, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone, I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.’”

Fourth Verse: The Land flows with milk and honey. Such imagery, drawn from Israel’s first promise while slaves in Egypt (Ex. 3:8), describes the land so rich and fertile that milk drips off the teats of the cow while honey cannot be contained by the honeycombs. For the farming community, the image speaks of an endless reservoir of potential wealth for the people in an enriched land. From Isaiah 7:21-25, we have, “In that day, a man will keep alive a young cow and two goats. And because of the abundance of the milk they give, he will have curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey. In that day, . . . as for all the hills . . . they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.”

Israel sang a complete song, never skipping a verse. They sang of David, the Promised Land, the 12 Tribes, and the prosperity the Land provided. Such songs not only removed them away from their current reality of being slaves, or exiled, or under occupation, but also escorted them to a new and better reality they could hope to embrace. 

We sing of a place as well. It’s a place where the sea is as still as looking at glass, and the flowing river is as clear as crystal (Rev. 4:6; 22:1). It’s a place where the streets are paved with gold, and the buildings are made of pearls (Rev. 21:21). It’s a place of rest (Heb. 4:9). It’s a place where God wipes away every tear (Rev. 21:4). It’s a place where millions and millions gather to sing a song we’ve yet to sing (Rev. 5:11-23; 14:1-3 [and I can only imagine the tight harmonies]). It’s a place that is new, and no matter if we’ve been there a millennium, it will still be new (Rev. 21:5). It’s a place where, if anyone is thirsty, they can drink from the river of life (Rev. 21:6). It’s a place where the curse is fully and finally lifted (Rev. 22:3). It’s a place where the lion and the lamb rest together (Is. 11:6, though Isaiah actually says “wolf” not “lion”). It’s a place devoid of death as a defeated devil is driven out (Rev. 21:4; 1 Cor. 15:54-57). It’s a place where God greets you at the door and says, “Welcome home. I’ll show you to your room” (Jn. 14:2-4).

So, I mourn the loss of Brian Wilson, but I embrace his idyllic vision that there is a better place where beaches are gorgeous, the waves crest high, the cars are cool and fast, and where the people are beautiful, inside and out. Because somehow, I feel like he was scratching on a place, not called California, but a place called heaven. And when I think about heaven, and God only knows this to be true, I experience some Good Vibrations.  

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e., only God is glorified!)

Every now and then, God peels back the curtain of heaven and offers us a glimpse into its glory. Sometimes it’s revealed as a judgment scene (Mt. 25:31-46). Sometimes it’s a military scene where God’s people meet the King after battle and escort him in a parade back to the city (1 Thess. 4:13-18). Sometimes the sky is pealed back to reveal the spiritual reality behind the curtain (2 Kng. 6:16-17). Sometimes God invites someone to step into heaven described it as gold streets and pearly gates (Rev. 4:1; 21:15,21).

Then there’s the great banquet meal, a theme often repeated throughout Matthew and Luke (Mt. 22:1-14; 25:1-13; 26:29; Lk. 14:15-24; 22:18 [I might add that Luke includes ten meals in his gospel all adding a layer to the heavenly or eschatological banquet]). Essentially, meals are important to God and his description of the meals invite us into a taste of eternal glory. In an ancient society where no middle class existed, poverty was pervasive and starvation was common, people were living day-to-day (Mt. 6:11a). Thus, a future meal, larger than any Thanksgiving meal we’ve experienced, with God at the head of the table, conjured visions of salivating delight.

Before exploring one of the banquet scenes in Luke 12, a little cultural background is needed. The role of the father and eldest son at the banquet is crucial to the heavenly banquet. During the first century if a family hosted a meal, the responsibility of the father, particularly the son, is to serve the guests. The Son waits on them hand and foot (literally ensuring the guests feet are washed, drinks are filled, and food is set). The father oversees the son to ensure the guests are made to feel welcomed. The shame occurring in Luke 15 is that the elder son refuses to take his place by his father’s side at the banquet for his brother. The greater shame is forcing the father to leave his guest to settle a family dispute. If the older son had questions about his father’s rights, he should have waited till the guests had left to address them. He should have honored his father by standing by his side.

We tend to have that reversed. Our culture, usually, places the women in the serving, hospitality role instead of the men. They cook the meals. They set the table. They welcome the guests. They refill the cups. Daughters are taught to serve while boys are allowed to play (generally).

I saw this worked out – in the worst negative way possible – at a home Cile and I were visiting. The wife and daughter prepared the meal for a church home group. The husband came in from work, washed his hands, ignored his guests and immediately plopped himself down in his recliner and faced the television. After his wife brought his soup to him, some spilled on him. He didn’t shout or yell, but his facial expression and gestures were filled with anger. His message was clear, she was there to serve him and had failed to do so. As I watched the scene unfold, I wanted to bop him in the head with my bible.

So the banquet scene unfolds in a context driven by service, watchfulness and faithfulness (Lk. 12:35-40). In the midst of Jesus’ exhortation, he describes himself as dressing to serve and waiting on those at the table (v. 37). Jesus doesn’t see himself as sitting at the head of the table barking orders, though he has the authority to do so. No, falling in line with his own character and cultural norms, he’s the eldest Son of the Father who honors God by serving us at heaven’s feast.

As I reflect on this future banquet scene, I almost can’t wait to sit at the table with Jesus with him asking, “Jon, is there anything else I can do for you?” It also makes me reevaluate my role as the host in my own home.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified)