Are there Christian traditions/literatures regarding fear of God and Heaven in the afterlife? It seems to me that contemplating encountering God (as understood by most Christians), and one's life in Heaven, in the afterlife, could, in some cases, give rise to significant fear.  

One might be, after all, in the direct presence of the creator of the universe, the sole almighty being, and one who knows every single thing about you; there is no apt analogue like that in earthly experience and just the unfathomable magnitude of that might be terrifying to consider.  (And yes, even given the explicit belief that God is good).

Likewise, the thought of oneself in Heaven (leaving aside considerations of a New Earth), could be, if not exactly fearful, at very least difficult to consider given the, again, boundless degree of difference from our mortal life. The thought that our mortal life and all that went with it is irretrievably over might trouble us.  Concerns about how human relationships (arguably the central aspect of human life), such as marriages and camaraderie, would work in Heaven might give us at least concerns--and in some cases deep sadness.  There is the notion of identity, which in life is an amalgam of profession, family, interests, values, character, foibles, quirks, history, age, health, traumas, and other factors, and which, in Heaven, might be significantly altered, since many of the important factors will be obviated.  And, of course, all physical considerations may be massively altered in a spiritual realm. Taken as a whole, and given that the saved are inevitably headed for just this place, these considerations might generate trepidation in addition to the "meeting God" fear.

To put it shortly:  it's a very different being in a very different place--and that might be scary.

So, how, if at all, has Christianity, through authors, notable church leaders, or other key figures, addressed these types of concerns in the primary traditions, such as Catholicism or mainline Protestantism?  

[Terminology associated with this gist, if it exists, would also be helpful.  And note:  I am not at all looking for SE user reassurance or Bible guarantees that the afterlife will not be frightful; I am looking for whether this theme has been addressed in the main traditions or not, and, if so, where and how.]
The Bible itself is replete with commands that we are to have a reverent fear of God that is to coexist with our love of God. The fear of God is a recurrent theme in Scripture, and it is commended and linked directly with holiness. Nave's Topical Bible, for example, shows several subtopics and a multitude of individual references for the topic "Fear of God." See also the prophet's experience in Isaiah, chapter six.

That being said, the short answer to your question is: yes, the fears that you list, and many others, seem plainly reasonable for sinful human beings -- that is to say, all human beings. Prior to entering heaven, however, the believer is changed so that those fears cease to be relevant. Here's why.

The Christian "ordo salutis," or "order of salvation," has been developed from a close study of the Scriptures. While different traditions have slightly different teachings about the number and order of the steps, a frequently offered summary includes the steps of:


Justification, which occurs when one receives faith in Christ and forgiveness of sins;
Sanctification, the ongoing process by which a Christian is brought into greater conformity with Christ over time; and
Glorification, the final perfecting of a believer which takes place after death and prior to entrance into heaven. The particular timing will vary according to one's eschatological views.


At glorification, the Christian is entirely cleansed of his "sin nature," and he no longer has any inclination towards sin whatsoever. Being perfectly free of sin enables him to delight wholly in God, and all other things become secondary and unimportant in the immediate presence of God's glory.

That's why nothing else matters in heaven. Man was originally designed to find satisfaction in God alone. When sin entered the picture, we became distracted and focused on the creation, instead of the Creator -- that is, we all became idolaters, to greater and lesser degrees. Glorification remedies that problem.



Here's a bit of further reading on glorification in Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, with several references to Scripture.

Here's a link to the "Order of Salvation" entry in volume three of The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge at CCEL.

Here are some links to related discussion from John Piper. Each video is about three minutes in duration, and he directly explains why Christians have no need to fear heaven. As always, he explains things much more clearly and simply than I ever could, and I recommend his teachings wholeheartedly: Video 1, Video 2

And for more on the idea of finding satisfaction in God alone, see Desiring God, the ministry of John Piper. He teaches about something called "Christian Hedonism."