5 Surprises You will Discover in Heaven: Surprise #1 The Nature of Heaven
Surprise #1: The Nature of Heaven
How do you think of Heaven?
Is it this cloudy place? A Spiritual place...by that I mean disembodied spirits floating around? Other Worldly? Are there Harps? Is it an Eternity long Worhsip Service?
Almost everytime Hollywood trys to depict Heaven, they get it completely wrong!
The Bible indicates Heaven is....
A Renewed, Recreated, Restored Earth!
It is not us going up to God! It is God coming down to us on the earth!!!
Revelation 21:1-4, 9-14
The New Heaven and the New Earth
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'
The New Jerusalem
Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, 'Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.' And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."
The New Jerusalem -- God's Holy City -- Untainted by Sin! Coming Down...down to where? The New Recreated, Renewed, Resurrected Earth! God's dwelling place is now WITH man!!!
Most of what is going to be written in this series of posts has been shaped in my mind by Randy Alcorn from his book "Heaven". His writings have totally reshaped and reformed my view of Heaven. This is a brief overview of the main points in his book. Please by all means read the book...you will not be dissappointed!!!
The Biblical Data Supporting this Understanding.
1) Genesis 1 -- Everything in Creation is pronounced by God to be Good! Everything was as it was originally intended to be!
2) Genesis 3 -- Everything in Creation is now Cursed: This is supported by
Romans 8:18-23
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies."
and Ecclesiastes 1:2-3
"Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?"
3) The Effects of the Curse are Death, Sickness, Selfishness, anything that tears down rather than building up.
4) God Promised to Renew the Earth to stop the Curse
Isaiah 66
Revelation 21
2 Peter 3 -- Did the Earth get completely destroyed in the flood? Only the wickedness and ungodlyness...the Earth remained! Could God destroy the Earth with Fire, yet allow it to remain, cleansed of all ungodlyness?
Hebrews 11:10, 16
5) The Center piece of the New Earth is the New Jerusalem!
In Revelation 21 it is given Human Measurements! It is 1/2 the size of the Continental U.S.
6) The Core of Heaven is Gods presence umong us!
Genesis 2 -- Gods original plan was to dwell among us as He did with Adam and Eve!
Revelation 21 -- God will once again make His dwelling among His People!!!
There will be no sin to prevent us from entering into His presence!
Picture It!
Have you ever gazed upon endless mountains or the rolling plains or a lush green forest and thought: This is so amazing, God, you're creation is so beautiful!
Doesn't a scene like that make you long for something better?
Doesn't it make you long for Home? Your Eternal Home?
I know I long for Home just writing this now!!!
Primary Objections to this Understanding of Heaven.
1) These passages are Metaphores not litteral.
2) Greek Plutonic Thought -- all creation is evil.
However:
1) May of the passages about Christ's First Coming are thought to also be Metaphoric...but they were fulfilled litterally! Why not the prophesies about Heaven?
2) Creation is not originally evil...it has been tainted by the fall. Not just a tiny little scatch...but completely tainted...but the original product created by God is good!
Also, we only know a physical existance! Take away the curse and we are still physical! Why would heaven be a non-physical place?
One key thing that I must always keep in mind when thinking about my Eternal Home, is that it has to be very similar to what God created in Genesis 1. When I think into the Future and what Heaven will be like, I also look to the past at what Eden was like. God dwelling with man in Eden and God once again dwelling with man on the New Earth!
Focusing on Heaven is not a bad thing...the Core of Heaven is God! Heaven is our Home! Is it not important to know about our Home? How can we want to be and go there if we don't know what it is like!!!
Four more Surprises to come!
In Christ,
David
How do you think of Heaven?
Is it this cloudy place? A Spiritual place...by that I mean disembodied spirits floating around? Other Worldly? Are there Harps? Is it an Eternity long Worhsip Service?
Almost everytime Hollywood trys to depict Heaven, they get it completely wrong!
The Bible indicates Heaven is....
A Renewed, Recreated, Restored Earth!
It is not us going up to God! It is God coming down to us on the earth!!!
Revelation 21:1-4, 9-14
The New Heaven and the New Earth
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'
The New Jerusalem
Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, 'Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.' And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."
The New Jerusalem -- God's Holy City -- Untainted by Sin! Coming Down...down to where? The New Recreated, Renewed, Resurrected Earth! God's dwelling place is now WITH man!!!
Most of what is going to be written in this series of posts has been shaped in my mind by Randy Alcorn from his book "Heaven". His writings have totally reshaped and reformed my view of Heaven. This is a brief overview of the main points in his book. Please by all means read the book...you will not be dissappointed!!!
The Biblical Data Supporting this Understanding.
1) Genesis 1 -- Everything in Creation is pronounced by God to be Good! Everything was as it was originally intended to be!
2) Genesis 3 -- Everything in Creation is now Cursed: This is supported by
Romans 8:18-23
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies."
and Ecclesiastes 1:2-3
"Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?"
3) The Effects of the Curse are Death, Sickness, Selfishness, anything that tears down rather than building up.
4) God Promised to Renew the Earth to stop the Curse
Isaiah 66
Revelation 21
2 Peter 3 -- Did the Earth get completely destroyed in the flood? Only the wickedness and ungodlyness...the Earth remained! Could God destroy the Earth with Fire, yet allow it to remain, cleansed of all ungodlyness?
Hebrews 11:10, 16
5) The Center piece of the New Earth is the New Jerusalem!
In Revelation 21 it is given Human Measurements! It is 1/2 the size of the Continental U.S.
6) The Core of Heaven is Gods presence umong us!
Genesis 2 -- Gods original plan was to dwell among us as He did with Adam and Eve!
Revelation 21 -- God will once again make His dwelling among His People!!!
There will be no sin to prevent us from entering into His presence!
Picture It!
Have you ever gazed upon endless mountains or the rolling plains or a lush green forest and thought: This is so amazing, God, you're creation is so beautiful!
Doesn't a scene like that make you long for something better?
Doesn't it make you long for Home? Your Eternal Home?
I know I long for Home just writing this now!!!
Primary Objections to this Understanding of Heaven.
1) These passages are Metaphores not litteral.
2) Greek Plutonic Thought -- all creation is evil.
However:
1) May of the passages about Christ's First Coming are thought to also be Metaphoric...but they were fulfilled litterally! Why not the prophesies about Heaven?
2) Creation is not originally evil...it has been tainted by the fall. Not just a tiny little scatch...but completely tainted...but the original product created by God is good!
Also, we only know a physical existance! Take away the curse and we are still physical! Why would heaven be a non-physical place?
One key thing that I must always keep in mind when thinking about my Eternal Home, is that it has to be very similar to what God created in Genesis 1. When I think into the Future and what Heaven will be like, I also look to the past at what Eden was like. God dwelling with man in Eden and God once again dwelling with man on the New Earth!
Focusing on Heaven is not a bad thing...the Core of Heaven is God! Heaven is our Home! Is it not important to know about our Home? How can we want to be and go there if we don't know what it is like!!!
Four more Surprises to come!
In Christ,
David
posted by Mark 1:17 at 9:17 AM
8 Comments:
I totally agree that 'Heaven' as depicted is not 'what we expect'. At the same time, using Mr. Alcorn's Book and Dr. David Reagan's review of the book (http://lamblion.com/, http://www.lamblion.com/Web06-00.php (Click on the "The Meaning Of Heaven" link to read the .pdf file) I was suprised at one simple revelation. That is how little time Christians will spend there. First, we are there for the seven years of the Tribulation (from a 'Pre-Trib Rapture' theology). Then we are back on Earth for the 1000 year millenial reign of Christ. Then, after the final battle we go back to heaven for the 'White Throne Judgement', and the destruction of the 'old' earth. Then we return to the New Earth to dwell in the New Jerusalem. From your own post, "Revelation 21:1-4, 9-14
The New Heaven and the New Earth
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God..."
Personnaly, I'd rather be back here on the 'New Earth', because as you say, that is where God will be dwelling among us!
Halleluja, Maranatha
In Christ,
(just giving you a hard time - in brotherly love)
At this point I am unable to access the review by Dr. David Reagan...computer issues at work. I will check into it when I get home.
From not knowing what the review said...and only going off of your comment and what I read in Mr. Alcorn's Book, I think that there is a missunderstanding of what Mr. Alcorn was saying:
1. Mr. Alcorn talks about an intermediate Heaven...the Heaven that is right now. If we died this instant...it is the Heaven where God currently makes His dwelling.
2. It too like this Earth shall pass away.
This is where I think the confussion is. Because Mr. Alcorn I thought made it very clear that the New Heaven and New Earth or Heaven On Earth is the Final product where we will dwell in God's presence for all of Eternity.
But, I am also open to the possibility of exploration of the entire Universe! Some of us, might not live all of Eternity on Earth. Just like there will be those who don't spend all of Eternity in the New Jerusalem.
But I will wait to say more until I read the article so that I get a better understanding of where you are coming from.
In Christ,
David
Wow. These commments have confused me. But the actual POST was amazing! Got me all fired up and stirring inside for Heaven. I've NEVER EVER heard it put this way. I love that it's biblically based.
In my strange thinking, I was wondering about the animals then. Will there be animals in Heaven? if it's exactly like Eden, then are we or is God in all authority over animals (if indeed they will be in heaven) since there can be no death? Like tigers would have to be prevented from attacking and eating us. And if there was a sea (GOd made the waters in the beginning) why does it say there will be no sea in this new Heaven on Earth? You know? Can we really say that Heaven will be exactly as Eden was?
Just some questions to ponder.
Thanks for boldly posting this! I love learning...
Mark 1:17:
I do not think we are 'off', just not communicating well. I agree, there will be a New Heaven and New Earth. The premise IS that there IS a New Heaven AND a New Earth. The New Earth is where God will dwell among us (we will not be 'separate' from Him, like now). I also accept the assertion that 'the universe' will not be 'off limits' to us, and that we will venture outside the New Jerusalem. That all said, we're talking about the same thing, we will dwell in the presence of the Living God. We will be doing more than sitting around playing harps. My point was that 'the stereotype' of us spending the rest of 'eternity' sitting on clouds, and Mr. Alcorn's assertion are the same, we will be on a physical planet doing 'physical things' in the presence of God all to the glory of God. The point of my comment was that we DO NOT spend the rest of eternity IN heaven, we spend very little time there.
There is a point that I'm not sure Dr. Reagan OR Mr. Alcorn address. Biblically there are three heavens. (I had this conversation with Loren a few months back). The 'first' heaven is the sky within the atmosphere. The second heaven is the 'rest of the universe - space'. The third heaven is 'The dwelling place of God'. When John 'saw' the old heaven and earth pass away - where was he? He was in the third heaven. I would 'argue' that the 'new heaven and the new earth' John refered to was a new 'first' heaven and a new earth, not necessarily a new third heaven.
Kelli B
Ignore us for the most part we're bantering.
There will be animals in the Millenial Kingdom. All animals will be 'vegetarians' as they were in the Garden of Eden before the fall. Once the curse of 'original sin is lifted', animals will not attack humans, Isaiah 11:6 says the wolf will lie down with the lamb. Isaiah 11:8-9 tells us poisonous animals like snakes will no longer be poisonous or agressive to humans...
The other part of your question about the sea is a little harder. While we know quite a bit about the New Jerusalem, its size, what it is made of, etc. We do not really know that much about the actual 'nature' of the new earth. As I stated earlier, if John was talking about the old first heaven, and earth, it would make sense that he was talking about the sea as well - in terms of the elements that make up 'EARTH' - the is the land, the sea, the sky, being destroyed and replaced. Not that there will not 'be a sea', but the existing sea is part and parcel of what is being destroyed, the WHOLE earth, and replaced with a NEW EARTH...
Hope that helps...
Kelli B
I agree with Unchained Slave's answers to your questions.
You also asked, "then are we or is God in all authority over animals"?
I would answer this also by point you back to Genesis. The animals were vegetarians as well as humans were. God will always retain His Sovergein Control, but He also delegates governing authority to us. So we will rule over the animals.
Unchained Slave
You said, "My point was that 'the stereotype' of us spending the rest of 'eternity' sitting on clouds, and Mr. Alcorn's assertion are the same, we will be on a physical planet doing 'physical things' in the presence of God all to the glory of God."
I would dissagree that these are the same thing...I think that there is so much more to Mr. Alcorn's assertion. (This will come out in the following posts)
And "The point of my comment was that we DO NOT spend the rest of eternity IN heaven, we spend very little time there."
That really depends on our deffinition of Heaven. I believe that Mr. Alcon's deffinition (mine as well, and a biblical deffinition) is that Heaven is God's dwelling place.
God's Holy City will be on Earth, but God says in Rev. 21 that He will make His dwelling place umong His people...I would take that to be any place that His people go.
Again, this is all speculation, I have not been there.
I would not go so far as to call the sky Heaven or space Heaven. I know that the writers of Scripture have used the word Heaven to discribe those two things, but my deffinition is as above...Heaven is God's dwelling place.
So I would say that there are 2 Heavens, 1. The place where He dwells now. 2. The New Earth and with His People.
However, I think I might just do a word study on Heaven both in the Greek and Hebrew just to be sure!
In Christ,
David
I submit...
I still think we are talking mostly semantics. I agree wholeheartedly that there will be much more to our future than I can comprehend...
My initial 'point of view' was simply:
A. We do not spend a whole lot of time in that 'ethereal' heaven.
B. The stereo type of a bunch of people sitting around on clouds playing harps is not realistic (or Biblical).
C. We will (and this is more important than EVERYTHING else) be abinding forever in the presence of God.
D. I do not disagree that the HEAVEN is the dwelling place of God - your assertion is that God takes it with Him, mine that He leaves it to be with us [that I think is the only 'real' point of contention - or I am not communicating very well]. It is (in my humble opinion) a point worth considering to review the 'other' heavens (which you have agreed to do - if His Heaven is His dwelling place, It is still perfect - therefore does not need to be remade).
Finally,
1. This does not change the 'essentials' of our faith - but does give us much more to look foward to...
2. We will both be pleasantly surprised when we get there, AND we can ask the Master Himself...
Love you, Brother,
MARANATHA
Unchained Slave,
What do you mean by "He leaves it to be with us"?
God leaves where He is now?
To clarify where I am coming from...I agree that Heaven in it's current state is Perfect, I do not believe that it will be destroyed...only unveiled for us to partake of!
I cannot explain where Heaven is now, but it will be among God's people, for now it is veiled from us.
I guess I kind of see Heaven as another dimension on top of ours? I don't want to get to sci-fi, but this new dimension so to speak gets unvieled to us.
So I don't know if God would leave Heaven (Can He leave Heaven? if it is deffined as His dwelling place?) And I don't know that He would take Heaven with Him? Rather just reveal to us that it's already here?
I hope that helps.
I agree with everything else! Although, I don't even know if there will be an ethereal heaven. But that could just be the intermediate heaven that is now?
In Christ,
David
Again,
Yes and Yes... The 'ethereal' heaven is that place that is 'veiled' to us... The place God now dwells, the place Paul visited, the place John visited - where 'we' will 'wait' until returning with the 'Conquering Christ'.
So I do understand where you are coming from... Especially as you explain the 'extra-dimensional' aspect of it. That is not all sc-fi..., or at least not any more sci-fi than my view... This goes back many years, but a Bible teacher once surmised/taught, that Heaven was a 'geographical' location in the Universe.
That is, IF you had a space ship, IF you had enough time, and IF God would allow it, you could actually Visit the physical place (this was my teacher's view years before Star Trek made ANY movies, much less the one where they 'find' it).
The dichotomy in our views stems from this simple (mis)understanding.
IF I accept your view of the 'extra-dimensional' nature of Heaven, then yes, it literally is Heaven on Earth in the New Heavens and New Earth with Heaven revealed. IF you accept my view of the 'geographical' nature of Heaven, then yes, God has to 'leave' it to dwell with us as He promised.
(I am going to give your view some serious thought... It does explain some things, like how God can be Omnipresent, and at the same time dwell in Israel (O.T.), at the same time it raises questions - all the 'references' talk about being 'caught UP' - transfiguration, Ascension, Paul, John, the return to the clouds...)
Anyway, I at least understand why I was misunderstanding. Thanks for taking the time to clear it up...
In Christ,
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