A Vision of the future Lets take our thinking a step farther, let us think in terms of creation, uncreation and recreation. What many think of as "heaven" is in fact the recreation. Lets take Isaiah35 as an example where we have the picture of a desert land being brought to life by streams in the desert, the desert begins to blossom, the burning sand becoming a pool and in this revived land we find people being restored by the blind seeing, the deaf hearing and the lame walking. Here we have all creation being made new. When this happens they see the glory of the Lord, it finishes with the "ransomed" the redeemed returning to Zion, obtaining everlasting joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing fleeing away. This is the bibles picture of "Zion" or heaven. We see the future is about recreation of a cursed peoplein a cursed earth.Many of us are waiting for the return of Jesus. But what does Jesus do when he returns? Jesus, remember, is the one promised to Abraham to reverse the whole problem of the curse. Jesus comes to reverse the curse, here on the earth. Where else is there a curse? Where the curse is reversed there is no more death, sin and suffering, only life, blessing and immortality. Revelation 22:3 tells us that the curse will be no more, speaking of the renewed earth. Also, we have here a picture that is the opposite to the contemporary Christian hope. We see the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven to the New Heavens and Earth. We have here a vision of the future. Many people are hoping to be raptured to heaven. However, the future is of heaven being raptured to earth. Revelation 21& 22 See the Kingdom of God being established. For when the apostle John declares that in the New Heavens and earth, the city of God ,"The New Jerusalem" comes down out of heaven onto the earth. When this happens a voice is heard coming from God's throne. "Behold the dwelling of God is with men. he will dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them. What you've just read is the formula for the Kingdom of God right from Genesis to Revelation. It goes like this , "They will be my people and I will be their God" in the land that God gives them. This is what is known as the Kingdom of God paradigm. This is heaven, this is what is promised in the gospel. This exact theme can be found in Exodus 6, where God confirms to Moses the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He promises them the land of Canaan after he has delivered them from slavery. Then in vs 7 He says "I will take you for my people, and I will be your God. Can you see the same pattern here as in Revelation 21? All believers in the true God and His Christ Jesus will inherit this together at the same time, when these wonderful events come to pass. This doesn't happen when you die, but happens when you are made physically alive, by the resurrection. So if we are to be transformed in the renewal of our minds, let us not import our questions about what happens at death onto the bible. Rather let us ask the questions which the bible asks. An example would be "Do you want to inherit the Kingdom of God" not do you want to go to heaven when you die. The Kingdom of God is only established at the end, after the great throne judgement, after the wicked have been damned. The need to think historically It would be helpful to understand Genesis as the book of "Beginnings", and Revelation as the book of "New Beginnings". Also we need to think historically to arrive at the bibles own interpretation of itself. We need to think historically because the bible thinks historically. There is a day at the end of this present age when he wicked will be judged & damned and the righteous will inherit the new heavens and earth. This day will mark the end of the present evil age. The contemporary view of inheriting what is promised immediately upon death can only come from failing to interpret the bible historically. Rather, we await the return of Christ to the earth. The future of the wicked and the righteous is caught up in the Christ event. On that day the wicked will be cast into the lake of fire, not before. Also on that day believers in Jesus will inherit the New Jerusalem with the streets of gold, in the New heavens and earth, not before. It is God's plan for his people to inherit what is promised together. Hebrews11: 39,40 says of all the saints before Christ,"They did not receive what was promised,since God had forseen something better for us,that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Together with us they will partake of paradise which is the recreation of all things. As 2Peter 3:13 tells us that we look forward to the New Heavens and earth wherein righteousness dwells according to promise. |
