Heaven: Our Hope in Christ

Let's Begin

It is the one aspect of the Christian faith, with which the world even had some familiarity. It's where we tell our children that our loved ones who have passed away are now. It's Heaven. And, our understanding of the nature of Heaven, even for a believer in Christ, can be a bit inaccurate at times. The truth of it, or what we can ascertain from scripture, is so much better than the popular image of angels playing harps on clouds for eternity. For those with that view, allow me to attempt to shed some Biblical light on the topic.

Step-by-Step what can we expect

I suppose it is easiest to break down the nature and reality of the "New Heaven and New Earth" as referenced often in the Bible by beginning with what would seem to be the most obvious aspect: it is literally a New Heaven and Earth

1. Literally a New Earth for believers to dwell:

We look around at our physical bodies and our environment and despite the processes of aging and the pain that sometimes occurs, we seem at home in them.

The Bible is clear that we were created for these types of bodies, and though they ache and groan now (Romans 8:22-24), we know as mirrored in Christ's bodily resurrection that we are destined for a glorified, perfected version of this body for our eternal dwelling.

Related Sidebar

As a side note, remember this reality of a physical eternal body and soul applies to those who reject Christ and dwell in Hell as well. So next time someone tells you God is going to just make them vanish, correct the misguided theology. Hell is a physical place just as the new Heaven and Earth are physical abodes. We are made for a physical world. Whether eternally secure in Christ, or eternally away from God's goodness, it is a physical reality- (Reference: Acts 24:14-15; Matthew 10:28; Luke 16:23; Rev 19:20 & 20:10;)

Back to Heaven

We learn in 2 Peter 3:10 that the current Heaven and Earth will pass away by fire and be replaced with a new Heaven and Earth. This happens at the very end of our age, and those who have perished currently reside either in a temporary place of presence of Christ, or a place of suffering (Luke 16:23).

The concept of a new, perfected Earth should please everyone out there. Look at any environmental campaign and realize that even secular society would love to see the earth back in a perfect state. The only time global warming and issues like this will be solved is after God completely does away with it, and remakes it without our stain of sin that we brought upon the original perfect world.

2. New Major City on New Earth- New Jerusalem

The Apostle John (author of Revelation) is given a glimpse of this new Heaven and Earth and a new Holy city (New Jerusalem) where Christ dwells with His people eternally. It is literally God among us in Christ. The coolest thing about the city is its grand description. For a detailed look check Rev 21:10, but here are some highlights.

-Appearance of many precious stones, shining with the light of God's glory

-12 Gates with 12 angels and the 12 tribes of Israel named (1 per gate).

-Foundations of precious stones

-12,000 stadia in length and as tall as it is long (about 1400 miles)

We basically are given a picture of a 3 dimensional perfect cube that would stretch from Southern California east to Louisiana, north to the great lakes, west to Vancouver, and south again to California.

New York City eat your heart out! This is simply one part of the new Earth, but it is the primary dwelling for believers and Christ, and is called the New Jerusalem. I'm sure we will have ample opportunity to explore the rest of the New Earth with our glorified bodies too.

3.Everything Bad is Removed

No matter how good your day was today, deep down, it still was not a completely satisfying day. Even our best days on this Earth are tainted by sin's hold, and we have not and cannot achieve perfect satisfaction anytime in this life. Sorry to break that news to you, but think how much grander our next life will be. It is definitely something to which we eagerly look forward. No more sin means we will not have pain, mourning, crime, dishonesty, injustice, or any other negative aspects of our current existence.

4.Good is Increased

Not only do we get the huge blessing of all bad things being removed, but the good things are actually increased. We will reach a state of total fulfillment in Christ in this new dwelling and drink from the water of life (Rev 22:1) All good aspects from this current life are highlighted and perfected. We will finally be fully satisfied in everything (Psalm 16:11). Current creation groans (Rom 8:22-24) under the curse of sin, and it's effect is felt by all of creation, not just mankind. The New Heavens and Earth are perfect again without possibility of sin, as "death and hades were thrown into the lake of fire" (Rev 19 and 20).

5.The Throne of God is in the city (New Jerusalem)

Christ will be physically present and we will serve him in various ways. Heaven will not be an endless, perpetual worship service that the preacher described when you were a kid. We will have activities and things to do.

6. We are going to serve Christ---Jobs perfected (Rev 7:15)

Work was in existence prior to the fall. God's plan has involved serving in fellowship from the beginning. Adam was the caretaker of the garden, and had a responsibility. If we are honest, if work were perfected, we'd embrace it, as anyone can attest to the boredom that comes from simply doing nothing for an extended period of time. Because God cursed the ground after the fall, mankind worked by the sweat of the brow. We will not labor and toil with heat and sweat and frustration in Heaven. We will serve perfectly in a task perfectly suited to each of our individual talents.

Heaven will not be boring because we will have tasks and accomplishments and fellowship and activities. It will not be sitting around with a harp all day on a cloud (we've established this is an eternal Earthly existence, not disembodied spirits on clouds).

7. We Will Be Completely Secure (No more worries) : Rev 3:12 & 22:4

Believers who have trusted in Christ during their first life, but still had worries about day to day things, will finally have nothing about which to worry. In Heavenly existence on the New Earth, our eternal security is sealed by God with His name written on our foreheads, ensuring that nothing can take us out of the presence of God.

[We must remember this is similarly eternal on the opposite side, so the idea of punishment in Hell that somehow ends after a period of time, is not Biblical teaching.]

Still, the hope of this wondrous future existence should compel us to spread God's word even more thoroughly. After all, who wouldn't want a pain free, worry free, fully perfected existence in an environment with which we are familiar?

8. We Will Reign Forever

In 1 Corinthians 6:3, Paul scolds the Corinthian church for their inability to even judge little things between church members, saying, how can you be expected to judge Heavenly things, if you can't agree on earthly. He tells them that we will someday judge even the angels (Paraphrased). This verse presents two concepts worth noting:

A) We will hold some position of leadership in Heaven/New Earth

B) Angels are on a different order/class than Humans, and while both are created beings, we are two distinct creatures. We will not grow angel wings after death.

The Concept of leadership is tied into the Biblical idea of measures of reward for believers in Heaven. (Luke 19). Believers, though not judged for salvation-sake, will have their lives examined thoroughly to determine the measure of reward they receive in this new existence. We will be given a measure of some authority based on our "fruit" that we bore after becoming believers. I find the concept of being able to lead in some capacity intriguing, especially because in a perfect world, the frustrations and trials that come to leaders won't be there. Mike Fabarez summarizes the concept well by saying, "Reward in Heaven is a measure/level of leadership in Perfect Economy."

Certified Refurbished

Our Earthly bodies now are how we are meant to be designed, minus the aging and wrinkling and other signs of the curse of sin. We will be glorified, but our nature as humans remains intact.

A good way to look at it is we are made up of Hardware (the physical body) and software (the soul/spirit). Immediately at death, the hardware (body) is hanging out in the ground while our software (soul) goes to either paradise or punishment. God will resurrect everyone someday [Daniel 12] (more on this for another blog), reunite the hardware and software, glorify it, and condition us for eternal existence, either with Him or apart from Him. Certified refurbished in perfection is one way to view it. Same body, newly made.

Summary

It's easy for our unbelieving world, and even many Christians to dismiss any thoughts towards Heaven because of our culture's misconceptions as to its reality and nature. Since we were originally created for this earth, the idea of a perfect, glorified reign on a New, Perfected Earth eternally makes sense. To be disembodied spirits for eternity does not fit with our nature as God created us, and were it not for the fall of mankind, we'd already be physically living and dwelling on perfect Earth in perfection.

The redemption bought by Christ on the cross, looks forward to a day when the Old Heaven and Earth will pass away by fire, and a New Heaven and Earth will be made. It looks to an eternal existence in the fellowship with God for which we were originally created.

Those worried about the earth's current deteriorating state should long for a relationship with Christ for the hope that comes through His promises of the world that is to come. Faith in Christ is not faith in empty words or nothing. It is faith with evidence. The faith is there for the unknown aspects of our Christian walk, but God makes the essential things abundantly clear in His word. It is by our faith in Christ and indwelling of His Spirit that we begin to understand the grand plan of God and our roles in the world after this one.

The Bible makes it clear that an eternity with God is not a chore or a bore. It is living at our full potential, perfected, and perpetually in the presence of our creator. What a blessed hope indeed!

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*I owe much of the following to a great sermon by Mike Fabarez of Compass Bible church and Focal Point Ministries. Check him out and the sermon archive @ http://www.focalpointministries.org