Heaven in Christian preaching represents the eternal home prepared by Christ for believers, embodying ultimate joy, peace, and the presence of God beyond earthly life (John 14:2-3). Illustrations often contrast transient earthly treasures with eternal heavenly rewards, portraying heaven as both a present spiritual reality and a future hope that inspires holy living and evangelism (Philippians 3:20).
A Christian woman was once talking to a servant of Christ about the assurance of her safety in the Savior and said, "I have taken a single ticket to glory, and do not intend to come back." Whereupon the man of God replied, "You are going to miss a lot. I have taken a return ticket, for I am not only going to meet Christ in glory, but I am coming back with him in power and great glory to the earth.
When Shackleton was driven back from his quest of the South pole, he left his men on Elephant Island, and promised to come back to them. Working his way as best he might to South Georgia, he tried to get back to fulfill his promise, and failed; tried again and failed. The ice was between him and the island; he was not able to come, but he could not rest; though the season was adverse, and they told him it was impossible, yet in his little boat "Yalcho" he tried it again. It was the wrong time of year, but strange to say he got nearer the island; there was an open avenue between the sea and the place where he had left his men; he ran his boat in at the risk of being nipped, got his men, all of them, on board, and came out again before the ice crashed to. It was all done in half an hour. When the excitement was partly over he turned to one of the men and said, "Well, you were all packed and ready!" and the man said, "You see, boss, Wild (the second in command) never gave up hope, and whenever the sea was at all clear of ice he rolled up his sleeping bag and said to all hands, 'Roll up your sleeping bags, boys; the boss may come today.'" "And so it came to pass," said Shackleton, "that we suddenly came out of the fog, and from a black outlook; in an hour all were in safety, homeward bound."
A banquet was to be given to a number of notable people. One of the projectors of it went to a friend, who was in greater authority than himself, and asked with some anxiety what the menu was to be. "I really don't know," was the reply. "And you are not concerned about it?" "No; B-," mentioning the name of a famous caterer, "is to prepare the feast, and that is assurance enough that it will be all right." He did not have to explain the details. He would not have fully understood them if he had. It was enough to know that the matter was in the hands of one who never made a mistake. When Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you," He told all that we need to know. He knows our needs and our longings as we do not know them ourselves. It is enough. If His hand is to make ready the feast, we have no need to question as to whether or not it will fully satisfy.
A story is told of a little girl, who one evening wanted to sit up with the family while they were visiting with their pastor. As the little one became very sleepy, her mother begged her to retire to her room. But she pleaded to remain, because she was so delighted to be with the preacher. Finally, she fell asleep in her mother's arms and was gently carried upstairs to her bed without awaking. She did not know she was in the upper room till she opened her eyes in the morning. So Enoch visited with God one day and was not, for God took him, carried him away in everlasting arms. What a delightful way to refer to death!
So we might say of our loved ones, carried by angels, or in the arms of Jesus, into the heavenly mansion. They fell asleep in Jesus and did not know they were in the upper room till they awoke in the morning.
This is our resurrection hope. This is what Easter morning means.
I remember, once, when I was treading a Western forest at twilight, I came towards a little opening, I saw a man lurking on the edge of the forest, with a rifle drawn at me. Although I was a really brave man, my blood ran cold. There I was, sitting up on the horse, a fair mark for a man that was standing and taking deadly aim at me; and I was at a great disadvantage. I did not laugh, for I had not gotten over my shock, when I came up to the spot and found, instead of a man with a rifle, only a tree with a branch pointing towards me; but afterwards I laughed, to think what I had been so frightened at, and what a shock it sent through me.
When men get to heaven, and find what many of those things were which stood aiming at them in this life; when they find what sort of make-believe dangers those were which threatened them, I think they will laugh. And we shall look back on the vision of life, and all its fantastic imaginings, with wonder and gladness-with sorrow for ourselves, but with joy and gratitude to God, who brought us through the dangers of the way, and finally saved us.
A sorrowing mother, bending over her dying child, was trying to soothe it by talking about heaven. She spoke of the glory there, of the brightness shed around, of the shining countenances of the Holy Angels; but presently a little voice stopped her, saying, "I should not like to be there, mother, for the light hurts my eyes." Then she changed her word picture, and spoke of the songs above, of the harpers harping with their harps, of the voice as the voices of many waters, of the new song which they sang before the Throne; but the child said, "Mother, I cannot bear any noise." Grieved and disappointed at her failure to speak words of comfort, she took the little one from its bed of pain, and enfolded it in her arms with all the tenderness of a mother's love. Then, as the little sufferer lay there, near to all it loved best in the world, conscious only as its life ebbed away of the nearness of love and care, the whisper came, "Mother, if Heaven is like this, may Jesus take me there!"
Heaven is not only real because His humanity is there, not merely glorious because His greatness is there. It is dear because His love is there-the love which filled His earthly life, the love of the miracle and of the wayside teaching and of the cross. The nearness and the glory might be there, and yet heaven does not lay hold of our hearts. We might be well content to stand far off and gaze. We might not want to go there. We might not listen for messages, nor send our feeble voices forth in prayer. But now our Christ is there, our Savior, no wonder if the earth a thousand times seems dull and wearisome, and always gets its best brightness from that other world in which He is, of which this is the vestibule!
-Phillips Brooks
"My kingdom is not of this world," said Christ (John 18:36). And why is it not? The apostle tells us it is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. These three principles are not of this world; they came down from the Father of lights and of mercies. But are the kingdoms of this world under no obligation to receive them? Is it come to this, that because a principle is not of this world, the world has no concern with it? Truth, love, holiness are all from above, and on that very account their claim on men is stronger, and they are to be accepted gladly by the children of men.
Are you in the "Golden October" of your life?
If so, you may be susceptible to the frightful disease of "age-phobia." The symptoms are easy to spot. You reach the age of fifty-nine, a year passes and you can't say "sixty." When folks ask your age, your hand mysteriously reflexes to cover your mouth as you answer. Not a day goes by that you aren't gripped with fear that someone will discover your birth date and begin the subtraction process. Speed limit signs are cruel reminders of your age. Full price is preferable to admitting that you're eligible for a senior citizen discount. And when birthdays roll around, only inner-circle friends are invited.
A man, who lived a full life and avoided "age-phobia" once wrote, "I enjoy celebrating birthdays. And I am not worried about the alternative because I'm ready any time to leave this world and head for a perfect place." The Apostle Paul agreed: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).
Do you have the kind of confidence in your destiny that being chronologically gifted doesn't upset you? Or, are you bound by the dreaded "age-phobia?"
Reflections
(Romans 8:18; Hebrews 12:2, Hebrews 12:3)
To encourage us in our battles and give us joy the Bible sets before us the wonderful riches of heaven. Listen to Paul, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed...." (Romans 8:18 NIV. Listen to Hebrews 12:2, Hebrews 12:3 NIV: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus ... who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God the father." Critics of heaven, some of whom call themselves Christians, mock us who long for heaven and call us weak. They say we should serve God and man because it is right, not because we get paid back in eternity. Like all lies this has an element of truth, but I'm so glad the couple from our church who just learned their precious three-year-old has only a few weeks to live (unless God intervenes), can be told they will see her again in heaven. What a motivation to keep on believing and serving.
Some years ago there was a crossing-sweeper in Dublin with his broom, at the corner, and in all probability his highest thoughts were to keep the crossing clean and look for the pence. One day a lawyer put his hand upon his shoulder and said to him, "My good fellow, do you know that you are heir to a fortune of ten thousand pounds a year?" "Do you mean it?" said he. "I do," he said; "I have just received the information. I am sure you are the man." He walked away, and forgot his broom. Are you astonished? Why, who would not have forgotten a broom when suddenly made possessor of ten thousand a year? So, poor sinners, who have been thinking of the pleasures of the world, when they hear that there is heaven to be had, may well forget the deceitful pleasures of sin and follow after higher and better things. (Philippians 3:13, Philippians 3:14).
"Who took him on the other side?" A pair of soft blue eyes, full of tenderness and tears, looked up into mine. "On the other side! What do you mean, my darling"; and I looked wondering at the child.
"My baby brother, I mean. He was so small and weak, and had to go all alone. Who took him on the other side?"
"Angels," I answered, as steadily as I could speak; for the child's question moved me deeply-"loving angels, who took him up tenderly and laid his head softly on their bosoms, and sang to him sweeter songs than he had ever heard in this world."
"But every one will be strange to him. I'm afraid he'll be grieved for mother and nurse and me."
"No dear. The Savior, who was once a baby in this world, is there; and the angels who are nearest to him take all the little children who leave our side, and love and care for them just as if they were their own. When Bobby passed through to the other side, one of these angels held him by the hand all the way, and he was not in the least afraid; and when the light of heaven broke upon his eyes, and he saw the new beauty of the new world into which he had entered, his little heart was full of gladness."
"You are sure of that?" The grief had almost faded out of the child's countenance.
"Yes, dear, very sure. The Lord, who so tenderly loves little children who took them in his arms and blessed them when he was on earth, who said that 'their angels do always behold the face of my Father,' is more careful of the babes who go to him than the tenderest mother could possibly be."
"I am so glad!" said the child; "and it makes me feel so much better! Dear Bobby! I didn't know who would take him on the other side."
Adapted from an illustration from Children's Hour
Peter Writes to Pilgrims — 1 Peter 1:4 — Our Inheritance — « Leader information shown in this fashion »
A. Review
1. “Blessed be the God and Father of Jesus Christ our Lord…”
a. Blessing …
i. … conveys a gift by a word of power; God blessing man results in a change in his situation or person. When man is said to bless God, it refers to praise and thanksgiving, such blessing being preceded by some realization of the divine blessing prompting it.
ii. … here is directed to F_________ « ather » G______ « od »
b. Who is worthy of our blessing, praise and thanksgiving? « – each member of the Trinity in His own right as part of the Divine Being or Essence »
2. “… Who, according to His great mercy, having regenerated us unto a living hope, on account of Jesus Christ’s resurrection out from among the dead…”
a. ‘… according to His great mercy …’
i. obtaining God’s mercy cannot be accomplished by « – our good deeds (Tit 3:5) »
ii. how available? « – abundant, eternal (Ps 36:5, 100:5)
»
iii. to receive His mercy, man is given responsibility of « – calling upon God, confessing sin (Ps 86:5, Luke 18:13-14) »
b. ‘… having regenerated us …’
i. this is the prerequisite to « – entering God’s kingdom (John 3, Jesus and Nicodemus) »
ii. is brought about by « – the Holy Spirit (John 3:5, Tit 3:5) »
c. ‘… unto a living hope …’
i. it is living, for it « – applies to our daily lives; it should change the way we live in this world (1 John 3:3) »
ii. hope has reference an heir’s expectance, so it is also « – assured and steadfast, reliable (Hebrews 6:19) »
d. ‘… on account of Jesus Christ’s resurrection out from among the dead … ‘ … ensures this living hope
i. because it fulfilled « – God’s promise to David, so we know we can trust His promise to us (Psalm 16:9-11) »
ii. because Jesus is now « – alive and making intercession on our behalf before the Father (Hebrews 7:22-25) »
B. “… into an incorruptible, unpolluted and unfading inheritance, having been kept in store for you all in heaven …” this result arises …
1. … 1 Peter 1:1-2, “… to those chosen, living as pilgrims in a foreign land, of a people scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia; according to Father God’s predetermined counsel, God the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work, and unto obedience and sprinkling of blood of Jesus Christ (God the Son)” (RGH) … from
a. God the Father’s « – choosing us in His predetermined plan »
b. God the Holy Spirit’s « – separating us apart to God »
c. God the Son’s « – atoning death for our sin »
2. … 1 Peter 1:3, “… Who, according to His great mercy, having regenerated us unto a living hope, on account of Jesus Christ’s resurrection out from among the dead…” (RGH) … from
a. God the Father’s « – abundant mercy »
b. God the Holy Spirit’s « – causing our new birth from above
»
c. God the Son’s « – being raised from the dead »
3. What is the result of all this? … we have been brought into « – an inheritance; let us look now at this … »
C. “… into an … inheritance …”
1. the word used for inheritance and the associated verb, inherit, has the basic idea of ‘a possession received or held by lot’.
a. On what Old Testament event (for example, Numbers 33:53-54, “and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. And you shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; … Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. …” (NAS)) is this term based? « – the division of the land of Canaan among the clans and tribes of Israel »
b. What justified this method of ‘inheritance’? « – the land was God’s and His to distribute among His people according to His will, the possession never to leave a family; it was God’s »
c. Speaking of heaven as ‘Canaan’ or ‘the Promised Land’ is not an idea imported into Scripture but follows from this New Testament use of the word, ‘inheritance’.
2. What was Paul’s commission respecting this ‘inheritance’, Acts 26:17-18 “… the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” (NAS) « – to bring in Gentiles to share the inheritance of household of faith »
3. How does Paul’s description in Ephesians 1:11-14 “also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (NAS) agree with Peter’s respecting this ‘inheritance’? … what does he add?
a. it agrees « – in it being a work of the Trinity: Father’s plan, faith and hope in the Son, sealing by Holy Spirit; it is something based on hope, not as yet fully realized
»
b. It adds « – all of this Divine activity is to glorify God »
4. What qualifies us for this inheritance?
a. Colossians 1:12–14 “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (NAS)? « – God’s delivering us from sin »
b. Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.” (NAS)? « – God’s adopting us as his children (Romans 8:15) »
D. … incorruptible …
1. the idea is of something enduring because it does not decay
2. how does this differ from Israel’s inheritance in Canaan? « – it was part of a creation which is ‘waxing old like a garment’ (Psalm 102:26 from a lesson or two ago) »
E. … unpolluted …
1. the idea is something undefiled, unstained, untainted, unsoiled
2. how does this differ from Israel’s inheritance in Canaan (Psalm 106:38 “And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with the blood.” (NAS), Jeremiah 3:2, Ezekiel 36:18)? « – the disobedient acts of God’s people polluted their inheritance »
F. … unfading …
1. the idea is of a light or fire that is not quenched or put out; or, of a beauty that does not pine away or wither
2. how does this differ from Israel’s inheritance in Canaan? « – in David and Solomon’s day, their dominion extended from the River of Egypt to the Tigris, from the Great Sea to the desert; as the people continued to forsake God, He diminished it bit by bit until it was all gone and only a small portion restored when they returned after the captivity, exile and dispersion
»
G. … having been kept in store for you all in heaven …
1. what differs this inheritance from the land of Canaan? « – it is heavenly in nature, rather than material and physical »
2. What is the supreme character of our inheritance, John 14:2-3 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (NAS), also Revelation 21:3 « – it is the place where God dwells with His people »
3. So, it is this inheritance that his laid up as a treasure, beyond any injurious influence (Revelation 21:1-2) and awaits the people of God!
To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. — Luke 23:43.
While living in New Brunswick, in 1873, God took to Himself Dr. D. M. Stearn’s little daughter. He was disconsolate and used to go daily to the cemetery to mourn. In his grief he would thrust his walking stick through the sandy soil till it touched the little casket, as if he might find comfort in such contact. Indeed, his grief was so oppressive that he feared he would have to give up his work. But God graciously sent him relief. One day as he stood in the cemetery be began to say, “With Christ in paradise.” He kept repeating these words as he walked home and their real blessedness dawned upon him. “Why,” he said to himself, “what more could I ask for my loved one than this ?” In the comfort of this thought he was able to resume his work with a joyful, though chastened, heart. What more, indeed, could we ask for our loved ones, or ourselves, than this, “With Christ in paradise”?
Our loved ones before, Lord,
their troubles are o’er, Lord,
I’ll meet them once more
at Thy coming again.
The blood was the sign, Lord,
that marked them as Thine, Lord,
And brightly they’ll shine
at Thy coming again.
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. — Isaiah 66:1.
Two aged and feeble saints enjoyed fine fellowship together for decades. They met for what proved to be their last visit on earth. Each seemed strangely aware that they would be united no more on this strand. As they were about to separate one solemnly took the hand of the other and ‘announced, “My brother we part. We part at the footstool, but we shall meet at the throne!”
Christians never part for the last time! For the believer in Christ there is no final farewell.
In this dark world of sin and pain
We only meet to part again;
But when we reach the heavenly shore,
We there shall meet to part no more;
The joy that we shall see that day
Shall chase our present griefs away.
Isaiah 60 — God’s Kingdom
• This sums of the subject matter that will be found in the last 7 chapters of Isaiah (60-66)
• It illustrates the prophecies concering Christ’s comings
• Chapter 59, Bleakness; Chapter 60, Blessing
60:1-3 For background and understanding, read and compare
• Isaiah 42:5-9 and Colossians 1:15, 18-19
• John 1:1-5, 3:19, 5:35, 12:33-36, 46
• What is in view in the prophecy in these three verses, 60:1-3?
60:4-18 Some themes to be examined about this Kingdom …
• v 4. A Homecoming
• v 5. Nations coming
• vv 6-9. Riches, however you want to measure them
• vv 10-13. Power and authority amon the nations
• vv 14-15. After tribulation, joy
• v 16. Nourishment
• v 17. Replacement of the counterfeit
• v 18. Peace
60:19-22 For background and understanding, read also
• Revelation 21:22-27, 22:5
• What is in view in this prophecy?
I go to prepare a place for you. — John 14:2.
The place is already prepared. We, too, are divinely fitted for the place. “Now He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God” (2 Cor. 5:5). The place is ready and we are ready for the place. The inheritance is “reserved” and the heirs are “kept” (1 Pet. 1:4-5).
We are going to be perfectly like Christ bodily (Phil. 3:21) and as perfectly like Him morally (1 John 3:2).
The body of every saint of God who has or may die will be raised Immortal, not subject to death; Incorruptible, not subject to decay, 1 Corinthians 15:54; A Spiritual body, as Christ’s, Corinthians 15:44; Luke 24:39.
Thus far by grace preserved,
each moment speeds us on;
The crown and kingdom are reserved
where Christ is gone.
When cloudless morning shines,
we shall His glory share;
In pleasant places are the lines:
the home how fair! — Mary Bowley
He also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death … and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage. — Hebrews 2:14, 15.
A number of times before they killed him the bandits pointed their rifles at Mr. Vinson, who lived in Hanchow. Surprised at his calmness they asked him if he wasn’t afraid to die. He replied, “No, I am not afraid to die. If you shoot me, I go straight to Heaven.” This was reported by a Chinese girl who was also a captive. On hearing it Mr. Hamilton wrote:
“Afraid? of what?
To feel the Spirit’s glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid? of that?
Afraid? of what?
Afraid to see the Saviour’s face
To hear His welcome, and to trace
The glory gleams from wounds to grace?
Afraid? of that?
Afraid? of what?
A flash, a crash, a pierced heart
Darkness, light, O heaven’s art
A wound of His a counter-part
Afraid? of that?
Afraid? of what?
To enter into heaven’s rest
And yet to serve the Master blest
From service good to service best?
Afraid? of that?”
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. — Revelation 3:12.
As we go to various places to visit we find the Visitor’s Book with three columns one for the date of arrival, another for your name, and a third for your departure. In the Heavenly Book there is the date of arrival, but not of departure; there is no departure, but “for ever with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17).
Our friends on earth we meet with gladness,
While swift the moments fly,
Yet ever comes the thought of sadness
That we must say “Good-by.”
We’ll never say good-by in heaven,
We’ll never say good-by,
For in that land of joy and song,
We’ll never say good-by.
And his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. — Revelation 22:3,4.
In heaven everyone will have a full cup but the dimensions of these cups will vary. Our reward will be commensurate with our lives down here. You all know the sum and substance of eternal reward is Christ Himself. The ability to enjoy Him above will be in greater or lesser degree, and in accordance with our desire for Him here below. Make no mistakes, for though earth’s appearances are deceptive even in spiritual things, in heaven all is just, and eternally as God would have it. Those who today live close to God will have the place of nearness to Christ for all eternity. Isn’t that worth going in for? — A. E. H.
Oh, Christ, He is the fountain, the deep, sweet well of love!
The streams on earth I’ve tasted, more deep I’ll drink above;
There to an ocean’s fulness His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth in Emmanuel’s land. — Anne Ross Cousin
As you know from watching the news, America is in a very difficult security and political situation right now because millions of people have begun to inhabit this country without obeying the guidelines regarding immigration. This complicated issue will not be easily resolved by our competing political parties, but one simple truth remains: To become a legal citizen of a foreign land, you must follow the rules.
Some of the people who have come to the United States in violation of the rules are honest, hard-working people who want to do their best and provide for their families. Other illegal immigrants are dishonest people who engage in criminal behavior. There are undoubtedly both good and bad people who reside in our country without permission. However, no matter your behavior or personality, you must follow the rules in order to truly be an American.
As we celebrate Easter, I am reminded that to inhabit the foreign land known as heaven, one must also follow the rules. You can’t enter the kingdom of heaven by skirting policy or sneaking across the border. The only way to become a citizen of God’s kingdom is by gaining permission through God’s Son. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”
To enter the United States legally, you need a visa, which demonstrates that you have received proper permission to enter. To enter eternal life, you don’t need a document; you need a relationship, by faith, with the gatekeeper known as Jesus of Nazareth. This relationship demonstrates that you have surrendered your heart and life to the Creator and King of the Universe, the God who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some people who try to barge into heaven are honest, hard-working people who feel their efforts at holiness and generosity will be rewarded with citizenship. Others who try to sneak into heaven without that a relationship with Christ are dishonest or lazy or manipulative. Many people truly believe that the rules that apply to everyone else do not apply to them. Each of these folks -- the honest and the dishonest, the generous and the greedy -- believe that God is obligated to allow them into heaven, even if they disobey His rules for entrance.
Please understand that none of us deserves entrance into God’s kingdom. You are sinful, I am sinful, and we deserve eternal separation from God. Heavenly citizenship is eternally valuable because it has been earned by the death, burial and resurrection of a carpenter from Galilee named Jesus. You and I did not and cannot earn this heavenly citizenship, but we can receive it as a gift by faith.
Do you know why, after all these years, that first Easter Sunday remains the most important day in human history? Because we all desire heavenly residence and because the actions of one sinless man opened the doors to citizenship for every other sinful person.
How can you and I become citizens of the foreign land known as heaven? In Romans 10:9-10, the Apostle Paul tells each of us, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
That verse serves as the gate-opening formula for heavenly citizenship, whether you and I like it or not. God the Father gladly offers to open the door to His kingdom to anyone who willfully place his or her faith and trust in God the Son.
The street of the city was pure gold. —Revelation 21:21
This may come as a surprise, but the city of gold in today’s world is New York. Beneath the frantic streets of the Big Apple lies the world’s largest cache of gold. Eighty feet under the business district is a vault that contains about one-fourth of the world’s monetary gold reserves.
As might be expected, security is airtight. The vault has no doors, only a narrow passageway that is closed by a rotating steel cylinder. Elaborate precautions ensure that no unauthorized entry is ever made into the vault. The thought of so much gold in one place is exciting—yet it belongs to someone else.
Contrast that picture of gold, safely stored away and protected by technology and man’s best efforts, with the gold that’s out in the open in heaven. While the New York gold is inaccessible to all but a privileged few, heaven’s gold is so plentiful that it is used to pave the streets. But far better than being near the gold is that we will be near our Lord and Savior.
Are you sure you are on your way to heaven? To get to that golden city, you have to admit your sin and trust Jesus Christ as the One who died to pay the penalty for it. Don’t let anything stop you from going for something far more valuable than gold—the joy of being with God forever. —JDB
Face to face! O blissful moment!
Face to face—to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ, who loves me so. — Breck
I once heard a pastor make a startling confession: “Whenever I think about heaven, it makes me depressed. I’d rather just cease to exist when I die.”
I tried not to show my shock as I asked him, “Why?”
“I can’t stand the thought of that endless tedium. To float around in the clouds with nothing to do but strum a harp -- it’s all so terribly boring.”
Where did this Bible-believing, seminary-educated pastor get such a view of heaven? Certainly not from Scripture, where Paul said to depart and be with Christ was “far better” than staying on earth (Phil. 1:23). And yet, though my friend was more honest about it than most, I’ve found that many Christians share the same misconceptions about heaven
More than 30 years ago, I began studying what Scripture tells us about eternity and have written about heaven and the importance of an eternal perspective ever since. The Bible tells us much more about heaven than is often assumed. In a day when speculation and subjectivism about heaven run rampant, I’ve found it both exciting and refreshing to carefully examine what Scripture says.
Let’s examine the biblical answers to five common questions people often have about heaven:
1. Will we have bodies? Will we eat, drink, travel, and play? In other words, will we live truly human lives?
Many people imagine that we will remain disembodied spirits in the afterlife and that heaven won’t be a tangible, earthly place.
Given the consistent physical descriptions of the present heaven and those who dwell there, it seems possible -- though this is certainly debatable -- that between our earthly life and our bodily resurrection, God may grant us some physical form that will allow us to function as human beings while in that unnatural state “between bodies,” awaiting our resurrection. Just as the intermediate state is a bridge between life on the old earth and the new earth, perhaps intermediate bodies, or at least a physical form of some sort, serve as bridges between our present bodies and our resurrected bodies.
Revelation 21:1 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.” This eternal heaven, the new earth, is our true home, the place where we will live forever with our Lord and one another.
In my book “Heaven,” I develop biblically why I believe that on the new earth there will be natural wonders, animals, trees, rivers, cities, houses, and architecture. We will laugh, eat and drink, tell stories, make crafts, build, garden, care for animals, play, enjoy sports and physically demanding activities, and tend and manage and rule the earth.
We will collaborate, research, invent, read books and write them, create and perform dramas, compose music and perform it, all to God’s glory. Why? Because we will still be physical beings created in God’s image, which means we are creative and intelligent. And, we will be restored to a new earth without sin and death -- to fulfill God’s original plan of stewarding the material universe to His eternal glory.
2. Will we still be ourselves with our memories of this life?
After Jesus rose from the dead, He said to His disciples, “‘Look at My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself! Touch Me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ Having said this, He showed them His hands and feet” (Luke 24:39-40). The resurrected Jesus did not become someone else; He remained who He was before His resurrection. And His old body was the same body made new. Our bodies will be the old ones made new, just as the new earth will be the old earth made new.
You will be you in heaven. Who else would you be? If Bob, a man on earth, is no longer Bob when he gets to heaven, then, in fact, Bob did not go to heaven. If we weren’t ourselves in the afterlife, then we couldn’t be held accountable for what we did in this life. Judgment day would be meaningless. Scripture is clear that our own personal history and identity will endure from one earth to the next.
If you trust in Jesus, you’ll be you in heaven -- without your bad parts -- forever.
3. Won’t heaven be boring?
Sadly, even among Christians, it’s a prevalent myth that heaven will be boring. Sometimes we can’t envision anything beyond strumming a harp and polishing streets of gold. Satan’s most basic strategy, the same one he employed with Adam and Eve, is to make us believe that sin brings fulfillment. However, in reality, sin robs us of fulfillment. Sin’s emptiness inevitably leads to boredom.
Psalm 16:11 says, “You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.” Everything good, enjoyable, refreshing, fascinating, and interesting is derived from God. God promises that we’ll laugh, rejoice, and experience endless pleasures in heaven. To be in His presence will be the very opposite of boredom.
4. Will we know our loved ones and have ongoing relationships with them?
Scripture gives no indication of a memory wipe causing us not to recognize family and friends. Paul anticipated being with the Thessalonians in heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), and it never occurred to him he wouldn’t know them. In fact, if we wouldn’t know our loved ones, the encouragement of an afterlife reunion would be no encouragement at all.
Relationships among God’s people will resume in ways even better than what we’ve known here. Once the curse is lifted and death is forever reversed, we may live out many of the “could have beens” taken from us on the old earth.
5. Will there be animals -- and is it possible the pets we’ve loved will be there?
In Isaiah 65:17, 25, the Lord says, “I will create a new heaven and a new earth.... The wolf and the lamb will feed together.... They will not do what is evil or destroy on My entire holy mountain.” Scripture says a great deal about animals, portraying them as earth’s second most important inhabitants. God entrusted animals to us, and our relationships with animals are a significant part of our lives. Scripture’s descriptions of animals peacefully inhabiting the earth may have application to a millennial kingdom on the old earth, but their primary reference appears to be to God’s eternal kingdom, where mankind and animals will together enjoy a redeemed earth.
Many people also want to know whether their pets might live again. Romans 8:20-23 sees animals as part of a suffering creation eagerly awaiting deliverance through humanity’s resurrection. Some interpret this text to imply that some animals that lived and died on the old earth may be made whole on the new earth. We can’t speak with certainty; but wouldn’t it be just like God to take animals entrusted to our care in the old world and allow us to enjoy with them the wonders of the new world?
So, will you join ranks with those who, as Peter describes, “wait for the new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell” (2 Peter 3:13)? Jesus’ death and resurrection made the way for us to be restored to the Father in our eternal home. If you know Jesus, I look forward to meeting you there and worshiping our King together in that incredible and indestructible world He has planned for us!
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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #27797]
Final sermon in Daniel series, #11. Daniel 12:1-4
AWAKENING TO WHAT?
==================
I. Some of us have no one to call today.
A. My last sermon on Daniel coincides with Mother's Day.
B. Not every mother is with us.
II. Everyone loves the idea of heaven.
A. Heaven and resurrection are melded together in our minds.
B. The joy of heaven has been diluted.
C. The requirements for heaven have been erased.
III. Warning -- there is more than one resurrection.
A. Daniel presents two alternatives.
B. Jesus completely agrees with Daniel. John 5:28-29 (5:24)
C. Revelation gives more details on both resurrections. 20:6,14; 21:8
IV. Wouldn't a single option be nicer?
A. Many reject the harshness of heaven vs. hell.
B. The only thing that matters is whether it is true or not.
V. You can have the good resurrection.
A. You must belong to God.
B. We have hope when there is no hope.
Illustration: The new teacher was given the combination to the school’s safe verbally. She then repeated it over and over as she hurried to the safe. As it would be, she forgot the correct numbers and their order; try as she would she could not get it open.
Seeing a fellow faculty member walk by, she quickly asked him to help. “I think I can!” He responded.
Walking into the supply room he let his hands fall to his sides and raised his face toward heaven, silently his lips moved.
Being a Christian woman the new teacher was impressed. “It is so good to see a professional like yourself stop and pray when he is in need,” she said.
“Oh, I’m not praying, the number’s written on the ceiling.”
–––––––––
Commentary: It’s a foolish person who labors on the door of the safe holding the secret of eternal life . pounding and pulling, grunting and groaning … when the owner of the safe will provide it for free to all comers. All one needs to do is look to heaven and move one’s lips.
Thomas A Kempis said it this way. “To love is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to be sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully around hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in a casket or coffin or your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable … The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers … of love is Hell.
Two convictions led Jews to believe in life after death:
1. The sense of justice.
2. The conviction that fellowship with God can not stop at death.
Is life after death conceivable?
No - atheists, Bertrand Russell. The soul is only a function of the brain.
But we must exist apart from our experiences.
Problem with continuity.
Will resurrected ones be the same?
Memory, bodily identity, continuity of temperament, intelligence.
Evidence of life after death.
Psychic phenomena. Possibilities, pitfalls.
Out-of-body experiences. Most see heaven. Why? Some may suppress memories of hell.
Evidence in the Bible.
Jesus taught that the dead still live.
Teaching on resurrection.
Wishful thinking?
Ancient world dreaded death. People believed in life after death, but it
was not something to look forward to.
Achilles (I would rather be slave of landless man than dead).
Old Testament.
Jesus makes eternal life something to long for.
"The Christian longs for the life of heaven not chiefly as compensation for what he lacks now, but as fulfillment of what he already possesses." (p 170)
God puts the longing for heaven inside us.
I have long suspected that many Christians dread not just death but heaven. We won’t admit that, of course. Our hymnody, of whatever era, is filled with songs about the joy of the afterlife, and “what a day of rejoicing that will be.” We’re glad we’re not going to hell or to oblivion. But most of our songs and sermon mentions are about that first few moments in heaven: when we see Jesus, when we’re reunited with our loved ones, and so on. It’s like the happy ending of the story. And that’s the problem.
The Gospel tells us that Satan keeps unbelievers bound by fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15). Believers, too often, dread death also, though not as much from fear as from boredom. We see the story of our lives as encompassing this span of 70 or 80 or 100 years. The life to come is our “great reward” in “the afterlife.”
But just think about that word “afterlife.” It assumes eternity is an endless postlude to where the action really happens. It’s “after.” Our “reward” happens after we’ve lived our lives. Here’s why this language matters.
Imagine a couple referring to their marriage as their “after-love.” They explain to you that years ago they met, fell in love, and married. The years since are their “after-love” years, since they follow their falling in love with each other. You would, no doubt, ask whether they still loved each other and, if so, why they would relegate their lives together now as “after” anything, and why they seem to put their “love” in the past tense. You would think they were downgrading marriage and missing out on joy by talking like that.
And you’d be right.
Too many Christians see the hope of resurrection life as a capstone on their lives now. We implicitly assume that our focus in the new creation is a backward focus on our lives as they are now.
We talk about all the questions we’ll ask about why this or that happened. We never think about whether we’ll be too busy to care about that, just like we’re too busy in the prime of our careers to ask our kindergarten teacher why she had snack time after recess rather than before. We talk about our reunion with loved ones, but even they often implicitly have a past focus.
A high school reunion can be fun. You catch up with old friends, and remember good and bad times. But the focus is usually on “remember when” and “whatever happened to” conversations. That’s great for an hour or four, but 4 trillion years of that would be awful. That’s not what Jesus promised us. He promised us life.
If we miss this, then we become just like those with no hope. We talk about our “bucket lists” of what we have to do before we’re gone since “you only live once.” We worry about our future and we nurse grudges because we fear our lives can be ruined by circumstances instead of by sin. We essentially move into the same old “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you shall die” except that we cap it with “and then you’ll stand around with your loved ones singing songs and staring at a light for a quadrillion years and then some.”
God forbid.
Your eternity is no more about looking back to this span of time than your life now is about reflecting on kindergarten. The moment you burst through the mud above your grave, you will begin an exciting new mission -- one you couldn’t comprehend if someone told you. And those things that seem so important now -- whether you’re attractive or wealthy or famous or cancer-free -- will be utterly irrelevant in the face of an exhilarating new purpose, one that you were prepared for in this era but one that is far more than a mere sequel to your best life now.
Let’s talk about eternity. But it’s no mere “afterlife.” Instead let’s start thinking of this little puff of time, the next 80 or so years, as what it is: the pre-life.
Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past couple of months, someone has likely told you about the most recent evangelical publishing phenomenon: “Heaven is for Real.” Authored by Todd Burpo, a pastor from Nebraska, and writer Lynn Vincent, the book tells the story of a four-year old boy who claims to have been near death, gone to heaven, and come back to tell his story.
The boy, Colton, was rushed to the hospital with a burst appendix -- a scenario to which I can relate since I went to the hospital at age four under exactly the same circumstances. But while I woke up wanting to talk to my Grandpa Taylor about Evel Knievel, Colton came back saying that while he was in surgery, he went to heaven and had experiences with various biblical figures and yes, Jesus Himself.
Initially, Colton’s stories about his time in heaven were met with caution by his parents, but the detail with which he described the events baffled Todd and Sonja, his father and mother. While Colton was only “there” in heaven for about three minutes, he purportedly: sat on Jesus’ lap, heard about a coming battle with Satan at the end of the world, reported that Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father, realized that God is a Trinity of persons, and learned that no one grows old in heaven, among other things.
Thomas Nelson picked up the book produced from Colton’s episodes. To say that it went gangbusters would be the publishing understatement of the decade. It had sold well over 1.5 million copies, prompting The New York Times to cover the story since the title had raced to the No. 1 position on its paperback nonfiction list.
When a book becomes that popular, it should expect criticism -- which Heaven is for Real has gotten. But I am not really interested in criticizing the boy, the book or even his experiences -- whatever they were. People have been reporting near-death experiences for as long as anybody can remember, and the subject has become fodder for academic research, beginning with psychiatrist Raymond Moody’s Life After Life, first published in 1975.
What disturbs me are the reports I am hearing anecdotally from people about how Heaven is for Real is regarded as “powerful evidence” for biblical Christianity. One of my friends called me to say that he received a copy of the book from his in-laws as a gift for Father’s Day as a way of helping him bolster his faith. His father-in-law has bought dozens and dozens of copies of the book and is using it as a kind of alternative apologetics book.
Aside from the fact that, as Bill Hybels once wisely pointed out, you don’t lead with your best “weird God story” when you’re trying to evangelize someone, I am more bothered by the high regard and sheer enthusiasm many well-intentioned lay evangelicals are affording to the book.
Nor am I embarrassed by the discussion of evidence for the afterlife, having written about it previously, and commending Dinesh D’Souza’s fine book about the subject along the way.
What bothers me about the reception of Heaven is for Real is what it says about the relatively low view of the sufficiency of Scripture among evangelicals today. In other words, it’s not good enough for us to hear about heaven from the holy apostles. No, we need a little boy sitting on Jesus’ lap to tell us that instead. Then we will believe it. And that phenomenon ultimately bodes ill for everyone who really does love the Bible: pastors, teachers, parents, and yes, even children.
The Bible tells us there are two whosoevers when it comes to the subject of eternal life. The first is found in John 3:16 where trusting in God’s Son gives a person everlasting life, while the second in Revelation 20:15 pronounces doom and separation from God into an eternity of suffering. Someday this will all take place in Heaven at the great “ROLL-CALL.” Unfortunately, many will not be there to respond.
Back in 1892, James Black was responsible for the roll-call at the Methodist Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. A little girl named “Bessie” had been faithfully attending the Epworth League and Sunday School and with each roll-call, superintendent Black would hear her respond. James Black had originally invited Bessie to attend and since she came from a poor household, he had arranged personally for clothing items to make the attendance possible.
Then came the Sunday when the roll-call was silent. Bessie was absent for the first time. Concerned for the girl’s welfare and fearing the worst because her father was an alcoholic, James Black quickly made his way after church to Bessie’s home where he found a very sick girl. Realizing that it was serious, he summoned his own doctor who diagnosed it as a case of advanced pneumonia.
As Black made his way back home that Sunday afternoon, he was unable to throw off the feeling that had come over him when Bessie failed to respond to the roll-call that morning. He thought of the greater roll-call coming someday in Heaven and the sadness there will be for those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. That morning he had tried to find a song to express these feelings but could not. Arriving at his home, James Black went into the house, sat down at the piano and without any effort started to write:
When the trumpet of The Lord shall sound and time shall be no more,
And the morning breaks eternal, bright and fair;
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there!
The song was first sung publicly at Bessie’s funeral. What about yours? Will you be ready to answer the call? You can by simply trusting Christ today as your personal Savior and in the words of James Black, “When the roll is called up yonder you’ll be there”!
A few years back, U.S. News and World Report magazine had an article titled “Life After Death.” It covered the scientific debate about near-death experiences. Listen to the first paragraph:
On the talk-show circuit and the bestseller list, the tales are
legion. After being struck by lightning, a man meets a “Being of
Light” who grants forgiveness for a lifetime of violence. In
full cardiac arrest on the operating table, a grade school
teacher travels down a long tunnel to “a place filled up with
love, and a beautiful white light.” And Elvis Presley takes her
by the hand.[1]
The article goes on to say that perhaps as many as 15 million Americans have had near-death experiences. Many of them were changed forever by the things they experienced. They had touched eternity, or so they believed, and life on this earth could never be the same again.
We all wonder about life after death, don’t we? It’s natural to think about it because sooner or later we’re going to die. That much is certain.
Men and women desperately want to peer beyond the veil. They want to know what lies on the other side of death. The answer is quite simple. If you know Jesus, what lies on the other side is resurrection and life. If you don’t know him, you have no hope at all.
You might as well call the Psychic Hotline or talk to the woman who thinks she met Elvis. When the time of death comes, you’d better know Jesus or you’re going to be all alone.
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1. U.S. News and World Report, March 31, 1997, p. 59.
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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #11222]
French intellectual Emmanuel Carrère, in his book "The Kingdom," writes about the episode in the Odyssey when Odysseus has to decide between staying on Calypso’s paradisal island (where he has spent seven years) or returning home to Ithaca. Calypso’s charms are intense: she offers eternal pleasures, and she reminds our hero that Penelope, his wife back home, cannot possibly rival the beauty of an immortal goddess. Odysseus concedes as much, but still he chooses to go home; he chooses the mortal and the mutable over the deathless and the eternal. Carrère reminds us that this decision is often seen as a pinnacle of ancient wisdom: “The life of a man is better than that of a god, for the simple reason that it’s real. Authentic suffering is better than deceptive bliss. Eternity is not desirable because it’s not part of our common lot.”
Against this, there is the radical eschatological mysticism of Jesus and, especially, of Paul, who “says that the only thing to expect from this life is to be delivered from it, and to go to where Christ reigns.” There is “an unsolvable difference,” Carrère says, between Paul’s ideal and that of Odysseus. “Each one calls the only true good what the other condemns as baneful illusion. Odysseus says that wisdom always consists in turning your attention to the human condition and life on earth, Paul says it consists in tearing yourself away. Odysseus says that, regardless of how beautiful it is, paradise is a fiction, and Paul says that’s the only reality. Paul, carried away, goes as far as congratulating God for having chosen what is not to invalidate what is.”
My Source: THE GOSPEL REMINDER
Church of Christ, Bay, AR
July 2, 1995
Author: Marvin Rickett
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JUST CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE
by Marvin Rickett
The story is told of a traveler who was touring the rugged Ozark mountains of Arkansas and stopped to ask directions of an old mountaineer. "How do I get to Little Rock from here?" he asked.
"Well, you take the road south to... no, that won't take you there." "You take the east road... no, that won't take you there either." The old man pondered a long while, then said, "You just can't get there from here."
This story illustrates a Biblical reality. There are places where people are from which they cannot get to heaven.
ONE CANNOT GET TO HEAVEN FROM A DENOMINATION. The reason is quite simple. The Lord never built nor approved of a denomination. Therefore, He never promised its membership a way into heaven. He built His church and made provisions for every saved person on the way to heaven to be in it (Acts 2:47). He takes a dim view of man-made, rival institutions. He said, "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9). Jesus refers to to "other plants which my heavenly Father hath not planted" and says they shall be "rooted up" (Matthew 15:13). Only those who follow God's plan of salvation can go to heaven. Denominations have faulty plans of salvation. Some promise salvation on the basis of faith only. The Lord says "faith that worketh by love" avails (Galatians 5:6). They command the seeker to pray through to salvation. The Bible says "arise, and be baptized and wash away thy sins" (Acts 22:16). Many of them sprinkle infants as a means of salvation. The Bible says "buried with him in baptism" (Colossians 2:12), and "he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). These faulty plans of salvation will not deliver one from his sins, thus will not put him in the place where he can get to heaven.
ONE CANNOT GET TO HEAVEN FROM MERELY LIVING A GOOD MORAL LIFE. Multitudes are not members of any church, but they claim to be good people. By the world's standard they are. They don't drink, curse, abuse their families, lie, cheat, steal. On the ohter hand, they pay their debts, give to charities, are industrious at their jobs, good neighbors, good to their own families. They are relying on this good lifestyle to minister to them an entrance into heaven. But they have omitted a very important factor. They have not dealt with their sins. Yes, good moral people are still sinners. No sinner can enter heaven. His sins must first be dealt with. The only thing that will remedy sin is the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Man's goodness will not do it: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5). The only way one can receive the cleansing of the blood of Christ is by obeying the gospel and living a faithful Christian life in service to God. That includes being a "church member," a member of the Lord's church, worshiping and serving Him in it.
ONE CANNOT GET TO HEAVEN FROM A NEGLIGENT "CHRISTIAN" LIFE. We are speaking of one who obeyed the gospel in time past, got his name on the church roll, but now he doesn't attend church, doesn't worship with the saints, doesn't support the church with his time, talent, energy or money. Yet he still believes he is going to heaven when he dies because his name is on the church roll. Paul says one must be "stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" for him to have the right to entertain the hope of going to heaven (1 Corinthians 15:58). John recorded, "Be thou faithful unto death" to have a legitimate expectation of going to heaven. Peter gave a list of Christian virtues necessary to making one's calling and election sure. He said, "If these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ ... wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:8,2 Peter 1:10-11). One can "fail of the grace of God" by unfaithful living and forfeit his way to heaven (Hebrews 12:15). He can forget he was purged from his old sins and fall back. He needs to repent, pray for forgiveness, and do the first works (Acts 8:22; Revelation 2:5).
What should a person do if he is in a place from where he cannot get to heaven? Change places! Get into the one place from where he can get to heaven. And do it now, in this life. Be delivered from the power of darkness into the kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13). Through faith, be baptized into Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:26, Galatians 3:27). From there, you can get to heaven.
Many Christians in the West, N. T. Wright believes, have a fundamental misunderstanding of the very goal of their faith.
Instead of seeing Christianity as the story of God renewing the whole cosmos — Heaven and Earth united — they have been taught to think of salvation primarily as a private escape plan: the soul departing for Heaven when the body dies.
The result, according to the 77-year-old New Testament scholar, Pauline theologian and Anglican bishop, is not just a skewed theology of the afterlife, but a distorted understanding of everything from End Times prophecy to spiritual warfare.
“The problem is that most Western Christians today think that the whole point of Christianity is for our souls to go to Heaven when we die, whereas the New Testament concentrates on God coming to dwell with us,” Wright said.
“The direction of travel is wrong, and the result is wrong, and the intermediate stages are wrong.”
That misdirection has shaped how generations of believers have read and misunderstood Scripture, according to Wright. In the ancient world into which Christianity emerged, the idea of the soul floating away into Heaven was already common, he said.
“These were the people we now call the middle Platonists, people like Philo of Alexandria, or Plutarch. ... They talk happily about their souls going to Heaven. The early Christians really don’t,” Wright said.
Instead, the New Testament proclaims something vastly different; not human departure to Heaven, but divine arrival on Earth.
The former bishop of Durham pointed to the final chapters of Revelation, where “the dwelling of God is with humans,” and Ephesians 1:10, where Paul says God’s eternal purpose is “to sum up in the Messiah all things in heaven and on earth.”
“But you’d have thought that God’s plan from the beginning was to enable us to leave Earth and go to a place called Heaven instead,” Wright said. “That’s simply not what Ephesians, or indeed, the rest of the New Testament, is all about.”
The misunderstanding extends even into Bible translations, he emphasized. The Greek word “psuche,” often rendered “soul,” is rooted in the Hebrew “nephesh,” which does not denote an immortal, disembodied essence but the whole living person.
“A nefesh is one’s whole self; a better translation will be ‘person,’” Wright explained. Passages that have fueled Platonic readings, such as Jesus telling the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in Paradise,” are frequently oversimplified.
“Jesus is going to be back in a couple of days’ time ... because He’s going to be raised from the dead,” Wright said. “There are many passages which routinely get misread.”
What has occurred, he believes, is a “Western vision” that has shrouded biblical Christianity with Greek philosophy.
“You can cash out of Platonism in different ways, but that’s basically what’s been going on for hundreds of years,” he said.
According to Wright, the assumption that the essential religious question is “How does my soul get to Heaven?” has governed Christian teaching even since the Reformation. That question, he said, Reformers answered differently than the medieval Church, but it was rarely challenged at its root.
Wright contends that Ephesians challenges the question itself. Paul’s opening prayer, Ephesians 1:3–14, he said, is steeped in Jewish creation and Exodus imagery and culminates in the declaration that God’s goal has always been the unity of Heaven and Earth under Christ.
“Ephesians 1:10 gives you this sense. This is where it’s all going. This is what the purpose was from the beginning,” Wright said.
Wright sees this as the New Testament's central message: in Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension, God has already inaugurated the promised new creation.
"God has done what He said he would do, and He is doing it now until the time when Jesus does return," he said, citing 1 Corinthians 15, which describes Christ reigning until all enemies are subdued.
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Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
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