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| The Bible Project: Vision of Renewed & Reunited Heaven & Earth |
"Look!
God's dwelling place
is now among the people,
and He will dwell with them.
They will be His people, and
God Himself will be with them
and be their God."
+ Revelation 21:2-3
This spring, I get to continue in the joy of spending some time with young people connected to Emmaus City Church engaging the Scriptures alongside one of my favorite reflections on God called Deep Down Faith by Cornelius Plantinga Jr. I've read this book three times now and Plantinga, like C.S. Lewis in many ways, has a gift for discussing profound thoughts in whimsical, rich, and accessible ways for young and old alike. Some previous Deep Down Faith posts include:
Two of the last Deep Down Faith posts, The Return of the King and The Resurrection of the Body, complement today's post, which focuses on a loaded question many people ask regardless of their religious background,
"What will Heaven be like,
and why would I want to be there?"
Not Up But Down Where We Are
We usually think of heaven as up, way up. We think of spirits with airy bodies floating about on cumulus clouds. These ideas, pictures, and frames of thought must come down.
For in Revelation 21:1-7,
John suggests that
the new heaven and new earth
will be right here where we now live.
We don't go to heaven;
heaven comes to us.
Think about what this means. It means that Banff National Park will be part of heaven. Toronto, especially Ontario Place, will be included. So will Miami and Montreal, Paterson and Vancouver.
Of course, things will have to be purified and changed. It's hard to imagine smog and sleet and floods and urban decay in the new heaven and the new earth. But it is the present earth that will be invaded by heaven — these forests, these mountains, this city and that one, these streams and rivers, lakes and lagoons.
In this renewed earth, into the heavenly city on earth, into the new Jerusalem will come some familiar things, all of them changed to match God's perfect portraits of them. Whole nations will march in, not just individuals. Symphonies and bands will be as much a part of the throng as choirs. Not just pastors, but kings and presidents and ex-dictators and prime ministers will march in ... sports will probably be plentiful in the new earth, for we will have new, free, powerful bodies. The new earth will be filled with friends and old enemies and humble apologies.
Above all, Jesus Christ will be there.
And everyone will be drawn to Him
as though by a magnet,
for He will be the center
of the new heaven and the new earth.
And everyone will be drawn to Him
as though by a magnet,
for He will be the center
of the new heaven and the new earth.
The Refilling of the Earth with Good
Nowadays, twisted culture (culture is the sum of what humans produce and of the ways in which they are organized for life together) fills the earth. Great scientists use their excellent minds to dream up mega-destructive intercontinental ballistic missiles. Some filmmakers put a good face on divorce and godlessness. Some politicians try to become dictators, and some doctors get more interested in wealth than in healing. Some ministers preach sermons that are popular but not true.
What's more, people take pride in their bad or dangerous culture. Nations boast of their destructive might. Schools brag about their prestige. Racists pride themselves on their color. People everywhere accept with open arms and minds the products of a bad culture — products such as pornography, dope, gambling casinos, abortion mills, and terrorist training centers.
The earth is full, all right.
But it's full of —
well, of trash as well as treasure.
Isaiah 60 says that the new heaven
and the new earth will be refilled.
The earth and its fullness
is the Lord's (Psalm 24:1).
God means to reclaim the
fullness that is His.
God means to transform
all this fullness,
to refill the earth,
so that culture can serve Him
and His people the way it was
intended to way back
at the beginning.
In this great refilling,
spears will be turned back
into pruning shears
and swords into garden rakes.
Artists and teachers,
business people and attorneys,
animal trainers and filmmakers —
all will use their skills and products
to make God's name great
and to serve His people.
All Nations Come into God's City
Your gates will always stand open,
they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you
the wealth of the nations —
their kings led in triumphal procession.
+ Isaiah 60:11
At the end God will refill the earth.
The new heaven and the new earth
will be filled with the pure culture
of art and education,
science and technology,
law and commerce.
Animals and animal trainers
will be part of the new earth.
So will gardens and garden keepers.
So will computers and programmers.
What used to be a source of human pride
will become instead a reflector
of the glory of God.
For the earth and its fullness
are the Lord's.
Isaiah mentions in particular two kinds of culture, both political. He mentions kings and nations. Why kings?
Why will kings come marching in?
| 1 |
In ancient times a king was not just a ruler. He also represented his nation's whole culture. A king provided for arts and learning. (That is why some colleges have been named "King's College.") A king sponsored business, law, and medicine. In fact, a nation's cultural treasures were, in a sense, all on deposit in its national ruler. When kings come marching in, therefore, so do their cultural deposits. They are part of the "filling" for the new heaven and the new earth.
| 2 |
Isaiah says that when kings come into the new earth, they will not head the parade. Instead, they will be "led in triumphal procession." They will be followers rather than leaders. The tables will be turned on unjust kings. Those who once dominated people will now have to meekly follow their victims into the new city. Those kings and queens who once tortured people or crushed them will now have to bow low before them. For in the new heavens and the new earth, rulers will have to account for their use of the political power God lent them ... The purpose of this turning of the tables is not mere revenge. The purpose instead is a public demonstration of the justice of God.
History's wrongs must be righted.
The truth must come out.
History's wrongs must be righted.
The truth must come out.
Oppressors must be made to
face their victims and repent.
| 3 |
Isaiah mentions kings because he wants us to know that in the new heaven and the new earth politicians will serve people instead of sucking them dry. Isaiah uses a strange and striking image for this. He says in 60:16 that people in the new city will be "nursed at royal breasts." The point is that those who rule will be people who nurture, like a mother. They will be like our Lord Himself, who wanted to gather His people as a hen gathers her chicks (Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34) ... This time all politics will be perfectly managed by Him who is King of kings and Lord of lords.
| 4 |
Isaiah says that nations will come into God's city. Not just individuals, but whole peoples will stream into the holy city. What's the idea.
The idea is that God takes pleasure
in the sheer kinds of people
He has made and rescued.
Red and yellow, black and white
— all are precious in His sight,
and all have their place
in the new Jerusalem.
Ethnic groups can bring in
their ethnic treasures
without sinful pride.
Races may offer their gifts
to God without racism.
For as surely as Pentecost
opens the door to people
of every tongue and tribe,
so the gates of heaven
will swing whole for the
multicolor procession of
God's people.
“You (Lamb of God)
are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language
and people and nation.
You have made them to be a Kingdom
You have made them to be a Kingdom
and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
and they will reign on the earth.”
+ Revelation 5:9-10
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| The Bible Project: Heaven and Earth |
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May God's Kingdom come, His will be done.
Que le Royaume de Dieu vienne,
que sa volonté soit faite.
愿神的国降临，愿神的旨意成就。
Nguyện xin Nước Chúa đến, ý Ngài được nên.
Jesús nuestra Rey, venga Tu reino!
🙏💗🍞🍷👑🌅🌇
With anticipation and joy,
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