Heaven (18 page)
Authors: Randy Alcorn
The sound of a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and loud peals of thunder, shouted, "Hallelujah! For our Lord
God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has
made herself ready." . . .
All eyes turned to the King. The entire universe fell silent, anticipating his words.
"I will turn the wasteland into a garden," the King announced. "I will bring here the home I have made for you, my bride.
There will be a new world, a life-filled blue-green world, greater than all that has ever been. The Shadowlands are mine again,
and I shall transform them. My kingdom has come. My will shall be done. Winter is over. Spring is here at last!"
A great roar rose from the vast crowd. The King raised his hands. Upon seeing those scars, the cheering crowds remembered
the unthinkable cost of this great celebration.
Warriors slapped each other on the back. The delivered hugged their deliverers, enjoying a great reunion with those once parted
from them.
The multitudes innumerable began to sing the song for which they had been made, a song that echoed off a trillion planets
and reverberated in a quadrillion places in every nook and cranny of the creation's expanse. Audience and orchestra and choir
all blended into one great symphony, one grand cantata of rhapsodic melodies and sustaining harmonies. All were participants.
Only one was an audience, the Audience of One. The smile of the King's approval swept through the choir like fire across
dry wheat fields.
When the song was complete, the Audience of One stood and raised his great arms, then clapped his scarred hands together in
thunderous applause, shaking ground and sky, jarring every corner of the cosmos. His applause went on and on, unstopping
and unstoppable.
Every one of them realized something with undiminished clarity in that instant. They wondered why they had not seen it all
along. What they knew in that moment, in every fiber of their beings, was that this Person and this Place were all they had
ever longed for .. . and ever would.
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WHERE AND WHEN WILL OUR DELIVERANCE COME?
There is not one inch in the entire area of our human life about "which Christ, •who is Sovereign of all, does not cry out,
"Mine!"
Abraham Kuyper
I
f God were to end history and reign forever in a distant Heaven, Earth would be remembered as a graveyard of sin and failure.
Instead, Earth will be redeemed and resurrected. In the end it will be a far greater world, even for having gone through
the birth pains of suffering and sin—yes,
even sin.
The New Earth will justify the old Earth's disaster, make good out of it, putting it in perspective. It will preserve and
perpetuate Earth's original design and heritage.
Isaiah and the prophets make clear the destiny of God's people. They will live in peace and prosperity, as free people in
their promised land. But what about the recipients of these promises who have died—including people who lived in times of
enslavement and captivity, war, poverty, and sickness? For many, life was short, hard, and sometimes cruel. Did these poor
people ever live to see peace and prosperity, a reign of righteousness, or the end of wickedness?
No.
Have any of their descendants lived to see such a place?
No. "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them
and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things
show that they are looking for a country of their own.... They were longing for a better country—a heavenly o n e . . . .
[God] has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:13-14, 16).
THE OLD TESTAMENT HOPE FOR A NEW EARTH
The "country of their own" spoken of in Hebrews 11 is a real country, with a real capital city, the New Jerusalem. It is an
actual place where these "aliens and strangers on earth" will ultimately live in actual bodies. If the promises God made to
them were promises regarding Earth (and they were), then the heavenly "country of their own" must ultimately include Earth.
The fulfillment of these prophecies requires exactly what Scripture elsewhere promises—a resurrection of God's people
and
God's Earth.
What thrilled these expectant believers was not that God would rule in Heaven—he already did. Their hope was that one day
he would rule on Earth, removing sin, death, suffering, poverty, and heartache. They believed the Messiah would come and
bring Heaven to Earth. He would make God's will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
The hope of the ancient Israelites was not only for their distant offspring but also for
themselves.
They longed for God's rule on Earth, not just for a hundred years or a thousand, but forever
Since where God dwells, there heaven is, we conclude that in the life to come heaven and earth will no longer be separated,
as they are now, but will be merged. Believers will therefore continue to be in heaven as they continue to live on the new
earth.
ANTHONY HOEKEMA
It's commonly taught that the Old Testament concept of Heaven is stunted. However, though it’scertainly true that very little
is said about the intermediate Heaven, where believers go when they die,
the Old Testament actually says agreat deal about the eternal Heaven.
(We saw some of it in Isaiah 60and other passages, and there’s a lot more.) Unfortunately, we often don’t realize it.Why?
Because when we read passages about a future earthly kingdom,we assume they don’t refer to Heaven. But because God will dwell
with his people on the New Earth, these Scripture passages do refer to Heaven.
"But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. . . . The earth will
give birth to her dead" (Isaiah 26:19). Just as Adam was made from the dust of the earth, we will be remade from the dust
to which we returned at death. God's people are not looking for deliverance
from
Earth, but deliverance
on
Earth. That's exactly what we will find after our bodily resurrection.
THE QUESTION OF THE MILLENNIUM
Many have reduced the coming reign of Christ on Earth to a thousand-year millennial kingdom on the old Earth. Consequently,
they have failed to understand the biblical promise of an eternal reign on the New Earth. Because of this, it's necessary
for us to take a closer look at the Millennium, which has been the subject of considerable debate throughout church history.
Revelation 20 refers six times to the Millennium, describing it like this:
• The devil is bound for a thousand years (v. 2).
• For a thousand years, the nations are no longer deceived (v. 3).
• The saints come to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years (v. 4).
• The rest of the dead don't come to life until after the thousand years are ended (v. 5).
• The saints will be priests and kings for a thousand years (v. 6).
• Satan will be loosed at the end of the thousand years, and he will prompt a final human rebellion against God (w. 7-8).
Theologians differ over whether the Millennium should be understood as a literal thousand-year reign, and when it will occur
in relation to the second coming of Christ. Christians generally hold one of three views about the Millennium: postmillennial,
premillennial, or amillennial.
From
a postmillennialviewpoint,
Christ's Kingdom is spreading throughout the world, and God's justice will prevail across the earth prior to Christ's return.
After his reign is established through his people for a long duration (not necessarily a literal thousand years), Christ
will physically return to an already substantially redeemed world.
From a
premillennial
viewpoint—which would include much of dispensational theology and the teaching of a variety of scholars throughout church
history—the Millennium will be a literal thousand-year reign of Christ, which will begin immediately upon his return when
he defeats his enemies in the battle of Armageddon. During these thousand years, God's promises of the Messiah's earthly
reign will be fulfilled. Redeemed Jews will live in their homeland, and (according to some teachings) the church will govern
the world with Christ. The Millennium will end with a final rebellion, and the old Earth will be replaced by, or transformed
into, the New Earth.
From an
amillennial
viewpoint—including most Reformed theology and the teaching of many scholars throughout church history—the Millennium isn't
a literal thousand years, nor is it a future state. Rather, the events depicted in Revelation 20:3-7 are happening right now
as Christ's church reigns with him over the earth, in victorious triumph empowered by his death and resurrection. The saints
rule over the earth from the present Heaven, where they dwell with Christ.
Theologians who hold to amillennial or premillennial viewpoints differ on specific details even within their own camps. For
instance, according to dispensational premillennialism, the Rapture will occur prior to the Tribulation, and both will occur
prior to the final return of Christ to Earth. According to historic premillennialism, the Rapture is an inseparable part of
Christ's single, physical return to Earth, which will occur after the Tribulation.
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Though I don't believe the case for postmillennialism is strong (either biblically or in light of human history), both premillennialism
and amillennialism have many biblical points in their favor.
†
I personally believe there will be a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on the present Earth (though I'm not dogmatic
on this point), but I also understand and respect the strong interpretive arguments that have been made in support of amillennialism.
Although the Millennium is a subject of interest to many, it's not the subject of this book. I mention it only to point out
that our beliefs about the Millennium need not affect our view of the New Earth. The Millennium question relates to whether
the old Earth will end after the return of Christ, or a thousand years later after the end of the Millennium. But regardless
of when the old Earth ends, the central fact is that
the New Earth will begin.
The Bible is emphatic that God's ultimate Kingdom and our final home will
not be
on the old Earth but on the New Earth, where at last God's original design will be fulfilled and
enjoyed forever
—not just for a thousand years. Hence, no matter how differently we may view the Millennium, we can still embrace a common
theology of the New Earth.
THE PROMISED NEW WORLD
A dominant theme in OldTestament prophecies involves God's plan for an earthly kingdom of righteousness. This pertains to
the earth in general and Jerusalem in particular. Isaiah, for example, repeatedly anticipates this coming new world.
The Messiah "will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom . . . forever" (Isaiah 9:7). David's throne was an earthly
one, with an earthly past and an earthly future.
In Isaiah 11:1-10, we're told of the Messiah's mission to Earth: "He will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule
against the wicked and destroy them" (v. 4, NLT). With the lifting of the Curse, the Messiah will bring peace to the animal
kingdom: "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat" (v. 6). (This fulfills the deliverance
spoken of in Romans 8.) Isaiah says there will be no harm or destruction in Jerusalem (v. 9). The Messiah "will stand as
a banner for the peoples," and "the nations will rally to him" (v. 10). His "place of rest will be glorious" (v. 10). (This
anticipates Revelation 21-22.)
Where will this happen? Not "up there" in a distant Heaven, but "down here" on Earth, in Jerusalem. As we saw in chapter 9,
Isaiah 60 speaks of the city gates always being open, because there are no longer any enemies. In words nearly identical to
those of John concerning the New Earth (Revelation 21:24-26), it speaks of nations and kings bringing in their wealth. It
tells of God's light replacing the sun's and promises that "your days of sorrow will end" (Isaiah 60:19-20)—two prophecies
clearly fulfilled in Revelation.
But Isaiah 60 is not alone in these powerful portrayals of everlasting national and global renewal. "As a bridegroom rejoices
over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.. .. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no
rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. . . . Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare
the way for the people. . . . Raise a banner for the nations" (Isaiah 62:5-7, 10).
"See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him" (Isaiah 62:11). This statement
reappears in Revelation 22:12, in the words of Jesus Christ: "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give
to everyone according to what he has done."
The preoccupation with God's establishment of an earthly kingdom couldn't be more clear than it is in Isaiah 65: "'Behold,
I will create new heavens and a new earth. . . . But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create
Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of
weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. . . . They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards
and eat their fruit.... The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be
the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,' says the Lord" (w. 1719,21,25).
Throughout church history, some Bible students have believed that the thousand-year kingdom spoken of in Revelation 20 is
literal. Others believe it is figurative. I cannot resolve that debate. My point here is not to say that Isaiah 60 and 65
don't
refer to a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on the old Earth. Rather, I am saying that they
do
refer to the eternal reign of Christ on the New Earth.
It is common for prophetic statements to have partial fulfillment in one era and complete fulfillment in another. It may be
that these passages will have a partial and initial fulfillment in a literal millennium, explaining why the passages contain
a few allusions to death, which is incompatible with the New Earth. But, in context, these prophecies go far beyond a temporary
kingdom on an Earth that is still infected by sin, curse, and death, and that ends with judgment and destruction. They speak
of an eternal kingdom, a messianic reign over a renewed Earth that lasts forever, on which sin, curse, and death have no place
at all.
The New Earth will be the setting for God's Kingdom. The New Jerusalem will be where people come to pay him tribute: "'As
the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,' declares the Lord, 'so will your name and descendants
endure. . . . All mankind will come and bow down before me,' says the Lord" (Isaiah 66:22-23).
Those who insist that Revelation 21-22 should be understood figuratively must then also take all the Isaiah passages figuratively.
But Jewish scholars understood them literally. There's every indication Jesus took them literally. The heart cry of the nation
was for the Messiah to come and set up his physical Kingdom on Earth.
[Christ's resurrection] is not a matter of a "spirit appearance," but the utterly unprecedented, unique, world-transforming,
heaven-anticipating, sovereign action of the Creator in the first installment of remaking the world.
BRUCE MILNE
It’s worth restating that we should expect Isaiah’s prophecies about the Messiah’s second coming and the New Earth to be literally
fulfilled because his detailed prophecies regarding the Messiah's first coming were literally fulfilled (e.g., Isaiah 52:13;
53:4-12). When Jesus spoke to his disciples before ascending to Heaven, he said it was not for them to know
when
he would restore God's Kingdom on Earth (Acts 1:6-8), but he did not say they wouldn't know
if he
would restore God's Kingdom. After all, restoring the Kingdom of God on Earth was his ultimate mission.
