Heaven: not the end of the World XV
Series summary
[Photo by Adrian Smith]
This series began by raising the question: "what does heaven have to do with the Christian hope?" Although many Christians think of going to heaven when you die, I suggested this is to significantly misunderstand the scriptural witness. 'Heaven' most frequently simply means that part of God's creation located physically above us; this is then often extended to refer symbolically to the location of God, and then to be a kind of reverential shorthand for 'God'. In this last sense, 'heaven' (i.e. God) is the origin or agent of our hope, but 'heaven' (as other or extra-worldly location) is not our destination. This, I suggested, might be what Paul meant when he called Christians citizens of heaven. The final chapters of the Bible picture heaven coming to earth, that is, God coming to live with us, rather than vice versa. For this to happen, the entire created order needs some drastic renovation. In particular, our physical bodies will be raised from the dead and transformed. This image (resurrection) - while not the only one - is, I think, the most important because this is what happened to Jesus. By it, we can understand 'new heavens and new earth' as new in quality, not in number. This means that we are left eagerly waiting for this future, groaning for and with a world in which everything falls apart. We are aliens in such a world, not because we belong elsewhere, but because we belong to its future. In that future, perhaps it will be through and in a raised body/renewed creation that we will see God, as Augustine once suggested.
What does this matter? What difference does it make? Why should we care? There is still more to come...
Series: I; II; IIa; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X; XI; XII; XIII; XIV; XV; XVI.
Ten points for the first to link to the other post on this blog with a photo by the same artist as this one.
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17 comments:
Your closing phrase, "there is still more to come" I presume means you have more to relate on this topic; but could also be taken as a summary of the summary and a definition of Christian hope!
Sorry if someone has already commented about this- but I haven't had time to read all of your posts on this topic...
When I talk to my kids at school about this stuff (years 8,9 and 12 at the moment) we go through the Christian hope of resurrection, the renewal of earth etc (not flying off to live on clouds). But then they always ask, "So where do I go if I die tomorrow?" Now is it ok for me to call this place 'heaven'? Or should we call it paradise (Jesus to the bloke on the cross)? Or do we know much about it at all?
Matthew - yes and yes. I've used the same phrase a few times before. In fact, this issue (of whether there is still more to come) was the subject of some of my earliest posts.
Lachlan - glad to hear you're working on claring the confusion early! A noble task. The most straightforward answer is 'with Christ' (Philippians 1.23). Though of course it only appears straightforward. For where is Christ? I think there are two answers (not necessarily mutually exclusive): with the Father (John 13.1) and hidden (Col 3.1-4). So, yes, I think it's ok to call this 'heaven', I just don't think it's particularly helpful to give it straight away, since it reinforces the numerous misconceptions on the subject that I've been trying to clear up.
As for time to read all the posts, no problem - it has grown a little epic, hence this summary so that it's easier to find the specific post(s) you're interested in. At the end, I'll also publish a numbered list.
I haven't scored any points on your blog, byron... or maybe there were two once upon a time... where do these points lead me? can I buy a vowel?
it's very cool that whole think about God coming to dwell with us, to make his home with us! It brings on the "thrill of hope" like in my favourite hymn of the impending silly season:
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
the "weary world" rejoices because the first coming of Christ fortells the second, when creation will be renewed!
Thanks Em, I love that verse - sends a chill down my spine every time.
As for the points, they are a form of glory, gained through meritorious works (guessing). They enable you to move up the leaderboard.
and the points are a great source of procrastination during stuvac!
the other post on this blog with a pic by the same artist can be found here
(if I've been able to get the link working!!)
Christian - good thought. Perhaps we could add that the heart of 'wealth' is relational (perhaps a better term than 'spiritual', which has so many different connotations flying off in every direction). And this is why we get something (by the Spirit, hence 'spiritual') of that wealth now, a firstfruits of relational riches with God and his family.
Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age--houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions--and in the age to come eternal life. Mark 10.29-30.
Oh, and getting back to Matthew's first comment at the top of the page, the more to come in this series is to answer 'why does this matter?'
Thanks Byron, great post. This series has been so very helpful in being clear on what our hope is - and thus so encouraging!
Bec: ten points. Almost there!
Sorry - I missed your comment earlier. I'll to the other comments later.
Since I said I'll 'to the other comments later', I'll 'to' them now...
Vynette - these are some great points you're making. I assume you more or less with what has been called traditionally 'soul sleep' - that the death are not presently conscious, but 'sleep' until their resurrection. In my answer to Lachlan I tried to avoid saying anything about this, since I remain undecided. A friend from college has just written a project beautifully titled Dawn of the Dead in which he argues your line (I think - if I am understanding your point). I am certainly sympathetic. I'm curious, how do you understand Paul language of departing and being with Christ in Philippians 1.23? And that this would be 'better by far'? That seems to me to be amongst the strongest points against soul sleep.
Drew - thanks for the encouragement!
Here's an abstract for an article arguing along very similar lines to me. Pity the whole paper isn't on the web.
Thanks Vynette, that's very helpful
Byron,
Although late to the party, I've read parts of this series, and now plan to read it all from "cover to cover". Keep up the good work.
You said "Here's an abstract for an article arguing along very similar lines to me. Pity the whole paper isn't on the web."
Try here, an article from Journal for Christian Theological Research, which I think grew out of that abstract, although I've yet to digest it.
Hey Shamus, good to hear from you! Thanks for the link. Make sure you also check out the final post in this series where I try to draw a few implications.
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