by jimwalton » Mon Jan 16, 2017 6:24 am
I'll make a couple of points. First of all, heaven is a "spiritual" realm that is not tainted by sin and is where God's presence dwells among angels. The Bible only ever discusses heaven in abstract and metaphorical terms because it's not exactly something we can easily understand. It's very different from our physical world. It is not a place, exactly. It's not a part of our universe. And it doesn't "contain" God. Heaven was created by God just as our universe was.
Heaven is usually mentioned in the Bible in one of two ways:
On one hand, it's a place from where God rules. The main idea is that God's presence and righteousness are there in full force. Jesus often talked about God's kingdom coming to Earth. Heaven is a place that is already entirely God's kingdom. And he is always being worshiped there, by angels. So presumably it's where angels generally exist—they're only ever seen on Earth when given a specific mission or responsibility here.
The truth is, biblically speaking, heaven is NOT our ultimate destination. Revelation talks about how there will be a new heaven and new Earth in the end, that God will dwell here on Earth just as he dwells in heaven, and that we will live (in resurrected bodies like Jesus') on the new Earth. Heaven became twisted into this idea that we would just leave Earth and spend eternity in heaven. That's not biblical. The Bible suggests that people in the afterlife will live on a rebuilt Earth.
Second, heaven isn't all about praising God. From some of the parables that Jesus tells (Matthew 25.14-23; Luke 19.12-19) we can infer that people will live lives kind of like what we have here, with meaningful work to do, responsibilities, relationships, etc.—what earth was supposed to be.
Thirdly, and the most direct answer to your question: 1 Corinthians 15.35-54. We are not able to enter heaven with these bodies and minds that are imperfect. "We will all be changed" from mortal to immortal. Now we know in part; then we will know fully (1 Corinthians 13.12). When perfection comes, the imperfect disappears (1 Cor. 13.10). What we will be has not been completely revealed, but we know that when Jesus appears, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is (1 John 3.3). I will still be "me," but the best version of me—the me I was intended ideally to be.
The full, whole and complete "me" will get in, but I will be transformed to be suitable for entrance. We won't be lobotomized, but our knowledge and consciousness will be expanded (Romans 8.21-23, 29). The afterlife with Christ is a radical upgrade, not a dumbing-down just too empty for words.
I'll make a couple of points. First of all, heaven is a "spiritual" realm that is not tainted by sin and is where God's presence dwells among angels. The Bible only ever discusses heaven in abstract and metaphorical terms because it's not exactly something we can easily understand. It's very different from our physical world. It is not a place, exactly. It's not a part of our universe. And it doesn't "contain" God. Heaven was created by God just as our universe was.
Heaven is usually mentioned in the Bible in one of two ways:
On one hand, it's a place from where God rules. The main idea is that God's presence and righteousness are there in full force. Jesus often talked about God's kingdom coming to Earth. Heaven is a place that is already entirely God's kingdom. And he is always being worshiped there, by angels. So presumably it's where angels generally exist—they're only ever seen on Earth when given a specific mission or responsibility here.
The truth is, biblically speaking, heaven is NOT our ultimate destination. Revelation talks about how there will be a new heaven and new Earth in the end, that God will dwell here on Earth just as he dwells in heaven, and that we will live (in resurrected bodies like Jesus') on the new Earth. Heaven became twisted into this idea that we would just leave Earth and spend eternity in heaven. That's not biblical. The Bible suggests that people in the afterlife will live on a rebuilt Earth.
Second, heaven isn't all about praising God. From some of the parables that Jesus tells (Matthew 25.14-23; Luke 19.12-19) we can infer that people will live lives kind of like what we have here, with meaningful work to do, responsibilities, relationships, etc.—what earth was supposed to be.
Thirdly, and the most direct answer to your question: 1 Corinthians 15.35-54. We are not able to enter heaven with these bodies and minds that are imperfect. "We will all be changed" from mortal to immortal. Now we know in part; then we will know fully (1 Corinthians 13.12). When perfection comes, the imperfect disappears (1 Cor. 13.10). What we will be has not been completely revealed, but we know that when Jesus appears, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is (1 John 3.3). I will still be "me," but the best version of me—the me I was intended ideally to be.
The full, whole and complete "me" will get in, but I will be transformed to be suitable for entrance. We won't be lobotomized, but our knowledge and consciousness will be expanded (Romans 8.21-23, 29). The afterlife with Christ is a radical upgrade, not a dumbing-down just too empty for words.