On January 6, 2024

NOTES ON THINGS TO COME-II: THE ETERNAL HOME OF GOD AND MAN

SCRIPTURE. “Now it will come to pass that in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be [firmly] established as the highest of the mountains, and will be exalted above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.”– ISAIAH 2:2, AMP

QUOTATION. “In his Kingly Office, The Prince of the Kings of the Earth: Which Title sets out Christ not only to be God, equal with the Father, but as Mediator, King of His Kirk. He is called, Prince of the Kings of the Earth; not as if kings, and all great men, or others, were in the same manner subjects to Him in the relation that believers are, (in which respect his Kingly Office extendeth no further, nor his Priestly and Prophetical Office) but though so He have not such a near relation to them, nor they to Him; yet He is King over them, to refrain them that they prejudge not His Kirk; and to judge them for any wrongs or prejudice they do to them, and to inflict Temporal Judgments on them here, and Eternal hereafter, when He shall be their Judge, and the Books shall be opened at the Great Day.” ― JAMES DURHAM, A Commentary on Revelation, Vol 1, 1658; edited

FIRST THOUGHTS

One of the first things my wise and spiritually-charged mother taught me as a very young Christian in the early 80s was in the form of a Cliché (and I hate clichés!): “Son, always remember to never be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good.” Thus was planted in my then-nascent spiritual soil the need to remain practically wise in order to negotiate the ebbs and flows of life on Planet Earth as a Christian.

But at risk of offending my nearly always prudent and courageous, flaming red-headed Hispanic Mom (only 5 ft. tall, we nicknamed her “Short Eyes,” and you never, ever wanted to get on her bad side!), I will have to disagree with her timeworn cliché.

In fact, the Scriptures tell us to do the opposite.

SCRIPTURAL WISDOM. For this brief deconstruction of this Myth, I turn to Assistant Professor of Spiritual Theology and Formation at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, KYLE STROBEL. He is also coauthor of Where Prayer Becomes Real (2021) and The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb (2021). My standard BULLET POINTS shall economize our review.

His essay is entitled, “Are You Too Earthly Minded to Do Earthly Good?” The Gospel Coalition, August 4, 2018; edited.

THE CLICHÉ. “We often think of Heaven as something that affects us after we die, with little impact on our daily lives now. Heaven feels speculative, ethereal, and impractical; we’re better off spending our time dealing with down-to-earth things.”

THE COUNTER. “But JONATHAN EDWARDS believed that being ‘too heavenly minded for earthly good’ is an impossibility. The only way to be of true earthly good is to be Heavenly Minded. Thinking about Heaven doesn’t take our eyes off of the world; it allows us to live in the world according to the Way of Christ.”

KNOWING GOD. “To live a Heavenly Life now you must ‘set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth’ (Col. 3:2). The ‘things that are above’ don’t primarily reference a place, but the Triune God. Heaven is only ‘heavenly’ because God is there. He’s the Spring of love that gives life and direction to that place. The life we know now is given direction by that same source of life and love, so we must grasp what it means to ‘Know God.’”

BEATIFIC VISION. “The Christian Tradition has talked about this Heavenly Journey in terms of participating in ‘The Beatific Vision:’ Seeing God face to face. The sight of God, Edwards tells us, is ‘Happifying’ (which is what ‘Beatific’ means); it causes Happiness to well up inside a person. It would be foolish to think that seeing God is uninteresting, or interesting only in an academic sense. Seeing God fulfills the Design of Humanity, and therefore sets the mind and heart into motion—‘It happifies!’Seeing God brings a person to complete satisfaction.”

THE JOURNEY. “This is the Journey Christians are already on—as Pilgrims in the Way of Eternity. ‘When Eternity captures a Christian’s imagination, the God of love and glory orients the entirety of his life.’ Edwards meditated deeply on Heaven because he knew it would help him to live well here. His meditation on Heaven allowed him to see his sin for what it was, it helped him weigh decisions, and it allowed him to trust more deeply in the Ways of God. We can never be too Heavenly-Minded for earthly good, because our goal is never to ‘get out of here’ but to be captivated by the God of glory.”

So now that we are on the topic of ‘Heavenly Mindedness,’ I thought it may be wise to take a much closer look at that exhilarating idea in the next section. Been wanting to do this for a long time.

II. JUST WHAT IS, ‘HEAVEN’?

Just before Christmas 2010, my Dad passed into Eternity following a lengthy battle with lung cancer at the age of 87. I have written often of him, actually my Step-Dad, who took me under his wise, brave and caring wing when I was only two years old in 1946 after he finished an honorable tour in the South Pacific in the Second World War as a United States Navy submariner. I will have to force myself to not tell lots of stories about my incredible Dad, who everyone affectionately called, “C.W.”

The point of my reminiscence is that I gave him a book just before he died by RANDY ALCORN named, simply, Heaven (2004). Subtitle: “A Comprehensive Guide to Everything the Bible Says About Our Eternal Home (Clear Answers to 44 Real Questions About the Afterlife, Angels, Resurrection, and the Kingdom of God).” Oy!

But before getting to the real good stuff, let’s take a quick look at what the Scriptures distinguish as Three Kinds or qualities of “Heaven.” I borrow this from JOSEPH MUNGUTI, who writes of this important and timely issue in his online Blog, Christian Truth Center on January 4, 2024 (edited).

THE THREE HEAVENS. Munguti accurately points out that there are Three Heavens. We begin with the Apostle Paul saying that “he knew a man in Christ who was caught up to the ‘Third Heaven.’” – 2 CORINTHIANS 12:2, emph. added

FIRST HEAVEN. This refers to the ‘Earth’s atmosphere;’ the immediate sky. It is where birds and clouds are. It is that part of our existence that we refer to as “Sky” or “Air,” and all this it involves or contains.

SECOND HEAVEN. This is where the moon, sun, stars and the planets are; ‘the Cosmos’ of outer space. This the stuff of the airless and immeasurable Universe of God’s created order.

THIRD HEAVEN This refers to the ‘Dwelling place of God’ beyond the Universe. Solomon told God, “Heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You” (1 Kings 8:27). Since God is beyond the Universe, He must dwell in some Spiritual Place outside of it.

THE ABODE OF GOD. I happily turn now to excerpts from Mr. Alcorn’s marvelous book for a delicious taste of ‘What’s to Come,’ beloved. And it promises to be the most thrilling contemplation I have ever dared to write about.

“The best of life on Earth is a glimpse of Heaven; the worst of life is a glimpse of Hell. For Christians, this present life is the closest they will come to Hell. For Unbelievers, it is the closest they will come to Heaven.”

“Nothing is more often misdiagnosed than our homesickness for Heaven. We think that what we want is sex, drugs, alcohol, a new job, a raise, a doctorate, a spouse, a large-screen television, a new car, a cabin in the woods, a condo in Hawaii. What we really want is the Person we were made for, Jesus, and the Place we were made for, Heaven. Nothing less can satisfy us.”

“What we love about this life are the things that resonate with the life we were made for. The things we love are not merely the best this life has to offer—they are previews of the Greater Life to come … For the Christian, Death is not the end of adventure but a Doorway from a world where dreams and adventures shrink, to a World where dreams and adventures forever expand.”

“Meanwhile, we on this dying Earth can relax and rejoice for our loved ones who are in the presence of Christ. As the Apostle Paul tells us, though we naturally grieve at losing loved ones, we are ‘not to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Our Parting is not the end of our relationship, only an Interruption. We have not ‘lost’ them, because we know Where they are. They are experiencing the Joy of Christ’s Presence in a Place so wonderful that Christ called it ‘Paradise.’ And one day, we’re told, in a magnificent Reunion, they and we ‘will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words’ (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18).”

“To be in Resurrected Bodies on a Resurrected Earth in Resurrected Friendships, enjoying a Resurrected Culture with the Resurrected Jesus—now that will be the Ultimate Party! Everybody will be who God made them to be—and none of us will ever suffer or die again. As a Christian, the day I die will be the best day I’ve ever lived. But it won’t be the best day I ever will live. Resurrection Day will be far better. And the first day on the New Earth—that will be one big step for mankind, one giant leap for God’s glory.”

A MERE TASTE. These are but slices, tiny glimpses, of what is yet to become ‘Our Inheritance,’ beloved. And I am not done describing it yet. The last two sections will ‘Take us Home,’ if you will.

III. THE TEACHING

KEY TERM: “HIGHEST.” ‘Rosh’ [רֹאשׁ]: “From an unused root meaning, ‘to shake the head,’ implying place, time or rank; beginning, captain, chief; excellent, first, forefront; ‘Principal Ruler;’ height or highest; the top or head [of family or kingdom]; the leader; the very best of something; the entire or complete amount; the source.”

COMMENTARY. “For ‘in the last days’ read ‘latter or after days;’ the idea of the Hebrew words, as in Genesis 49:1; Numbers 24:14, being that of remoteness rather than finality. For the most part (Deuteronomy 4:30; Deuteronomy 31:29) they point to: ‘The distant future of the true King, to the Time of the Messiah.’

‘The mountain of the Lord’s house.’—The Prophet’s Vision of the far-off days sees, as it were, a transfigured and glorified Jerusalem. Zion, with the [Third] Temple, was to be no longer surrounded by hills as high as, or higher than, itself (Psalm 125:2), scorned by other mountains (Psalm 68:16-17); but was to be to Israel as a Sinai or a Lebanon, as a Mount Meru, or an Olympus, ‘An exceeding high mountain’ (Ezekiel 40:2), whose physical elevation [777 meters, or 2,541.21 ft.] should answer to its spiritual. (Comp. Zechariah 14:10.) So in that Vision of the Future, the waters of Shiloah, that went softly, were to become a broad and rushing river (Isaiah 33:21; Ezekiel 47:3-12). So, when men had been taught by experience that this ideal was to be realised in no Jerusalem or earth, the Seer of Patmos saw a yet more Transcendent Vision of the glories of the Heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10 to Revelation 22:5), and yet even these were but types and figures of Divine and ineffable realities.

‘All nations shall flow unto it.’—Better, ‘all the nations’—i.e., the Heathen as distinct from Israel. The Prophet sees and welcomes the approach of pilgrims from all regions of the earth to the New Sanctuary. Thus, early in his work was Isaiah (half unconsciously as to the manner in which his Vision was to be realised) the Prophet of a Universal Religion, of which the Truths of Judaism were the centre, and of a Catholic Church. In the admission of proselytes, commemorated in Psalms 87 (probably written about this time), we may see what may either have suggested the Prophecy, or have seemed as the first-fruits of its fulfilment.” – CHARLES ELLICOTT, An Old and New Testament Commentary for English Readers, 1878, 1897; edited

DK. This wonderful passage came to me the day after I inquired of the Lord in a somewhat worried fashion: “Father, I blurted out in the last presentation that your Eternal Home would be here on the earth, with us. Was I right?” Amazing that He would condescend toward me so quickly.

So we must understand at this point that there is a COSMOLOGICAL TRANSITION from the Abode of God in the Third Heaven, to Planet Earth. The crucial matter here is that Almighty God, the Supreme Authority in all the Universe, will someday be properly enthroned on the ‘Highest peak in all Jerusalem in the Millennial Temple’ described in vivid detail in Scripture (Ezekiel 8-11).

THE MILLENNIUM. Much of this borrows heavily from an essay by NATE HOLDRIDGE in his Blog entitled, “The Millennial Reign of Christ” (Mar. 29, 2021; edited).

CHRIST WILL VISIBLY REIGN. Jesus Christ will visibly reign from the Earth for 1,000 years. Many people will survive the Tribulation who are not yet saved — it is the Armies of the Nations and the Beast that are killed or judged before this. Jesus will then Rule over remaining humanity, ‘from Jerusalem,’ often called Zion in the Bible. And ‘most’ people will love His leadership (unbelievably, there shall be a Final Rebellion at the End of the Millennium; cf. Revelation 20:7-10).

THE CHURCH WILL REIGN WITH HIM. The Second Element of the Millennium is that the Church will reign with Jesus. Believers today will be with Christ tomorrow, leading and living in glorified bodies during the Golden Millennial Age. No, we will not be lying on a cloud with a harp singing praises for the thousand years, nonstop. Rather, ‘we shall be assigned work!’

SPIRITUAL LIFE WILL COME TO ISRAEL. The Third Element of the Millennium is that spiritual life will arise in Israel. Jeremiah spoke of a day when The Law would be written on Israelite hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). Ezekiel saw a Day when the dry bones of Israel are raised to life and given the breath of God’s Spirit (Ezekiel 37:1-4). Zechariah described a Future Day when Israel would have a spirit of grace and prayer for mercy, mourning over Jesus (Zechariah 12:10). With this renewal and vigor for God, Israel will rise to prominence, partly because Jesus will reign from Jerusalem. Thereafter Jewish Israel shall become the most important place on the Earth, and ultimately in the entire Universe. “The very Apple of Yahweh’s eye, forever!” (Zechariah 2:8).

SPIRITUAL LIFE WILL COME TO THE NATIONS. But Israel won’t be alone in its renewed spiritual life. The Fourth Element of the Millennium is that ‘spiritual life will come to the Nations.’ The Prophets made it clear the Earth will experience a population explosion during the Millennium. With the Curse suspended or at least greatly decreased, Isaiah and Jeremiah said infants would no longer die, everyone will “fill out their days,” so that death at age one hundred will be considered young (Isaiah 65:20, Jeremiah 30:20). And the great majority of the human population will grow to love and adore Christ.

SATAN WILL BE BOUND. The Fifth Element about the Millennium happens before many of the others – ‘Satan is bound!’ We already read this in Revelation 20 — he is bound for the Thousand Years (Revelation 20:1-3). At the End of these Thousand Years, The Books will be opened, and those who belong to Death and Hades, along with Satan, are thrown out of God’s Presence into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10, 13-15).

NATURE WILL BE REBORN. The Sixth Element of the Millennium is that ‘Nature will be revived.’ The Earth’s topography will also be rearranged as the wilderness and dry land become lush and fertile (Isaiah 35:1). Thorns and briers will be replaced by huge trees, providing clean air and shelter (Isaiah 55:13). Crops will grow with ease. Food will be plentiful (Joel 2:24-26). Everyone will be able to afford organic! The animal kingdom will no longer have a predatorial nature — the wolves and lambs, leopard and baby goats, lions and calves, bears and cows will intermix (Isaiah 11:6, 65:25). Children will be able to lead even the strongest predators because they will all become herbivores (Isaiah 11:7). And we will no longer have an adversarial relationship with the animal kingdom as even wild beasts and poisonous snakes become docile and safe under King Jesus’ leadership (Ezekiel 34:25, Isaiah 11:8-9).

But this is not The End quite yet. Indeed, this is what we might think of as ‘The Bridge’ from Human History to the inexplicable, indescribable Eternity of the New Heavens and the Earth. Thus, to our Grand Conclusion. But first, this …

FIERY INTERLUDE. “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish with a [mighty and thunderous] roar, and the [material] elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and the works that are on it will be burned up.” – 2 PETER 3:10, AMP

Now we are ready to consider: ‘The New Jerusalem in Perfected Eternity.’ Selah.

IV. LAST THOUGHTS ON INFIINITY AND BEYOND

THE TWELVE ELEMENTS OF THE NEW JERUSALEM. This is adapted from the superb overview by the EDITORS of the Bible Info website entitled, “The New Jerusalem: What Is It Like?” (ret. Jan. 4, 2024; edited).

“And [the angel] carried me away in the Spirit to a vast and lofty mountain, and showed me the holy (sanctified) city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having God’s glory [filled with His radiant light].” – REVELATION 21:10-11, AMP

The New Jerusalem is Massive. The New Jerusalem is laid out in the form of a Massive Cube–it’s length, width and height are all equal distance. New Jerusalem is at least 1,500 miles around at its base, while some believe that each side of the City is 1,500 miles in length. (See Revelation 21:16). The size of New Jerusalem means there is plenty of room for everyone who wants to live in the City. The City is so large that there is enough room for those alive today and all those who have lived in the past.

The Gates. The City has twelve gates, three per side. Each gate is fashioned from a single pearl with an angel next to it. The pearls have the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel written upon them. Best of all, these gates will never be shut–day or night (See Revelation 21:12, 25).

A Transparent City. The New Jerusalem is brilliant, shining with the Glory of God. The City’s Light is like that of precious jasper as clear as crystal. New Jerusalem itself is likened to pure gold, as clear as glass. John also writes that the streets are made of pure and transparent gold (See Revelation 21:11, 18, 21).

The Foundations. New Jerusalem has Twelve Foundations made of precious stones with the names of the Twelve Apostles written on them (See Revelation 21:14). – Amathyst; Jacinth; Chrysoprasus; Topaz; Beryl; Chrysolyte; Sardius; Sardonyx; Emerald; Chalcedony; Sapphire; Jasper.

The Walls. The City has a great and high wall of pure jasper (Revelation 21:12, 18). Revelation 21:17 adds, “Then he [an angel] measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.” So the wall was measured at 216 feet or 144 cubits, which many assume to be the wall’s width.

The Temple. Revelation 21:22, says that God and the Lamb are New Jerusalem’s Temple. There is no need for an actual temple to house God and veil His Glory from sinful mankind because the saved people in New Jerusalem will be able to see God face-to-face.

No Sun or Moon. New Jerusalem is fully illuminated by the Glory of God and the Light of the Lamb brightens the City (Revelation 21:23). There is no need for the Sun or Moon. Revelation 21:25, even says, “There shall be no night there.”

The River & Tree of Life. Revelation 22:1 speaks of a River flowing from the Throne of God and the Lamb. This Pure River of Water of Life is clear as crystal and the Tree of Life is on each side of the River. This Tree produces fruit every month and its leaves are for the “healing of the nations.” Ezekiel 47:12, adds that the Trees “will bear fruit every month because their water flows from the sanctuary.”

All Are Invited. The New Jerusalem’s gates are never shut, there is no night there, all are welcome to enter the City. Revelation 22:7 says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirst come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”

10.Who Can Enter? Revelation 21:27 adds, that only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life can enter the City and that anything that defiles or causes an abomination will by no means enter the City. Additionally, Revelation 22:14 states that those who ‘do’ God’s Commandments have the right to the Tree of Life and may enter the City.

11.The New Jerusalem Is Real. John didn’t make up the facts about New Jerusalem. In Revelation 21:6, God sends an angel to show John what was to come. “Then he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true.’ And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.”

12.No More Suffering or Pain. New Jerusalem will be very beautiful. However, the City’s beauty will not even begin to compare to the Joy of the saved as they experience no more aches and pains, suffering or death. Revelation 21:4 explains that, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

CODA: ONLY THIS. “But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, ‘What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed].’” – 1 CORINTHIANS 2:9, AMPC

And all the Fully Redeemed say: Amen! Even so, Come Lord Jesus!

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/hMABEsr635k