Adam came FROM the earth, to LIVE on the earth, to RULE over the earth, to FILL the earth, to be SUSTAINED by the earth, and to RETURN to the earth. He was not created as an angel to live in heaven. He was not given wings to fly in the sky or live in nests above the earth. He was not given fins to live in the sea beneath the earth. He was given a body fit to traverse and live on the earth.
Well what about heaven? It is God’s dwelling place where
departed spirits go upon death. When our body succumbs to death, our spirit
returns to God. But God’s ULTIMATE GOAL is the redemption of the whole person,
including the body. When Christ returns to set up his kingdom on earth, he will
transform our mortal bodies into resurrected bodies fit for the new earth. Jesus
said, “The meek shall inherit THE EARTH.”
Therefore, heaven is not our permanent home but a temporary
abode. We might liken it to taking a flight to Disneyworld (Orlando), but
having to first layover in Little Rock. While
Little Rock is a nice place, it is not the final destination. Likewise, our
ultimate destination is not heaven, but the kingdom of God on a renewed earth
(Rev. 21—22).
How did we become so confused about this issue? We will
discuss this in the next post. For a fuller and more illustrative study of the
subject, order my book HEAVEN ON EARTH (available in both paperback and kindle
editions). It will change your thinking forever!
2 comments:
This article is a great start, but nowhere in the Word of God does it tell us that saints will go to heaven. It does tell us that the earth will remain forever and our goal is the coming earthly kingdom.
I agree the emphasis is on the earth. I am just not ready to eliminate heaven altogether. Jesus says he goes to prepare a place for us (John 14). This could be a reference to heaven.
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