Tag: faith

Biblical Stories of Being Raised from the Dead

The Easter story celebrates Jesus’ unique resurrection, contrasting it with other instances of being raised from the dead, like Lazarus and others. While Lazarus and others experienced repair or temporary returns, Jesus’ resurrection signifies a transformative experience, promising believers a future spiritual body and a restored existence in Heaven and Earth.

On Easter we celebrate Jesus being raised from the dead, but the Easter story is not the only story about being raised from the dead. The Easter story is unique, however, because Jesus isn’t just raised, He is resurrected. This is a very different thing. Perhaps in the course of your lifetime you might be clinically dead. You may even experience leaving your body. But modern medicine will bring you back. You will not come back as resurrected. You will merely be repaired, at least enough to get you by for a while.

The second most famous story is the raising of Lazarus in John 11. Jesus intentionally drags His feet on going to help His sick friend. The raising of Lazarus is going to be a powerful sign of what God can do. By the time Jesus arrives at the scene, Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. Everybody expects physical decay to have begun. Has it? Not beyond the ability of Jesus to fix it. Where was Lazarus these past four days? Technically, Lazarus dies (the first time) before the atonement for sins is complete. I would expect that he had a brief stay in the good neighborhood of Sheol (aka The Bosum of Abraham or The Limbo of the Fathers)https://afterdeathsite.com/2021/05/11/an-expectation-of-sheol/ . Would that be upsetting to be recalled? I am not sure about the quality of existence in this space. It is a sort of waiting room for Heaven and may not be that different than living here. Lazarus was no doubt honored to be such a powerful part of the ministry of Jesus. There was one definite downside:

9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

John 12:9-11 (ESV)

We are not given follow-up on this story. I would have to assume that Lazarus was later murdered. He would go through the process of dying twice, which tells me that it is not so bad on the relative scale of things. Lazarus’ resurrection is still pending.

Other people beside Jesus were given the ability to raise the dead. Elijah in 1 Kings 17:17f raises the son of a widow, and Peter in Acts 9 raises a beloved woman (Dorcas/Tabitha). The power of repair work can be given as a spiritual gift. Both are powerful signs. It is hard to say where the boy was for he was neither a Jew nor necessarily under grace. He may have come from the bad neighborhood of Sheol, and would have been overjoyed to get out. Tabitha would have been in Heaven. She had been dead for hours. Like Lazarus, I’m sure she was willing to fulfill God’s purpose in her existence. Also, like Lazarus she would die again.

Jesus raises the daughter of Jairus. This is similar to the boy raised by Elijah in the sense that the grief of parents is uniquely difficult. She is dead for less than a hour probably. It would be more like Near Death Experiences done by medical means. People who experience NDE’s of Heaven don’t want to return, but they continue to live with an excitement of getting back to Heaven.

One last non-resurrection “return”. The prophet Samuel is summoned by non-acceptable occultic means through the Witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28). Samuel is not pleased. Samuel says that he was “disturbed” and “brought up”. It doesn’t seem to be in physical form, so he remained dead but could communicate his displeasure.

What is different between being “repaired” and raised, Near Death Experiences, occultic summoning, and resurrection? A lot. We will receive a heavenly body for heavenly realms, but we are not complete until we receive a resurrected earthly body. This won’t happen until Judgment Day. The resurrected body exceeds our current body in every way. Paul describes it this way:

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (ESV)

https://afterdeathsite.com/2024/12/10/pondering-the-properties-of-our-resurrected-body/Jesus was raised with all this plus being the incarnate Son of God, so the properties of His physical being are beyond our knowledge and all comparison.

While we won’t have some of the unique properties of Jesus, we will be vastly different than today, able to enjoy a restored Earth and Heaven. Easter joy is a celebration of a major mile post of the plan of God for our salvation. It also is a time to ponder what comes next for those who belong to Jesus.

The Human Soul

The text explores the concept of consciousness, discussing its relationship with the body, spirit, and soul from both scientific and biblical perspectives. It argues that while natural materialism reduces humanity to the body, biblical teachings emphasize a multi-faceted existence. Death is viewed as unnatural, separating spirit and body, necessitating a heavenly counterpart.

From a scientific standpoint, we speak of such things as consciousness as being the mysterious part of the human experience. Is consciousness an illusion? Is it just the chemical and electrical activity among our neurons or is there something more?

The Bible talks about our spirit, soul and body. Natural materialism wants to reduce us to one thing–a body. The Bible speaks of three. The body is easy to identify. The spirit seems to be something not of this three-dimensional space, but rather something connected to the body during our lifetime. The “soul” is sometimes used as a synonym for the spirit like here:

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28 (ESV)

This passage is interesting because it speaks of destruction, which apparently doesn’t refer to elimination. It also speaks of a body in Hell. Even the lost get a resurrected body, but it seems to be turned to ash according to Malachi 4. This must be a body for the space of Hell, the counterpart to a Heavenly body for the redeemed. The necessity of an accompanying body to our spiritual component is what is relevant to my blog today.

Paul says,

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (ESV)

Here Paul is either being redundant or he is making a distinction between soul and spirit. The soul seems to be the interaction of spirit and body. It may be what you see when you image a brain. The soul could include our consciousness or just be an element of it. Where do such things as cognition, memory, self-awareness reside? When we are as we are created to be, a body and spirit united, then the answer is all of the above. Our memories are stored in our brain (a part of the body). The soul is the functioning of spirit and body together.

Death is an unnatural thing when compared to how God designed us. It is because of God’s sentence on sin that spirit and body are torn apart. Cognition, memory, consciousness go with the spirit. Be we are not whole without a body. We are “found naked” .

5 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

2 Corinthians 5:1-4 (ESV)

“Unclothed” must be a ghost-like state, lacking the benefits of spirit-soul-body. It is because of this passage that I am convinced we have a heavenly body. The idea that Heaven is a part of an other-dimensional space than Earth helps this to make sense. Our bodies that we possess now are constrained to occupy the three-dimensional space of this universe. A parallel universe, like Heaven could be, would require a different body. Perhaps Hell would require a different one yet.

With each body-spirit combination comes a soul. The interaction of body and spirit. The description of our resurrected, earthly body as being “spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:44) may refer to the ability to unite them both–our spirit with both the resurrected, earthly body and the heavenly body.

How far can science probe this? Not very. It can measure the explosion of energy when the spirit and body disconnect-likely the temporary disappearance of the soul. But science is also constrained to examining these dimensions. It certainly points to the existence of others through quantum mechanics, but that is all.

Revelation from God, though sometimes cryptic, gives us a greater insight into ourselves–an exciting insight.

Does Anything from This World Carry Over into Eternity?

The current world, seen as “The Great Tribulation,” is marred by sin and the curse, affecting everyone and everything. However, aspects like people, nature, deeds, and certain glories will carry into the New Earth post-judgment. Relationships and the beauty of God’s creation will transform, offering a vastly improved existence.

The conditions of this world, relative to Heaven or the New Earth, are pretty grim. Everything is tainted by either sin or the curse. That includes more than humanity. It includes the whole of this universe. The citizens of Heaven refer to this life as “The Great Tribulation” (Revelation 7:14). That is hardly a complement.

It is also true that God will tear it all down and start over.

7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

2 Peter 3:7 (ESV)

So, does anything from this life and this universe carry over into the next? There are beautiful things here. There are really valuable aspects of now. As you search through the Bible about this you can come up with these important carry-overs: people, nature, certain deeds, and the “glory of the kings of the Earth.”

Let’s start with people. People are clearly one of the more contaminated things in this universe. We have proven ourselves to be capable of some horrible stuff. But people are also the main thing that Jesus came to save. I say this because Jesus was born a human and not something else. Once we put aside our current bodies which house our sinful nature, we will purely reflect the image of God again. People are something very valuable, although it currently may be well hidden.

We certainly value the idea of bringing our loved ones to eternal life with us. This should also be true of family or acquaintances that have not been very good to us. If they can be connected to Jesus through faith and baptism and remain in that connection, they will be a glorious asset in eternal life for they will be changed.

This is true of total strangers as well and even enemies. We can expect to have many new and valuable relationships among people. Will we be grouped as we are now? I am not sure. Our relationships will be different. I suspect that we will have contact with those we ministered to here on Earth. So, the more you reach here, the bigger your circle will be there. This is not to exclude other new relationships formed in Heaven or the New Earth.

Then there is nature:

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
    and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
    and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
    their young shall lie down together;
    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
    and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy
    in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11:6-9 (ESV)

Nature has also been corrupted by sin. The current form must go away, but it will be reintroduced in a renewed form. This seems to include familiar species. Will it include familiar animals, like your pets? I don’t know, but maybe. This is in reference to the New Earth. It is a post-Judgment Day occurrence.

Then deeds. Our actions, words, thoughts condemn us. We are saved by the actions of Jesus. But as redeemed people we have the opportunity to build on the foundation of grace good deeds that are done by the power of God in humility and love. These deeds and their impact can follow us past the grave in the form of some type of reward.

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

Revelation 14:13 (ESV)

Finally, the least clear thing, the glory of the kings of the Earth. Speaking about the New Jerusalem, the Bible says:

24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.

Revelation 21:24-26 (ESV)

What is this? Is it great art or architecture? God finds beauty in some man-made things, and it seems to be preserved. What constitutes “glory” or “honor” is not clear. It certainly won’t include art that reflects either our false notions of God or the perversion of our sinful nature. There are other things that are worth remembering and keeping and God will keep them.

There will be many new, beautiful, breath-taking creations of the God, the ultimate Creator. the experience of Heaven and the New Earth will be different and massively better. But some of the familiar and what God values of the current universe will be a part of our new life in eternity. One would hope to be a contributor to this list.

The Necessity of Illness and Death

The author reflects on aging, acknowledging physical decline while emphasizing that illness and death are consequences of sin, not a lack of faith. They argue that healing is sometimes granted by God, and that life’s purpose is to serve until death, leading to eternal life with Christ. Acceptance of this reality brings hope.

I am getting older. The number of years that I have lived doesn’t really bother me. Age is just a number they say. I would also say that I look pretty good for my age. I wish I didn’t need the qualifier at the end of that sentence though. The real problem is that things don’t work like they used to. Parts of me are very much acting their age. That can be very discouraging.

There is a stream of thought among Christians, usually Evangelicals, that says God doesn’t want us to be ill. If you only have enough faith, you will be well. I must disagree. Jesus healed people out of mercy, but also as a sign. He did not eliminate illness in Palestine at His time. The word “healed” gets used in Scripture, but not exclusively about physical illness.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)

This is the most famous incidence and in context it is talking about healing from our sins, not getting rid of disease.

Illness and death are the products of sin and the curse. Even when you are forgiven of your sins through the death of Jesus, the “temporal” consequences of sin remain. Jesus spares us from the worst part, the eternal consequences of sin. The proof is in the pudding. Does not every Christian get old and die? That is not a lack of faith. It is the way it works under the curse.

God will on occasion respond to prayer and change the course of cause and effect in our lives. He can and does provide healing of disease either through “means” like medicine and the like, or miraculously (breaking the Laws of Physics). This is done with purpose. The benefactor has something they need to do.

It helps to understand, however, that one of the goals of our lives here is to physically break down far enough that we physically die. At that point, we can inherit a heavenly body and be with Christ. It is our job to be good stewards of the earthly body we possess and to serve the Lord here as long as He gives us. We should not “cut the corner” and purposely undermine our health. But understand where you are headed and why. It is unlikely that you will leave this Earth like Elijah in a fiery chariot.

Accepting this fact makes it easier to cope with aging and illness. This all stands on the forgiveness God gives us through Christ and the promise of eternal life as I have described in the articles of this blog. If we are not connected to Christ and headed for Sheol and ultimately Hell, then this is no comfort at all.

Confident in God’s grace to me, I can accept that at some point I will not be able to carry out the duties of being a pastor. I can retire and my purpose will change. I will still look to show love to people, share the Gospel when I can, encourage others in their faith. At some point, I may be restricted to a nursing facility (hopefully because of my body and not my brain). I will seek to care for and witness to the people there. If I become even more impaired, I will seek to pray and praise God. Hopefully, soon after that I can depart.

Is that morbid thinking? No! That is realistic and forward thinking that includes real hope. I have a plan. I am not living in denial. Denial is a lousy strategy.

Maybe I can remain high functioning until almost my departure date. That is my hope. I will do what I can to make that happen. But in the end you don’t get to choose. You can keep looking past death to the goal. God has provided for our best days to be the last. There is a brilliant eternity to look forward to thanks to Jesus!

Will Judgment Day Recount All Our Deeds?

The content discusses the concept of forgiveness from God and the impact of sin. While God’s forgiveness frees individuals from eternal judgment, temporal consequences of sin remain. Judgment Day will assess believers’ deeds, not for salvation but for reward. Actions matter, motivating individuals to live humbly and purposefully in faith.

It feels very good to know that you are forgiven by God. Many of our common, day-to-day type sins don’t bother us nearly as much as they should. Big mistakes that alter our lives and the lives of others can remain a millstone around our necks for the rest of our lives. Feeling forgiven is nice. Not having an eternal judgment on us is much better.

We receive forgiveness from eternal judgement in one way only. Jesus experienced our eternal judgment (being forsaken by God) for us on the cross. As long as we are connected to Jesus by the mystical union that God creates at our baptism, then that part is done. Is there any consequence of sin that is not done?

Certain sins definitely create problems in this world that are not undone by God’s forgiveness. Crimes still have their penalties. Damage to relationships may persist. This is what we call the “temporal” consequences of sin. They don’t impact eternal judgment once forgiven through Jesus.

What I want to write about is the Judgment Day impact for even forgiven and saved individuals like myself. For those saved by Jesus, Judgment Day is not about whether we are going to Hell or not. The Bible still does refer to Judgment Day as a judgment of our deeds (Psa. 62:12, Jer. 17:10, Mat. 16:27, 1 Cor. 3:10-15, 2 Cor. 5:10, Rev. 20:12,22:12) The question is whether this is a “filtered” list of deeds for those covered by the blood of Jesus or an embarrassingly unfiltered list?

The passages above use words like “reward” and “deserve”. As sinners saved by grace, we can rightly say that just being saved is more that we “deserve”. Still, to say that the conduct of our lives is inconsequential either positively or negatively doesn’t seem to fit the whole of Scripture. The “reward” isn’t entry into Heaven and the New Earth. That is a gift. I have written about Judgment Day for the redeemed here: https://afterdeathsite.com/2023/10/03/judgment-day-for-the-redeemed/ I now want to explore just one aspect. Are the sinful aspects of our lives just burned up and forgotten or do we have to face them in some way?

Our motivations for doing good with a humble servant’s heart are many. I love God. I love others. I believe in and desire to do good. It is my God-given purpose. God commands it. I may be rewarded. The one motive not on this list is to merit my salvation or God’s love. Is there the motive to not have to face my sinful action or inaction on Judgment Day?

There are the Old Testament promises,

as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:12 (ESV)

I do have to note that on a sphere East and West do meet again. Then there is this:

17 then he adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Hebrews 10:17 (ESV)

The context is about the need for further sacrifice, however. Jesus has made the sacrifice and that is done. Remembering the deeds seems applied to the Law and eternal judgment.

The theory that all of our deeds now disappear, and we are just seen as an extension of Christ doesn’t seem to reconcile with 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. The context of this passage is about the fruit of specifically called workers. Their life’s work can be wood, hay or straw. In other words, false teaching, no teaching, worthless actions, minimal or no impact for the Kingdom. Or it can be gold, silver and costly stones (truthful teaching, active use of time, good stewardship, loving actions, humble service of Christ). Their actions matter on Judgment Day. They are not merely judged in light of Christ when it comes to their reward.

In light of more general passages about the judgment of deeds like those listed above or the stewardship of life like the Parable of the Talents, I think 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 fits us all. This is not just a process for called preachers. We are all the product of teachers to an extent, but we are then able to teach others and put that teaching into practice.

If this is the experience is for all of those who are built on the foundation of Christ, what will the “revealed by fire” be like? Maybe it passes quickly leaving only the good. If the amount of good is small, we are ashamed of it. I expect that it will be more detailed, if only for our benefit. We will not know for sure until we experience this ourselves. The implication for our life remains. I am motivated to know the truth purely, put it into practice humbly but vigorously, not count anything as my entitlement, and leave as little as possible undone.

Pondering the Properties of Our Resurrected Body

The blog discusses the complexities of eternal life, particularly the distinctions between various theological concepts such as Heaven, the New Earth, and the nature of resurrected bodies. Highlighting 1 Corinthians 15, the author contrasts current bodies with future resurrected ones, emphasizing themes of imperishability, glory, power, and the spiritual essence of these bodies in eternal existence.

One of the reasons that I have written this blog since 2016 is because the topic of eternal life is a little confusing. It is confusing enough that good theologians have merged some things that I believe should not be merged. For example, they merge Heaven with the New Earth or Sheol with the Lake of Fire/Gehenna/Hell. These mergers are easily shown to be mistaken. Another merger is the Heavenly body of a person, which 2 Corinthians 5 speaks of metaphorically, with the resurrected body which gets a lot of press.

How can we have an “eternal home” in Heaven (speaking of a body not a house) and a resurrected body on Earth. This isn’t a contradiction. As usual, it is describing a complex and new thing to us.

Today I would like to ponder the main text describing the resurrected body, 1 Corinthians 15:42-54. Let’s start with v.42-44:

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (ESV)

Here are some interesting comparisons between the bodies we currently have and our resurrected bodies. The first is pretty easy to understand: perishable now and imperishable then. My body has built into it the process of aging, vulnerabilities to outside agents, defects from the start, and the inescapability of death. Freezing it and waiting for future technology is foolish. I consider the idea of digitizing our soul to be even more ignorant. I am going with God’s promise of an indestructible body.

“Indestructible” does seem to come with a few caveats. The unrighteous arise with a resurrected body as well, but after their Judgment Day rebuke their bodies are turned to ash (Malachi 4:1-3). Their spirit is cast into Hell. Perhaps there is a form of indestructible body for Hell, but you don’t want it.

Indestructible also raises the question of how reckless you can be on the New Earth. You might be able to damage the resurrected body, but the Tree of Life (Rev. 22) seems to be the only repair kit that you need.

Does the resurrected body age? This depends on how we are understand Isaiah 65 https://afterdeathsite.com/2022/05/24/wrestling-with-isaiah-65/ . It may speak of a lifecycle of the resurrected body or perhaps it is just making the point that we don’t have to worry about pillaging or death in any form. We know the resurrected body is eternal for the righteous from other sources.

Then there is the contrast between our current “dishonor” and future “glory”. Dishonor would be the presence of our sinful nature and all the products thereof. Glory would be at least the absence of these. Is it more? Will we be like a walking night light in some environments? It used to work at a nuclear power plant and people asked me if I glow at night. Will we have a visible aura? Maybe. Will we be beautiful? Beauty is a relative standard, but I have no doubt that we will look at each other and see unique beauty. Here we may be attractive for a while, but it definitely degrades until the best we can hope for is that we look good “for our age”.

Then there is the conversion of weakness to power. There was a time I was helping a man to whom I donated a sofa-sleeper. That is some heavy furniture, and, of course, he lived on the third floor. I am decently strong, but we got to the top floor and my muscles just said, “we’re done”. Weakness. Someday I may not be able to stand up on my own. So how powerful is powerful for the resurrected body. I expect much stronger, faster, agile. Also, I expect keener if not additional senses. And maybe new abilities. Will there be limits? I expect so. Just much higher limits.

Then the real mysterious trait: spiritual. Paul goes on to speak of this trait:

45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (ESV)

This paragraph doesn’t get into specifics but rather just says that we will be like Jesus’ resurrected body in many ways. 1 John 3:2b echos this fact. But how? This may be the way that our Heavenly body and resurrected Earthly body are integrated. We would possess the ability to be present in the space-time of a new universe and be present in the space-time of Heaven. With so much freedom it is easy to imagine why we won’t get bored with eternal life.

Paul continues:

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written.

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

1 Corinthians 15:50-54 (ESV)

I main point here is that everybody, including those still alive when Jesus returns, needs to go through this transition. It is not just God’s requirement; it is because of the laws of the physics of what He has created. Another point made here is that until this happens, we are still partially under the consequence of sin–which is death. Moving to Heaven at our death is a big step, but our bodies are a part of us, and they need to be elevated are reintegrated. Then we are complete.

It is a lot to ponder but encouraging to do so. Thanks be to Jesus.

Encountering Jesus in Heaven

Sometimes I am very jealous of the original disciples. They got to see what I only read about. The probably saw more than what is recorded. Their relationship with Jesus was much more tangible than mine. But Jesus said right before He ascended, “Behold, I am with you always to the very end of the age.” That message was clearly not just for them. It was for us too. Jesus is with us. He is not aloofly sitting on a throne in Heaven. His presence is just different. I am connected to Him via the Mystical Union (see https://givingchrist.com/2024/09/17/the-mystical-union-lords-supper-and-john-6/), Jesus knows all about me and my situation, He works through me and more. But I still want to see and hear Him directly.

That need will no doubt be fulfilled in Heaven. What do we know about it? Will it be like seeing a celebrity from two blocks away? Here is our text to consider:

“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
    and serve him day and night in his temple;
    and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
    the sun shall not strike them,
    nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
    and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 7:15-17 (ESV)

How will we be “shepherded”? En Masse? Individually? Is this just a metaphor? Jesus is still the Son of God incarnate in human, resurrected flesh. I would project that this means He can have a visible, tangible, recognizable presence and have it in multiple place and multiple ways all at once. Will you get some personal face time with Jesus? I think so. Will you stand before Him as a group of other redeemed people? I’m sure of it.

As you progress in your prayer life now, it is possible to develop a real sense of knowing Jesus personally without ever engaging your senses. That knowing will continue seamlessly into Heaven and beyond to the New Earth. Jesus is our Lord, but He is also our personal friend, and that will continue in a greater way.

What does “He will guide them to streams of living water” mean? The passage is painting a metaphor of what you do when you shepherd sheep. Still, the term living water describes the Holy Spirit. The refreshment and joy of experiencing the Spirit is something that outstrips our experience. We may have to wait to understand this. But understand this much, it will be great.

Finally, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” There will be no cause for additional discomfort or grief after death. Will we carry any PTSD or even painful memory from our life here? I would infer from the conversation of the martyrs in Revelation 6:10-11 that we will have some awareness of what is happening still on Earth, but the comfort of Heaven will push the sorrow, anger, or trauma out. God will take care of business here. We will continue in prayer, then direct conversation, at the most.

Embracing Your Continuous Existence

The author reflects on existence, beginning with personal memories and the concept of eternal life. They emphasize that, while physically dying is inevitable, individuals continue to exist. The blog urges readers to develop a perspective beyond death, fostering certainty about salvation and understanding their eternal nature amidst life’s challenges and aging.

If it were based on my memory (and it shouldn’t be), I didn’t begin to exist until 1967 when I magically appeared in kindergarten. I have some memories of pre-school years, but I think they are false memories created more by pictures than direct memory. I fully trust those who swear I was born in April of 1962, as much as I would like to deny it. I also trust both Scripture and science that tells me I began to exist 9 months before that. Before the date of my conception no element of me existed anywhere, unless you count the foreknowledge of God.

I have now been a pastor for 33+ years. I have done many, many funerals. Of the deceased that I could still see, they all looked pretty finished. It could be easily construed that the person that I knew was now non-existent. But Scripture, an internal sense that I am more than an animated body, and even the Near-Death Experiences (NDE) of others tell me that we are now eternal. You can and need to physically die, but you will continue to exist in another body in another place (Heaven or Sheol). That is what this blog has mainly been about since 2016.

In this article I would like you to think about two aspects of your existence: the beginning and the approach to your physical death.

We don’t have a lot of information about our beginning. Science tells us that when we were a fertilized egg that we already had a unique, human genetic structure. The Bible tells us that our genetics were not like the information God created in us. They were altered by what is known as our sinful nature. As a corrupted being we were already disqualified from eternal life with God. We were sinful not potentially sinful. (Psalm 51:5)

Did we have a spirit at that time? The Bible doesn’t inform us, but it seems like a fair inference that the advent of the body is accompanied by the advent of the spirit. Technically the term “soul” refers to the interaction of spirit and body. See more here:https://afterdeathsite.com/2024/03/26/your-body-soul-and-spirit/ If that is the case, many complete and eternal humans never live independently on this fallen Earth. They die naturally or are aborted before birth. We know nothing for certain about their fate, other than they continue to exist. We would like to think that God saves them all, but with the fact that we are sinful from conception, I can’t definitively say that.

At that time, we were so fragile and yet indestructible. We began to exist and will continue to exist. I have a second cousin who had an epileptic seizure while driving a big rig. He arrived at the ER DOA (Dead on arrival), or so the story goes. Doctors revived him, but he had an NDE. In his experience he met a person who identified himself as his “brother”. His impression was this meant his physical brother, but he knew of no brother that was deceased. When he told this story to his mom, she confirmed that she gave birth to a stillborn male child. They exist.

This is the real issue with abortion. A woman with an unplanned pregnancy has much on the line. Her rights to her own body and healthcare are only second to one thing: the right to live of another person. I guess it wouldn’t be that much of an issue if we could know that all unborn deaths resulted in a free pass to Heaven. Sinful Earth is highly overrated. But as a society we can’t even agree to what we are: just a smart animal, a being with a spirit that reincarnates, an eternal being or something else. Government should defend the life of all humans. That is how it is involved.

The weight of evidence is behind the idea that we are eternal beings. That said, we struggle to embrace this fact fully. It remains surreal because of our weak faith in God’s word and our dependence on experience to determine reality. Without an NDE, death seems like an impenetrable dark wall. We don’t even imagine beyond it. God exhorts us to think beyond death.

18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (ESV)

The goal of this blog is to help you do this.

As you daily move closer to your physical death, even when you are young, you need to develop a horizon of thought that goes beyond your death. It is very possible to be certain of your salvation because it is based on Jesus’ work and God’s grace to you. It is possible to move toward death with such certainty of what comes next that you are not afraid and even eager. This does not discount that value of your current life. Rather it clarifies it. You are here to complete God’s plan for you. (Ephesians 2:10)

With clarity about your eternal nature, you can even cope with aging and illness well. Illness is a part of the curse for all–including Christians. Our bodies need to eventually break down to the point that we can separate from them. We will have a Heavenly body (2 Corinthians 5:1) and eventually also a massively upgraded Earthly body (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). Aging stinks. I hate it. Falling ill is worse. But I don’t want to be stuck here permanently. I am willing to stick out the whole 120-year maximum lifespan if it means fruitful work for the Kingdom of God for me. That said, you don’t have to cling to life like it is all there is. You are eternal.

A Hard Proportion to Accept

I trust the Bible. That is different than saying that I like or want everything that it tells me. Life is predictably like that. It is often not the way I want. Specifically, the Bible shares that the proportion of humanity that will be saved will be small. This is especially tragic and confusing when you consider that the sacrifice that Jesus made for us is big enough to forgive any sin but one–blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

When some people hear of this, they reject the idea, the Bible, and even God. “I am not going to believe in a god who would send people to Hell.” They act as if their rejection of a painful fact will make it go away. It won’t. Denial is not a good coping skill in this case (or in most cases).

What does the Bible say on this? This verse was just in our Sunday morning readings:

3 Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply.

Jeremiah 23:3 (ESV)

The word “remnant” is not encouraging. It is better than nothing, but it suggests a small portion of the whole. Here it applies to the Jewish nation, but the idea of only a small fraction being saved spreads across all of humanity. My least favorite verse in the Bible is this:

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV)

That is Jesus speaking, too. How can this be right? God is love. God is all powerful. God wants all people to be saved. All of this is true. But the poison of sin is in every human being from conception (Psalm 51:5). The solution to sin is a “narrow” list of one choice: Jesus.

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 (ESV)

The Bible tells us that people will not naturally accept the story or promise of Jesus without help from the Holy Spirit.

 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)

Why can’t the Spirit get through to everyone? I don’t know. It doesn’t really say. I would guess that to do so would require the Spirit to violate the integrity of what makes us a human. It would just make us a robot. Maybe.

People who do believe and are saved have the burden to at least get the word of God’s plan and offer out there to everyone. I don’t think our failure to reach some people groups throughout history will necessarily preclude them. I base this hope on 1 Peter 4:6

For this is why the Gospel is preached to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

1 Peter 4:6(ESV)

But it not hard to see how the list of potential people inheriting eternal life gets whittled down very fast. All are sinful and damned, many reject Jesus as their Savior from the get-go, others fall away for multiple reasons. Soon you have a remnant or few.

How few is “few”? Percentage wise it is hard to guess. I would love for the answer to be 99% is few compared to the potential of 100%. I would even rejoice in 49.9% is few compared to 50.1%. I fear and even expect that it is less. Still the “few” are a great number of people.

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Revelation 7:9-10 (ESV)

Not believing the Bible on this topic or any other should not be on the basis of not liking its contents or on feelings. It should be on the merits of how the text was preserved down through history, the reliability of the eyewitnesses of Jesus, and of Jesus himself. There is plenty of reason to believe it.

Here is a starting point to investigate the integrity of the Bible from my other blog Givingchrist.com.https://givingchrist.com/2022/02/01/can-you-trust-the-accuracy-of-the-bible/ After reading this you can find more by scrolling to the bottom and searching “Bible” or other key words.

You can use the search function here to find other related topics. It is a big deal. I hope that you are one of the “few”.

Looking At the Unseen

The passage in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 urges believers to focus on the unseen, eternal things rather than the transient world. Envisioning the afterlife may be flawed, but it encourages hope and motivation as disciples. Descriptions in scripture hint at a bodily, immersive experience in heaven, free from physical and emotional pain, surrounded by beauty, love, and pure joy, all made possible through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.

For the next two blog entries I would like to ponder with you the meaning of 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, which reads:

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV)

How does one “look to things that are unseen”? It seems like an oxymoron. Our gift of vision is a limited function. It works only for objects that reflect or emit a narrow band of the electromagnetic spectrum that we call visible light. These objects also have to be big enough. Vision is a nice feature, but I need equipment to “see” many other objects, and even night-vision goggles and microscopes have their limits.

Paul is talking about looking to Heaven and the New Earth. Heaven, I expect, is extra-dimensional to this universe. As large as the universe is, I don’t expect Heaven to be hiding within it or just beyond our observational horizon. The New Earth is future. Neither suit our vision, but that doesn’t make them unreal. It might make them feel surreal, but that is our problem. That said, how do you “look to them”?

Perhaps it is enough to say, “I have a promise and a partial description given by inspiration from God”. “I look forward to that.” In that case “looking” is trusting. Would it be wrong if “looking” meant “envisioning”? Envisioning will necessarily be an exercise fraught with error. For,

9 But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
    nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

1 Corinthians 2:9 (ESV)

Paul quotes Isaiah and both men had out-of-body experiences of Heaven. It is their way of saying, “What I saw would blow your mind”. Our envisioning of Heaven would no doubt fall short of the reality of it because our experience is limited to this fallen world. Still, Heaven and especially the New Earth do not sound like they are completely different from God’s creation here. Envisioning, though inaccurate, may be just the type of encouragement to keep us forward looking and motivated as disciples of Jesus.

So what could we envision? I would like to start with my heavenly body. The point is that our experience in Heaven is a bodily experience versus merely a dream or like a ghost is stated in the verse after text above.

5 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2 Corinthians 5:1 (ESV)

The “tent” is your body here. The “house” is your body in Heaven, not a building in which you will dwell.

What is it like? I envision the same basic body plan. I have no pain. I still sleep, but my sleep is the most refreshing and wonderful thing. I feel strong. I am happy and excited about what each day will bring. I feel beautiful and complex. My senses are sharp and more than the five I have here. I sense love and feel it for every fellow creature around me.

The people and the angels around me are stunningly beautiful. I have an immediate bond with each one of them. I know their names instinctively. I recognize people I know from my life on Earth. They are more valuable to me and more pleasing to me than ever. Any sin between us is long forgiven.

I move in many ways. I can walk, run, swim, fly or just think my way to places far away. Heaven is vast. It is no smaller than the Universe I came from, but I am not limited to one planet. I feel at home anywhere, but I have a community I return to.

I can communicate with words or directly to the mind. I encounter people from different eras of time. None are like strangers to me. Some were part of my family tree. Language is not a barrier. We speak one language.

God is with me either visibly or fully in my mind all the time. He speaks to me. We spend time together one-on-one, for He is able to do this with everyone at the same time. We also gather in groups with God. Worship is not a struggle. It is spontaneous and is a highlight of our experience, but we do many things.

Music, celebration, eating and drinking, playing, learning, exploring, serving, bonding and much more is part of my experience. In Heaven, we are not reproductive, but we can feel a bond with each similar to the hormonal bond felt on Earth through sex. We are always safe, disease-free, sorrow-free.

We do not watch the events of the Earth because our experience in Heaven is immersive. Yet, we are aware of certain people who are still on their earthly pilgrimage. God speaks to us about them. We are eager for Judgment Day, primarily to end evil in all of God’s “inhabited” creation. Hell is “forsaken”. We are also mindful of being even further clothed. The day when we receive the universe of Earth and a resurrected body.

I am sure with a little creativity you can make this more detailed. Use the limited description given within Scripture as your guardrails, so that you do not envision something perversely incorrect. But enjoy the ride. Heaven is not wishful thinking, or boring, or tainted like this world.

By grace, because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it can be and will be yours.