A heavenly view
Got pointed to this article today (HT Hannah) which is very much a summary of NT Wright’s book “Surprised by Hope”. I’ve not read all of the book yet, but it looks very interesting. The concepts discussed in here have been things I’ve been thinking through and I find them more widely accepted in than I had understood. I also think this is a critical part of a four part gospel story, and God restoring ALL things.
- What about you? What’s your understanding of heaven as set out in the bible (after all, that’s all we have to go on)?
- If heaven IS going to be back on earth, how is that impacting on how you view your treatment of the earth?
- If heaven is on earth, what does that mean for Hell? How can God restore all things if Hell still exists?
Filed under: bible
The realization of a new earth had some amazing effects in my life.
First of all, I fell back in love with the physical surroundings of my life when I remembered that God created this spot because it is good, and it is home, and it is nourishing. The “I”m just a stranger passing through” theology never sat right with me. Heaven as a abstract was just too…well, abstract. But a new earth? That I CAN understand. Earth where life is good and there are oceans and skiing and mountains and warm sandy beaches…transformational thoughts.
Secondly, as you suggested it did make me want to take more care of the earth. I realize that God can and will restore all things, so I suppose my small efforts are kind of laughable in the face of wholesale restoration. But feeling at home here in this world…now that makes me want to make my corner of home better. Nesting.
Finally, when I stopped thinking of heaven as the reward and thought about life here on earth, here and now, as the ultimate expression of God’s love for me, it changed my mission here. If only I can open someone else’s eyes to the countless ways God reveals “heaven” to me every day….
Sweet.
I love the way it just turns everything upside down and instead of getting out of here, I want to get in here more and more. Instead of talking in abstract ways about times in the future I can have a clearer hope and a great purpose right now, in introducing Jesus’ ways into that world more and more, in sharing that love and grace and peace. And yeah, this is a great topic of discussion but I’m excited about how this can be so tangible.
I grew up loving the beauty in creation, and the place in the world I saw that most was in Yellowstone National Park, someplace that was hardly touched by man and yet absolutely brilliant. I’m excited about recovering more of that, even in cities, and recreating spaces where people can see that and appreciate it.
Kingdom living takes on a whole new expression for me from this.
Thanks for the comment, loving your blog.
When we were at Q last month we were discussing cities. One of our team wondered about crime rates in cities, where people don’t get to see a lot of creation.
On the other hand, I added as my devil’s advocate position, in cities people get to create with each other…they can create glorious skyscrapers that show God’s creativity living inside them. They create museums and restaurants and subway systems: all reflections of God’s creative nature.
True, look at the Sustainable South Bronx project for example. And Revelation describes a new city. And the City has more community and less distance? Maybe….
I was impressed by Tim Keller’s explanation of how much the bible talks of the city, and how central it is.
Look at Maddison avenue, one of the key creative streets in the world - in NYC. Look at Hollywood - again in a city.
I live in a city and there’s loads of evidence of creativity here. Not least Harry Potter was written here!
Well this is new, i haven’t posted on a blog before. sorry if i wrote too much!
sorry this is off the topic a bit, but I think that our concept and understanding of heaven is bound up in a proper understanding of soteriology - or ‘how we are saved’. If we have a holistic view of salvation then it changes how we view life now - life before death, and so the concept of ‘heaven’ doesn’t become a far away abstract thought but a reality we can live today, though the grace of Jesus.
So, been thinking that in Jesus God’s creative purposes for the whole of creation are renewed - he not only saves us FROM our sins but saves us FOR himself, for a purpose. Therefore, we shouldn’t have an escapist theology - prone to individualism and consumed with the self. Some of the songs we sing in church are like this - take ‘turn your eyes upon jesus’ - so the line that goes ‘and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace’ - rather, as we fix our eyes on Jesus, the things of earth are made clearer, vivid, we see what the Father sees, we grasp some of his heart for healing and wholeness. Rather than dimming our sight and escaping to a perfect heaven, as we fix our eyes on his ‘wonderful face’ we are compelled into action. We look outwards to the world - we concern ourselves with wholeness!
If Jesus Christ constitutes the new humanity, as a covenant-partner fully enfleshed, but also transformed before a covenant God, then Jesus is not only our model of righteousness but the embodiment of it himself, for us. Salvation therefore entails a healing of God’s creative purposes for humanity, the restoration of communion and life.
Wright talks about how the renewal of God’s covenant results in the renewal of God’s creation. This is made possible through reversing the fall of Adam. So in Romans (i think 5) when Paul talks of the work of Christ (and the Spirit, which implements the work of Christ), he uses explicit ‘new covenant’ language to do it. In keeping with Jewish thought, the renewal of the covenant is the renewal of creation. So Wright’s soteriology is not one that is ‘detached’ from the created world - the earth today - but about a hope in a saving Christ who propels us to be God’s agents for mission in and to and for the whole world. I love the phrase he uses - a ‘full humanness’!!
As for how God can restore all things with hell still existing, i’m still pondering that one duncan! annoyingly i can’t find any of wright’s notes on the subject. I suppose the point is that people are ushered into God’s kingdom not out of a fear of hell but out of seeing the goodness and wholeness of the gospel - this Jesus who restores, who gives life, who is about a ‘full humanness’. Will get back to you… (hope the wedding went well).
Hannah, thanks for the comment. Well, I keep saying every day is a school day and now I know a new word, soteriology. I agree with what you wrote above, and that’s why I find heaven on earth as very attractive, as it brings a great meaning to our current living, it helps me to see that eternal life starts now, and that God is passionate about this world and His current creation.
Just to pick up on the point about songs, I think that’s absolutely spot on. We’re in desparate need of new songwriters (hint hint) and new songs that can express a passion for this world, a non escapist theology, a passion for fighing injustices and new metaphors (to get away from the battle and divisive language much of our songs have in them). I think we need songs that get away from either “Jesus is my boyfriend” lyrics, or consumer type lyrics - e.g. all I ask of you is give me yourself (eh, I thought He already did that on the cross so what more do we want - I think the lyric should be all I ask of you is help me to give my all to you by giving of myself to others as you did). Anyway, new songs are crying out to be written.
Perhaps someone can explain how we ended up with an escapist theology?
Great comment, Hannah. I enjoyed reading your thoughts.
I think the songs are coming, Duncan. I’m guessing that songs lag behind thought trends….although in some cases they lead them, don’t they. What you are calling for is almost a modern return to the American slave music. Interesting thought.
Escapist theology - I have no scriptural proof for this statement. haven’t even thought much about it. But I think there is an inborn desire to escape in all of us. It is what makes Disney World work! Not to mention shopping, television shows, a brand new car - or brand new sneakers when we are young. Somehow we all want to run away to paradise. I think we’ve just taken that God-given desire for New Heaven/New Earth a little too far.
Bought a copy at the weekend, so I’m hoping to dig into it soon.
Problem is, I had a bit of a blow out on books, so Tom Wright’s book will have to compete with a few other interesting bits.
J
Marla, thanks for that. Can you give me some examples?
Johny, what else is on the reading list? I think TW is pretty heavy, or maybe I’m just not clever.
I was reading marlas comment and it made me think of Godfrey Birtill. I was at a worship/intercession meeting he led a while ago and he spoke about the need for songs of lament and prophesy, crying out for our generations. He is writing some pretty good stuff…i guess it isn’t exactly “popular music”…..doesn’t quite give the feel-good factor!
the escapist theology misses out a large part of what we are called to do : bring heaven to earth, make the earth we live in a little more like heaven- “may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” We’re missing out on a lot if we just wait for this earth to be finished so we can get to heaven. Why not bring heaven to earth, here and now. Maybe people just got tired of trying to do that!
Anna, thanks for that. I think that heaven on earth can be done to an extent in this lifetime, but then again it won’t come in completion until Jesus returns. I think that then we will see Jesus stay, and completion of heaven on earth. So what we can work for is to restore some of that heaven on earth now, with the certainty that it will be brought to completion in the future. It makes me think more about the environment, about the beauty in this world, about how to redeem systems, and about how to explain the gospel of eternal life in a new way. Exciting stuff.
escapist theology - maybe because we just are too comfortable - like maria said. it takes too much effort to ‘care’, especially if we dont’ get that we have a ‘full humanness’ and restoration in Christ. The fact that church and tradition has stifled this talk for tame, middle of the road rhetoric over many centuries? contentious point maybe…
Dunno much about this guy Walter Wink but he makes a good point - that in Jesus’ ministry holiness and not sin becomes contagious. Jesus demonstrates in the gospel that true, authentic living in the middle of the Father’s will was a holiness that was cleansing and involving. instead of it driving him into isolation (and into church… and christian meetings… and exclusivity… i speak for myself here!!) it compelled him to get into the neighbourhood… bringing in the kingdom, to the ’sinners’ otherwise judged by the rest of the world.
So as for what went wrong… well…. i think there are vast examples of how it didn’t, and how christians today and in history live out this message of hope. for those of us with an ‘escapist’ theology i wonder if western theology, penal substitution and fragmentation of the church alongside poor understanding of the spirit/nature of triune God has a lot to answer for. another interesting point… anyone got any comments?
Anna - interesting you should say that about godfrey burtill. Tim Hughes and Al Gordon at worship central have been talking about that for a few years now, seems to be pretty much consensus - songs needing to speak more honestly of our struggles with God. Also lots of calls for songs about the trinity, as there is a lack of ones that clearly outline what it means to believe in a triune God - and this should be central to our thinking!
Some thoughts on Hell - if heaven is real on earth, then Jesus was also pretty clear that Hell could be real too. As paul writes, our battle is not against flesh… but against the spiritual darkness of the devil and his power… so whilst Jesus has won the ultimate victory, it’s important that in bringing in his kingdom we are standing and kneeling and praying and crying out in his power, and his spirit, wearing his armour…. not our own.
pretty good article which is relevant to discussion on hell and heaven - critique of brian mclaren by the orr-ewings. .
gees i think i should learn how to write shorter posts!!!
I’m not sure that penal substitution is the problem, rather it’s an obsessive focus on it at the expense of all else that’s caused the issue.