This is a topic I am curious about.
Some Christians seem to think that the eternal reward of believers is heaven.
Other Christians are convicted that the eternal reward of believers is the New Heavens/New Earth.
Revelation 21-22 is plain to me. God will dwell with his children on the New Earth, which is a glorified version of the Garden of Eden. It ill be more like a Garden-City, though. The unrighteous will not be able to interfere with the righteous, and are said to be "outside the city".
However, there is an intermediate state between death and the resurrection, where the dead are in the presence of God and Christ in heaven.
Here's the question: which view is the position that you hold personally?
And, if you are convicted that the eternal state is the New Earth (like myself), why do you think some Christians believe that the eternal state is in heaven?
The caricature that many cultists project is that Christians believe they are going to heaven. The cultists do not understand that well-educated Christians believe that the earth will be a glorified abode of God, and the righteous will dwell on this earth, as glorified humans.
But, the problem is that some Christians actually do believe in the "going to heaven" bit. And, in a way, it is true because the intermediate state involves a temporary residence in heaven as a disembodied spirit, prior to the resurrection.
By the way, I do not hold the view of the Millennium that premillennial people hold. I do not believe that the Millennium is a period between Christ's return and the eternal state, where non-glorified humans continue to exist, and death continues to reign. I believe death is defeated at the resurrection, and the eternal state begins at Christ's return.
I do not expect others to hold an amillennial view, but I am simply clarifying my position.
This really does not affect the conversation, though. My real interest is whether Christians hold the view of "going to heaven" as the eternal state, or whether they realize that the eternal state involves being a glorified person on a glorified Earth enjoying the presence of God. And, if you are familiar with Christians who hold the first belief, why do some Christians hold this view? Is it merely because they aren't well-schooled yet?
Some Christians seem to think that the eternal reward of believers is heaven.
Other Christians are convicted that the eternal reward of believers is the New Heavens/New Earth.
Revelation 21-22 is plain to me. God will dwell with his children on the New Earth, which is a glorified version of the Garden of Eden. It ill be more like a Garden-City, though. The unrighteous will not be able to interfere with the righteous, and are said to be "outside the city".
However, there is an intermediate state between death and the resurrection, where the dead are in the presence of God and Christ in heaven.
Here's the question: which view is the position that you hold personally?
And, if you are convicted that the eternal state is the New Earth (like myself), why do you think some Christians believe that the eternal state is in heaven?
The caricature that many cultists project is that Christians believe they are going to heaven. The cultists do not understand that well-educated Christians believe that the earth will be a glorified abode of God, and the righteous will dwell on this earth, as glorified humans.
But, the problem is that some Christians actually do believe in the "going to heaven" bit. And, in a way, it is true because the intermediate state involves a temporary residence in heaven as a disembodied spirit, prior to the resurrection.
By the way, I do not hold the view of the Millennium that premillennial people hold. I do not believe that the Millennium is a period between Christ's return and the eternal state, where non-glorified humans continue to exist, and death continues to reign. I believe death is defeated at the resurrection, and the eternal state begins at Christ's return.
I do not expect others to hold an amillennial view, but I am simply clarifying my position.
This really does not affect the conversation, though. My real interest is whether Christians hold the view of "going to heaven" as the eternal state, or whether they realize that the eternal state involves being a glorified person on a glorified Earth enjoying the presence of God. And, if you are familiar with Christians who hold the first belief, why do some Christians hold this view? Is it merely because they aren't well-schooled yet?
