Understanding the Future (Protestant/Evangelical Devotional & Caucus)

Ligonier.Org ^ | 5/3/2015

[Gamecock]

When we ask questions about matters that elude our full understanding, we tend to look for models or patterns that are similar to what we do understand. We seek for clues to a new and different paradigm. The shift from earthbound thinking to conceiving of heaven is a massive paradigm shift.

To speak of our mysterious future is to search for analogies that will give us a hint about what to expect. We cannot say what heaven is, but the Bible does give us hints as to what it is like. We try to imagine the unknown in the light of what is known. John tells us: “It has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

We do not know for sure to whom the “He” and the “Him” refer. Do they refer to God the Father or to Christ? God the Father is the subject of the preceding verses, but what follows seems to indicate Christ.

The difficulty of the reference is mollified when we realize that to be Christ-like is to be God-like. The firstfruits image of Christ in His resurrection indicates that, ultimately, we shall be like Christ. As Christ rose with a glorified body, we too will enjoy glorified bodies at the final resurrection.

Coram Deo

Pause a few moments to think about your eternal future in heaven.

Passages for Further Study

1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is

Psalm 17:15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

[Lee N. Field]

Thank you for posting this. “As we have born the image of the man of dust, so we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”

[JesusIsLord]

I always thought that Jesus could have provided more info as to what He meant in this verse:

"For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven." - Matthew 22:30

What is Jesus telling us here about heaven? Will our soulish and emotional ties associated with earthly marriage and family vanish in heaven? Will the family unit as we know it exist in heaven? In what respect will we be "like the angels", when we enter heaven?

[taterjay]

I have thought Heaven will be much different than what we perceive. How can we be there as husband and wife with our family intact and our own parents be there with their families intact?

[JesusIsLord]

I suspect that we will exist as beings sharing the same levels of maturity in glorified body, mind etc. In other words, I can image our parents and children and ourselves being the same in terms of our heavenly “age”. Is it significant that Jesus ascended when He was 33 years of age and assumingly now lives as a 33 year old God-man?

[taterjay]

I can see that too, but we won’t be family like here. We may walk around heaven for a long time before seeing our family again. Can you imagine meeting your great great great grandfather? It will be special because we will fully realize what our Lord did for us, we will worship Him fully, and sin will be no where close to us anymore.

[Ezekiel]

The firstfruits image of Christ in His resurrection indicates that, ultimately, we shall be like Christ.

It's his behavior. See and do, because it is all so simple. His knowledge of Torah surpasses all, because he just does it. What good is the memorization of an instruction manual if noone builds anything out of it? The guy who simply goes out and knows to build and then just does it, is light years ahead. Not willy-nilly, but paying careful Godly mind to do the job with care and diligence. No need to keep reinventing the wheel, or a hammer and nail.

All these fancy worship buildings, the religious ceremony, the divinity schools, the many writings and books, the wisdom of the wise and the well-accepted explanations and expectations... not one stone will be left upon the other.

Matthew 22:36-40

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.