Posted on 12/23/2011 8:32:44 AM PST by Pride_of_the_Bluegrass
One popular comedian argues that it must be dreadful to spend eternity in heaven. No matter how wonderful it might be at first, eventually you're bound to get used to it and end up bored to death. By the same reasoning, one would shrug off the torments of hell over time, and the experience would be the same as heaven. Truth told, Dante's account of the saints contemplating the Godhead in the "Paradiso" section of Dante's Divine Comedy always bored me, without having to wait for too much of eternity to tick by.
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The joy of Heaven will be such that we will no koinger remember the pains and hardships we suffered on earth. I think I could handle that.
Hell is a place of eternal separation from God. That might sound like a great place to some people, particularly a lot of liberals, but just imagine the worst music you’ve ever heard and being unable to turn it off. Then multiply that by 100.
“koinger” should be “longer”
Plus being forced to join an accordion/banjo band.
I would think for the pain of eternal separation from God to really bite a soul would have a glimpse of God before being cast out.
Not as big a problem as some other abstruse theological questions (eg, “why is there evil?”) but you have to admit we are not disposed to contemplate perfection and the absence of any need for purposeful action. By definition there’s really nothing to do in Heaven, it’s all done. You just have to accept the fact that when (if) you get there you’ll be so ecstatic at the sight of the Lord, you won’t mind that there’s nothing else.
Maybe there’s stuff to do. “Other mansions” and all that.
“Because you have been faithful in small things, I will give you dominion over great things.” (Or words to that effect.)
“By definition there’s really nothing to do in Heaven, it’s all done.”
Maybe in heaven, but not in the new earth:
“21And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
22They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.”
Sounds like God has plans to keep us pretty busy.
Oops, that was from Isaiah 65.
But, like it says in 1 Corinthians, " . . . these three remain, Faith, Hope, and Love."
And those are what will fit us for eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ. That eternity in perfect love will be more than merely bearable. Every moment will be like His mercy, renewed every day.
The Song of Solomon has a verse which reads,
"He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." (Song of Solomon 2:4)
Try reading the Song of Solomon in the light of future glory with Jesus. It sounds good to me.
The love of Jesus, Who is preparing a place for us so that where He is we may be also, will not grow tiresome.
As far as having any purposeful activity. Mark Twain mocked at the boring idea of sitting on a cloud strumming a harp. Well, Romans chapter one tells us that what God has created tells us about who He is. What He has created is pretty amazing, and it may well take more than an eternity to plumb the depths of the new earth and the new heavens, which will probably be even more amazing, and it will take more than eternity to get to know Him - which will be the most amazing thing of all, well deserving of an eternity. And we, created in His image, will like Him, our Creator, delight in some manner of creativity
Like probably everybody else, I have had moments when it seemed that time just paused, for a timeless moment. I remember once when I must have been quite small, sitting up in an apple tree, with the white and pinkish buds and blossoms all around me, green leaves, the hum of bees, the affectionate breath of the lilac-scented breeze, and I must have stayed there for hours (greatly scaring my mother, dear lady) in what seemed no time. No time at all.
There might be some heaven in that.
I wonder if, when “forever after” begins, the Lord will still delight in creativity, or if He will be done with that.
I wonder, too, if Heaven has blossoms (and if blossoms, why not plants?) and bees (and if bees, why not puppies?)
It’s also tough to imagine a place called Heaven, where there are no babies (and if babies, why not mothers?)
However, if happiness there, as here, requires that life be interesting...we simply must trust that the Lord will make it interesting.
In the meantime...Merry Christmas!
To the child who wondered whether he could have a puppy in heaven, a wise and loving person replied, “All we know is that you will be perfectly happy in heaven. If you should find that you need a puppy to be perfectly happy -— why yes, then he’ll be there.”
This is in Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven, a very extensive and thought-provoking discourse on the idea of eternal hevenly life, though certainly in a light-hearted and humorous vein.
The author is thinking as man thinks and not as God thinks. Heaven will never be boring.
And hell will always be tortuous.
“Bored to death.?
Death would be a moot point if you are already in heaven.
As long as you have your favorite dog with you and a good cable hook-up to get Major League Baseball I think heaven would be quite nice.
And good Mexican food too.
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