Heaven (50 page)
Authors: Randy Alcorn
During a spectacular meteor shower a few years earlier, I'd stood on our deck watching a clear sky. Part of the fun was hearing
the oohs and ahhs from neighbors looking upward. Multiply these oohs and aahs by ten thousand times ten thousand, and it'll
suggest our thunderous response to what our Father will do in the new heavens as we look upward from the New Earth.
On the inside of my office door is a beautiful photograph of a menagerie of several hundred galaxies (there are more than
three thousand detectable in the full picture), averaging perhaps a hundred billion stars each, never seen with any clarity
until photographed by the Hubble space telescope.
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The photograph represents the deepest-ever view of the universe, called the Hubble Deep Field. In addition to the spiral and
elliptical shaped galaxies, there's a bewildering variety of other galaxy shapes and colors. This is a tiny keyhole view
of the universe, covering a speck of sky one-thirtieth the diameter of the moon. When I look at this picture, I worship God.
We are
not
past our prime. The earth and planets and stars and galaxies are
not
past their prime. They're a dying phoenix that will rise again into something far greater—something that will never die.
I can't wait to see the really great meteor showers and the truly spectacular comets and star systems and galaxies of the
new universe. And I can't wait to stand gazing at them alongside once-blind friends who lived their lives on Earth always
hearing about what they were missing, some believing they would never see, regretting the images and events of a lifetime
beyond their ability to perceive. The hidden beauties
will be
revealed to them—and us.
Plus Ultra
—there is more beyond. If we know Jesus, you and I, we who will never pass our peaks will be there to behold an endless revelation
of natural wonders that display God's glory . . . with nothing to block our view.
WILL WE DESIGN CRAFTS, TECHNOLOGY, AND NEW MODES OF TRAVEL?
G
od will provide for us a renewed natural universe and a new city with the best of human culture from the old Earth. But where
will civilization go from there? That will be up to us. For just as God called Adam and Eve, God calls us to develop a Christ-pleasing
culture and to rule the world to his glory.
With advanced science and technology, we will build far greater things on the New Earth than we can on the old. Paul Marshall
points out, "The Bible never condemns technology itself. . . . It does not make the modern distinction between what is 'natural'
and what is 'artificial.' Both are seen merely as aspects of what is 'creational,' a category that includes both the human
and the nonhuman world in relation to each other."
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DOES GOD VALUE CRAFTSMANSHIP?
The first person Scripture describes as "filled with the Spirit" wasn't a prophet or priest; he was a craftsman. "Then the
Lord said to Moses, 'See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri,. . . and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill,
ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set
stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach,
of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you'" (Exodus
31:1-6).
God gifted and called Bezalel to be a skilled laborer, a master craftsman, a God-glorifying artist. Bezalel and Oholiab were
not only to create works of art but also to train apprentices to do so. The gifting and calling were from God: "He has filled
them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen,
and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers" (Exodus 35:35).
If you don't believe craftsmanship will be an important part of the New Earth, read Exodus 25-40. God tells his people in
exquisite detail how to sew clothing, what colors to use, how to construct the furniture for the Ark of the Covenant and Tabernacle,
what stones to put on the high priest's breastplate, and so on.
The Master Designer goes into great detail in his instructions for building the Tabernacle: the veil and curtain, the Ark
of the Covenant, the table, the lampstand, the altar of burnt offerings, the courtyard, the incense altar, the washbasin,
the priests' clothing. The design, precision, and beauty of these things tell us about God, ourselves, and the culture of
the New Earth. Those who imagine that spirituality is something ethereal and invisible—unrelated to our physical skills, creativity,
and cultural development—fail to understand Scripture. God's instructions and his delight in the gifts he imparts to people
to accomplish these tasks make clear what we should expect in Heaven: greater works of craftsmanship and construction, unhindered
by sin and death.
It wasn't an accident that Jesus was born into a carpenter's family. Carpenters are makers. God is a maker. He'll never cease
being a maker. God made us, his image-bearers, to be makers. We'll never cease to be makers. When we die, we won't leave behind
our creativity, but only what hinders our ability to honor God through what we create.
WILL THERE BE TRADE AND BUSINESS?
I believe we will see trade and business in Heaven, although not for all the same reasons we engage in them now. There's much
more to business and trade than putting food on the table or repairing the roof, though those are good reasons. Business is
the result not of sin but of human interdependence, creativity, and variety. To say we will not "need" money or goods or services
on the New Earth doesn't close the discussion. We may not "need" homes, food, and drink either, but we'll enjoy them nevertheless.
When the kings of the nations bring treasures into the city, is it possible that one purpose will be to give tribute to the
King and another to exchange treasures with other people groups? Might they then bring back to their own people the cultural
splendors, including discoveries and inventions, of other nations? Even now, honest trade brings benefit and pleasure to both
parties.
People trade and engage in business for reasons besides survival. It's possible that business as we know it could be replaced
by a social structure centered on creating, giving, and receiving. An artist might create a beautiful work and simply give
it away for someone's delight, just as Christ freely gives of himself. Jesus said it's "more blessed to give than to receive"
(Acts 20:35), so the joy of giving someone else a cultural treasure would exceed even the joy of receiving one.
Whether you work in a bookstore, bakery, or school, don't you experience joy in using your knowledge, skills, services, and
products to help and please others? Sure, it's good and often necessary to earn money too, but that isn't the ultimate joy.
If we dismiss the likelihood of business and commerce on the New Earth, we send the wrong message: that business and commerce
are part of the Curse, inherently unspiritual or unimportant to God. On the contrary, God's Word tells us, "Whatever you
do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance
from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:23-24). We work for him on the present Earth,
and we will work for him on the New Earth.
WILL THERE BE TECHNOLOGY AND MACHINERY?
Technology is a God-given aspect of human capability that enables us to fulfill his command to exercise dominion. As we've
seen, we will find harps, trumpets, and other man-made objects in the present Heaven. What should we expect to find on the
New Earth? Tables, chairs, cabinets, wagons, machinery, transportation, sports equipment, and much more. It's a narrow view
of both God and humans to imagine that God can be pleased and glorified with a trumpet but not a desk, computer, or baseball
bat. Will there be new inventions? Refinements of old inventions? Why not? We'll live in resurrected bodies on a resurrected
Earth. The God who gave people creativity surely won't take it back, will he? The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable
(Romans 11:29).
When God gave Eden to Adam and Eve, he expected them to develop it. He'll give us the New Earth and expect the same of us.
But this time we'll succeed! This time no human accomplishment, no cultural masterpiece, no technological achievement will
be marred by sin and death. All will fully serve God's purposes and bring him glory.
On this earth, we seek comfort and invent ways to get it. On the New Earth, comfort may seek us. It may be built into the
environment so that our efforts can be spent on other concerns. Of course, we'll have the technological knowledge and skills
to control our environment, so if we can make ourselves more comfortable, we will.
Something in the human constitution loves to create, tweak, experiment, and play with machinery. This isn't a modern development;
it was true of ancient people as well. It's inherent in exercising dominion over creation.
If mankind had never sinned, would we have invented the wheel and created machinery? Certainly. On the New Earth, shouldn't
we expect machinery made for the good of mankind and the glory of God? On the New Earth people might invent machinery that
could take us to the far ends of the New Milky Way, to other galaxies and beyond. Why not? Is this notion more unthinkable
than it once was to imagine sailing a ship across an ocean or flying a plane across the world or landing a spacecraft on the
moon? Because people in this fallen world have extended their dominion beyond our current Earth, might we not expect people
on the New Earth to extend their Christ-exalting reach into the new universe?
WHAT WILL TRAVEL BE LIKE?
Many people have asked how our resurrected bodies will travel on the New Earth, wondering whether we will be able to materialize,
as Christ apparently was able to do in his resurrected body (John 20:24-26). Will our bodies become servants to our righteous
wills, carrying out their directions? Might we be able to go somewhere simply by thinking or willing it? Possibly. It's also
possible that although our bodies will be like Christ's, his ability to dematerialize and materialize and to rise in his
ascension could be unique to his deity. We can't be certain on this point.
Philip, after he met with the Ethiopian, was "snatched away" by God's Spirit and found himself at Azotus (Acts 8:25-40). Philip
didn't snatch himself away, but perhaps he experienced a foretaste of what a Spirit-empowered person with a resurrection body
might do. Since we will rule with Christ over a vast New Earth, and possibly over faraway places in the new heavens, it seems
likely that we might be able to be instantly transported great distances.
Perhaps we might be able to be directly in the presence of Christ, worshiping him before his throne in the New Jerusalem,
then go off to our duties far away, only to come back to him regularly. Perhaps we will be able to travel to the far ends
of the New Earth, or even to the remote parts of the new universe, in the blink of an eye.
We do know, however, that the New Jerusalem will have streets and gates, suggesting conventional modes of travel. If citizens
only walked, perhaps paths would be enough. But streets may suggest the use of wagons and horse-drawn carts, or something
more advanced. Will we ride bicycles and drive motorized vehicles? Will we travel to other places outside the New Jerusalem
in airplanes? We don't know. But we should use the "why not?" test. Is there anything sinful about wheels and motors? Unless
you're a Christoplatonist, you realize the answer is no. Therefore, there's no reason to assume we won't enjoy high-tech
modes of travel on the New Earth.
Remember, the New Earth isn't a return to Eden in the sense of abandoning culture, including inventions, transportation, and
technology. It's a resurrected Earth with resurrected people, who have better brains and will be capable of better inventions.
How long would it take brilliant people working in full cooperation to make startling technological breakthroughs? Imagine
how quickly the space shuttle could become a relic.
WILL WE TRAVEL AND EXPLORE IN SPACE?
I've explained my understanding of Scripture that God will resurrect nations and cultures and that we'll be able to visit
them on the New Earth. This may seem radical, but it's just the beginning. I've also mentioned my belief that we will explore
the far reaches of the new universe. Let me further develop that idea.
God promises to make not only a New Earth but also "new heavens" (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13). The Greek and Hebrew
words translated "heavens" include the stars and planets and what we call outer space. Since God will resurrect the old Earth
and the old Jerusalem, transforming both into the new,shouldn't we understand "new heavens" as an expression of his intention
to resurrect galaxies, nebulae, stars, planets, and moons in a form as close to their original form as the earth will be to
its original form and we will be to ours?
There will be new planets
to develop, new principles
to discover, new joys to
experience. Every moment
of eternity will be an
adventure of discovery.
RAY STEDMAN
The stars of the heavens declare God's glory (Psalm 19:1), yet how vast and distant they are. God made countless billions
of galaxies containing perhaps trillions of nebulae, planets, and moons. Not many in human history have seen more than a few
thousand stars, and then only as dots in the sky. If the heavens declare God's glory now, and if we will spend eternity proclaiming
God's glory, don't you think exploring the new heavens, and exercising dominion over them, will likely be part of God's plan?
As a twelve-year-old, I first viewed through a telescope the great galaxy of Andromeda, consisting of hundreds of billions
of stars and untold numbers of planets, nearly three million light years from Earth. I was mesmerized. I also wept, not knowing
why. I was overwhelmed by greatness on a cosmic scale and felt terribly small and alone. Years later I first heard the gospel.
After I became a Christian, I found that gazing through the telescope became an act of delighted worship.
From the night I first saw Andromeda's galaxy, I've wanted to go there. I now think it's likely I will.
Many of us have taken pleasure traveling on this earth. What will it be like to travel both the New Earth and the new universe?
People didn't venture across oceans and to outer space because of sin. They did so because God made us with the yearning to
explore and the creativity to make that yearning a reality. Have you ever read about people who have taken amazing journeys
and wished you had the time, money, courage, or health to do the same? In the new universe, none of those restraints will
hold us back.
It's hard for me to believe God made countless cosmic wonders intending that no human eye would ever behold them and that
no human should ever set foot on them. The biblical accounts link mankind so closely with the physical universe and link God's
celestial heavens so closely with the manifestation of his glory that I believe he intends us to explore the new universe.
The universe will be our backyard, a playground and university always beckoning us to come explore the wealth of our Lord—as
one song puts it, the God of wonders beyond our galaxy.
WILL WE FIND NEW BEINGS ON OTHER WORLDS?
When we travel in the new universe, will we find new beings on other worlds? No Scripture passage proves that God will or
will not create new races of intelligent beings, either on Earth or on other planets spread across the new universe. It's
not speculative to say there will be a new celestial universe of stars and planets. Scripture is clear on this point; that's
what "new heavens" means. Whether God might inhabit them with new creatures is not provable but certainly possible. God is
a creator. He'll never stop being what he is. We should expect new and wondrous creations that declare his glory. God hasn't
exhausted his creative resources. He never will.