johnatcpc

Who Are We? Where are We Going?

Readers' Q&A posted below. All questions are welcome.

(Revised: 4/25/11)
Some may have come to this blog out of curiosity; others may have just stumbled across it. While others may be looking for a reasonable answer regarding "Who are we?" and "Where we're going?" While others may have come via a link in my "Our Pets Matter" blog (http://www.petsmatter.blogspot.com/), being very much interested in what might happen to pets after they die--Do pets go to heaven? Does God also have a plan for them? Hopefully, you will be comforted by everything written herein regarding what God may have planned for us--and I believe for our pets as well. So, read on... (P.S. Your comments are welcome).

(Revised: 4/11/11)The Bible tells us that God will create a new heaven and a new earth (Is 66:22; 2 Pe 3:13; Rv 21:1). For those that found this blog from my "Our Pets Matter" blog (http://www.petsmatter.blogspot.com/), will wonder what it means to our pets. For those people I think it's only fair to ask this question up front: As per the references above, the Bible promises a new heaven and new earth. The Bible is pretty specific what it means for humans, but what does this new heaven and new earth mean for animals? Does God's create a place for animals in His makeover of creation? Or does God completely ignore His original creation and the animals He carefully designed and placed there? Genesis Chapter 1 verses 24-25 tells us that God not only created animals but referred to this part of His creation as something "good".... Did He do so for the short term only, knowing that death awaited His creatures; or was it an indication of His long term plans for ALL of His creation? This blog begins by first asking the question about us, people! and addresses animals toward the end. Personally, we need to understand God's plan for us before we can understand His plan for animals and especially, our pets. We need to be mindful that the Bible message is focused on saving people from the consequences of sin. So, it's essential that we begin at the beginning....
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The Bible tells us that God considered His creation as something "good."
24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good."

But, when Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God's command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; doing so turned everything upside down, and all of creation suffered serious consequences.

Genesis 3 tells us that when Adam and Eve sinned they brought a curse upon all of creation, which included all living things. But the animals affected by this curse did not participate in Adam's sin against God, so then would they, after being declared "good" by God, suddenly suffer death and eternal extinction by no fault of their own? The Bible was written for the sake of man, regarding sin and redemption. It is silent regarding the faith of animals--directly, anyway, but I believed their faith is implied. This blog was created to look at that very question and examine the far reaching consequences of sin and God's redemption of man and His entire creation (including animals). In several places, the Bible teaches that there will be a new heaven and a new earth (here are two references: 2 Peter 3:13 and Rev 21:1) that will replace the current creation corrupted by sin; which also raises the question for all animal lovers: do animals have a place in the new earth--especially, our pets? Read on and decide for yourself. Hopefully you too will be comforted by my conclusions, as I was.

There was a beginning followed by a Fall; then a Savior, and with Him, a new beginning.....

(Revised: 4/11/11) The world is riddled with problems—big ones, small ones and everything in between; BUT, in spite of that, this world is still too amazing and magnificent to

comprehend! Just picture in your mind’s eye, the splendor of a late night desert-sky studded with stars too numerous to count; the radiance of an ocean sunset stretching its arms across the full expanse of an endless horizon; the majesty of a snow-capped mountain range on a clear winter day; a tropical lagoon teeming with an array of brilliantly colored marine life. As magnificent as they all may be, we can only imagine the splendor of the original creation before the Fall marred its beauty. Gen 1:31 tells us…

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. NIV

So what happened to this wonderful creation that God described as “very good”? Genesis chapter 3 tells of man’s rebellion and its far reaching consequences, stretching across time itself. Eve succumbed to temptation, but Adam willfully and deliberately disobeyed God's command. The total impact of the Fall far exceed our finite ability to fully comprehend its vast impact on all of creation; we can only bear witness to its consequences, because we live with them.

There are some that believe Adam and Eve’s sin caught God by surprise, causing Him to come up with a substitute Plan—to send a Savior—not considered part of His original plan. But, Presbyterians, Reformed and certain other Christian bodies have always taught t

hat God did not only foresee the Fall, but made provisions for it even before the act of creation itself.

Before we question “Why?” we need to be mindful that we are limited, finite creatures, and God is not only all wise and all knowing, but all powerful and infinite in every way. He is the Author and Creator of all things—the extent and scope of which are just barely visible from the tiniest microscopic forms as seen through the most powerful microscopes; to the farthest reaches of the universe being probed through the powerful Hubble space-telescope by the greatest scientific minds; as well as the incomprehensible spiritual realm we call heaven and hell. This is our God, the Sovereign Lord, the creator of all things visible and invisible!

FOREKNOWLEDGE

While we live within the time and space continuum, the Bible teaches that God not only created all things (Gen. 1:1), but is outside of and free of the constraints of time and space, which He created. He sees the very beginning to the absolute end; all of time is laid out before Him like a tapestry--it would be like us watching a parade passing before us from the Goodyear blimp, simultaneously observing the entire parade--from beginning to end. The whole universe, both seen and unseen, are in His hands; He knows the beginning to the end of time (Psalm 139).

Paul's letter to the Romans 8:28-29 provides assurance that God is in control, with these words…
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son….NASB

Note: “predestined” – means something that is preordained to come about; being predetermined and appointed to occur as ordered.

God is omniscient in that He knows all things, even before they occur, with complete knowledge of every detail. He is omnipresent, being in all places simultaneously—the past, the present, and the future. All of history is stretched out before Him. There are no surprises; there are no situations that exceed His capabilities. In other words: He is God in the truest sense!

Let’s begin with a couple of difficult questions. But, it’s important to remain mindful of God’s attributes as we do.

Q.1. If God knew that the Fall would occur (and, being omnipresent, He did), why then did He place the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, knowing that it would lead to Eve’s temptation and Adam’s disobedience, causing the Fall and with it a curse on all of creation?

A. We will cover this further as we go through our study.

But, first, let’s consider two other related questions.

Q.2. Couldn’t God have just intervened and prevented Adam and Eve from sinning—in the same way that He had put a protective hedge around Job to protect him from Satan?

A. Regarding the hedge, the answer is YES, He could have…but He chose not to. We may be tempted to question God’s infinite wisdom in this matter, but to do so would be utter foolishness. Our finite understanding can never extend to the reaches of God's infinite wisdom.

Q.3. Perhaps God could have prevented the Fall by educating Adam and Eve with a profound “lecture” on the serious consequences of sin, the way adults do with their teenage children before giving them the keys to the family car? So, why didn't He? Do you know any teenagers that were given the keys to their parents’ car, and before the evening was over, forgot all of the driving rules emphasized by their parents? Maybe you were one of them? Lucifer, the angel of light, lived in a perfect state in heaven, and yet, he chose to rebel. He had every reason not to, but, nevertheless, he did sin, choosing, as part of his rebellious nature, to undermine God's creation and take Adam and Eve down to the depths of hell with him.

A. But, As part of God's creation, He chose not to build a hedge around Adam and Eve, as He did with Job, or place angelic armed-guards around them, or provide a series of self-help lectures. What He did do, was to create a perfect world, a perfect man and woman in the very image of God (Gen. 1:27); He gave Adam this perfect companion, a beautiful and dazzling helpmate, named Eve; placing both of them in a luxurious and abundant Garden called Eden (Gen. 2:8-9), perfect in every detail; and then, He turned over the “keys”—so to speak—of His creation to them, entrusting all of it into their care; but, with one simple rule…do not eat from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” –like telling your teenager, “Don’t speed”—(Gen 2:15-17). With that simple command, God entrusted His entire creation into their keeping, as shown in Gen 1:28:

28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

So then, being perfect in every way, living in a perfect place, and with everything going for them, Adam and Eve lived happily ever after! Right? Not exactly!

As we explore further, let’s first step back and begin at the beginning: Genesis 1:1:
1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Note: “beginning” by definition is the launch, the commencement, the start, the inauguration, indicating that

there was nothing there before He called it into existence (not even the mystical star dust that some scientist are hanging their theories of creation and evolution on to explain creation without God). According to Genesis 1, God is the first cause for all of creation, which He spoke into existence. Each phase of creation outlined in Genesis chapter 1 is preceded by the words: “And God said…”

As we are told in John 1:1 & 1:3, that Jesus is the Word of God and that He is also God…
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1:3 Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. NIV

Note: God created the angels (spirit beings) who resided in a spiritual realm (i.e., non-physical universe) before He created man and the physical universe; which many theologians believe gave cause to Satan’s own rebellion (but that is its own study). For this study, we will to focus on mankind; the natural, physical universe; and what lies ahead as man's eternal destiny.

The basis for “Who are we,” can be found in Gen 1:27:

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

God created the angels, and Adam and Eve as eternal beings—in that their souls and spirits will never die. As their descendants, we too will be eternal and never cease to exist. So, no matter how limited life on earth may appear, it is just the beginning, the threshold of an eternal and everlasting life. So, no matter how tough things may get here on earth, faith in Jesus Christ opens the door to an ever-lasting eternity of joy. But, I'm getting ahead of myself...

There was a major setback in this wonderful love story of Adam and Eve in paradise--i.e., the Garden of Eden--a setback called sin and its consequences; what we know as the Fall.

Why did things go so terribly wrong? God created perfect people and placed them in a perfect place and told them to be fruitful and multiply. Had sin not occurred, there would have been no death for man or beast, since death was the consequence of sin. But, Adam and Eve did sin; which resulted in the Fall and, yes, they suffered the full consequences of their sin--spiritual death; and, like it or not, they we’re stuck with it, and so are we as their descendants and heirs. In other words, we inherited their fallen nature, their DNA so to speak, just as birth defects can be inherited.

Regardless of how bad things may appear, Rom 8:28 assures us that God has a plan; not only has a plan, but works it out for our good and His glory. We may not be able to fully grasp it, but we can believe it because God's Word (the Bible) proclaimed it as such.

Let’s look at the Fall. Why did God let man fall? Again, He could have put a hedge around Adam and Eve in the same way that He put a hedge around Job? But, the answer to that question lies in the story of Job itself, which I’ll briefly summarize: In Job 1:6 we are told that "...one day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them." Satan made the accusation that the only reason Job obeyed God was because God had a put a protective hedge around him, his household and everything he owned; as well as providing Job with numerous blessings. Remove the hedge, He accused, and Job "would curse God to His face."

I believe I can safely say that Satan could have made a similar accusation about a protective hedge being placed around Adam and Eve, by not placing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden. Without the tree there would not have been any restrictions on man’s behavior. Therefore, no matter what Adam and Eve or their descendants did contrary to God’s goodness and holy nature, how could they be held accountable? Think about it—that’s your homework assignment. If you would like to discuss it further, my email address is johnatcpc@aol.com

Before we try to second guess God, lets turn to Isaiah 40:13-14:
13 Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor?
14 Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding…?
NIV

... And Isa 55:9 (God is speaking)9 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. NIV

Note: No matter what we may think or feel regarding the Fall, as to why God let it happen--or how unfair we may believe it is for us to be under its curse and suffer the consequences of living in a fallen world; we must nevertheless, cling to the knowledge of God’s love and His infinite wisdom knowing that He is holy in every way. His love is boundless, and, as stated in Romans 8:28 and worth repeating once again: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose…”, we must trust that His ways are the right ones under every circumstance, in every situation, bar none, even in allowing the Fall to occur.

Because of the Fall we live in a world of suffering, filled with physical and emotional pain, with all things being subject to decay and eventually crumbling to dust. It is not God's doing, it is the consequences of man's rebellion which is just as real and prevalent today as it was with Adam and Eve. In all of that, God offers us hope in a Savior, His own Son, Jesus Christ, who in the end will make all things right—and not just right, but perfect in every way, beyond our expectations. Is that good enough for you? It is for me.

1 Cor 15:50-55 provides assurance that our future and eternal hope is secure in Christ…
51) Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52) in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53) For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54) When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55) "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
NIV

We can be assured that the Fall did not catch God by surprise. Nor do I believe

creation will just be brought back to its original state. I believe it will be raised to a higher state not otherwise possible had not Jesus Christ taken on the cloak of man, i.e., His human body. The analogy that comes to mind is the caterpillar enclosing itself in a cocoon in a deathlike state, and then morphing (the process of metamorphosis) into a beautiful butterfly. It is the same creature, but it died, so to speak, to its old self and emerged in a new, far superior form from what it was in its previous state as a caterpillar. The butterfly is the same creature as the caterpillar, and yet, it has emerged far superior by the creative power of God and to His glory. Is this God's example to comfort and encourage us? How many other examples can we think of?

Is this paradise our final destination or just an intermediate destination? It seems that most Christians think in terms of, “We die and go to heaven,” with that being the end of story.

I am confident that most have not given a lot of thought beyond that; in that, “We die and go to heaven, which is up there someplace.”

We know as a biblical truth that when we die, our souls pass out of this world to be with the Lord (2 Co 5:8), a place the Church refers to as heaven. It's heaven in the sense it not the world; it is a place beyond this physical world.

If we think about it, we will realize that we are not 100% complete after death, in leaving our human bodies behind; which seems totally inconsistent with God’s original plan of creation as described in Genesis chapters 1 and 2, especially in knowing that God is immutable—He never changes; He is the same yesterday (before creation), today (during the time of the Fall), and tomorrow (after His return and the final resurrection of the dead). Being immutable, we can be assured that God doesn't change His mind nor His plan of creation. God is not learning from and responding to us. He is God, the Almighty, unchanging and immutable in every way. His plan is the "The Plan" from the very beginning of time to its end.

We know that God formed man out of the dust of the earth (Gen. 2:7), giving him a physical body—a complete human body, having a soul and spirit. Being formed from the earth, man was created specifically for a physical world that was created for and totally suitable to his physical body. Jesus was born of a woman, also with a human body. He rose from the dead with His resurrected human body—being 100% God, and yet, 100% Man. He didn't leave His physical body behind to decay in the grave. He resurrected it in a glorified state; but still physical nevertheless. The Bible reassures us of this fact.

Cor 15:13-14 assures us of our own, physical resurrection…
13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
NIV

Our faith itself is contingent on the physical resurrection of our bodies from the grave, to be united once again with our soul and spirit--there is no other definition for being human. We are not like the angels having only a spiritual body, which was not God's design for humanity.

In other words, we will definitely not spend eternity as disembodied spirits; but rather--it is worth repeating--we will be rejoined with our physical, resurrected bodies. When God gave mankind bodies formed from the earth, it wasn’t a temporary situation; keeping in mind that Jesus rose from the dead and grave with his human body. We can be certain of that because of Christ’s own resurrection with His own human body. He didn’t leave His body behind; it is the resurrection of His body and victory over sin and death that we celebrate at Easter; it is victory over the grave, which is the consequence and result of sin and the Fall. Since God is immutable and unchanging—being the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, He does not change due to outside circumstances, not even the Fall itself; but instead, He uses outside circumstances, just as He is using the Fall, to accomplish His will! So, what is His will concerning man and this universe we inhabit?

We are also told in Acts 3:21...

Acts 3:21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. NIV

One again, think of the attributes of God: He is immutable (unchanging), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipotent (all powerful). Do we honestly believe Satan (a created being) could disrupt God’s plan of creation and force God (the creator) to change? Isn’t it more consistent with who God is that He always had a better plan in mind--not otherwise possible without the Fall?

We see a vivid example of this in how God used the sins of Joseph’s brothers, who sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt (Genesis 37). God used their sinful desires and actions to bring about His will. When Jacob’s small family of seventy settled in Egypt after Joseph became Pharaoh’s Prime Minister—second only to Pharaoh himself—they did so as shepherds and settled in Goshen, living apart from the Egyptians who held shepherds in low esteem. There they grew into a nation of millions, not otherwise possible had Jacob’s family remained in Canaan. Had they stayed in Canaan they would have been exposed to intermingling and intermarriage with the pagan Canaanites, absorbing pagan customs and potentially losing their own identity as Israelites--God's chosen people.

Just as God did not cause Joseph’s brothers to sin, He did not cause Adam and Eve to sin. And, in the same way, God did not enslave the Hebrews in Egypt, but He used the sin of slavery to force the Hebrews to migrate to the Promised Land that He gave to their fathers Abraham, Issac and Jacob.

I believe the Fall demonstrates that no creature, no matter how perfect, could indefinitely sustain personal and perfect holiness on their own merits. God’s plan wasn’t just to create man, but to adopt man to be united with Jesus Christ, Himself—not otherwise possible before the Fall. I have no doubt, that just as 1/3 of the angels rebelled and fell from grace, it was equally likely that mankind, left to their own merits, would have inevitably fallen, as well.

Then what? Rescue us one at a time? God, in His wisdom, dealt with the issue "once and for all.--i.e., the final settlement.

God’s ordained the Fall to occur—but, it’s important that we don’t confuse that with causing Adam and Eve to sin (God is not the author of sin) (1 Jn 3:5; Gal 2:17). Because of His great love for His creatures, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Redeemer and Savior. Not just to die on the cross and return to heaven, but to spend eternity being spiritually united with us through the Holy Spirit, and physically united with us in the flesh with Jesus--not only 100% God, but 100% man as well--Christ our Savior and Redeemer.

We know God created the angels as spirit beings, having spirit bodies with both form and substance—described as being seen “like a man” in Daniel 8:15, 10:16, 18. Just as man has distinct physical bodies, the Bible describe angles with distinct spiritual bodies.

Jesus, the Son of God, before becoming man, resided in heaven as a spirit being. Had there not been the Fall, there would be no need for a Savior or for Jesus to become Man.

This raises a couple of other basic questions: Would God have created us with physical bodies designed us to reside on planet earth, and then, because of the Fall, have us now reside in a distant, none-physical realm forever? Since we are physical beings created out of the dust of the earth, why would God resurrect our earthly bodies only to relocate us to a distant spiritual realm? Why would Jesus, Himself retain His human body? It appears inconsistent with the creation account of Genesis. We know God is immutable (unchanging). If He relocated us to a spiritual realm, wouldn’t it imply then, that He changed His mind regarding the destiny of man? He created us from the earth and Jesus took on the very same body, why then would He transport us away from the earth as our new home? I believe the answer lies in the following Scriptural verses.

Isa 65:17-19…17 "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. NIV
... and 2 Peter 3:11-13…11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. NIV

Note: “Destroyed” can be described as: shattered, cracked, smashed, damaged, ruined. It doesn’t mean obliterated; which by contrast means: wiped out, eliminated, eradicated, annihilated, reduced to nothing. In the same way, our bodies will be resurrected and restored,

being super-natural versus natural, but physical never the less, as demonstrated by Christ in His resurrected body. For as He is, so shall we be (1John 1:7). I believe the same is true for the earth.

John 20:27-2927: Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas , "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." NIV

For an illustration of the “destruction of the heavens and earth” we can look at gold ingots thrown into a blast furnace being destroyed by the intense heat; where they are melted down and purged of all impurities, with only pure gold remaining. It would seem that the same is true regarding the “destruction” of the heavens and the earth. They do not disappear, but rather are purged and cleansed of all impurities—all traces of the Fall and sin that marred and contaminated God's perfect creation is totally eradicated.

What then, lies ahead?

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CONCLUSION

Again, I have to ask, would it be consistent with God’s plan of creation that people leave this earth with their restored, resurrected physical bodies only to dwell in a purely spiritual realm different from the one God originally designed for man and one for which he were perfectly suited? We especially need to ask, why did He form Adam from the earth itself? He could have formed Adam out of nothing or space particles, or in the same way He formed the angels; but He didn’t; He chose to form Adam out of the earth, making him of one substance with the earth. It is the very same substance from which Jesus body was created--the earth. God drew our attention to this very fact in Gen 2:7. Why?
7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. NIV

In the same way, why would God create a new heaven and new earth as described in Isaiah, Peter and Revelation? If a spiritual heaven is our final destination for all eternity, wouldn’t God have just destroyed this world and the physical universe, along with our physical bodies, and just take our spirits to heaven as our final home? After all, heaven already exist. Since angels have spiritual bodies, I believe we can safely conclude that heaven is a spiritual, and not a physical realm. If a spiritual heaven (home of the angels) is also our eternal home, what then is the relevance of the “new heaven and new earth” described in Scripture? What is the purpose of the New Jerusalem, as described in Rev. 21:2, coming down out of heaven to the earth? What earth? Why does the Bible even call it earth, if it is something totally different (brand new versus restored)? The New Jerusalem is the very throne room of God, brought down to the earth. I think we can safely conclude that the new heaven [restoration of the vast and almost unending physical universe) and the new earth described in Revelation, will be our permanent home, being far superior to the original creation (a co-mingling of the spiritual or supernatural qualities of heaven and the physical or natural qualities of earth not otherwise possible had not Jesus became man)—and just as our physical bodies are resurrected and restored (taking on supernatural qualities, because we will be like Jesus); in the same way, I believe that the new heavens and new earth will be restored out of the old. Again, I can’t help but think of the caterpillar morphing into a beautiful butterfly—the same physical creature, only different and far superior to the old. How many other examples did God give us in nature?

Again, getting back to an earlier question, why then did God allow the Fall to occur? Without the Fall there would not have been a need for a Savior. Jesus came to earth and became man because of the Fall--it was the only reason for His coming. He came as our Savior to redeem us from the Fall and our personal sins. There are no protective hedges placed around man by God, for the angelic hosts to question (as Satan did in Job) or wonder about, eliminating any reason to doubt man's motives toward God through faith in Christ, and God's motives toward mankind redeemed in Christ.

God created the angels and placed them in a perfect world with direct access to Him; yet 1/3 of the angels rebelled. They did not need the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Their sin came directly from their own hearts (so to speak). Since the sin originated in their own hearts, there is no repentance and no redemption for the fallen angels. There is no one else to blame or to be held accountable.

If there were no temptation in the Garden of Eden, would someone in the perfect human race have eventually sinned, similar to the angelic rebellion? If so, would they be lost forever; or would God have had to redeem each person individually, once sin entered their heart? If so, how? God in His infinite wisdom knew that no creature could ever achieve the level of holiness needed to co-exist with God. As created beings, I believe it would have been inevitable that someone would have rebelled. Why do I say that? Revelation 20 tells us that after 1,000 years of Christ reigning over man (Rev. 20:4), Satan still convinced some men to rebel. God knew exactly what He was doing by allowing the Fall, and in His divine wisdom and knowledge, He dealt with it once and for all so that we can be secure in the merits of Christ for all eternity!
The answer lies in Rev. 21:1-8…
21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with
men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." 5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"
NIV

So, where then will we spend eternity? In a purely spiritual heaven or on a purely physical, recreated, earth?

The Bible tells us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Will the new heaven and new earth be exactly like the old ones or different? The fact that it is "new" tells us that it will be different but to what extent is clearly beyond our understanding; and yet it will be fashioned to accommodate our resurrected bodies; so it will probably be similar in many ways, as well. I can't help but see an analogy with the caterpillar who was limited to the earth, vs. the butterfly that had access to the sky as well--same creature, but vastly different and vastly superior. I don't believe God will start over with a clean slate; but He will restore everything, just as He restores our resurrected bodies. Perhaps in the same way as an item of gold placed in a blast furnace would be purged of all impurities leaving only its purest state as a precious metal, and reshaped for a more lofted purpose. All of the contamination of sin and the Fall will be purged away in the new heaven and new earth! Just as Jesus was recognizable in His resurrected body, we too will be recognizable in our resurrected bodies.

Some may wonder, "Why didn't God just spell it out for us in the Bible?" The obvious answer is that it is too incomprehensible for our finite minds. When we are able to totally understand and get our mind around God's physical universe (see link below: "God's Universe--How big is it?"), perhaps, and only perhaps, we will begin to understand the new heaven and earth He has in store for us.

When we study the Bible, we add another dimension of understanding by looking at the archaeological finds, as well as history of the people and customs of the times. All of which helps us to understand the Bible better, but none of which is doctrine. The same is true of this study. What is doctrine is only what the Bible offers, which was accepted by the Church fathers and theologians. Historical or scientific findings or speculation may enrich our understanding but does not constitute doctrine. We have all heard" "Thinking out of the box." Hopefully, this study will take us to the edges of the box in regard to understanding the wonders of what lies ahead. If it accomplishes that, than I have accomplished my goal. May God bless you and enrich your understanding of His Word. And, don't be afraid to think outside of the box. The boundaries are those things that contradict Scripture itself. If anything I propose contradicts Scripture, it is error.

So, what can we learn from this study? God through His Word, and by His grace, offers us hope. We look at and weigh the events and cares of this world as if, “This is all there is.” No matter how difficult things may be at times, the time of trials and difficulties is “short,” like a woman in childbirth. Once the child is born the pain is forgotten, replaced by the joy of a new birth. When we enter the new life God has prepared for us, joined to our resurrected bodies, we too, will rejoice in our new birth. Think of what lays ahead—the eternal love of God beyond all comprehension…..

Of course, there is no way we can even fathom God’s physical universe, much less the new heaven and earth. The intent of this study is to encourage you to think and realize who God is, and how special we are to Him to have sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to save and redeem us. Also to realize that the suffering and decay of this world are finite and limited--they too shall pass away. During this study I did my best to search and understand what the Bible teaches regarding the new heavens and new earth and what it may mean to our eternal destiny. You need to view this study with an open mind and search the Scriptures in the same way, understanding that we will never fully comprehend all there is to understand. May God bless you as you do so.

(3/27/10) Will there be a renewed earth—a new, physical earth?

The Gnostics of the first and second centuries, in keeping with Greek philosophy, believed the material world was evil and thought of Christ as an appearance of God on earth in human form, but without actual flesh and blood. Some Gnostic taught that the ultimate deity sent one of his subordinate “powers” called “Christ” into the world to free men of matter, based on their belief that spiritual was good and material was evil.

We know from Genesis 1:31 that God considered His creation very good. Since God is immutable (unchanging), we can be confident that He doesn’t change His mind. Just as our physical bodies will be raised from our natural state to a supernatural state, so will the earth be transformed thus making it new.

Gen. 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good…. NIV

The Gnostic teaching divided man into “a good soul and an evil body”. In contrast to the Gnostic belief, the early Christian Church emphasized the bodily resurrection of Christ as a matter of faith and doctrine, to underscore its belief in the complete humanity of Christ along with His divinity—being completely God and completely man (Romans 1:4); assuring us of our own bodily resurrection (1 Cor. 15:13-19).

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C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity: “God never meant man to be a purely spiritual creature. That is why He used material things like bread and wine to put new life into us. We may think this rather crude and unspiritual. God does not. He invented eating. He likes matter; He invented it."

Of course, this study is just my humble attempt to comprehend the incomprehensible.

If you have questions or comments don't hesitate to contact me at JohnatCPC@aol.com

Does God love our animals?

Q. "What about ANIMALS?" Do they go to heaven?

A. So, what about animals, especially our pets? Did God create them as reported in Genesis Chapter 1, only to disregard them afterwards? I tried to cover that somewhat, but, it's worth some additional study, especially for pet lovers. Since the destiny of animals isn't clearly stated in the Bible, are we forced to set it aside as a mystery and forget about it? Most will. I can't offer a valid argument against that, but, I am certain that seeking comfort in the nature of God, whose attributes are clearly biblical is perfectly alright. If then, we are going to look at God's creation and the new earth, based on what the Bible tells us about God, I don't see how we can just ignore His other creatures. As a pet lover, I feel compelled to explore this matter further. Weren’t animals part of God’s original creation? I can't believe that we love our pets more than God loves them--they are HIS creatures on loan to us. The adjacent picture of Jesus holding the lamb speaks volumes about Him. This is not being presented as a matter of theology to be disputed. But as a matter of opinion drawn from what the Bible tells us about God's nature, His loving character, and His original creation and expression of satisfaction over His entire creation. Each reader will draw his or her own conclusion, some will continue to ignore it, while others will draw comfort from it. May the Lord guide your heart accordingly and to His glory.

Many people have wondered, myself included, will God also resurrect and restore animals, especially our pets, as part of the new earth? I think we can be certain, since the Bible clearly states it as such, that God loves His entire creation as described in Genesis 1 & 2, and all its creatures more than we could ever love them. I believe the answer can be found in God’s words in Genesis chapter 1, regarding His creation: He deemed it as not just “good” but “very good” which of course, includes the animals. Especially when we live with these creatures, we understand first hand that very good does apply to them--each one having its own distinct personality. If we accept that the Fall of Adam and Eve lead to "death," than we also need to remember that man was destined to live forever prior to the Fall, and animals were destined to live alongside of and as a companion to man. Adam and Eve had a garden to provide food. There is no indication that animals served as food there in the garden. If God gave up on that part of His plan, then we may wonder: Did Satan foil or derail a portion of God’s original plan? Would ruling out part of His original creation lead some to question God’s immutability—regarding being unchangeable? I personally place my trust in God's unchanging and enduring love.

One last thought from the Old Testament: Innocent animals were sacrificed in the Temple to atone for man's sins. The animals that were used were without blemish or they would not have been acceptable sacrifices to a holy and unblemished God. Being without physical blemish, they were also sinless. They were the victims of the Fall of man's sin. God accepted them then and will provide for them in the life to come. I believe He will just as He will restore His entire creation to pre-Fall elegance and completeness. Should we expect anything less of a holy, loving God?

We are told in Romans 8:20-21: For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. NIV

The destiny of animals is a study in itself; one that may raise more questions than it does answers, but nevertheless, they certainly are caught in the same bondage and decay as we are, as noted in Romans 8. We will never know for sure the eternal destiny of animals, because the Bible doesn't specifically answer that question, other than to describe all of God's original creation (which of course, included animals) as being very good. I think we need to trust God's infinite and unquestionable love in this matter. And, I am very comfortable doing so. So, let me close with my own conclusion on the matter of animals: God loves them and they suffered from the Fall through no fault of their own, and--being sinless--they still suffer the consequences of man's sin. Will God comfort them as well? I am convinced that God's final plan includes animals, and our pets. Praise be to God and His infinite love! As I write this, I can't help but think about the animal sacrifices offered to God on behalf of man. Their sacrifice is due to man's sin not their own. So, is there a special reward for them? Will they populate the new earth? Humm?

God's Universe.... just how big is it?For just a small glimpse of God expanded creation, click on the link posted at the bottom of the Q&A portion of this study.

Last Minute Reader Questions:

Q. Where did you get your information and understanding? Like you stated in your study, I never thought beyond: we died and went to a spiritual heaven for all eternity. I never really gave much thought to the new heaven and new earth. This is a whole new perspective for me, one that gives me a great deal of comfort but also raises a lot of questions.

A. Getting information grows out of my curiosity about all things related to God. I routinely explore the web and bookstores looking for related information. There's not a lot of information on heaven, probably because the Bible doesn't give us a precise, detailed description of the heaven or the new earth promised in Scripture--other than to say it exists. Frankly, it's beyond our comprehension; that's why the Bible says so little about it. There is no common language between it and us. Just like a cursory look at a leaf doesn't give us a clear understanding of its amazing complexity. What I presented here is based on my own understanding of what the Bible teaches, BUT, it should not be viewed as indisputable Church doctrine, other than the reality of heaven (paradise) and that there will be a new heaven and new earth, and that we will have resurrected bodies--all of which are clear biblical truths. Since God believed it was important enough to put these truths in the Bible, I believed it's important enough to not only accept them at face value, but even explore them further (but only for those that are inclined to do so). Why would God prohibit us from pondering and exploring them to the extent possible (which will vary for every Christian), regardless of how limited or incomplete that may be.

The Bible also clearly states that the New Jerusalem, being the very throne room of God, Himself, desends from heaven to the earth, and that God--in the Person of Jesus Christ--will dwell with His people. It goes without saying that as finite creatures we cannot fully comprehend the incomprehensible vision laid out for us in Revelation 21 & 22, but, it sure is exciting to try, even in a limited way; and I strongly believe we should, for we are seeking a biblical perspective on our final destination and eternal home. Isn't it natural to be curious about something so monumental and exciting? It also raises the question about our own salvation. Is your salvation assurred? God has made it very simple for us: believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (faith), confess and repent of our sins, and you shall be saved (grace). On a final note, I hope you enjoyed this study as much as I enjoyed preparing it. May God bless you with the knowledge of His truth as presented in the Bible and the hope and comfort it beings. And if this is way over your head, don't worry about it. It's even over my head.

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Let's close our Q&A portion with the Book of Romans...

Romans 8:8-22

For I considerthat the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectations of the creation eagerly waits for the reveiling of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now....

Romans 8 also states that the whole of creation will be delivered from the bondage of corruption caused by the Fall. How else can we describe it than "a restoration" to its former pre-Fall splendor or even something more? Keep in mind, the Bible states "the whole creation," which must include every creature that God declared as being very good when He designed and called into existence the original creation.

Q. After looking at your study, I came across this article on a "Time Magazine" website. It states the opinion of Anglican Bishop Tom Wright, regarding his viewpoint of heaven. Did you see it? You seem to agree with his viewpoint? http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1710844,00.html

A. Thanks you for the link. After reading it, I can see that I do hold a similar viewpoint as Bishop Wright. If you want additional viewpoints on this subject you can find a very comprehensive look in Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven." Very interesting reading, one that opened the door for my own biblical research into the subject.

All in all, any study of God's creation leads us to the following question:

How Big are the Heavens?The Bible uses heaven to mean the spiritual home of God and also the physical universe. In regard to how expansive are the physical heavens, just click on the adjacent link for an exciting trip through the universe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGxRWCmwSDE

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Tuesday, May 3, 2011

What happens when this life ends?

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The New Heaven and New Earth