The following is the latest post in my “Questions I Hope No One Will Ask” series. Check out all the posts in this series here.
Thus far in human history, outside of Jesus Christ (and possibly Elijah and Enoch), one out of every one people die. We are all painfully aware of this fact and assume that one day it will happen to us as well. For many, this creates great anxiety. For others, it is a fact filled with wonder and excitement. Still, for some, there is false hope and expectations that will not be recognized. Books about what happens after we die always do well. In fact, if you want a guaranteed place on the New York Times best seller list, simply die, come back to life and tell about your adventure. These are called near death experiences (NDEs). People will line up for miles to ask “What was it like?” “Who did you see?” “Where did you go?” One of the great cult movies when I was a teenager was Flatliners with Keefer Sutherland and Julia Roberts. In it, a group of young med students conspired to kill themselves with the hopes that the others would bring them back to life after a short stint in the afterlife. When they came back, they told others about their experiences in the great beyond.
A Brevity of Christian “Personal Eschatology”
Christians believe in the afterlife. While it is true that one out of every one people die, according to the Christian worldview, one out of every one people will continue their conscience existence even after their bodies lose life. In short, we believe that if Christ does not come first, we will all die and experience a time of existence without a body. For believers in Christ, this time will be spent in a place currently called “heaven” or “Paradise”. Unblievers will be some place awaiting judgement. We call this time between death and the resurrection of our bodies the “intermediate state of existence.”
Intermediate State of Existence
The intermediate state of existence is probably the most mysterious of all issues of what we might call “personal eschatology.”
What we know about the intermediate state of existence for Christians:
- We will be with Christ (2 Cor. 5:6; Luke 23:43).
- It will be better than being on earth (2 Cor. 5:8).
What we don’t know:
- What we will be doing.
- If we will have an “interim” body, though it does seem we will find extension in space and be “recognizable” (1 Sam. 28:15; Matt. 17:1-9).
- Where it is (it is not really up or down geographically; it could be some sort of scifi parallel plane of existence).
What I am pretty sure of is that most modern accounts of near-death-experiences (NDEs) don’t give a biblical picture of what the intermediate state is like (but that is a different story).
The New Earth
This intermediate state will be cut short when we are rejoined with our physical bodies at the resurrection of the dead (John 5:29; 1 Cor. 15:13-22; 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thes. 4:17). Some believe that this will immediately be followed by a thousand years where Christ reigns on the present Earth, then a second resurrection (Rev. 20:12-15), then judgment, then the (re)creation of a new universe (including the earth). Some Christians believe the same minus the thousand year thingy.
No matter what your position regarding the particulars, all roads of orthodox Christian “eschatology” (the doctrine of the last things) converge on a new or recreated earth where the presence of God is evident and real unlike any time since Adam roamed Eden.
Rev. 20:1-3
“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.”
It is in this new earth that we will spend eternity. Yes, that is right—eternity. Christians believe that all humanity shares in an immortal spiritual existence. While we are not eternal as God is eternal (i.e. timeless), we are everlasting (i.e. once created we will never cease to experience conscience existence). Of all the things that are difficult—indeed, mind bending—to comprehend, I think everlasting existence on the new earth has to rank pretty high. It is not simply a really, really long time. It is time without end. As the old hymn goes, “When we’ve been there ten-thousand years bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less day to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.” While there is no such thing as an infinite going into the time-bound past, there can be an infinite going into the time-bound future. And that is what we have in store for us. An infinite future. Forever and ever.
This begs the question of the hour: “What will we be doing for all eternity?” Won’t we run out of things to do? Won’t we get bored?
Wrong Answers
When we die we become angels
This is a common misconception of religious folklore. People do not become angels. Angels do not become people. They are separate creations with their own attributes, characteristics, and purposes.
We will eventually be annihilated
Though it would seem that this goes without saying, it is important for us to know that believers will never one day come to a stop sign that says, “End of the road,” “Game over” or “Thanks for playing.” There will not be a going out of existence party for anyone. As mentally bizarre as it is to think about, the Bible makes it clear that we will shine for all eternity (Dan. 12:2; Luke 16:9; Rom. 6:22).
We will be flying around doing whatever we can dream
There is a very common misconception about heaven that I find even among the most faithful and theologically astute of all Christians. It is this idea that we will be able to do anything we want on the new earth. While I cannot be definite about the physics of creation or the physiology of the human body, I am pretty sure that things will remain very much the same as they are now. We will need to breath oxygen, we will need vitamins, we will eat, and gravity will hold us down to the earth. I cannot turn to a particular biblical passage which speaks directly to this issue, but I can assume some things from a proper biblical theology of creation and redemption.
When God created everything, he proclaimed that it was “very good” (Gen. 1:31). Quickly after this, the fall occurred. God had a plan, which we will call “Plan A.” Plan A got sidetracked before it even had time to get moving. Included in Plan A was a certain physiology of humanity and physics of the universe. It was all very good. When man rebelled, God did not say to the other members of the Trinity, “Well, it was a good idea, but now that is out the window. Let’s go to Plan B.” There is no Plan B. God, after the fall, immediately began to restore and redeem Plan A. That is why we call it “redemption”. That is why Peter said that Christ must be in heaven until the “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21). Redeeming Plan A is the reason why all of creation groans and longs for Christ to come (Rom. 8:22). Plan A included “rules” of life including eating, drinking, walking from place to place (not instantaneous travel like on Star Trek or walking through walls!), breathing, technological advancement, and gravity (not flying). There is no reason to think that redeemed Plan A will be modified that much. I do believe there will be some differences, but not as many as we often suppose.
We will live in a relational state of esoteric equilibrium where all relationships are the same
I have to admit . . . this scared me when I was a kid. One of my teachers at the Christian school I went to fed me some information that made me no longer interested in “attending heaven.” I asked her if my mother was still going to be my mother in heaven (a reasonable and important question for any ten-year-old boy who loves his mom). She said, “No. It is going to be so great that you will love everyone the same. You will not love or care about one person more than another.” But I did not want to love everyone the same! That is not great. I love relationships. I love special relationships. The greatest thing about the relationship with my mother was that it was not the same.
Since this time I have come to realize that this ideal of equilibrium, where people lose all distinction, personality, and particulars that make this life great (like love for a mom) is not only unbiblical, but fits more in with a pantheistic worldview where all is god and upon death we are diluted into this Great Energy.
In truth, the greatest things about earth as it is now will only be transfered, purified, and intensified on the new earth. We will still have and develop special relationships. Our children will still be our children in some very real way. Our mom’s will still be our moms. While I don’t think we are going to be married in the sense that we are now (Matt. 22:30), we will not lose the dynamics and special relationship that we share right now with our spouse. While sex may not be present, I believe there will be a form of sexual relationship that is parallel to that which we experience now. Restored Plan A will be more familiar than you realize.
We will be bowing down before the throne of God for all eternity and we will enjoy it
When I was a kid and asked what we were going to be doing in heaven for all eternity, I was told that we were going to be bowing down before the throne of God forever and ever, nonstop. Talk about a downer. What gives? From one person I was told that I would be able to fly like a superhero and the next tells me that I won’t have time because I will be eating heavenly dust 24/7. Between you and I, I have to tell you something: there is nothing in this world that I have ever heard that made me consider the possibility of life in hell as better than heaven than the idea that we will be forever on our knees bowing before God’s throne. I know, I know . . . Anathema! Perish the thought! But if you were honest with yourself, you would say the same thing.
In truth, there are two reasons why this makes the list of wrong ideas about heaven and neither of them are “Because I don’t want to.” First, this very idea comes from a gnostic worldview that somehow the only way to worship and please God is through physically evident acts of worship. In reality, while I am sure that we will all fall on our face before the Lord many, many times, worship comes through every area of our life. Worship comes through the enjoyment and obedience to God’s gift of stewardship of our bodies, other people, the earth, and our labor. Yes, I do believe that we will be worshiping God in everything we do on the new earth, but that does not translate to being on our knees 24/7. Second, there is nowhere in the Bible that says we will literally be on our knees 24/7. There are some angels described in Revelation 4:8 whose job description fits such, but not ours.
Right Answer
When we talk about “heaven” we are really talking about “the new earth.” I think it is important for us to use such terminology to avoid the many misconceptions there are out there about heaven. “Heaven,” strictly speaking, is the place that God resides. When God creates the new earth, heaven will literally be on earth as God makes his habitation there (Rev. 21:3).
On the new earth, we will be, in a very real sense, picking up where we left off in Eden. Sin will be no more and God’s original intent will be realized. The good intentions and plan of the creation will find their glory and perfection there. We will have jobs and responsibilities (Luke 19:11-27). We will have bodies much like we have now, just without sickness, death, and sin (1 Cor 15). We will be eating and drinking (Matt. 8:11-12; Matt. 26:29; Rev. 22:2). I imagine that we may even sit at coffee shops (Credo Houses!?) and hang out with friends. There will be challenges and times of growth. I believe that there will be technology and advancements in technology (after all, is technology a result of sin? Don’t answer that!). We will learn, know, and be known. And we will have and develop relationships, some more special than others. In short, while I cannot tell you what we will be doing as definitely as I would like, I can tell you that we will be serving an infinite God who has infinite creativity and power. We will never get bored. In fact, I think we will one day talk about our fears of boredom and laugh out loud (through a text message it will be “lol”).
Rev. 21:1-4
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] 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, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell 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’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
35 replies to "Questions I Hope No One Will Ask: What Will We Be Doing in Heaven?"
Hi Michael,
Since you brought up relationships in heaven, particularly marraige, I have another question I will bet you hoped nobody would ask! How do you understand or explain Mark 12:25? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
I’m not sure if you’ll take this as a compliment or not, but you sound very Wright-ian in this post. Or maybe a better compliment for you would be that you sound Keller-ian. Except that Keller quotes Wright constantly…oh well. GREAT post, Michael.
Michael, I don’t know if I’m just getting old or maybe a little jaded, but your description of the after made me long for it even more.
Thanks
Great post. Thank you for the effort you put into it!
It is only in the last year or so (I’m 35, been a Christian since teens) that I’ve realized heaven is more than ‘just bowing before God and playing harps’. I guess more than anything, since everyone else did, I also avoided thinking about it – because it ‘wasn’t clear’ or ‘was just to difficult’. After doing a very in depth study on revelation, and realizing it is the ‘new earth’, I at least have some clarity!
Drewe
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All we will be doing in heaven is literally bowing before God’s throne 24/7.
If that doesn’t sound exciting to you, then you don’t love God as much as you should (and as much as I do!)
Yes, I’m kidding.
Well, here’s what we WON’T be doing in Heaven!
Hi Michael,
Regarding your remarks about our bodies in the new creation, I just have one question – aren’t are bodies going to be like Jesus’ resurrected body? I always thought that because of that we will be able to defy the laws of physics to some extent because Jesus did crazy stuff like appear suddenly in locked rooms etc.
Could you comment on that please?
Thanks 🙂
Saskia
Hi Michael,
I truly enjoy and appreciate your writing and the time you take to put your thoughts together along with scriptural references. Here is my question, and I wonder what you think and where I may be off track.
Since we get back to Plan A, presumably that means we will have “free will” again, since we did back in the original Plan A. Who is to say we won’t mess it all up again and eat another prohibited apple?
“We will have jobs and responsibilities.”
Oh, darn. (Just kidding…sort of.) I am currently a juvenile probation officer, so I guess I won’t be doing THAT job, since there will be no sin and no one will breaking the laws. Yay! So what WILL I do? Well, I like to garden, especially flowers. OK, I want to sign up to be a gardener. And if we have big feasts every day, I could make sure the tables all have beautiful vases of flowers. I will put a bud vase in front of everyone’s setting and each person will get his or her favorite flower in the vase. Plus there will be a number of large vases in the center of the tables filled with colorful flowers.
You DO realize I jest, correct? I have no idea what I will be doing in the new world. It’s really hard to imagine it. I have read N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope, though, and I believe he and Michael here are on the right track.
Great stuff here! Particularly helpful in breaking down some very common assumptions about eternity. I’ll recommend it to some of my under-churched buddies at work. One caution, and it comes from years of being perhaps too much of a “Piper-ite” – as he points out in his book, God is the Gospel, we’ll get the most joy from God. Many folks focus on the gifts rather than the giver. The most blessed thing for us in heaven isn’t the cool stuff we’ll do, but that we’ll do it totally enraptured in the worship of God himself. Warm Regards!
My favourite book about the hereafter is ” The Gospel of the Hereafter” by J. Paterson-Smyth written in 1910. It is available as a reprint from Amazon and is online at http://www.archive.org/stream/thegospelofthehe00pateuoft#page/n5/mode/2up
There are six earthly activities that continue in heaven. These six things are the reason we are here on earth in the first place. They are our fundamental task, the meaning of life. And they are rarely if ever perfected or completed here, so they must be perfected and completed there. Why these six? Because there are two distinctively human activities, knowing and loving, that flow from the soul, not the body, and distinguish humans from animals; and there are three objects for each of these two activities that are infinitely precious and eternal: God, neighbor and self. Thus the meaning of life, on earth and in heaven, is:
1. To understand God
2. To love God
3. To understand others
4. To love others
5. To understand yourself
6. To love yourself
The understanding and the loving will probably be done in heaven by means whereof all earthly expressions of knowing and loving are pale and distant foreshadowings. All earthly art, love, poetry, philosophy, theology, music, liturgy,…
Part 2
and loving deeds probably resemble their heavenly fruit about as much as a watermelon seed resembles a watermelon.
Kreeft, P., & Tacelli, R. K. (1994). Handbook of Christian apologetics : Hundreds of answers to crucial questions (263). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
I do believe you are right about many peoples infatuation with (NDE). Even many Christians have become very enamored with afterlife issues like hauntings and near-death-experience. Many seek information from bad sources (2 Timothy 4:3). The afterlife, for Christians, is defined not by near-death, but by our “near-life” experience. The very few instances, those fleeting moments when our lives resemble one of real communion with Christ, (whether at work, in relationships, enjoying life, soaking up knowledge of God), that is a “near-life” experience which I believe will be exponentially greater in the life to come.
Vince: ‘Who is to say we won’t mess it all up again and eat another prohibited apple?’
Presumably the serpent won’t be there, nor will that particular tree. We’ll already know good and evil anyway.
Adam & Eve had a finite task—populate the earth and subdue it. Then what? So it seems that we shouldn’t be thinking about eternity in earthly terms. It can drive one crazy. We can wish that we’ll be profitably occupied, but the only guarantee is that we’ll be with Jesus and that alone must be sufficient.
“Thus far in human history, outside of Jesus Christ (and possibly Elijah and Enoch), one out of every one people die.”
“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. ” Mark 15:37
Jesus did die.
“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:12-17
But then was raised.
A girl in one of our Bible studies many years ago asked if women will have to shave their legs in heaven!
great post, lets face it so what if we end up on our face giving our savour praise and worship , he loved me before i loved him, and he has carried me for 27 years, and when i failed him he loves, and loves, we dont have the words to express how and why,yet inside us is this feeling of bliss, and wonder, that how can this christ love me, who am i,,,,,well we are his sheep, who hear his voice, oh, what a savour, god bless to all , george57.
@Cherylu (#1),
As with CMP, I believe a positive case (though speculative) can be made that male-female relationships similar to marital bonds can continue in the resurrection. This may then also imply a romantic, physical or even sexual aspect in such a relationship. This positive case goes even further than what CMP says here though, because it also attempts to show that generational procession will also continue in the resurrection.
To fully do justice to this case though, I will ask you to please visit my website, where I analyze in detail the marriage pericope of Mk 12:25. My website is http://sites.google.com/site/rezfamilies/
Contra CMP, I also believe that it’s possible that we will be able to fly in the resurrection. Why couldn’t God give some of us Quetzalcoatlus pets? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatlus
We can get no conceptions of heaven through the senses; they must always come through the Spirit. Charles Spurgeon Sermon on Heaven: http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols1-3/chs56.pdf
[…] called “Questions I Hope No One Will Ask.” The latest question he addresses is, “What will we be doing in heaven?” Obviously, as a New Church person, this is the FIRST question I hope to be asked. The […]
The matter of what we do in eternity has to be related to what God does in eternity. He’s been at it a long time already and presumably hasn’t become bored. We don’t really know all that He does, but perhaps we’ll assist in one of His ongoing projects.
Actually, I have found the Bible to teach that everyone is going to heaven. I have laid out the biblical case for this truth at http://wp.me/PNthc-i6
I know this may sound strange to your ears but I assure you that this teaching is more Christ-honoring and more Christ-centered than the traditional heaven-or-hell scenario.
One of the main reasons this truth lies undiscovered by most is that they study the NT with presuppositions about the afterlife while ignoring the OT which laid the foundation for all the concepts taught in the NT.
I hope you will consider this. In any case, however, Jesus Christ is Lord!
I like your post. But there was one thing you said that concerned me: that there would be challenges and times of growth.
If by “challenges” and “times of growth”, you mean “painful experiences” or “stepping out of your comfort zone”, I’d shudder in horror at the thought of there being that in heaven. But if you just mean that we will be constantly learning, exploring, and though possibly making mistakes (learning ways that work better for a particular project), no feelings of frustration but just excitement, THAT would be cool.
This blog undermines God’s power, plan, and promises. The phrase “former things shall pass away” is being ignored. Nothing that has been will be when we are on the new earth. Meaning, that the new earth will not be a “clean version” of this one where we’ll have laptops and lattes. Neither will the new earth pick up where Eden left off, for the most part. It’ll be similar, but better. We are going to be like Christ and reign with him, while still having our position as humans. We will not remember anything about this current earth, including its existence. We will have white robes, the tree of life, will live like the angels, etc. Our bodies will be perfect. We will not procreate or have anything to do with sexuality. Our relationships won’t be the same, for we are brothers and sisters. No evil, mistakes, challenges, etc, will exist on the new earth. BTW, needing vitamin supplements is a result of lack of nutrients. So, they won’t exist.
You are very right and your right up tallies with biblical truth much. We as Christians must be careful and not be carried away with earthly philosophies as the one posted by the original writer of this text. If we cannot love God for who he is then we cannot love his heaven or his paradise to come for what it is.
God is not boring for true believers and his heaven can never be boring even if all we have to do is sing and be in his presence.
Personally speaking i love to be in his presence all the time for eternity just like the psalmist says that ” in the presence of God there is fulness of joy and gladness”.
One thing that I’m not sure about… If its just like earth starting again, we must be given a free will. Choice is the one basic freedom that we enjoy that much has been preached and taught on over the years. If we do not have free will, then we are not human. So then can one presume that we will have the choice to sin again. Then would we be back in the same awful predicament? Another thing, will we procreate and multiply? Big questions that I guess we will have to wait for answers. God bless.
This article helps but the question that still haunts me is Why?! What is the point of all this. I grew up a Christian and still am. I wish I acted more like Christ but realize everyday what grace means. I pray for change but seem to fall back into the same petty sins. What drives me to the edge of insanity is no one knows. Theologians never seem to agree wholly on anything. Then there are secular views which are even harder to believe let alone all the other religions that try to answer the same questions about creation and existence and our purpose. What is the purpose of our creation? Who was God before he was our God? What is his plan for us for eternity? Are we a hobby for him? Are we like a fish aquarium to him that sits on a shelf in his living room? Why this elaborate plan for redemption? Couldn’t it have been simplified? Who told God what the rules for redemption are or why would He create a plan that required him to slay his only son? Anyone else out there asking these same questions? Anyone else having a problem with the answers like “You just have to believe” or “You lack faith.”? Am I alone?
MattB (28),
Believe it or not, all the questions you have will be answered in Jesus Christ. Make Him the focal point of your interest. Keep learning everything you can about Him. Relate to Him personally every day through prayer, and throughout the day in your thoughts. You can’t see Him, but He can see you. Therefore, if you simply direct your thoughts to Him, He will notice, and respond to you in a variety of ways.
Remember: Jesus Christ. Nothing else, and no one else. Jesus Christ.
Did I say Jesus Christ holds the answers? Yes, He does.
As it appears C Michael is not answering questions I will state my own beliefs based on hundreds of hours of researching this topic on blogs and websites such as this:
I believe that all four forms of love (and possibly more) as the Greeks understood them will be present in the New Earth, which are
1) agape (love for God and for people in general)
2) eros (passionate sensual love for our singular mate)
3) philia (friendly love for our special friends)
4) storge (parent-child)
I think C Michael is onto something when he says that, contrary to the common belief that we will have glorified bodies that can disappear and walk through wall and travel through space, etc our bodies will pretty much be the earth-bound type that Adam & Eve had, with the sole exception that they will not be subject to decay and sinful temptation. Of particular note, I reject firmly this ridiculous notion that, based on one three-word badly misunderstood verse, “They neither marry” that relationships of a sensual nature completely disappear on the New Earth. I firmly believe that God made man/woman relations “good”, that He intended for them to continue into eternity, and that notion that He will neuter us into androgynous beings at the resurrection is the height of utter ridiculousness—that this concept was and still is a man-made invention made up by puritans and people in power with severe sexual hangups who thought it best for man if sex completely disappeared from the universe in order to satisfy their own inner psychological quirks resulting from failed relations, sexual traumas, or beliefs hammered into them by their parents (sex is “dirty”) throughout their formative years and carried into adulthood, resulting in traumatic experiences with the opposite sex, which generally led them to frown on any possibility of having the happy sexual unions they saw others experiencing that they knew they would never have—basically, “If I can’t have it, then neither can anyone else.
I had always felt closer to my grandmother than my own mother and spent a great deal of time with her before she grew sick and was in a nursing home. I remember asking her one night if she would try to come back and tell me how heaven was and she said she would try, if allowed.
A few years after she died I had a dream of being in a park in the evening. The walkway lamps were on and it was during the summer as I sat on a bench. My grandmother walked up and we hugged and spoke without moving our lips. She was dressed just like you or me, no white robes or angelic wings. She said things were similar to the real world and as she spoke images flashed in my mind of buildings with wood floors and appliances that looked as if everything was back in the 1930’s or 1940’s. A picture of a group of women sitting around a table talking and having afternoon tea surrounded by green grass and trees came across and she said those were new friends that she’d met. She said she had her little jobs and hobbies to do just like in the real world and she’d met a lot of nice people and not to worry about her.
I believe this is what our “heaven” is really like. No clouds or streets of gold. No pearly gates or pit of hell. I believe it truly is another dimension that our souls pass through into a new world. It’s even possible that she was able to go to a time and place where she felt the happiest. I have no fear of dying, but curiosity and excitement at the next world to explore.
Hi mr. Micheal I read a couple of your posts about heaven and they were interesting. Could you tell me your thoughts on bathroom/restroom in the new earth aka Heaven? Thank you-Trinity Teeters
You stated in a tidal that it will be like plan a renewed. But bible says no gender NO marriage. You stated there would b some form of intimacy and sex.
I lost my husband two years ago and am having difficulty coming to terms that I was his third and last wife. A love so strong impossible to describe. How will our relationship work with two ex-wives?