In a previous post, I argued that the Bible is essentially an account of Heaven coming to Earth. From Eden, to Jesus, to the New Jerusalem - from the indwelling of the Spirit in the Temple, to Its indwelling in man, to its indwelling in the whole world - the story of the Bible is one of the spiritual colliding, intermingling, and uniting with the physical. In light of this idea, I'd now like to evaluate two prevailing strands of theology, each of which fixates on either Heaven or Earth while neglecting, or even disdaining, the other.
According to the first worldview, our souls and/or spirits will one day be evacuated from this temporary nuisance called Earth to live forever in Heaven. The Earth, in turn, will either burn up or fade into irrelevance. Contrary to this view, the picture painted in the Bible is one of Heaven coming to Earth - not us going to Heaven.
There are two parts to this distinction. The first is the direction of movement: Heaven to Earth, not Earth to Heaven. In fact, when the Earth was first created, it was not strictly separate from Heaven; only after mankind sinned did such a separation fully emerge. Even then, God promised that He would one day dwell on the Earth again - a promise which was maintained through His indwelling in the the tabernacle/temple and fulfilled in Jesus, who came from Heaven to Earth. In turn, Jesus promised that He would one day dwell on the Earth again - a promise which is guaranteed through His indwelling in us and will be fulfilled in the New Jerusalem, which will come from Heaven to Earth. This pattern of Heaven coming to Earth, of the two being reconciled - of God dwelling with us here - is the exact inverse of the common preoccupation with 'going to Heaven' and leaving the Earth behind.
The other part of the distinction is that the Bible includes all of the Earth in its saga of reconciliation, not just mankind. To be sure, people have a special place in creation; we are even apportioned our own creation story, in which we receive "the Breath of Life" (Genesis 1-2). Notice, though, that we are created for the Earth (specifically, to tend it) and from the Earth (literally, from the soil). Notice, too, that animals are also described as possessing the Breath of Life, for they, too, are conscious beings. As I've elaborated elsewhere, moreover, God's promise of reconciliation is imparted to all of creation, not just us. Mirroring the two creation stories, the Abrahamic covenant on which theology usually focuses was actually preceded by the Noahaic covenant; and while the latter pertained specifically to man, the former pertained to all of creation. As a result, not just us, but all the Earth eagerly awaits its reconciliation with Heaven (Romans 8). We have been made into New Creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), but we represent only the first fruits of the New Creation (James 1:18; Romans 8:23); for He is making all things new (Revelation 21:5).
The second group that I would like to address is at fault for trying to build Heaven on Earth - rather than seeing the Kingdom of Heaven come to Earth, which should be the goal (Matthew 6:19-13; Luke 11:2-4).
This view also has the direction of movement backwards, but misconstrues Heaven rather than Earth. Its principal omission is that Heaven is a Kingdom, and as such is established and governed by a King. The Earth is merely His footstool (Isaiah 66:1); and will it only become his throne when Heaven comes to Earth (Revelation 21; Ezekiel 40-48; Acts 17:24). Even Solomon, in all his wisdom, questioned whether the temple he was building could really contain the Kingdom, power, and glory of Heaven that we still ask would come to Earth (1 Kings 8:27; 2 Chronicles 2:6, 6:18; Matthew 6:13).
As illustrated by the fate of the Tower of Babel, trying to reach Heaven from Earth, or trying to fabricate the former on the latter, is utterly futile (Genesis 11; see also Psalm 127:1). It is also satanic, since Satan is the world's incumbent ruler (2 Corinthians 4:4; John 12:31). Indeed, the original sin - which Satan himself incited, and which precipitated the separation of Heaven and Earth - is the deception that we can be like God on our own terms, that we can set our own rules. It not the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which Adam and Eve so fatefully chose, that represents Heaven on Earth; rather it is the Tree of Life, which was guarded by the cherubim after the Fall (Genesis 3:24) but which will be multiplied in the New Jerusalem, when Heaven and Earth are fully reconciled (Revelation 22:2).
When Jacob envisioned angels ascending and descending on a ladder between Heaven and Earth, when the God of Heaven was standing on the Earth beside him, he called that place the House of God (Genesis 28:10-17). As symbolised by the very shape of the cross, this intersection between Heaven and Earth - between physical and spiritual, secular and sacred, natural and supernatural - is the overriding theme of the Bible. Because God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), we can become the House of God (Hebrews 3:6) and one day see that role extended to all of creation (Revelation 21-22).
So often, though, we are prone to missing half of the picture: either we are 'pie-in-the-sky' Christians obsessed with the end of the world, or we are 'head-in-the-sand' Christians pretending like the world is fine and dandy. The reality of the Bible invalidates both of these positions: Heaven and Earth are reconciled, but only by Heaven coming to Earth. It is only then that we can dwell in the House of God forever (Psalm 23:6).
According to the first worldview, our souls and/or spirits will one day be evacuated from this temporary nuisance called Earth to live forever in Heaven. The Earth, in turn, will either burn up or fade into irrelevance. Contrary to this view, the picture painted in the Bible is one of Heaven coming to Earth - not us going to Heaven.
There are two parts to this distinction. The first is the direction of movement: Heaven to Earth, not Earth to Heaven. In fact, when the Earth was first created, it was not strictly separate from Heaven; only after mankind sinned did such a separation fully emerge. Even then, God promised that He would one day dwell on the Earth again - a promise which was maintained through His indwelling in the the tabernacle/temple and fulfilled in Jesus, who came from Heaven to Earth. In turn, Jesus promised that He would one day dwell on the Earth again - a promise which is guaranteed through His indwelling in us and will be fulfilled in the New Jerusalem, which will come from Heaven to Earth. This pattern of Heaven coming to Earth, of the two being reconciled - of God dwelling with us here - is the exact inverse of the common preoccupation with 'going to Heaven' and leaving the Earth behind.
The other part of the distinction is that the Bible includes all of the Earth in its saga of reconciliation, not just mankind. To be sure, people have a special place in creation; we are even apportioned our own creation story, in which we receive "the Breath of Life" (Genesis 1-2). Notice, though, that we are created for the Earth (specifically, to tend it) and from the Earth (literally, from the soil). Notice, too, that animals are also described as possessing the Breath of Life, for they, too, are conscious beings. As I've elaborated elsewhere, moreover, God's promise of reconciliation is imparted to all of creation, not just us. Mirroring the two creation stories, the Abrahamic covenant on which theology usually focuses was actually preceded by the Noahaic covenant; and while the latter pertained specifically to man, the former pertained to all of creation. As a result, not just us, but all the Earth eagerly awaits its reconciliation with Heaven (Romans 8). We have been made into New Creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), but we represent only the first fruits of the New Creation (James 1:18; Romans 8:23); for He is making all things new (Revelation 21:5).
The second group that I would like to address is at fault for trying to build Heaven on Earth - rather than seeing the Kingdom of Heaven come to Earth, which should be the goal (Matthew 6:19-13; Luke 11:2-4).
This view also has the direction of movement backwards, but misconstrues Heaven rather than Earth. Its principal omission is that Heaven is a Kingdom, and as such is established and governed by a King. The Earth is merely His footstool (Isaiah 66:1); and will it only become his throne when Heaven comes to Earth (Revelation 21; Ezekiel 40-48; Acts 17:24). Even Solomon, in all his wisdom, questioned whether the temple he was building could really contain the Kingdom, power, and glory of Heaven that we still ask would come to Earth (1 Kings 8:27; 2 Chronicles 2:6, 6:18; Matthew 6:13).
As illustrated by the fate of the Tower of Babel, trying to reach Heaven from Earth, or trying to fabricate the former on the latter, is utterly futile (Genesis 11; see also Psalm 127:1). It is also satanic, since Satan is the world's incumbent ruler (2 Corinthians 4:4; John 12:31). Indeed, the original sin - which Satan himself incited, and which precipitated the separation of Heaven and Earth - is the deception that we can be like God on our own terms, that we can set our own rules. It not the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which Adam and Eve so fatefully chose, that represents Heaven on Earth; rather it is the Tree of Life, which was guarded by the cherubim after the Fall (Genesis 3:24) but which will be multiplied in the New Jerusalem, when Heaven and Earth are fully reconciled (Revelation 22:2).
***
When Jacob envisioned angels ascending and descending on a ladder between Heaven and Earth, when the God of Heaven was standing on the Earth beside him, he called that place the House of God (Genesis 28:10-17). As symbolised by the very shape of the cross, this intersection between Heaven and Earth - between physical and spiritual, secular and sacred, natural and supernatural - is the overriding theme of the Bible. Because God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), we can become the House of God (Hebrews 3:6) and one day see that role extended to all of creation (Revelation 21-22).
So often, though, we are prone to missing half of the picture: either we are 'pie-in-the-sky' Christians obsessed with the end of the world, or we are 'head-in-the-sand' Christians pretending like the world is fine and dandy. The reality of the Bible invalidates both of these positions: Heaven and Earth are reconciled, but only by Heaven coming to Earth. It is only then that we can dwell in the House of God forever (Psalm 23:6).
