As we have seen throughout the articles in this series, our assumptions about what the bible teaches are frequently inaccurate. We ended the last article by reminding ourselves that the images we have of heaven are not formed by what is in the text, and that what is actually in the bible is quite different. This final article looks at what the bible says about God’s plan for our future.

Fellowship

According to Genesis In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). God’s abode was in the heavens and ours was on earth. Yet God walked in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3.8) It’s a lovely picture of his wanting to share fellowship with his creatures at that cool, restful part of the day when the work is done. He’d be watching Eastenders with us after tea if it were today. So Genesis is saying that this is our home and God created it for us but he also comes to be with us here. (Familiar?)

Then, it tells us, we messed with the tree and things fell apart. ‘Plan A’, though, is still in place. I don’t think there was ever a ‘Plan B’ in which the Earth is abandoned and the righteous get airlifted to heaven like refugees in a war zone. I think God always planned that our home would be the earth and that we would rule it with love and justice (Genesis 1: 28).

Paul believes that that the plan for the future, though, is that it won’t be Adam who is the head of that government but the perfect human, Christ, (Ephesians 1.10), and the whole of creation groans whilst it waits for things to be put back as they should be (Romans 8.22).

Emmanuel

In his vision on the Island of Patmos John carries on the theme of redemption and renewal. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (Revelations 21:1). So, at the end, as at the beginning: the heavens and the earth.

In his vision John sees the New Jerusalem coming down out of the heavens from God to the new earth, and hears a loud voice announcing that the dwelling of God is now with the people (Revelations 21:3). Once again, God comes down to be with us, as he did at the beginning, as he did in Christ and now as he does for eternity. Emmanuel: God with us (Matthew 1: 23).

No harps or clouds

So it began with a garden and ends with a city. To me it’s almost as if Adam and Eve represent the child-like, innocent state of humankind whereas the redeemed are more like grown up children who have experienced life and are able to make good choices and who now know good and evil (Genesis 3:22).

The tree of life is there in the city as well (Revelations 22.2), but, of course, now we can eat of the fruit and live forever. And of course, God is with us. He is with us because Christ is God and man, and all creation (female and male) is gathered under him as one head (Ephesians 1: 10). This is the completion of God’s plan for the human race and not an ‘alternative ending’.

It started on Earth and it ends on a new Earth, so you can stop practicing that harp now.

What do you think of this interpretation?

Does it resonate with you, or do you have any problems with it?