Last week my wife and I went to the movies to see "Heaven is real”, which is the story of a 4 years old child who had an emergency peritonitis surgery. Afterwards, in a very normal way, the child starts telling his family what he saw in heaven.
To top this series of events off, I attended N.T. Wright Fuller Seminary Lectures. He is one of my favorite theologians. He finished his lectures talking about heaven and earth. I was very excited and I sent my wife a text message saying "so blessed by this last lecture about heaven and earth," and she replied: "Did it make you wanna stay on earth or go to heaven?" . Haha, only a wife could answer something like that. I wanted to say more to her, but the subject was so deep that I decided to wait until I got home to share this with her: the point is that heaven is not there, nor earth is here, but in Christ heaven and earth become one.
Wright is so right about this. Obviously, a theologian of his caliber will tell this in a 600 page book. In my case, what I will do is dig through my sermon notes and books, and surf the internet. I will keep listening to others and continue a constant reflection on death. This subject impacted me when I was five years old and saw my grandfather ´s lifeless emaciated body in a coffin. He had a black pinstripe suit. I remember his black hair with a white streak. He had a New Testament in his hands. I wonder, where he is now. Where are all the faithful who have died? Where, in a few days or weeks, will my young pastor friend be? The quick and easy answer is what St. Paul already said: “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far" (Phil. 1:23). That is surely the place we call "heaven." Or maybe “Paradise” as Jesus told the repentant thief: " You will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23.43).
That heaven, that paradise and those souls slaughtered at the altar in Revelation are the few glimpses we have of life after death in the Bible.
Meanwhile, people are dying and going to an intermediate state, we do not have much biblical information about where they are, but there is something quite sure in Scripture: what God began in Eden and wanted renewed in the Temple, He is now doing in Jesus, the risen Messiah (who is in heaven), and through the Holy Spirit (here on earth). We will be true and complete beings when we hear the sound of the final trumpet, then we will be transformed into incorruptible, resurrected bodies. Then, heaven and earth will become one. That was God´s initial intention in Genesis 1 and 2. We are not going to the heaven we have been taught in the last centuries, as an escape, but we will live in a connected "heaven and earth dimension."
We'll see what happens. Probably the result of this ramblings will be a little booklet. Pray for me.
Here In Your Presence
John Egan
Heaven is trembling in awe of Your wonders
The kings and their kingdoms are standing amazed
Here in Your Presence, we are undone
Here in Your Presence, Heaven and earth become one
Here in Your Presence, all things are new
Here in Your Presence, everything bows before You
Wonderful, beautiful, glorious, matchless in every way
