Is Heaven a Place on Earth? (Part 5)
The Nature of Heaven
In 2017, Robert Jeffress wrote a book which he named A Place Called Heaven; he titled his fifth chapter, “What Will We Do in Heaven?” Evidently, quite a few people think that Heaven will be “a place of perpetual boredom, populated by boring people” (99). Jeffress is the “senior pastor” at the 13,000-member First Baptist Church in Dallas. He frequently appeared on The O’Reilly Factor until Bill (who is Catholic) and Fox News ended their association.
Isaac Asimov was an atheist who, however, was adept at writing science fiction. He didn’t believe in any kind of afterlife, but it did not prevent him from having an opinion on the subject. He said: “For whatever the tortures of hell, I think the boredom of heaven would be even worse” (99).
Purportedly, a man with only minutes to live asked a minister where was the best place to go. He answered that “each place had its advantages—heaven for climate, and hell for society.”
Similarly, a postcard made its way around a few decades ago. It pointed out that with death there were only two things to worry about—whether you went to heaven or hell. If you went to heaven, then there was nothing to worry about; if you went to hell, you would be so busy greeting all your friends that you would not have time to worry.
Probably, several people feel comforted by this attempt at humor, but that is not the description we find occurring with the rich man in Luke 16:23-24. He woke up in torments and begged for a drop of water. He certainly is not depicted as standing around with his friends, laughing, and sipping martinis.
Unfortunately, many people have little desire to go to Heaven. They have been sold on the idea that time in Heaven involves playing harps while reclining on clouds. They have decided that “heaven must be as dull as watching paint dry, while hell will be as exhilarating as driving in a NASCAR race” (99-100). The Bible never describes hell as exhilarating; a better description is dark, hot, and extremely painful.
Most people’s imaginations cannot seem to conjure up an exciting vision of Heaven; so, many think it will be a physical place—a new earth, where there will be lots to do—things we are familiar with. Danny Chambers, in his book, Bring on Heaven!, asks:
What if Heaven were a place that combined much of what is wonderful and what we love most in this life…with all the best stuff we normally think about when we think about Heaven (no pain, no tears, no sorrow… (31-32)?
Then he asks, “If Heaven were really like that, do you think more Christians would be genuinely fired-up about going? I think they would. I know I would” (32). He goes on to say that, if we get excited about all the “breathtaking places on this sin-infested planet, then what better landscapes must have been available to Adam and Eve—and will be available in the re-constructed earth” (32)?
Some get excited about the prospect of hunting or fishing—wait a minute. They can’t enjoy those activities because prior to sin’s entrance into the world, man was authorized to eat only fruits and vegetables (Gen. 1:29). Meat was not allowed until after the Flood (Gen. 9:2-4). Chambers himself claims that “there was perfect harmony between the first couple and the animal kingdom” (34).
Maybe shmoos will be available. These characters were part of Al Capp’s famous comic strip, Li’L Abner. They looked like little bowling pins with a round bottom and legs—usually they had whiskers like a walrus. They were entertainers and could put on a first-rate shmoosical program. They could produce fresh vegetables, eggs, butter, and milk by the wagon load. Their greatest joy in life, however, was to roll over dead if someone looked at them with a hungry eye. If fried, they tasted like chicken, but if they were broiled, they were like steak. And they were happy to sacrifice themselves. Well, it would solve the meat problem.
Your congenial editor would like to enjoy the beauty of a golf course. But should a shot head for the woods, will a tree branch bat it back in bounds, or will the tree swerve aside to dodge the shot? Should it be hit toward a lake, will the water make sure the ball skips all the way across to the other side? Will hitting out of a sand trap be a success the first time—without all the dust blowing back into one’s face? Will each player shoot par every round, or will it still be a struggle to break 100?
Brother Chambers says he would enjoy playing cards in Heaven, but unless every game ends in a perfect tie, someone will lose. And then there will be sorrow. One person even suggested that in the new earth, he might be able to scuba dive for long periods of time without any breathing apparatus. This could go on all day, but why do so many want to make the new earth more exciting than Heaven?
“Let’s Get Physical”
In the book, A New Heaven and a New Earth, edited by Tommy J. Hicks and published by Basic Bible Truths (Dublin, GA) in 2021, Wes McAdams is cited as one taking the reconstructed earth position. He is not bashful about expecting a renovation; in fact, he challenges everyone to hold his view.
Most Christians, for instance, assume spiritual things are more important than physical things. Do you hold that assumption? If so, there are probably many other conclusions about the Bible, salvation, Christian living, and more that are all based on that assumption. But what if that assumption is false? Maybe it’s time for a paradigm shift (183).
Wow! That certainly sounds scholarly. McAdams adds: “Spiritual should not be contrasted with physical…” (183). Why not? Doesn’t James do so? “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26). Is not the body physical? Man was formed from the “dust of the ground” (Gen. 2:7). That dust was physical. God reminded Adam that He made him from the dust of the ground, adding, “And to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19).
The spirit, however, is not flesh. It is that which animates the body. God “forms the spirit of man within him” (Zech. 12:1). How many times do the Scriptures contrast the flesh with the spirit? The flesh is physical; the spirit is of a spiritual nature. The flesh is not spiritual; the spirit is not fleshly. Do we really need shifting paradigms?
In the book edited by Hicks, Tom Wacaster quotes from Wayne Jackson, who seems to have assessed the matter accurately:
Some are so enamored with this earth and its trappings that they apparently long to be here forever. Misunderstanding the nature of symbolic language, they contend that the earth will be man’s eternal domain. … Others, adopting an equally erroneous viewpoint, have argued that all saints will live eternally on earth, and that God himself [sic] will come down and live with them (187).
The Real Heaven
When men invent God and Heaven, it always possesses the characteristics of earth. The faithful Muslim martyr gets 72 virgins—just what he would like to have here. Indians anticipate “the happy hunting ground”—something they would like to enjoy here. Those who go to Valhalla get to be in a great meeting hall. All of these are described in physical terms. So is heaven—streets of gold, gates of pearl, and so on. The difference is that the Christian does not expect these to be literal, as other religions do. We expect a spiritual reward for the spiritually-minded.
So, what will be in heaven? Yes, first, there will be worship. Jeffress points out: “The number and the sound of worshipers in heaven will be unlike our worship on earth” (104). Some of us have been present for thousands worshiping, and it is much different than what we normally experience. Jeffress quotes Joni Eareckson Tada describing heavenly worship as a “supernatural, effervescent response of the born-again creature, new and fit for heaven” (104).
Jeffress is also correct when he suggests (second) that Christians will be assigned work. Why? God created us to work. Even before sin entered the world, God assigned man to tend and keep the garden” (Gen. 2:15). This task apparently did not involve sweat (Gen. 3:18-19). So, it was neither backbreaking or stressful—but probably enjoyable—giving Adam a sense of accomplishment. No one is going to mind whatever job he needs to perform in the next world; whatever it is will be a genuine pleasure.
A third characteristic of Heaven involves fellowship—associating with Deity, the angels, and the fellow saints. How will we enjoy that aspect of eternity? Will we have one-on-one conversations? Or will there be a lectureship hall with Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, or Peter speaking at various times?
Although Jeffress frequently stays close to the Scriptures in his descriptions, he errs on the fellowship part by including people in Heaven who might not be there. He expects to talk theology with Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. Scientific discussions would include conversations with Pascal, Isaac Newton, and George Washington Carver. He’s looking forward to meeting with the authors, G.K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis. He also expects to see Billy Graham. The problem is that most—if not all—of these never obeyed the gospel, as preached by Peter on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:36-38, 41). He would have done better to have listed Biblical personages whom we know were saved.
We are given qualities of the actual heaven (not the one that people envision): no sorrow, pain, crying, or death (Rev. 21:4). We are provided in Revelation 2-3 a number of symbolic rewards. In Revelation 21-22, God offers descriptions of great beauty: “the city was pure gold, like clear glass” (Rev. 21:18). Aren’t these sufficient to motivate us to want to be there? Or does the prospect of earth somehow seem better?
In the movie, Oh, God! (1977), starring George Burns and John Denver, the main character nicks himself shaving, and “God” tells him to take a tissue and hold it on the injury. He replies, “Don’t I need to wet it first?” The answer is, “No,” but the character persists: “Are you sure?” “God” answers: “Did I do a good job on the Grand Canyon?”
Yes, God did a superlative job in creating this world. The shapes and colors of the fish in a place like the Shedd Aquarium reveal an imagination that is beyond that which we humans have. The physical creation is a phenomenal work from any viewpoint someone cares to explore. Even the different animals themselves—who would have thought of all that? Hours could be spent on the wonders of God’s Creation. And do we not think that the One Who created such a fascinating world could not make an equally fascinating Heaven that will absolutely astound us? Hmm. Just try to be bored!