"It takes a good theologian to help you misunderstand the Bible." Jesse Duplantis
It's fascinating that I've been in Western American Christianity for my whole life, read the Bible through it's filters, and walked away believing that the "gospel/good news" was "believe in Jesus and go to heaven when you die".
Now yes, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, so my Flavia is with him now.
But our FINAL destination is not some disembodied state called heaven. That's a way-station. A rest stop. A "pending final outcome" place.
Should Jesus return before I die, Jesus and Flavia are coming here to join me, I'm not being taken anywhere.
The return of Jesus involves the resurrection of the dead, new bodies, a rejoining of Heaven and Earth into one overlapping space.
We quote "eternal life" as if it was some weird disembodied state in the clouds.
No.
Jesus tied the terms "eternal life" and "resurrection" into one single concept.
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
We will meet the Lord in the air.... Not to leave earth, bit to welcome Him home TO Earth as our returning King!
Gives a far different context to the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is not loosely related to some idea about believing on Jesus so we can go to heaven when we die.
The Kingdom of God IS the Good News!
Jesus came announcing God's planet takeover plan.
Jesus became the first fruits of the resurrection!
Jesus sent the spirit to dwell in us so we can become pockets of the Kingdom now, here, doing his will on earth as it is in heaven.
And then, one day, the Kingdom of God shall culminate and climax in The Return of The King, the return of those who died in Jesus with resurrection bodies, the changing of our bodies, and our meeting them all in the air to welcome them home.
Then, we will have eternal life, in resurrection bodies, in a new heaven and earth overlapping with each other as one space.
To quote the Thai peoples, it will be: Same-same, just different!
Selah
Awesome insight!
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