CIM Briefing Papers

C.I.M. Outline #23

                             HEAVEN

I.   Definition:

     A.   Pagan:  The realm of pure idea, pure mind or spirit,
          disembodied spirits.

      B.   Islamic:  A place of male sensual delights. 
           Beautiful women, food, water, etc.

      C.   Current misconceptions:

           1.   New Age:  A warm friendly beam of light, renewed
                relationships with departed loved ones.

           2.   The Media:  Heaven is somewhere off in space
                where inhabitants wear white robes, play harps,
                sing, and flit from cloud to cloud all day.

      D.   The Biblical Words:  OT. "samayim."  NT. "ouranos." 
           Both have physical and spiritual meanings.  The word
           occurs over 500 times in the Bible.

           1.   Physical:  The most common is translated "sky",
                "air" or the abode of the heavenly bodies.  In
                the OT when used with the hebrew word for
                "earth" it means "the universe" and is
                equivalent to the Greek word "cosmos."  The
                ancients thought of heaven as an inverted bowl.

           2.   Spiritual:  The abode of the triune God ("Our
                Father who art in heaven..."), angels, and
                ultimately the redeemed.  It is the total
                fulfillment of "Immanuel", "God with us".  Just
                as evil is the absence of good. Heaven is a
                place and state of only that which is good.  It
                is the answer to the Lord's prayer, "your will
                be done on earth as it is in heaven," i.e., a
                final condition in which only the complete will
                of God is expressed.

               
II.  Questions and Problems

     (questions of existence and description)

     A.   Isn't heaven the invention of the medieval mind?  A
          result of psychological need?  

          There are definitely many misconceptions as a result of
          medieval speculation.  Our source is Biblical
          revelation.

     B.   Is heaven a literal place or a state of mind?

          Both.  In the Bible the essence of heaven is the
          presence of God.  Where God is, there is heaven.

     C.   Is heaven a place of physical pleasure?  e.g. sex and
          eating.

          The emphasis is not on the sensual.  The Bible does
          suggest, however, that the experiences of heaven will
          far surpass anything experienced on earth.  I Cor. 2:
          9-10.

     D.   Won't a place of eternal perfection be a boring place? 
          Not if Jesus is the example.  See Lk. 2:52.

     E.   What is existence like in heaven?  Will we recognize
          others?  Will we have continuity of memory?  

          1.   Christ's resurrection body is the model.  The
               firstfruits.  Christ's resurrection body was
               somehow different ( He was not always recognized),
               but there was also a continuity with his pre-
               resurrection body (His body bore the wounds of
               crucifixion).  Likewise, there will be continuity
               and discontinuity with our pre-redeemed bodies.
           
          2.   Some exceptions:  Rev. 21:4.  Not all of our
               memory will be intact.

     F.   Will there be rewards in heaven?

          1.   Lk. 19:11-27; ICor. 3:14-15.

          2.   Two views:  

               a.   Spiritual

                    Some say the rewards are entirely spiritual
                    in the sense that there will be varying
                    states of ecstasy or enjoyment of the
                    environment of heaven.  For example, there
                    are varying levels of enjoyment of a musical
                    concert.  Those who know music enjoy the
                    presentation more than those who do not.  In
                    heaven those who enjoyed worship here will
                    enjoy it more in heaven.

               b.   material.

                    Others say the rewards will be physical in
                    that some will have mansions or greater
                    positions of responsibility.  (More jewels in
                    their crowns!).

     G.   What kind of activity will there be?  What do the
          inhabitants do for all eternity?

          1.   Worship.  All activities will be carried out to
               the glory of God.

          2.   Judging, governing.   Lk. 19:17.  Matt. 25:20-21.

          3.   Fellowship.  First and foremost there will be
               fellowship with God.

          4.   Service.  There will be work to do but it will not
               be against opposing forces.  The curse will be
               removed, and there will no longer be a world
               system in opposition to God, no fleshly desires,
               and no devil.  Believers will serve as vice-
               regents, carrying out God's work.  In Rev. 22 the
               redeemed are called "servants".

          5.   Living.  For the first time since Eden life will
               be lived as it was really meant to be lived.

     H.   Will the inhabitants be conscious of time?

          Yes, because man does not become God.  But time
          consciousness may be different in the redeemed state.

     I.   What is the third heaven?  Only mention is IICor. 12:2. 
          Two views:

          1.   First is the atmospheric heavens, second is the
               celestial heavens, third is the abode of God and
               the angels.

          2.   First is Eden, second is the intermediate state,
               or heaven as it now is.  Third is the renovated
               heavens and earth of Rev. 21.

III.  Description of Heaven

      Paul saw the third heaven but was not permitted to
      describe it.  IICor 12:3ff.  We see a glimpse of it
      described in highly symbolic language in Rev. 21.

      Beauty, absence of evil and pain, permanence, no sorrow,
      no night, perfect knowledge, perfect communication, joy,
      peace, rest, no curse (law of entropy negated)

IV.  Conclusion

     A.   Believers are to make preparations for heaven.  Matt.
          6:19ff.

     B.   The essence of heaven:  We shall see God!  A full
          manifestation of God  in all His glory.

          Job 19: 26b ff.  "yet in my flesh I will see God. ..."

          Matt. 5:8. "...for they shall see God."

          Rev. 22:4  "They shall see his face."

     C.   Why do we want to go to Heaven? is an important
          question to ask ourselves.  Is it because we find
          ourselves so in love with Christ that we want to be
          forever in His presence?  Sadly enough, most of us
          cannot honestly say yes to that question.  We want
          heaven because we dread the alternative, or we long for
          heaven to be relieved of whatever it is we wish to
          escape (debts, disease, etc.).  Oh that our desire
          might be as the Psalmist, who said "As the deer pants
          for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." 
          Ps. 42:1.

          "On the one level, we do not long for heaven because we
          do not really believe it exists.  But on another level,
          we ignore the heavenly possibility because we fear
          death.  Only when we are under extreme suffering or
          have lost all meaning and hope in life do we long to
          die and be with our God.  Even then, it is not the
          attractive-ness of heaven and the joy of being with God
          that motivates us, but the despair of soul and the
          longing to be released from pain and suffering.  

          For the most part, however, we do not yearn to be near
          God because we do not find sin utterly repugnant or
          goodness rapturously attractive."
                              from "Afraid of Heaven" by Kenneth
                              S. Kantzer in CHRISTIANITY TODAY,
                              May 27, 1991.


VI.  Bibliography

     Ball, Charles Ferguson.  HEAVEN.
     Erickson, Millard,  CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY.  pp. 1225-1234.
     Helm, Paul.   THE LAST THINGS.
     Hendriksen, William.  THE BIBLE ON THE LIFE HEREAFTER.
     Hoekema, Anthony A.  THE BIBLE AND THE FUTURE.
     Scroggie, W. Graham.  WHAT ABOUT HEAVEN?.
     Smith, Wilbur.  HEAVEN.
     Toon, Peter.  HEAVEN AND HELL.
     Winter, David.  HEREAFTER. 
 
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