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Comunicación y Gerencia

The Real Heaven

It’s Not What You Think

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 All creation awaits the time of restoration, liberation from bondage, and freedom that comes from being made new.

Romans 8:20-23 “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not of its own choice, but because of him who subjected it,

in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies”

 We, the saved, look forward to our new bodies that we will have when we live on the new earth.

Acts 24:14-15 I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

Time Magazine

Of Americans who believe in a resurrection of the dead, two-thirds believe they won’t have bodies after the resurrection.

(March 1997)

Randy Alcorn

“A non-physical resurrection is like a sunless sunrise. There’s no such thing. Resurrection means that we will have bodies. If we didn’t have bodies, we wouldn’t be resurrected!”

I Corinthians 15

2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

I Corinthians 15

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

I Corinthians 15

4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

I Corinthians 15

16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

I Corinthians 15

18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

I Corinthians 15

51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

I Corinthians 15

For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

 Though we don’t know everything about the new bodies we will receive, we know that we will be as Jesus. We know we will have a body like His.

I John 3:2

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him...

Luke 24:37-44

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.

He said to them, “Why are you troubled, And why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them,

“Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it in their presence.

•It is I myself.

•He had flesh and bones they could see and touch •He still had holes/scars on hands and feet •He could eat regular food

•“It is I myself”—same person, same personality •Retained His memories •Maintained friendships •Retained capability to eat

Recognizable Able to be grasped, hugged, clung to-John 20:17 What age?

 Adam before the fall  Aging apparently started after the fall

What will we do in this new Heaven and new earth?

 We will work  We will enjoy  We will serve  We will reign  We will worship

Work

Genesis 1:28-29 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.

Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Enjoy

Genesis 2:8-9 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.

And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.

•Mankind ruled the earth— plants and animals given to him •Mankind took care of the Garden—he was to “work the ground” (Genesis 2:5) •He ate from it as well as enjoyed its beauty

Genesis 3:17-19 "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground”

Restored earth will likely be like when Adam lived in the garden Tending and working, but no thorns or thistles No fear of animals All animals vegetarians?

And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." (Gen 1:30)

Serve/Reign

Revelation 22:1-5 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.

On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 5:9-10 …with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe, language, people and nation.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

2 Timothy 2:11-12 “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him.”

Reign???

 Over whom or what?

 Thrones?

 Rewards?

1 Corinthians 3: 6-15 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building…But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.

It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

Worship

Revelation 15:2-4 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea,

those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:

"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name?

For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

The Real Heaven

You may purchase this book in the foyer. Includes study guide.