Eschatology

Is Heaven Our Final Destination?

Heaven

A while back a good friend (and good Bible student) challenged me with a question. He asked, “Where does the Bible say Christians will live eternally in Heaven?” My immediate response was John 14:1-4. However, it turned out this passage doesn’t say what I thought it said.

For many of us, the idea of “going to Heaven” is deeply embedded in our understanding of the Christian faith. Most Christians consider Heaven our ultimate destination. An eternal place in God’s presence that we “go up to” when life on earth ends. But a closer look at the Bible suggests that this traditional idea might be missing something crucial. The Bible’s vision of eternity appears less about leaving Earth and more about a renewed, united Heaven and Earth. A place where God’s presence will dwell among His people.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Eschatology, Heaven

The Immortal Soul? Part 12: God Will Bring with Him Those Who Have Fallen Asleep

Bring

Some people see 1 Thessalonians 4:14 as evidence that the souls of the righteous are immediately present with God in heaven after death. The verse states, “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.” This might seem to support the idea of disembodied souls in God’s presence. However, the context of the passage does not support this. The concerns of the Thessalonian believers and Paul’s overall message reveal a different picture. This verse, rather than describing the current state of the deceased, points to the future hope of resurrection and the return of Christ. 

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Afterlife, Eschatology, Immortality

Are We Living In The Last Days?

Last Days

Ever since I was a child, I’ve heard Christians say things such as, “Times are really bad. We are surely living in the last days.” Indeed, things are getting really bad in our world. Society is becoming godless and secular. Gross immorality is put on display in TV shows, movies, and music. Many churches have compromised and allowed the surrounding culture to influence them more than the Bible. Is this what Paul meant when he wrote 1 Timothy 4:1?

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, (1 Tim. 4:1 ESV) 

Are we living in the later times Paul spoke of? Yes, we can be absolutely certain that we are living in the last days. How can we be so certain we are living in the later times? We can be sure because the later times began over 2,000 years ago with the establishment of the New Covenant.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in 1 Timothy, Eschatology, Misconceptions