Here, on the feast day of an archangel, I wish to say some things about Heaven. After all, the Archangel Gabriel is a creature of Heaven and Heaven is the hope of all faithful Christians.
What I hope for is actually more than just Heaven. It is the entire Universe renovated and transmuted, changed into something far more beautiful than it is now. (Isaiah 65:17-23, LXX; II Pet. 3:13)
There are people today who have false teachings on this subject and do not realize that what they are actually teaching is that Heaven is just another form of Hell. Some people believe that people will be changed into some non-human sexless creatures with wings that fly around all of the time doing nothing else but singing hymns to God.
I believe that we will sing hymns to God, but I also believe that we will do other things like “building houses and planting vineyards.” (Isaiah 65:21)
Although this is not a dogma of our Church, I also believe that I, a single 50 year old man, will one day live with a woman in the resurrection and have immortal children with her. God created woman for man (I Cor. 11:9) and He said that it is not good for a man to be without a woman. (Gen. 2:18) I do not think that I will be single forever. In the Bible, sterility and barrenness are viewed as a curse. (Deut. 28:18) I do not believe that God is going to bless anyone in the resurrection of the just with a curse. So, I think that I will have children with a woman in the afterlife. (Isaiah 11:6-8)
I believe that something else will replace marriage. Men and women will live together in the resurrection, but it will not be marriage as we know it. However, heterosexual unions will, in my opinion, still retain some of the same features as marriage.
I believe that I will get see distant worlds in other galaxies. After all, I will then live forever and never die. (St. Luke 20:36; Rev. 21:4) I believe that I will be able to eat meals with other people. (St. Luke 22:30)
However, I do not think that God saves people so that they can continue to sin. I do not believe that people will be addicted to sex, food, and various other pleasures. I believe that people will be able to enjoy physical pleasures without ever being addicted to them, but will desire the spiritual pleasures that come from worshipping and serving God even more. People in the afterlife will be more interested in the spiritual pleasures than the physical ones. Nevertheless, the physical ones will still be there as sort of “fringe benefits” that our Creator allows us to enjoy.
Here, I am a stranger and pilgrim on the earth (Heb. 11:13), but one day I hope to inherit ,along with others, the very same Earth that we now sojourn on. (Psalm 36:29, LXX; Psalm 37:29, Hebrew)
Steve
What I hope for is actually more than just Heaven. It is the entire Universe renovated and transmuted, changed into something far more beautiful than it is now. (Isaiah 65:17-23, LXX; II Pet. 3:13)
There are people today who have false teachings on this subject and do not realize that what they are actually teaching is that Heaven is just another form of Hell. Some people believe that people will be changed into some non-human sexless creatures with wings that fly around all of the time doing nothing else but singing hymns to God.
I believe that we will sing hymns to God, but I also believe that we will do other things like “building houses and planting vineyards.” (Isaiah 65:21)
Although this is not a dogma of our Church, I also believe that I, a single 50 year old man, will one day live with a woman in the resurrection and have immortal children with her. God created woman for man (I Cor. 11:9) and He said that it is not good for a man to be without a woman. (Gen. 2:18) I do not think that I will be single forever. In the Bible, sterility and barrenness are viewed as a curse. (Deut. 28:18) I do not believe that God is going to bless anyone in the resurrection of the just with a curse. So, I think that I will have children with a woman in the afterlife. (Isaiah 11:6-8)
I believe that something else will replace marriage. Men and women will live together in the resurrection, but it will not be marriage as we know it. However, heterosexual unions will, in my opinion, still retain some of the same features as marriage.
I believe that I will get see distant worlds in other galaxies. After all, I will then live forever and never die. (St. Luke 20:36; Rev. 21:4) I believe that I will be able to eat meals with other people. (St. Luke 22:30)
However, I do not think that God saves people so that they can continue to sin. I do not believe that people will be addicted to sex, food, and various other pleasures. I believe that people will be able to enjoy physical pleasures without ever being addicted to them, but will desire the spiritual pleasures that come from worshipping and serving God even more. People in the afterlife will be more interested in the spiritual pleasures than the physical ones. Nevertheless, the physical ones will still be there as sort of “fringe benefits” that our Creator allows us to enjoy.
Here, I am a stranger and pilgrim on the earth (Heb. 11:13), but one day I hope to inherit ,along with others, the very same Earth that we now sojourn on. (Psalm 36:29, LXX; Psalm 37:29, Hebrew)
Steve
No comments:
Post a Comment