When does Jesus speak about the eternality of heaven being an event yet to come?
John the Baptist, who constantly alluded to Christ's coming stated that "the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Matt. 3:2).
Then, after John was arrested, Jesus also started to proclaim that "the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Matt. 4:17).
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about people who possess some kind of ownership over heaven (the poor in spirit, those persecuted for righteousness, etc.).
Jesus talks about a reward in heaven.
In the midst of this talk, the Gospel writers constantly refer to heaven as a place where God the Father is. Like a location.
What about a state of being?
The Father is "in heaven," the poor in spirit have "heaven," those persecuted for their righteousness have "heaven."
Hopefully the quotations around "heaven" are not misleading. I'm not trying to suggest that we redefine what heaven is, but rather WHERE it is, WHY it is, WHEN it is. Heaven is a place where one can be with God. Does that define the "where"? The "why"? The "when"?
Heaven is somewhere a devoted follower of Christ must go if they perish on Earth. Jesus clearly states that death for a Christian is the start of something new. It's not just about baptism, but also baptism by true, physical death. Those who perish for God will be with God. That's heaven. And, it might not be a "place."
Imagine a shining world of clouds, gold streets, outstanding precious stones. That's art, not heaven. Heaven could literally be that, or it's something else so incredible that the closest thing we can thing of is precious metals and stones. Earthly beauty is our understanding of the PLACE of heaven, but its so much bigger than we can imagine.
So when we talk about salvation, and link it with an eventual ascension to heaven, do we mean it? Or do we believe that Christianity, Jesus, The Way, The Truth, The Life allows us to be in community with God; do we believe that being a follower of Christ means we're already citizens of heaven? Here? Now?
Does being a follower of Christ we become an ambassador, one who ranks highest in God's plan, one who is intended to represent Heaven, one who brings Heaven to Earth by Christ's example, one that inspires community with God and with each other?
Jesus starts by saying things like John said, "the kingdom of of heaven has come near" but by the end of his life, after he's taught his disciples and left a legacy, he tells them that the kingdom of heaven does not come with careful observation (which suggests to me that perhaps the kingdom of heaven come from obedience); he tells them that the kingdom of heaven is among them (Luke 17).
Are we looking towards heaven when it should be right beneath our noses?
Thanks for reading, tear me apart.
