Heaven (Part 36) - Reigning, Countryside, Nations, Resurrected Bodies (Part A)

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Heaven (Part 36) - Reigning, Countryside, Nations, Resurrected Bodies (Part A) U. The elect shall reign forever and ever in the new Jerusalem (Rev 22:5b). i. God has made us kings and priests in His kingdom on earth which is the church (1Pe 2:5, 9; Rev 1:6; Luk 22:29-30; Heb 12:28). ii. We live and reign with Christ during the time between His first and second comings as He reigns from heaven (Rev 20:4). iii. When Christ returns, He will deliver up the kingdom to God (1Co 15:24-26). iv. The new Jerusalem which is the capital city of the kingdom of God will be brought down to the new earth (Rev 21:1-2) and we will reign in it forever (Dan 7:18, 27; Rev 22:5). a. Reign v. - 1. intr. To hold or exercise the sovereign power or authority in a state; to rule or govern as king or queen; sometimes in restricted sense, to hold the royal office without being actual ruler, to have a limited or nominal sovereignty. b. The children of God who were faithful and used their talents to the best of their ability will be made rulers over people and cities in the new earth (Mat 25:21, 23; Luk 19:17-19). v. The new earth and the new Jerusalem is the heavenly kingdom which God has had planned for us since the foundation of the world (Mat 25:34; Mat 13:43; Mat 26:29; 2Ti 4:1; 2Pe 1:11). 54. Is heaven a giant city or is there countryside as well? (Austin) A. The present heaven i. The present heaven is called paradise (Luk 23:43; 2Co 12:2-4). a. Paradise n. - 1. a. The garden of Eden. Also called earthly (terrenal, terrene, terrestre) paradise, to distinguish it from the heavenly paradise. 2. a. Heaven, the abode of God and his angels and the final abode of the righteous. b. The tree of life is currently in the midst of the paradise of God in the present heaven (Rev 2:7). c. The tree of life was originally in the garden of Eden (Gen 2:9). d. The garden of Eden would have been considered countryside having trees and rivers (Gen 2:9-10). ii. Since the present heaven is called paradise and contains the tree of life, it appears that there is likely a place in it that is similar to the garden of Eden. iii. Therefore, there is likely countryside as well as a city in the present heaven. B. The new earth will have the new Jerusalem on it (Rev 21:1-2) which is an enormous city (Rev 21:16) (see Section X, 53 - What will the new Jerusalem be like?). C. There will also be countryside in the new earth as well for the following reasons. i. It is a new earth, and it would not therefore be earth without countryside including forests, prairies, mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, etc. ii. The new earth will be a restoration and glorification of the original earth (see Section IX - The nature of the new earth). iii. Abraham was and is looking forward to both a heavenly city and a heavenly country (Heb 11:10, 14-16). a. The country is land that is outside of a city (Mar 5:14). b. Country n. - I. 1. a. A tract or expanse of land of undefined extent; a region, district. 5. a. ‘The parts of a region distant from cities or courts’ (J.); the rural districts as distinct from the town or towns; sometimes applied to all outside the capital, called, by eminence, ‘town’. iv. People from the nations of the new earth will bring their glory and honour into the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:26) which means that they will be living outside the heavenly city. 55. Will there be nations on the new earth? A. Yes, there will be nations on the new earth (Rev 21:24). B. The glory of the nations will be brought into the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:26). C. Since no wealth or possessions will be brought from this life into heaven, the glory of the nations which shall be brought into the heavenly city will come from nations on the new earth. 56. After the resurrection will we live in heaven or in the new earth? Will God still be in heaven or will He be on earth? A. The resurrection happens at the second coming of Christ (1Th 4:16) which happens on the last day (Joh 11:24). B. The destruction of the old heavens and earth and the creation of the new heavens and earth also happens at the second coming of Christ on the last day (2Pe 3:10-13). C. The new Jerusalem, which is the dwelling place of God in the present heaven, will be brought down to the new earth on that day, and we will live on the new earth forever with God (Rev 21:1-3). 57. When the Lord brings heaven down to earth and He comes down to earth, are we going to see the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit in spirit or in flesh? (Sette) A. God the Father is a spirit (Joh 4:24). B. The Holy Spirit is a spirit. C. Therefore, we will see God the Father and the Holy Spirit in spirit. D. We will see Jesus Christ in flesh because He is the Word made flesh (Joh 1:14; 1Ti 3:16; 1Ti 2:5). 58. What will our resurrected bodies be like? A. Our resurrected bodies will retain our identities (Job 14:12-15; Job 19:25-27). B. Our resurrected bodies will be incorruptible (1Co 15:42, 53). i. Corruption n. - I. Physical. 1. The destruction or spoiling of anything, esp. by disintegration or by decomposition with its attendant unwholesomeness; and loathsomeness; putrefaction. II. Moral. 4. A making or becoming morally corrupt; the fact or condition of being corrupt; moral deterioration or decay; depravity. ii. Incorruption n. - 1. Freedom from physical corruption or decay; incorrupt condition. Now arch. and only in reference to 1 Cor. xv. 42, etc. 2. Freedom from corrupt conduct; uprightness and honesty. iii. Our resurrected bodies will not decay, decompose, fall apart, or fall into moral decay as our current bodies do. C. They will be glorified (1Co 15:43; Php 3:21; Rom 8:30). i. Glory n. - 1. subjectively. a. The disposition to claim honour for oneself; boastful spirit. Obs. exc. in the combination vainglory. 6. Resplendent beauty or magnificence. Now often with suggestion of sense 5 or 7: An effulgence of light such as is associated with our conceptions of heaven; fig. an unearthly beauty attributed by imagination. Also pl., features of resplendent beauty or magnificence, splendours. 8. A state of exaltation and splendour. in one's glory: in one's highest state of magnificence or prosperity; also colloq., in a state of unbounded gratification or enjoyment. ii. Glorious adj. - 3. a. Of persons and things: Possessing glory; entitled to brilliant and lofty renown, illustrious. iii. Glorify v. - 1. trans. To render glorious; to invest with glory, procure glory for. In early quotes. esp. to exalt to the glory of heaven. b. In physical sense: To throw a glorious light upon, to invest with radiance. Formerly also, to beautify or embellish, deck with splendid ornament. iv. Our resurrected bodies will be beautiful, magnificent, and radiant. D. They will be powerful (1Co 15:43). i. Power n. - 1. a. Ability to do or effect something or anything, or to act upon a person or thing. 2. a. Ability to act or affect something strongly; physical or mental strength; might; vigour, energy; force of character; telling force, effect. ii. Our resurrected bodies will be powerful and full of energy, both physically and mentally.