Going to heaven when I die… well probably that is what occurs but even on that I am not 100% sure; those who die in Christ are in Christ and their resurrection is sure – that seems to be the central focus, so maybe life after death followed by embodied life (resurrection) at the parousia… or maybe some sort of ‘soul sleep’. There is not a set of lights clearly pointing to one or the other, cos the focus is elsewhere.
And then the latest news on the (secret) rapture is it has been cancelled due to the lack of any biblical text suggesting this view! Again the direction in this belief is up and to a better life, it presents the hope as an escape from here – not the biblical hope. Jesus prayed that God would not take his disciples ‘out of here’, and I don’t see where that prayer has changed!
Of course rapture (and the bigger ‘dispensationalist’) teaching is recent – 1830ish and any attempt to push it earlier has not been successful. And to push it back into the NT? Goes completely against, not simply the text, but the Hebraic view that shows us that all redemptive movement is from heaven to earth. Creation and its renewal is to follow the freedom of those who are in Christ. The restoration does not end with people singing happy songs but with the trees of the fields clapping their hands for through the resurrection Jesus is the firstborn of all creation, thus God has set ‘as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.’
Freedom for all creation, fulfilment of what began in Genesis finds a wonderful fulfilment in Revelation when God makes all things new (not makes all new things) so that John saw a new heaven and a new earth, not the burning up of a bad old world.
Movement, from heaven to earth, hence ‘let your kingdom come’ and not ‘let us depart to your kingdom’. It is here (location) and will be in fullness then (time) but in our time and location we pray and act for their to be inbreakings of that kingdom, signs that the age to come is not simply to be experienced in the sweet bye and bye and in some distant future.
We might also suggest a movement from ‘in’ to ‘out’. We have had a movement of ‘bring them in’ so that they with us can go ‘up’. Once we live with ‘the movement is to be from heaven to earth’ there is a growing desire that we are placed ‘out’ and among not involved in dropping the draw bridge, rushing out, bringing some in and then making sure the walls are not subsequently breached.
The Gospel is good news. The ultimate message of hope for this world, not the final message of judgement on this world. If it truly connects with us we can hear the words the angels proclaimed:
Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!
Not glory to Caesar and all such rulers, great and small, but to the God whose habitation is in the highest heaven, and whose presence, peace, shalom, well being is among those who are favoured on earth… Carriers of shalom will change environments… from heaven to earth.
Footnote… the language and imagery of ‘caught up to meet the Lord in the air’ (the central ‘rapture’ Scripture) is drawn from the world of that day and has nothing to do with ‘going somewhere’! It uses the same language as in Acts 28:15,
The brothers and sisters from there, when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.
They came to meet Paul in order to accompany him back into Rome… the imagery of 1 Thessalonians is drawn from the arrival (parousia) of the emperor to the city, when those dignitaries who welcomed him would go out of the city to ‘meet him on the way to the city’ and enter the city with him as those who represent the emperor. Whether Paul thinks there is a literal going up or not is incidental… the whole movement is down. There is no disappearance to heaven, and it all happens in the blink of an eye so I doubt he even thinks of any physical movement, certainly no one in Thessalonica would think – yippee the rapture and we get to go to the celestial sing along while it all goes wrong down here!
Very helpful thoughts Martin! I appreciate your perspective much.