“Won’t it be great to live forever in heaven with Jesus?” This question was posed by Mrs. Slater who labored valiantly each Sunday trying to teach us junior boys something. We boys, however, did not share her enthusiasm for eternity because we thought it would just be a lot of singing, sort of an eternal church service. This was not at all attractive to those of us who had a tough time with services that went beyond an hour and five minutes.
We were, of course, immature boys. But it is surprising how many older Christians do not appear to have advanced much beyond that perception found among Mrs. Slater’s junior boys. Maybe it would be good to take another look at what lies ahead in the future, forever kingdom of God.
We were, of course, immature boys. But it is surprising how many older Christians do not appear to have advanced much beyond that perception found among Mrs. Slater’s junior boys. Maybe it would be good to take another look at what lies ahead in the future, forever kingdom of God.
The Two Phases of the Future Kingdom of God
The Bible states that when the Lord Jesus Christ returns at His 2nd Coming that no creature (angel or man) will ever again usurp His ruling authority. At the 2nd Coming, the future kingdom of God is in place and it is there permanently. As Daniel expressed it in Daniel 2:44:
“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself ENDURE FOREVER.”
However, what Daniel did not know, but what later scriptures explained, was that while God’s kingdom is forever, it will have two distinct phases to it.
(1) PHASE ONE – THE MESSIANIC (Millennial) KINGDOM. This first phase is necessary in order to fulfill the Covenant that God made with Abraham. What God promised, He has yet to fulfill. It is required that the Messiah reign on this present earth in order that God’s promises might be fulfilled. The characteristics of this Messianic kingdom are detailed in the O.T. prophets and it will be an incredible period characterized by joy, peace and abundance. The N.T. gives the information that this phase of the future kingdom of God will last for 1,000 years.
(2) PHASE TWO – THE ETERNAL KINGDOM. Once the 1,000 year reign of King Jesus is completed, He will turn ruling authority over to the Father (1 Cor. 15:24) and the final resurrection and the final judgments will then take place. These events will prepare everyone for the final, forever phase of the kingdom.
Facts About the Future, Forever Kingdom of God
The Apostle Paul’s statement is true that all of our earthly knowledge and experiences do not make clear “all that God has prepared for them who love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9). But there are some truths found in our Bibles that let us in on something of what it will be like in this coming kingdom.
(1) OUR BODIES WILL BE CHANGED AND MADE MATURE. Sickness, disease and many kinds of limitations are the common experience of people today. These experiences are not what God originally designed when He created our physical bodies. In eternity we will have bodies that have been changed. The Apostle Paul reflects the desire of us all when he says in Romans 8:23,
“And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”
Our bodies will be made like the body that Jesus had at His resurrection. He is called the “first fruits” which means that His body is the “proto-type” of our bodies. Looking at the two resurrection appearances in Luke 24, we get some insights into what that body will be like. Our bodies will be like His; mature and free from any deficiencies. There will be no physical illness, no mental or emotional retardation or deficiency. This body will live forever, never dying.
(2) THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WILL BE MADE NEW. God created a beautiful, perfect, physical world for people to live in (Gen. 1, 2). There was no sin, death, curse or imperfection of any kind until the Fall. Revelation 21:1 declares that God is going to create a “new” heaven and a “new” earth. This word “new” emphasizes the fact that it is a “fresh” version of what was created before. The reason for the “new” earth is the same as the original one; that is, it is the dwelling place for people. Eternity will apparently be spent on the new earth. We are going back to paradise. God’s original plan was “very good”, and He is going to restore everything that was lost in the Fall. One thing about the new earth that John wants us to know is that “there is no longer any sea.” What does that mean? We are used to a world where 70% is covered by water but that is not what the original earth looked like. We would understand that much of the present water is the result of God’s judgment with the flood of Noah’s day.
(3) OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WILL BE CHANGED. We will experience a level of fellowship and relationship with the Lord God that we (even in our best moments) have never experienced. It will be a full and uninhibited fellowship (note Rev. 22:4). Revelation 21:3 tells us that God is going to come down onto the earth and will “dwell among” His people. While Adam and Eve were visited regularly in Eden, we will have a much richer and more permanent relationship than they had. We possess the very righteousness of Christ (Adam did not) and this will enable us to enjoy a level of fellowship that neither we today or Adam in Eden ever experienced. There is no sin or guilt to get in the way of enjoying the Lord. The Apostle Paul tells us that when we see Jesus, we will “marvel” at Him, as we will understand things about Him that we never saw before (2 Thes. 1:10). Also, the “marriage of the Lamb” has taken place (Rev. 19:7) and church age believers have been united with Jesus suggesting that where He goes, we go. And we have now a unique, never before experienced, relationship with Him.
(4) WE WILL HAVE PRODUCTIVE, MEANINGFUL LIVES. We will be “serving” the Lord (Rev. 22:3) which tells us that the Lord will give us important and meaningful activities. Much of our time now is spent dealing with the consequences of sin (from weeding the garden to fixing machines, people or situations) and so it is hard to imagine what it is we could be doing. Adam was given meaningful activity in tending the Garden and “ruling” over creation. So, while we cannot put together a “to do” list, we can be sure that whether it is worshipping, ruling, serving or learning, our lives will be full and satisfying.
(5) SOME REALITIES EXPERIENCED NOW ARE EXPERIENCED THEN. Not everything will be strange and different. For example, there will be kings and nations in the eternal state (Rev. 21:24-26) indicating that there will be structure to life in eternity. We will eat and drink (Rev. 22:1-2). There will be a city there, the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:10-27). There will be a universe with sun, moon and stars to gaze at and investigate which like the original creation will be there to mark time for us. (Note that Revelation does not say there is no sun, but rather that there is no “need” for the sun in the new Jerusalem). Having a “fresh” earth means that there will be meadows and mountains, rivers and lakes, trees and flowers, making it much like what we can enjoy now. We will not be floating around in clouds strumming harps.
(6) SOME REALITIES PRESENTLY EXPERIENCED WILL BE ABSENT. Of great importance also is what will not be there (Rev. 21:4; 22:3). There will no longer be pain, death, crying, sorrow and the curse. It is nearly impossible for us to imagine what life will be like without these entities because we deal with them daily. No more fearing death. No crying which comes from disappointment, failure, failed relationships, the death of a loved one, loneliness and a host of other negatives. Life without these things will be amazing and we cannot really imagine what it will be like with these things gone.
“Thou will make known to me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11
What the Lord has for us is not at all what we junior boys thought back in our Sunday school class with Mrs. Slater. She did have a much better perspective on life in the future, forever kingdom of God. Trials may be hard and life may be difficult right now, but according to God’s promises and revelation, our best days are ahead of us and they are eternal!
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
