What’s Next?
“who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life” Luke 18:30 ESV
Age to come – While the ESV renders the Greek aion as “age,” the Hebrew idiom is more likely ‘olam ha’ba, the “world to come.” The rabbis contrasted this with the ‘olam hazeh, the present world. That the concept is thoroughly rabbinic is seen in Yeshua’s connection with the idea of eternal life. But as soon as we say that, we have a problem because it isn’t clear at all what this Hebraic idea is really about. Tim Hegg cites Moore’s book, Judaism, with the following: “Any attempt to systematize the Jewish notions of the hereafter imposes upon them an order and consistency which does not exist in them.”[1] As we have learned before, the Jewish idea of life after death is much less clear than our contemporary Christian imagery.
Maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised. Yoav Bruck once told me that the words ‘olam ha’ba actually don’t mean “the world to come.” Rather, they mean “the world coming.” Why is this distinction important? If we think of the Christian idea of the afterlife, we are inclined to imagine a separate reality, a kind of “other” world where everything is new, pristine and perfect, where we can enjoy the company of our dearly departed in the presence of YHWH and Yeshua and where all sorrow ends. Furthermore, we have the tendency to imagine this as a “place,” with geography, topography, flora and fauna (don’t all good dogs go to heaven?). But most of those images come from Western paintings and literature, not from Scripture.
On the other hand, if we think of the ‘olam ha’ba as “the world coming,” then we get a very different picture. We are already at work bringing this coming reality into existence. Each act of righteousness reconstructs the world and hastens the arrival of the renewed creation. Instead of imagining a different planet called heaven, we discover that we are in the business of returning to the perfect creation of the Garden here on earth. The redemptive plan is not abandoning the first creation but rather bringing about its restoration. That’s why, by the way, the righteous stay here rather than leave. The restored creation is arriving at this port of call, not waiting for us in some other universe.
Perhaps if we understood the incomplete verbal action associated with the ‘olam ha’ba we would recognize that it is “already but not yet,” in precisely the same way that we speak about the completion of Yeshua’s role as Messiah. Certainly this idea of the ‘olam ha’ba refocuses our energy on the task here in the ‘olam hazeh because the two are not discontinuous. Hazeh will become ha’ba in God’s good time. If the olam ha’ba is coming, then the really serious issue in life is whether or not I will be ready for its arrival, and the way that I can answer that question today is to ask if I am doing all I can to hasten its approach.
Topical Index: age to come, olam ha’ba, ‘olam hazeh, Luke 18:30
All this, AND Heaven too! Yes, that is why we “remain” after we have been saved, to restore calm to this confused and chaotic planet. And from what have we been saved? are what we “saved” to? Not only to an “exit” or exodus, but also to a grand entrance! His standing invitation? “Enter in!”
And on that cross
as Jesus died
the wrath of God was satisfied
for I am His
and He is mine
bought with the precious blood of Christ
You may have noticed, my email address is “bought1.” This is my “identity” *in Christ.* This is who I am. All my towels say “His.” I belong to the Shepherd-King, the LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ.
Salvation/deliverance is also a tri-unity. I have been saved from the penalty of sin. I am being saved from the power (authority) of sin. (Sin shall no longer have dominion/power/authority, over you) I will be saved/delivered from the presence of sin. Yes, Heaven is a perfect place for a prepared people. We are (all) being conformed (a word of heat and pressure) into the image of the Son. Sanctification (set apartness) is a long, slow, sometimes painful process. Salvation/deliverance is a crisis followed by a process. I have been saved, I am being saved, – I will be saved. I am a Christian (a little Christ)- under “construction.” Please be patient with me.. God is not finished with me yet! He’s still working on me and in me and ~ God is the ONE working among you both the willing and the working for what pleases Him ~ (Philippians 2.13)
Answer this (Christian) , ~ Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ~ And the answer is? (No, this is not multiple choice)- Friend, ~ what do the scriptures say? ~ Listen again, perhaps for the first time.. ~ “God forbid.” ~ May it never be.
What is your view, your perspective, your thoughts concerning sin? And what was it that held our Savior, the King of (not only) the Jews, but the Greeks also, the LORD of all- to the execution stake, the tslav, the cross?
~ This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief ~ (Move over Paul). Worthy of all acceptation? Are the Jews “sinners” too? Of course we know “those” Greeks, “those” Gentiles are!- Sinners, every one of “those people.”
But again, ~ what do the scriptures say? ~ (I’ve just got to get me a ‘tat!’) Friends, (of every stripe and color) the Bible, the word of God says- Are we listening? “ALL” have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Well hello..- does “all” mean all, (y’all?) Cut my legs off and call me “Shorty.” YES.
~ For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost ~ (Luke 19.10) I (too) was lost, but Jesus found me, found the sheep that went astray.. Lost and found. Maybe my name might be “Found1!” For He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming blood. Oh yes.. “Redeemer” is His Name as well. Maybe we would do well to “remember” His Name. And to “remember” the promise of the ONE who is incapable of a lie, “Whosever shall call upon the Name of the LORD shall be saved..”
If a sinner (sinners are us) shall call upon the name of the LORD, shall he (or she) be saved? Ask the dying thief, the one who realized and recognized only two things. (Too simple, is it?) One, he “deserved” his punishment for he knew he had sinned. He said, (in effect)- “I have sinned.” Two: He recognized the Son of God for Who He was- the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world- he believed in his heart and confessed to his fellow thief, this “Jesus is LORD.” And what was the promise of The Messiah? Today, you will be with Me in paradise.”
Is there, (he inquired) a place called Heaven and is there (he inquired again) a place called “Hell?” And once again, this time with feelings(?)- he asked, ~ what do the scriptures say? ~ I didn’t ask a Rabbi. I didn’t ask from any man. I asked, and would love to hear an answer.. ~ what do the scriptures say?
This I know…~ Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean! From a sinner to a son to a saint; saved, strengthened,-sanctified-secured- supplied-satisfied, Hallelujah!- What a Savior! Hallelujah, what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving.. He is with us- His Name is Immanuel!! (Remember?)- God IS with us!- and God IS for us- and God is “in” us! ~ What shall we say to these things? ~ Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! .. Come Thou fount of every blessing..tune my heart to sing Thy praise.. streams of mercy-never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.. ~ Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!
If it is truly the case that “we are in the business of returning to the perfect creation of the Garden here on earth”, then it seems to me that we (society and the church) are not only going in the wrong direction, but we are doing it at an accelerated speed. While I thought that nothing would surprise me anymore regarding how twisted and upside down Satan has made everything YHWH has done and taught, this does. However, my hesitation is that this teaching sounds much like the restoration theology of the modern church in which ” the progress of the church and society would lead to an age of peace and righteousness before the return of Christ”. Could it be that the modern church got something right and we rejected it out of hand (or at least many of us) because we were taught lies about the rapture and premillinniumism? I see in this theology that you are espousing that the onus of responsibility to redeem the world is put squarely on the church (you and I) and not upon G*d. (He has already done His part?) Obviously this doesn’t sit well with my “faith in G*d to do it all while I wait on the sidelines” theology. If what you are saying is true then I need to reexamine another key point of my theology and if I accept it then I better get busy about our Father’s business as if the world depends on it…because it does. My work towards that end would also be the basis of my future judgement and rewards in the Olam Haba and not my current belief that my rewards will be based upon my generic good deeds to others and my level of spiritual maturity in this life. Finally, if this is “how things work” then it is no wonder those who believe this way aren’t looking for the soon return of Messiah ( as many, if not most of us, I suspect, are). Maybe we better get rid of our binoculars and pick up a trowel in our one hand and a sword in the other and get busy bringing about the restoration of all things. Thanks Skip, for yet another challenge to my “Greek” belief system. Michael
“Instead of imagining a different planet called heaven, we discover that we are in the business of returning to the perfect creation of the Garden here on earth. The redemptive plan is not abandoning the first creation but rather bringing about its restoration. That’s why, by the way, the righteous stay here rather than leave. The restored creation is arriving at this port of call, not waiting for us in some other universe.”
2Pe 3:13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Do these statements not contradict each other? If not for Peter’s previous statement about the heaven and earth being destroyed I would think maybe he was being figurative.
I am definitely being challenged in my thinking…
The Hebrew word behind Peter’s Greek text is hadash. Take a look at its meaning. Then apply that to the texts in Peter and the Hebrews. It means “renewed” not “new.” I have written on this. Search the web site.
Brother Skip, thank you so much for this confirmation.