Friday, March 25, 2011

In the Age to Come, We Shall Have Eternal Life

Will Our Works on Earth Be Rewarded in Heaven?

We deserve no rewards, no merit, no crowns that we may boast, for it is all of God. Any faith we have more than another is because God dealt that measure to us, and not because of ourselves. Any work we do greater than any other is because God worked within us more than another. Rather than ask, “What rewards will we get,” we should ask, “What does God will for us to do.” And when we have done it, say, “We are unprofitable servants.” Abandon pride and, as the certain poor widow who threw in two mites, surrender all to our Lord. Everlasting life is all the reward we need. (“Do Christians Receive Rewards in Heaven for their Works on Earth?,” Tony Warren)

We Obtain an Inheritance Through the Work of Faith of Christ

The following is adapted from the “Daily Meditations” of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. (Ephesians 2:19)
As citizens of the New Jerusalem, we share heaven’s honors. The glory that belongs to beatified saints belongs to us, for we are already sons of God; we are already princes of the blood imperial. Already we wear the spotless robe of Jesus’ righteousness; already we have angels for our servitors, saints for our companions, Christ for our Brother, God for our Father, and a crown of immortality for our reward. We share the honors of citizenship, for we have come to the general assembly and Church of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven.

Also as citizens of heaven, we enjoy its delights. Do they rejoice over sinners that repent and prodigals that have returned? So do we. Do they chant the glories of triumphant grace? We do the same. Do they cast their crowns at Jesus’ feet? Such honors as we have, we cast there too. Are they charmed with His smile? It is not less sweet to us who dwell below. Do they look forward, waiting for His Second Advent? We also look and long for His appearing. If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.

We Will Be Equally Beloved in Heaven Even If We Are Not All Equally Rewarded

The following is adapted from the “Daily Meditations” of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment. (Revelation 4:4)
These representatives of the saints in heaven are said to be around the throne. In the passage in Canticles, where Solomon sings of the King sitting at his table, some render it “a round table.” From this, some expositors, I think, without straining the text, have said, “There is an equality among the saints.” That idea is conveyed by the equal nearness of the four and twenty elders.

The condition of glorified spirits in heaven is that of nearness to Christ, a clear vision of His glory, a constant access to His court, and a familiar fellowship with His person—there isn’t any difference in this respect between one saint and another. All the people of God, apostles, martyrs, ministers, or private and obscure Christians, shall all be seated near the throne, where they shall forever gaze upon their exalted Lord and be satisfied with His love. They shall all be near to Christ, all ravished with His love, all eating and drinking at the same table with Him, all equally beloved as His favorites and friends even if not all equally rewarded as servants.

Let believers on earth imitate the saints in heaven in their nearness to Christ. Let us on earth be as the elders are in heaven, sitting around the throne. May Christ be the object of our thoughts and the center of our lives. How can we endure to live at such a distance from our Beloved? Lord Jesus, draw us nearer to you and say unto us, “Abide in me and I in you;” and permit us to sing,
“His left hand is under my head and His right hand does embrace me.”
The Rewards Both Now and Forever of Following Christ

The following adapted from “The Rewards of Following Christ” by Joseph Tkach, Worldwide Church of God at http://www.wcg.org/lit/prophecy/rewards.htm.

Let’s begin our discussion by noting the way that Jesus answered Peter’s question:

“I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”
The gospel of Mark makes it clear that Jesus is talking about two different time periods:
“No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).
Jesus is stating in emphatic terms that God will reward us generously, but He also warns us that this life is not a life of physical luxury. We will have persecutions, trials and sufferings in this life. But the blessings outweigh the difficulties by a hundred-to-one margin! Whatever sacrifices we make will be richly compensated. The Christian life is certainly “worth it.”

Of course, Jesus is not promising to give 100 fields to everyone who gave up a farm to follow Him. He is not promising to make everyone wealthy. He is not promising to give 100 mothers. He is not talking in strictly literal terms. What He means is that the things we receive in this life will be 100 times as valuable as the things we give up—as measured by real value, eternal value, not by temporary fads about physical things.

Even our trials have spiritual value to our benefit (Romans 5:3-4; James 1:2-4), and this is of greater value than gold (1 Peter 1:7). God sometimes gives us gold and other temporary rewards (perhaps as an indication of better things to come), but the rewards that count most are those that last forever.

Frankly, I doubt that the disciples understood what Jesus was saying. They were still thinking in terms of a physical kingdom that would soon bring earthly freedom and power to the Israelites (Acts 1:6). The martyrdom of Stephen and James (Acts 7:57-60; 12:2) may have come as quite a surprise. Where were the hundredfold rewards for them?

Parables of Reward

Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19)
In several parables, Jesus indicated that faithful disciples would receive great rewards. Sometimes the reward is described as ruler ship, but Jesus also used other ways to describe our reward.
In the parable of the vineyard workers, the gift of salvation is symbolized by one day’s wage (Matthew 20:9-16).

In the parable of the virgins, the reward is a marriage banquet (Matthew 25:10).

In the parable of talents, the reward is described in general terms: being put “in charge of many things” and being able to “share your master’s happiness” (Matthew 20:20-23).

In the parable of sheep and goats, the blessed disciples are allowed to inherit a kingdom (Matthew 20:34).

In the parable of the servants, the faithful servant is rewarded by being put in charge of all the master’s possessions (Luke 12:42-44).

In the parables of the pounds, the trustworthy servants were given ruler ship over cities (Luke 19:16-19). Jesus promised the 12 disciples ruler ship over the tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30). Members of the church in Thyatira were promised authority over the nations (Revelation 2:26-27).

Jesus advised His disciples to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-21). By this, He implied that what we do in this life will be rewarded in the future—but what sort of reward is it? What good is a treasure when there is nothing to buy? When streets are made of gold, what will be the value of gold?

When we have spiritual bodies, we will not need physical things. I think that this fact suggests that when we think of eternal rewards, we should think primarily about spiritual rewards, not physical things that will pass away. But the problem is that we do not have the vocabulary to describe details of an existence we have never experienced. So we need to use words based on the physical when we even attempt to describe what the spiritual is like.

Our eternal reward will be like a treasure. In some respects, it will be like inheriting a kingdom. In some way, it will be like being given all our master’s possessions. It will be similar to having a vineyard to take care of on behalf of the master. It will be like having responsibility over cities. It will be like a wedding banquet when we share in our master’s happiness. It is like all of these things and much more.

Our spiritual blessings will be far better than the physical things we know in this life. Our eternity in God’s presence will be much more glorious and joyful than literal physical rewards, though it will be like them in certain ways. All physical things, no matter how beautiful, enjoyable or valuable, are only weak shadows of infinitely better heavenly rewards.

Eternal Joy With God

David put it this way:

“You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11).
John described it as a time when:
“There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 20:4).
Everyone will be fully happy. There will be absolutely no dissatisfaction of any kind. No one will be able to think of even a tiny way in which things could be better. We will have reached the purpose for which God has made us.

Isaiah described some of this joy when he predicted a nation returning to its land:
“The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isaiah 35:10).
We will be in the presence of God, and we will be happier than we have ever been. This is what Christianity has traditionally tried to convey by the concept of “going to heaven.”

We used to ridicule the idea of “going to heaven” and talked instead of ruling planets in outer space. This is ironic, since our idea about other planets has less biblical support than the concept of heaven.

Paul says that we are already seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), and he wanted to go to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23). Going to heaven isn’t much different than what Paul has already said.

A few people may envision heaven as a place of clouds, harps and gold-paved streets. But I think that most Christians realize that such physical things are not really part of heaven: they are figures of speech, suggesting peace, beauty, glory and other good things; they are an attempt to use limited physical terms to describe spiritual realities.

Heaven is spiritual, not physical. It is the “place” where God lives. Science fiction fans might say, “God lives in a different dimension.” He is everywhere, present in all dimensions, yet “heaven” is the realm in which He actually dwells. (I apologize for the lack of precision in my words. Theologians may have more precise words for these concepts, but I hope I can get the general idea across with simple words.) The point is that to be in “heaven” is to be in the presence of God in an immediate and special way.

Scripture makes it clear that we will be where God is (John 14:3; Philippians 1:23). Another way to describe our close relationship with God at that time is that we will see Him “face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12; Revelation 22:4; 1 John 3:2). This is a metaphor for being with Him in the closest possible way. So, when we understand the term “heaven” to refer to the dwelling-place of God, it is not wrong to say that Christians will be in heaven in the age to come. We will be with God, and being with God is rightly called being in “heaven.”

In a vision, John saw God’s presence eventually coming to earth—not the present earth but a “new earth” (Revelation 21:3). But whether we “go” to heaven or it “comes” to us is of no consequence. Either way, we will be in heaven, in the presence of God forever, and it will be wonderfully good. We might prefer other ways of saying it, but it is not a point on which we should judge or criticize other Christians. How we describe the life of the age to come, as long as our description is biblical, does not change the fact that we have faith in Christ as our Lord and Savior.

When most Christians talk about heaven, they are simply using the term as a synonym for salvation. For example, some Christian evangelists ask, “Are you sure that you will go to heaven if you die tonight?” Their real point in most cases is not when or where we go—they are simply asking if we are sure of our salvation.

Is It Wrong to Want a Reward?

Some critics of Christianity have ridiculed the concept of heaven as “pie in the sky in the bye and bye”—but ridicule is not a legitimate form of argument. The real question is, “Is there a reward or not?” If there really is pie in the sky, then it is not ridiculous to hope to enjoy it. If we really will be rewarded, it is ridiculous not to want it.

The simple fact is that God has indeed promised to reward us.

“Anyone who comes to Him [God] must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
Belief in rewards is part of the Christian faith. Nevertheless, some people think that it is somehow demeaning or less than honorable for Christians to want to be rewarded for their labors. They think that Christians should serve with a motive of love, expecting no reward for their labors. But that is not the complete message of the Bible. In addition to the free gift of salvation by grace through faith, the Bible does promise rewards for God’s people, and it is not wrong to desire the promises of God.

Certainly, we are to serve God from the motivation of love and not as hirelings who work only to be paid. However, Scripture does speak of rewards and assures us that we will be rewarded. I believe that it is honorable for us to believe in God’s promises and to find them motivating. Rewards are definitely not the only motive of the redeemed children of God, but it is part of the package God has given us.

When this life becomes difficult, it is helpful for us to remember that there is another life in which we will be rewarded.
“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Corinthians 15:19).
Paul knew that the future life would make his sacrifices worthwhile; he gave up temporary pleasures to seek better and longer-lasting pleasures in Christ (Philippians 3:8).

Paul was not afraid of using the language of “gain” (Philippians 1:21; 1 Timothy 3:13; 6:6; cf. Hebrews 11:35). He knew that his future life would be much better than the persecutions of this life. Jesus was also mindful of the benefits of His own sacrifice, and He was willing to endure the cross because He saw great joy on the other side (Hebrews 12:2).

When Jesus counseled us to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20), He was not against investing—He was against bad investments. Do not invest in temporary rewards, but invest in heavenly rewards that will last forever.
“Great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:12).
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field” (Matthew 13:44)—a treasure so great it is worth giving up all the things of this life in order to gain it.

God has prepared something wonderfully good for us, and we will find it to be extremely enjoyable. It is right for us to eagerly look forward to these great blessings and, when we count the cost of following Jesus, it is also right for us to count the blessings and rewards promised for us.
“The Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does” (Ephesians 6:8). “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward” (Colossians 3:23-24). “Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully” (2 John 1:8).
Exceedingly Great Rewards

What God has in store for us is truly beyond our ability to imagine. Even in this life, the love of God is beyond our ability to understand (Ephesians 3:19). The peace of God is beyond our comprehension (Philippians 4:7), and His joy is beyond our ability to put into words (1 Peter 1:8). How much more, then, is it impossible to describe how good it will be to live with God forever?

The biblical writers didn’t give us many details. But one thing we know for certain—it is going to be the most wonderful experience we have ever had. It is better than the most beautiful paintings, better than the most delicious food, better than the most exciting sport, better than the best feelings and experiences we have ever had. It is better than anything on earth. It is going to be a tremendous reward!

Friends, God is truly generous! We have been given exceedingly great and precious promises—and the privilege of sharing this wonderful news with others. What joy should fill our hearts!

Conclusion

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-9).

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your soul.

What Will It Be Like in Eternity?

“My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Ezekiel 37:27)
We are Joint Heirs with Christ

The following is adapted from the “Daily Meditations” of Charles Haddon Surgeon.

“And the glory which Thou gavest me I have given them.” (John 17:22)
Behold the superlative liberality of the Lord Jesus, for He has given us His all. Although a tithe of His possessions would have made a universe of angels rich beyond all thought, yet He was not content until He had given us all that He had. He makes us sit with Him and share the feast. He will have His bride as rich as Himself, and He will not have a glory or a grace in which she shall not share. There is not one room in His house, the key of which He will withhold from His people.

He has not been content with less than making us joint heirs with Him so that we might have equal possessions. He gives us full liberty to take all that He has to be our own; He loves us to make free with His treasure and appropriate as much as we can possibly carry. As citizens, we have common rights to all the property of heaven. Ours are its gates of pearl and walls of chrysolite. Ours are the azure light of the city that needs no candle or light of the sun. Ours are the river of the water of life and the twelve manner of fruits that grow on the trees planted on the banks thereof. There is nothing in heaven that does not belong to us: “things present, or things to come,” all are ours.
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance. (Ephesians 1:11)
When Jesus gave Himself for us, He gave us all the rights and privileges that went with Himself so that now, although as eternal God, He has essential rights to which no creature may venture to pretend. Yet as Jesus, the Mediator, the federal head of the covenant of grace, He has no heritage apart from us.

All the glorious consequences of His obedience unto death are the joint riches of all who are in Him and on whose behalf He accomplished the divine will. He enters into glory, but not for Himself alone, for it is written: “Whither the forerunner is for us entered” (Hebrews 6:20); “He appears in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24).

Consider this, believer: you have no right to heaven in yourself: your right lies in Christ:
  • If you are pardoned, it is through His blood.
  • If you are justified, it is through His righteousness.
  • If you are sanctified, it is because He is made of God unto you sanctification.
  • If you shall be kept from falling, it will be because you are preserved in Christ Jesus.
  • If you are perfected at the last, it will be because you are complete in Him.
Thus Jesus is magnified—for all is in Him and by Him. The inheritance is made certain to us—for it is obtained in Him. Each blessing is the sweeter and even heaven itself the brighter because it is Jesus our Beloved “in whom” we have obtained all.

Where is the man who shall estimate our divine portion? Weigh the riches of Christ in scales and His treasure in balances, and then think to count the treasures that belong to the saints. Reach the bottom of Christ’s sea of joy, and then hope to understand the bliss that God has prepared for them that love Him. Overleap the boundaries of Christ’s possessions, and then dream of a limit to the fair inheritance of the elect. “All things are yours, for you are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.”

Eternity Will Right the Wrongs of Time

The following is adapted from the “Daily Meditations” of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“The voice of weeping shall be no more heard.” (Isaiah 65:19)
The glorified weep no more because all outward causes of grief are gone. There are no broken friendships or blighted prospects in heaven. Poverty, famine, peril, persecution and slander are unknown there. No pain distresses; no thought of death or bereavement saddens. They weep no more, for they are perfectly sanctified. No “evil heart of unbelief” prompts them to depart from the living God; they are without fault before His throne, and they are fully conformed to His image.

Well may they cease to mourn, who have ceased to sin. They weep no more because all fear of change is past. They know that they are eternally secure. Sin is shut out, and they are shut in. They dwell within a city that shall never be stormed; they bask in a sun that shall never set; they drink of a river that shall never dry; they pluck fruit from a tree that shall never wither.

Countless cycles may revolve, but eternity shall not be exhausted; and while eternity endures, their immortality and blessedness shall co-exist with it. They are forever with the Lord. They weep no more because every desire is fulfilled. They cannot wish for anything that they do not have in possession. Eye and ear, heart and hand, judgment, imagination, hope, desire, will, all the faculties, are completely satisfied.

No matter how imperfect may be our present ideas of the things that God has prepared for them that love Him, we know enough, by the revelation of the Spirit, that the saints above are supremely blessed. The joy of Christ, which is an infinite fulness of delight, is in them. They bathe themselves in the bottomless, shoreless sea of infinite beatitude. That same joyful rest remains for us. It may not be far distant, “wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Revelation Chapters 21 and 22

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.' (Revelation 21:1-4)

And He that sat upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.' (Revelation 21:5-9)

And He carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God… And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof… And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:10, 22-23, 27)

And He shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. (Revelation 22:1-4)

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. And he said unto me, 'These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to shew unto His servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is He that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.' (Revelation 22:5-7)

And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith He unto me, 'See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.' And He saith unto me, 'Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.' (Revelation 22:8-14)

Other Related Scripture

“Now will I rise,” saith the Lord; “Now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.” (Isaiah 33:10)

And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise Thee: though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. (Isaiah 12:1-6)

“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the Word of our God shall stand for ever. O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:1-11)

“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her People a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my People: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that has not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my People, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And is shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 65:17-25)

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:6-9)

“The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. The sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy People also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.” (Isaiah 60:19-21)

“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” (Isaiah 66:22-24)

“Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord… For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.” (Isaiah 54:1,5-8)

“For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.” (Isaiah 54:9-14)

“Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35:4)

He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil. He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in His beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off… Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby… And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. (Isaiah 33:15-17,20-21,24)

And Jesus, answering, said unto them, “The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage. But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” (Luke 20:34-36)

“For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.” (Mark 12:35)

Conclusion

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us. For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, for we are also His offspring. (Acts 17:24-28)

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead. (Acts 17:29-31)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. (Ephesians 1:3-7)

Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself. That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him. (Ephesians 1:8-10)

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:11-14)

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

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