There are people who believe that Heaven and Hell are real places outside of our reality and existence on earth. Some believe that there is neither a Heaven, nor a Hell.
What do we actually know about this topic, and how does our understanding of Heaven and Hell shape how we live. How does it shape the way we view people who see things differently from us?
My take on heaven/eternal life:
ReplyDeleteHeaven is the 'paradise' that Jesus spoke about to the thief on the cross; it is not to be confused with the coming Kingdom (basileia) that is breaking-into this world now already - the Kingdom which God will fully establish at the end (eschaton).
Hell is that of God's Creation that goes on in rebellion against God's reconciling purpose. This hell has present manifestations (war, abuse, famine, brokenness); and several passages of scripture can be interpreted to mean that this hell will have manifestations in the afterlife - everlasting fire, etc...
Thanks for making those distinctions, brother. Where do we get this idea that heaven is some place above the clouds? I catch myself thinking like that at time too, but the biblical view seems to imagine more of an earthy existence and experience. One in which heaven and earth bump up against each other...heaven on earth perhaps?
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