http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1710844,00.html?iref=wer
The Bishop of Durham interviewed in Time Magazine about heaven? What are things coming to? :-)
"At no point do the resurrection narratives in the four Gospels say, "Jesus has been raised, therefore we are all going to heaven." It says that Christ is coming here, to join together the heavens and the Earth in an act of new creation."
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
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2 comments:
What's your point? Don't you think Heaven will encompass this world? I hope it does. (BTW... what's happened to Hawthorn West Uniting Church? I've been trying to find out the name of the minister for my job, and your blog is one of the few places it gets mentioned on the internet.)
My understanding of the Hebrew world view is that Heaven and Earth/Universe are separated - by a barrier of sinfulness - but that Heaven encompasses/supersets/covers the Earth/Universe. So you are right in that Heaven will/does encompass this world now, but noting that until Jesus returns the barrier remains.
The article is actually saying that Heaven is far less separate than we think of it, ie that it's not some way off distant place with clouds and harps that God descends from time to time but is in fact very close ie 'near' or 'at hand'; also that Heaven is not our final destination *separate* from Earth, but that it will overwhelm the Earth in the "new heavens and new earth" of resurrection.
Jesus is bridging the gap between Universe and Heaven, a great work which is not yet complete and yet thanks to his death and resurrection, it is inevitable. When it is, maybe we won't even be able to separate the two?
Anyway interesting thoughts, worth reading 'Surprised by Hope' or listening to some of NT Wright's sermons - they are very good!
HWUC is still there, I just googled it and found:
http://www.whuc.org.au/
Robert Humphreys appears to be the minister.
Enjoy.
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