In this chapter we continue to focus our attention on the joys and pleasures that saints and the redeemed race will experience in the next age, or in the Millennial kingdom age and also in "the generations of the ages of the ages" that follow (Eph. 3: 21). We have contended that the state of the saints (who lived in the old and new testaments and before the second coming of Christ) is not exactly the same as "the nations" who will enter the millennial age in their mortal bodies and of the ongoing human race that will exist in the endless ages that follow the next age of a thousand years.
We will begin this chapter with some very good comments from an Internet article titled ETERNAL PLEASURES By David Feddes (here). They enlarge upon what we presented in the preceding chapter where focus was on the joys and pleasures of the resurrected and glorified saints as they live in the New Jerusalem and reign as kings and priests on the earth and over the nations. Following this we will address the question as to whether sexual pleasure will be one of the pleasures for the resurrected saints. We have already seen how sex in marriage will continue among the nations of the ongoing race but the question is whether the saints who are resurrected and whose bodies become spiritual will continue to have sexual pleasures, and children as a result.
Wrote Feddes (emphasis mine):
"When you think about where you’ll spend eternity, what comes to mind? Most people believe in an existence after this life but aren’t very excited about it. If you fear that you might go to hell instead of heaven, you’re obviously not eager for eternity. But even if you believe you’ll go to heaven, the thought might still bore you more than it excites you."
This is so true and is due in part to people having the idea that heaven is nothing but one unending church service. But, even though heavenly worship gatherings will be extremely joyous, it is not the only pleasure experienced in eternity.
Wrote Feddes:
"You might picture heaven as an endless church service, and you’re not eager for sermons and songs that go on forever. Or you might imagine floating on a cloud, and you’d rather keep your feet on the ground. Or you might think of being flooded with white light, and you’d rather enjoy things in living color.
But the final destiny of those who trust Jesus is not white light or fluffy clouds or an everlasting church service. The new creation is literally heaven on earth: heaven comes down to earth, and earth becomes the paradise it’s meant to be. When our bodies are resurrected in a better form, the physical world will also be resurrected in a better form. Nothing good will be lost, only improved."
That well expresses my views and the truth of the bible. It is such false ideas about the afterlife that I have desired to correct in this series.
He also said:
"Heaven on earth will be physical, and it will be fun. A lot of us, if asked what we expect to do in heaven, draw a blank. Nothing much comes to mind. But there will be lots of exciting things to do. God doesn’t promise everlasting boredom. He promises, “Everlasting joy will crown their heads.” He says, “Be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create” (Isaiah 35:10; 65:18). You have a future of unending pleasures waiting for you if you trust in God and receive his salvation. In Psalm 16:11 King David says to God, “You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” God promises eternal pleasures, not unending boredom."
This is what I affirmed in the previous chapter. The truth that this brother affirms about life in eternity for the saved is not generally understood by Christians. This is especially true among Amillennialists and among those who do not take the prophecies of the afterlife literally.
Heaven is described in scripture most often by what will be absent there. So we read where John says about life in the New Jerusalem that there will be "no more..." But, there are also verses that speak about what will be there. Never, however, in all of those "no more" statements in Revelation chapters twenty one and two, and elsewhere in scripture, none say "no more fun," or "no more earthly or bodily pleasures," etc.
Wrote Feddes again:
"Among the great joys of the new creation is what won’t be there...But what will be there? Scripture often pictures eternal life in terms of things we enjoy here on earth. Do you love the beauty of the countryside? The Bible paints country scenes of rivers and fruit trees and animals of various kinds in a peaceful paradise. Do you love great cities and splendid architecture? The Bible offers city scenes of mansions and magnificent walls and streets of gold and jewels sparkling almost everywhere you look. Do you love music? The Bible speaks of harps and singing. Do you love good food? The Bible talks about banquets. From the sound of it, heaven on earth includes much of what we find most lovely and enjoyable on earth now."
Again, this is so well and simply said. It is always good in writing on a subject to find someone who has already said what you want to say for you can then cite what they say and copy and paste and save a lot of time. It is also good to know that others share your thoughts on the subject.
Wrote Feddes again:
"Now let’s focus on heaven on earth as a place to play. Isaiah 11:8 pictures babies playing with cobras and other poisonous snakes. If a baby wants a rattle, it can play with the nearest rattlesnake! Even if the vision of little ones playing with snakes is more symbolic than literal, one thing is clear: heaven on earth will be free of dangers and full of delightful playing. Jesus said the only way to enter the kingdom of heaven is to become like little children (Matthew 18:3), so maybe all believers will laugh and play like happy children. When God talks about the future Jerusalem, he says: “The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there” (Zechariah 8:5). Is it unholy to speak of fun and games in the holy city? Well, God obviously doesn’t think so. He’s the one who said it!"
Again, this is what I envision eternal life to be like. For my own self I look forward to enjoying lots of old pleasures in the new heavens and earth and in the city of God that I enjoyed while living in the old earth, but I also look forward to new and exciting pleasures.
Wrote Feddes again:
"Is it unspiritual to speak of eternity with God as a matter of playing and partying? Jesus obviously doesn’t think so. He often compared the kingdom of heaven to a party. Jesus pictured God’s welcome of a repentant sinner as a huge feast with music and dancing (Luke 15:23-25). Jesus’ first miracle was changing water into wine so that a party could keep going instead of shutting down early (John 2:1-11). The Bible often speaks of a future feast, a marvelous meal prepared by God himself. “The Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich foods for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines” (Isaiah 25:6). “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9)."
Again, who can deny these things? Christians need to get rid of their boring ideas about life in heaven or in the eternal state. Of course, taking these things literally does raise lots of questions, some of which I have mentioned before, such as whether we will need to use the toilet in lieu of all this eating and drinking, or the question about who will prepare these meals. Will there be cook stoves and refrigerators in the New Jerusalem? Some of these questions we will discuss further when we look at what the bible says about the resurrection of the bodies of the elect and at their glorification.
Wrote Feddes again:
"Have you ever thought of eternity as a party? Well, if you haven’t, you’d better start, because it’s going to be the best party ever. You see, God himself is the host, and God is the inventor of pleasure. Think about it: When God decided how our bodies would be nourished, did he create tasteless nutrition tablets? No, he made all sorts of delicious foods, and he gave us taste buds to enjoy them. When he decided how babies would be conceived, was it by mail order catalog or the stork? No, God created sex. Contrary to popular opinion, God isn’t against pleasure. He invented it! He’s against the misuse of pleasure. We’ve managed to misuse sex and food and other pleasures God invented, but the fact remains that he did invent them, and he’s preparing even greater pleasures for the new creation, pleasures that we won’t mess up."
I have had these same thoughts many times in my many years of bible study. Recall that I also stated, in the previous chapter, how the abuse of a thing does not invalidate the thing itself.
Wrote Feddes again:
"Heaven on earth will be a place to party and play. When the Bible talks about heavenly harps (Revelation 5:8; 14:2; 15:2), you might think of solemn, stately music. But what if the harps and other instruments are for playing dance music? When the Bible speaks of wearing white robes (Revelation 7:9; 22:14), you might think of choir robes or other formal clothing. But what if the robes are party clothes? Jesus taught that we need the right clothing for heaven, not stiff, starchy uniforms or pajamas for sleep, but clothes provided by the king to fit in at his royal party (Matthew 22:12)."
The preceding chapters found us discussing the joys of singing, playing musical instruments, or listening to music, and expressing joy through dancing, or to have pleasure in a host of other ways. We have also spoken of the various kinds of apparel that we will have, and of the fact that our individual mansions, or rooms, will have closets for our clothes, and whether we will have furnishings.
Wrote Feddes again:
"Don’t get me wrong—there will be majesty and reverence in heaven. We will be more awestruck by God than ever before. But we will also be more glad and playful than ever. We sometimes think seriousness and fun are opposites. But the very best things are serious and fun at the same time. Think of a good wedding. A good wedding is a serious occasion where everybody dresses just right and does things in a stately manner. But a good wedding also has a lot of celebrating, laughter, feasting, and fun. Heaven is the ultimate wedding celebration (Revelation 19:9), and the Lord who turned water to wine for a wedding celebration will make sure the ultimate celebration never ends."
Again, notice the sound reasoning and the scripture based support for the types of pleasure saints will enjoy throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. There is going to be a lot of laughter, and of the right kind too. Comedy will not be a thing of the past.
Wrote Feddes again:
"Some churches send the wrong signal; they seem allergic to fun. They act like grumpiness is next to godliness. But God is not so uptight. God turns “mourning into dancing” (Psalm 30:11). The new creation will be full of dancing. Jeremiah 31:4 says, “You will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.” The Lord himself will lead the music: “he will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17)."
This is so true! If a Christian attends boring church services where there is little rejoicing, and where all is like being at a funeral, and then is told that heaven is like one continuous church service, then it is no wonder heaven does not seem so appealing.
Wrote Feddes again:
"Many of heaven’s pleasures will be relational and spiritual, but many will also be physical. Playing and dancing are physical, and the new creation will overflow with physical fun. Our eyes will drink in fabulous colors and sights. Our ears will thrill to music and other fantastic sounds. Our taste buds will savor delicious food and drink. Our noses will breathe in delightful aromas. Our skin will feel warm embraces, cool water, fresh breezes. If you love playing, partying, dancing, running, jumping, swimming, skating, skiing, skydiving, or flying, just imagine the fun of your new, improved body playing in a new, improved world. Heaven on earth will have more games and recreation than any resort, better food than any restaurant, more thrilling drama than any theatre."
I agree and I wish more saints understood these things. You will not ever get bored with living in eternal life. Further, if I will be able to do the fun things Feddes mentions, then will I not wear different clothes for those things? In other words, if I want to swim, will I not have proper clothes for it? Will there be theater? Will there be movies and cinema productions?
Of course, again, assuming these things raises questions in our minds. Suppose I, having a glorified body that does not tire and I play a game with a person who is among the ongoing human race who will not have a glorified body, how will that be fair?
Wrote Feddes again:
"Heavenly happiness includes rest and play, but the new creation will also be a place to discover. If I call it a place to learn, to gain knowledge, to grow wise, that might sound too much like school, and some of us haven’t found school very exciting. Not everybody loves school—but everybody loves to discover. In the new creation we’ll be more like explorers discovering new frontiers than like students stuck at a desk."
Yes, education and growing in knowledge will continue for the glorified saints and for the ongoing race of men. Children will be born and will need to be taught. But, learning will not be boring then, nor shunned, for all will enjoy it. The angels now enjoy learning new things about God's plans and works. Peter said that the things having to do with the salvation of the human race are things "the angels desire to look into." (I Peter 1: 12) The glorified saints will also always be looking into things.
Wrote Feddes again:
"The new earth won’t have any boring lectures; we’ll be able to learn from exciting angels, from brilliant humans, and from the Lord himself. And we won’t just have super teachers; we’ll be super learners. If school is boring right now for some of us, we might blame dry teachers or subject material, but it might also be our own problem. We might lack the brain power to grasp a subject, or we might just lack interest in things that would be fascinating if we weren’t so deadheaded. In heaven on earth, we’ll have no such failings. We’ll have the curiosity of preschoolers, the minds of geniuses, the boldness of explorers."
So very true and well stated! When the curse is removed from humanity, it will unlock their mental powers and they will be quick to learn. So too with the glorified saints who will no longer "know in part" but will know fully. (I Cor. 13: 9-12) Learning new things will be quite pleasurable.
Wrote Feddes again:
"I love reading biblical visions of the new Jerusalem, where prophets such as Ezekiel and John are shown around the city and the surrounding countryside by angels. I’m looking forward to getting my own tour. The new creation will be an exciting place. I’ve always loved waterfalls, and I’d like to visit every waterfall on earth—maybe even go over them unharmed, just for the fun of it. Who knows—we might even be able to check out God’s wonders in other worlds and galaxies. We’ll never run out of new places to explore and new things to discover."
Talk about having a "bucket list" of things to do in the eternal heavenly state! When I have talked with other believers about these things I have often heard them say "I hope I can do this or that." I generally say yes to all of them for God will then be giving his children the desires of the heart as we have before seen.
Wrote Feddes again:
"The best discoveries of all will be found in God himself. Scripture says the earth will be as full of knowledge of the Lord as the sea is full of water (Isaiah 11:9). Even if we had nothing in the new creation but God, the discoveries would never end. God is infinitely interesting, full of secret splendors for us to enjoy as he lets us discover more of himself."
This is what I affirmed in the previous chapter. God himself will be the chief delight of all people. It will bring great joy to be in his presence. While enjoying the presence of God and Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, the saints will be like the four living creatures who are positioned around the throne of God and who "rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." (Rev. 4: 8)
Wrote Feddes again:
"All things in the new earth will be perfectly obedient to us. Right now, my mind controls only a little bit of matter: the matter in my own body. I can make my hand or foot move at a command from my mind, but I can’t make a mountain move or a desert bloom. But in the future, says philosopher Peter Kreeft, “Our heavenly power over nature will be as great as our present power over our own bodies, because nature will then be our greater body.” In our sinful state, we can’t be entrusted with such powers. “Our present powers over nature have been severely limited,” writes Kreeft. “We are spoiled children whose Father has taken away their dangerous toys. Imagine the chaos the world would be if it were inhabited by a billion evil magicians, each trying to be its own God…God will let nature obey our authority only when we obey His as perfectly as the Son obeys the Father.” In short, when we become perfectly responsive to God, all of God’s creation will become perfectly responsive to us. Everything we do will succeed, for we will be doing exactly what God wants, and our wish will be creation’s command."
What Feddes says above is what I have saved to write about towards the end of this series and when focus is on the abilities of the resurrected saints in their glorified bodies and spirits or in what the bible writer called "the powers of the age to come." (Heb. 6: 5) How much supernatural powers will the saints possess? To what extent will these powers over the physical world be employed in every day activities and among the ongoing nations of the race? Needless to say, these are fascinating things to contemplate and explore.
Wrote Feddes again:
"God will give each of his children great responsibilities and enormous talents, and we will never run out of time to achieve the goals God sets for us. God might not give all of us the talent to be skilled at everything; some may specialize in one thing, others in another. But we will delight in each other’s abilities and savor working together."
As I have previously said, the saints will not become omniscient or omnipotent, but they will nevertheless have great knowledge and power. They also will become immutable in holiness and this will keep them from sinning and falling from their eternal state. Also, as I have previously affirmed, the saints will be able to sing perfectly and to play musical instruments perfectly. Other talents also will be given to them.
Wrote Feddes again:
"As we work together to bring out the full potential of the new earth, the results will be magnificent. Heaven on earth will have the best of nature and the best of culture, the best of the country and the best of the city, the best of science and the best of art. The Bible pictures the wealth and achievements of all cultures being gathered in the capital city of a splendidly developed civilization (Revelation 21:24,26)."
This is important to understand. The human race, as a self propagating species, will continue throughout the ages and the nations will enjoy continuous growth and prosperity. The number of achievements in such ideal conditions will be exceedingly great and the nations will regularly be bringing gifts into the city of God as expression of their gratitude to God for their blessings.
Wrote Feddes again:
"Whether we’re tending plants, caring for animals, creating music, governing cities, or whatever, our work of ruling creation with Christ will be glorious. It will be so energizing that it seems like rest, so fun that it seems like play, so fresh and creative that it seems like discovery. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). In the full abundance of eternal life, we’re going to find out that resting and playing and discovering and succeeding can’t really be separated. Relaxing, partying, exploring, and achieving will all blend together in glory to God and gladness for us."
Yes indeed. Every saint will be able to freely do things they enjoyed doing while on earth. Every day will be a delight.
In the next chapter we will focus on whether the resurrected saints will enjoy sexual pleasures in a marital state.
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