What is Gods reward for the righteous ?

[Duke Nukem]

Most religions and religious organizations, including most Christian denominations, teach that good people go to some sort of paradise, usually heaven, after they die. Heaven is usually characterized as a place of unsurpassable happiness ,the ultimate paradise. It is commonly taught and believed that all who go there will live joyfully forever.

Yet, considering what a wonderful place it is supposed to be, it seems no one is in a hurry to go there.

Death, which according to most traditional beliefs is the gateway to heaven, is generally viewed as something to be avoided at all costs. Through medical science we usually do everything we can to prevent death as long as possible. If such a journey to heaven could be by means of some heavenly express, wouldn't we find that almost no one would want to buy a ticket? Wouldn't we find that most people would prefer the continuation of their present life here on earth to any immediate possibility of taking up residence in heaven? Our actions indicate this is the way most of us think.

Perhaps the reason for the reluctance to enter the hereafter through death is that no one has ever provided us with a truly compelling explanation as to what the righteous would do once they arrived in heaven. If we are to spend all eternity there, you would think God would tell us in the Bible what we should expect once we arrive. Will we spend our time plucking harps? Will we sit and simply gaze upon God? These are both popular concepts of heaven, but most people can't imagine doing either for eternity. Eternity is, after all, a long time!

Maybe we should ask ourselves whether these common concepts come from the Bible. Many people who expect to go to heaven admit they can find little in the Scriptures about what they can expect once they get there. British historian and author Paul Johnson put it this way: "Heaven ... lacks genuine incentive. Indeed, it lacks definition of any kind. It is the great hole in theology" (The Quest for God, 1996, p. 173). If heaven is the goal God has set for His servants, why has He revealed so little about it in His Word, the Bible?

There is an excellent reason we encounter a vacuum when we look in the Bible for what the "saved" will do in heaven. The reason is simple , the Bible does not say the righteous will receive heaven as their reward.

 

[Ormly]

Very simply put, God's reward for righteousness is the blood of Jesus Christ that rectifies the only remaining obstacle seperating the individual from standing in the presence of a Holy God, the stain of Adam's transgression.

Ormly

 

[Duke Nukem]

In Matthew 5:5 Jesus tells us, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." This verse and many others describe the saints ruling on earth in God's Kingdom. For example, Revelation 5:10, speaking of the resurrected saints, says: "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth".

The reward of the saints is eternal life in the Kingdom of God. This will be given to them when Christ returns, and Jesus will reign with them on the earth rather than in heaven.

 

[InspiredHome]

Might I recommend Heaven by Randy Alcorn? He's also written several article on heaven on his ministry's web site: http://www.epm.org/eternity.html

 

[Duke Nukem]

Might I recommend Heaven by Randy Alcorn? He's also written several article on heaven on his ministry's web site: http://www.epm.org/eternity.html

Thank you.

From your site : Jesus said to the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in Paradise."


Many people think Jesus assured the man he would go to heaven with Him that very day. But is this really what He said?

Jesus did not ascend to paradise on that day He died! He went to the grave. "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Notice what Christ told Mary soon after He had been resurrected: "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father ..." (John 20:17). A full three days after His death, Jesus Himself clearly said that He had not yet ascended to heaven!
Jesus lay in the grave for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). The Scriptures nowhere say that His body was buried but His soul went elsewhere. Jesus died and was buried. He went only to the grave. Therefore the dying criminal could not have joined Jesus in paradise that day, because He was not even there.

 

[Ann M]

Gee, all I could think of is if I was in a hurry to go to heaven because I considered myself righteous, then wouldn't I be suffering from the sin of pride?

I personally believe, that I'll never be 'perfect' enough to enter in God's kingdom, and because of this I need to strive daily to become a better person.

 

[Ormly]

Thank you.

From your site : Jesus said to the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in Paradise."


Many people think Jesus assured the man he would go to heaven with Him that very day. But is this really what He said?

Jesus did not ascend to paradise on that day He died! He went to the grave. "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Notice what Christ told Mary soon after He had been resurrected: "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father ..." (John 20:17). A full three days after His death, Jesus Himself clearly said that He had not yet ascended to heaven!
Jesus lay in the grave for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). The Scriptures nowhere say that His body was buried but His soul went elsewhere. Jesus died and was buried. He went only to the grave. Therefore the dying criminal could not have joined Jesus in paradise that day, because He was not even there.

Hi,

Paradise was the grave of the righteous, Abraham's bossom, at that time. Becaue they died still stained by the transgression of Adam's sin, the BIG ONE, they couldn't enter heaven and into the very presence of God who's Holiness forbade it. They had to go somewhere else to await their freedom. Paradise was that place. It was them that Jesus set free when He went there upon His dying on the cross. From this we can see that the theif went with Him to be resurrected with the rest.

Ormly

 

[InspiredHome]

As I recommended above...Randy Alcorn writes in his book Heaven that the Bible does indeed speak on Heaven and that we should eagerly look forward to the long tomorrow.

www.epm.org

 

[Ormly]

Gee, all I could think of is if I was in a hurry to go to heaven because I considered myself righteous, then wouldn't I be suffering from the sin of pride?

I personally believe, that I'll never be 'perfect' enough to enter in God's kingdom, and because of this I need to strive daily to become a better person.

The kingdom of God is now. It is God's government and you are a representive of it here on earth if indeed Christ is found in you. Jesus said: "I am the door" ......to the kingdom. It is His kingdom "yoke" He speaks of. If you abide in Him and He in you you can go in and out and find pasture. His desire is that we abide and function from kingdom perspective, always viewing things from where He is. So when we strive to be better persons we must do so with His kingdom in mind; how can I benefit His kingdom? Read 1 Cor. 13 in that light and adjust you reasons for trying to be a better person. Once you see it heaven will begin to be in the now and not later.

Ormly

 

[deu58]

Hi Duke nukem

Jesus did not ascend to paradise on that day He died! He went to the grave. "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Peter tells us what "The Grave" means and what Jesus did for the three days he was there,


1pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

1pe 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

1pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

Yours in Christ
deu58

 

[MAC]

(What is Gods reward for the righteous!) qt

The first one is the restoration of the fellowship
The second one is been part of Gods kingdom (spirit realm)
The third one is eternal life.

 

[gord44]

i think to much emphasis is put on time.....when he said to the thief 'you will join me in paradise today' he probably meant it.....i think only on Earth the whole concept of time as we know it exists....i don't think God is up there counting days as we do

 

[InspiredHome]

i think to much emphasis is put on time.....when he said to the thief 'you will join me in paradise today' he probably meant it.....i think only on Earth the whole concept of time as we know it exists....i don't think God is up there counting days as we do

I agree that Jesus did meet up with the thief in paradise that day. In regards to a PP about Jesus not yet ascending...ascend means: to succeed to : [size=-1]OCCUPY[/size] <ascend the throne> Jesus went to Paradise (intermediate Heaven as Alcorn puts it) but had not yet ascended to his Throne.

 

[thaiv]

It is true that the Bible does not say we will be eternally in heaven. Revelation 21 shows that the New Jerusalem descends down out of heaven. Such a concept of "heaven" is indeed a hole in today's theology.

The reward of the righteous is the millennial kingdom where the overcomers will reign with Christ for 1000 years.

 

[Bon]

It is true that the Bible does not say we will be eternally in heaven. Revelation 21 shows that the New Jerusalem descends down out of heaven. Such a concept of "heaven" is indeed a hole in today's theology.

The reward of the righteous is the millennial kingdom where the overcomers will reign with Christ for 1000 years.

yes! and before this New Jerusalem descends from heaven.....John saw a new heaven and a new earth.....as the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.
No moon and no sun needed any longer. Revelation 21:23

Revelation 21:3 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.

I love reading chapeters 21 and 22 of Revelation......I get goosebumps every time.


Shalom from Bon

 

[Duke Nukem]

i think to much emphasis is put on time.....when he said to the thief 'you will join me in paradise today' he probably meant it.....i think only on Earth the whole concept of time as we know it exists....i don't think God is up there counting days as we do

The repentant robber had come to his senses while being crucified alongside Jesus . He said to Christ, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom".

The thief, like anyone facing imminent death, sought comfort and assurance. Jesus provided it.
His reply, "Assuredly I say to you today" was "a common Hebrew idiom ... which is constantly used for very solemn emphasis" (The Companion Bible, 1990, Appendix 173, p. 192).

Much of the misunderstanding that arises from Christ's statement comes about because the Bible originally included no punctuation. It wasn't until many centuries later that the punctuation marks that we see in our English versions were inserted. When commas were added, Jesus' meaning was distorted and this Hebrew figure of speech obscured.

Jesus never said nor implied that the dying man would be in paradise on that very day. Christ was encouraging him by solemnly assuring him that a time would come, in God's future kingdom on earth, when the man would be resurrected and would see Jesus again. Christ could make this statement because He could see the man's repentant attitude and recognition of Jesus as the Messiah.

It should read : And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you today , you will be with Me in paradise".

 

[Duke Nukem]

Hi,

Paradise was the grave of the righteous, Abraham's bossom, at that time. Becaue they died still stained by the transgression of Adam's sin, the BIG ONE, they couldn't enter heaven and into the very presence of God who's Holiness forbade it. They had to go somewhere else to await their freedom. Paradise was that place. It was them that Jesus set free when He went there upon His dying on the cross. From this we can see that the theif went with Him to be resurrected with the rest.

Ormly

Let's first ask, Where is the paradise of which Christ spoke? The word translated "paradise" is used only two other times in the New Testament. In both cases it refers to the place of God's presence.

In 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 Paul describes a vision in which he "was caught up into Paradise" (verse 4). Paul says this paradise was in "the third heaven" (verse 2) the dwelling place of God.

Jesus tells us that "the tree of life" is located "in the midst of the Paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7). Revelation 22:2 explains that the tree of life is to be in the New Jerusalem. God will come from heaven to dwell in this New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2-3) after the resurrections mentioned in Revelation 20. Only at that time will men dwell with God in this paradise. Putting together these scriptures, we can see that the paradise Christ mentioned, in which men will dwell with God, is to be at a future time.

 

[Bon]

The repentant robber had come to his senses while being crucified alongside Jesus . He said to Christ, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom".

The thief, like anyone facing imminent death, sought comfort and assurance. Jesus provided it.
His reply, "Assuredly I say to you today" was "a common Hebrew idiom ... which is constantly used for very solemn emphasis" (The Companion Bible, 1990, Appendix 173, p. 192).

Much of the misunderstanding that arises from Christ's statement comes about because the Bible originally included no punctuation. It wasn't until many centuries later that the punctuation marks that we see in our English versions were inserted. When commas were added, Jesus' meaning was distorted and this Hebrew figure of speech obscured.

Jesus never said nor implied that the dying man would be in paradise on that very day. Christ was encouraging him by solemnly assuring him that a time would come, in God's future kingdom on earth, when the man would be resurrected and would see Jesus again. Christ could make this statement because He could see the man's repentant attitude and recognition of Jesus as the Messiah.

It should read : And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you today , you will be with Me in paradise".

Absolutely my belief on this passage also.

Remember too that Yahshua did not ascend to heaven to His Father for a further 40 days after His resurrection from the grave.

Shalom from Bon

 

[visionary]

I like the idea of returning to the "Garden of Eden" and that to me is the "New Earth" part. The "New Heaven" is more accessable as we have "New Jerusalem" the city of God, where He dwells and we can be with Him. Now that to me is a LITERAL experience that will last a life time, a physical in the flesh experience, that when walked and to be lived in the spirit that God is training us now for, is going to be wonderful.

I can see us being able to go do things in a mighty way....

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Think about walking on water, appearing here or there, walking through walls, healing, moving moutains, and so much more. I well imagine that we will be feasting on just one grape.....

Numbers 13:23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.

I believe we will be back to the garden of Eden diet.

Genesis 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Just like the rest of the animals

Isaiah 65:25 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.

I also believe that we will have such direct communication with the Lord that it will be automatic.

Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

I believe that we will worship the Lord in all His Appointed Days and during His feasts as He as directed as a memorial to His work in redeeming us from sin. Great Feasts, great memorials and rememberances of what God has done in all seven of God's feasts.

Isaiah 66:23 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.

I like the fact that he promised that we would not remember the way things were before, wiping away our tears, so that we can truly enjoy what He has created anew.

Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Revelation 21:4 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.

These are a few things I can think of that we have to look forward to....come the new heaven and new earth.

 

[Ormly]

Let's first ask, Where is the paradise of which Christ spoke? The word translated "paradise" is used only two other times in the New Testament. In both cases it refers to the place of God's presence.

In 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 Paul describes a vision in which he "was caught up into Paradise" (verse 4). Paul says this paradise was in "the third heaven" (verse 2) the dwelling place of God.

Jesus tells us that "the tree of life" is located "in the midst of the Paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7). Revelation 22:2 explains that the tree of life is to be in the New Jerusalem. God will come from heaven to dwell in this New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2-3) after the resurrections mentioned in Revelation 20. Only at that time will men dwell with God in this paradise. Putting together these scriptures, we can see that the paradise Christ mentioned, in which men will dwell with God, is to be at a future time.

Hi Duke,

Yes, all of what you post is so however Paradise is first discribed as the abode of the righteous dead or Abraham's bosom and must be the starting point for our understanding. Some speculation must/can be allowed for us to get a grasp on the scene. How and why we begin here is because of what Jesus first said to the thief, i.e., "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise". [sic] We know also that He "set the captives free". What captives and where were they? We know from the rich man and Lazarus story[not a parable] that Lazarus was in the bosom of Abraham -- and Abraham wasn't in agony. It is safe to speculate based on that story that that was the Paradise Jesus descended into to set the captives free. If you need to ask why they were there and not in heaven you are forgetting they died not having the stain of Adam removed from them. They died "Justified" but nevertheless condemned by "sin", Adam's, to await their release now made available by the blood of the Lamb. See Romans 5.1.

Quite possibly Paradise was resurrected as well now to be seen as/or in Heaven. I say possibly because I don't see God destroying such a place, ever.

How does that sit with you?

Orm