I just spoke at another funeral this week. It was for a Christian brother which makes it so much different in terms of offering hope & not just reflecting on memories. I get to point mourners to something much better ahead for those whose faith is in Christ! God has prepared something more glorious than words can describe! So while we grieve, its not in the same way as those in the world who don’t have that confident expectation (1 Thess. 4:13).
Christians who have died have already gone to be with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). That’s wonderful enough! But it’s not their final destination or experience. Heaven right now is where the Lord dwells in a non-physical realm, manifesting Himself in a way that can be perceived by spiritual beings including angels & deceased believers. It’s not so much a particular “place” that occupies a space–it’s more of a state in which God’s presence is realized.
But it’s only a temporary place or state until the consummation of the ages takes place on the climactic “Great Day of the Lord” when Christ returns & a great resurrection of all humanity takes place–whether living or dead, or righteous or wicked (John 5:28, 29, 1 Cor. 15:24-28, 51-53). At that time, the Lord will separate all people into two groups. While every person will continue to exist, only believers will experience a wondrous quality of life called “immortality;” the rest will face judgment & punishment (Rev. 22:12; 20:11-15; 1 Thess. 5:1ff; Matt. 25:31ff).
While that Day will be the end of the material order, it’s the beginning of the new eternal order. This new order is most often referred to as “a new heaven(s) and a new earth” (2 Pet. 3:10-13; Rev. 21:1; Is. 65:17; 66:22). “Heavens” in this context is the universe inhabited by humans, not the spiritual abode of God. The question becomes whether this will be merely a purified renovation of the present situation or a completely different situation.
The Greek word in the New Testament in this context is “kairos,” (a quality of time) not “xronos” (a passage of time). “Kairos” refers to a qualitatively different kind of earth, not just a chronological continuance of the current earth (Rev. 21:1). Our present earth cannot be cleansed or purged because God will be finished with it, dissolving & destroying it (2 Pet. 3:7-13). When Jesus said heaven & earth wouldn’t disappear until everything is accomplished, it certainly implies that at His return, the material order will disappear (Matt. 5:18). Likewise, Hebrews says that the current earth & heavens will perish & wear out like a garment (Heb. 1:11). It doesn’t appear that He will patch up the garment, but dispose of it so He can give us something better.
At Christ’s return, the bodies of believers will be transformed into new spiritual bodies fit for the new heavens & earth (1 Cor. 15:42-54). So if the current physical earth were merely being reformed, such qualitatively different bodies wouldn’t be necessary. Our material bodies will be transformed but not into the same material substance. It seems to be some different spiritual substance that will make them immortal & imperishable. Bodies buried in weakness & brokenness are raised in glory & strength, no longer subject to disease, decay & death. In the same way, the new heavens & earth will be made of some kind of incorruptible substance.
So the souls of those who have gone before us are “waiting” in the Paradise of the Lord’s presence until that Great Day of the Lord (Luke 23:43). We don’t know what the time element is like in that realm because with the Lord a day is like 1,000 years, & 1,000 years are like a day (2 Pet. 3:8). But they do experience some kind of passage of time where they’re waiting (Rev. 6:10). This disembodied state is enjoyable but incomplete (2 Cor. 5:1-4). When Christ returns, those souls will accompany Him & receive their new bodies, even as those who are alive will be taken up & receive their new bodies (1 Thess. 4:13-18).
The Bible doesn’t answer all our questions about the new heavens & earth, but God gives us glimpses that show it to be indescribably incredible & breathtakingly glorious (Rev. 21-22). Perhaps God hasn’t told us more of the details of the new world coming because we’d become so obsessed with the wonder of it, we’d be of little use here & now. So as the Apostle Paul, who was contemplating his own possible impending death, said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. …I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body” (Phil. 1:21-24). A new world is coming! But until then, keep working to make this world more like it (Matt. 6:10).