Glen Melville’s “A Christian worldview for today” (NZ Baptist, July), claims that a “holistic proclamation of the gospel” depends on having an Earth-bound eschatology rather than a Heaven-bound one. He claims this “Heaven comes to Earth” Christian worldview is most biblical but, of the scripture references listed, only two (Revelation 21:1-4 and Romans 8:18-21) might support this view.

Prof Murray Harris, in his masterly Raised Immortal, p. 228, warns: “Great hermeneutical care must be exercised by all who turn to the book of Revelation for the grounding or butressing of doctrinal teaching. Even a cursory acquaintance with the history of the interpretation of the book makes the exegete wary of building impressive edifices on slender foundations.”

Surprisingly Glen lists 1 Peter 1:3-5, Colossians 1:5, Matthew 5:12 and 2 Peter 3:10-12 as scriptural support for the alternative Heaven-bound eschatology, but then chooses to ignore them.

There are many other scriptures that also support Heaven being our final destiny – Matthew 22:23-30, John 14:2-3, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 1 Corinthians 6:13 and 15:12-58, Phil 3:20-21, Mark 13:24-31, Hebrews 13:14, John 17:13-24, Luke 17:26, 34-35, and 23:39-43.

Glen assumes that life in Heaven is immaterial and limited to worshipping God. Does he think that God, Jesus and the angels are only disembodied spirits? Is he unaware that the space-time dimensions of this universe were God’s work of creation and that He must exist in a “spiritual” body in the different dimensions of which Heaven is comprised?

John 17:24 makes it clear that in eternity we will be exploring all the glories of Heaven.

And why does a Heaven-bound eschatology preclude a concern for the environment and for justice?

We are surely motivated to care for the environment because it is God’s creation, and because degradation of the environment hurts predominantly the poor, those Jesus was especially concerned for. Dealing to injustice is at the heart of a biblical imperative, regardless of ones eschatology.

An Earth-bound eschatology also leads to ridiculous speculations as to the detail of this. Our new bodies will not decay, but what age will we permanently be? And what of those who died in infancy or childhood? We will be recognisable, even retaining those big noses or other ill features which have embarrassed us all our lives. Will we still eat? And if Heaven is to be here on Earth, where are the Patriarchs etc. living now? (Luke 20:37-38) Where will hell be?

And what’s wrong with the present Heaven? Surely it far exceeds in splendour anything this universe can offer.

While this is not an issue to be dogmatic on, it seems that the weight of both scripture and commonsense is clearly on the side of Heaven as our final destiny, and that there is no reason this should be a constraint on holistic Christian mission now.

– Roy Tallon
Tauranga