By Julio Cesar Prado
The home God is preparing for His people infinitely transcends the best and greatest human imagination can suggest. “Eye hath not seen,” says the apostolic word, “nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). The Bible paints a beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God, not to show in all its breadth what it will be, but to give an idea of how magnificent God’s reward for His children is. It will be a realm of countless wonders.
We should first notice that there is no other place besides Earth destined for the permanent residence of human beings. God did not create the earth to be “in vain” but to be “inhabited” (Isaiah 45:18). The final destination of human beings is not heaven, but this planet. “The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men” (Psalm 115:16). Neither did God create our planet to be inhabited by unhappy people, captives of the Devil and slaves to sin.
The idea that only personified souls or spirits go to Heaven, while sinners of flesh and bone live on indefinitely, is not biblical, but pagan. God has a grand plan for our planet, and He is bringing His plan of redemption to fruition.
It was with this goal in mind that Jesus promised the meek possession of the earth (Matthew 5:55). The promise is to the humble who follow Jesus, not to the champions of violence or the most powerful nation, which possesses the most sophisticated weapons of war or gathers the largest contingent of soldiers. And the inheritance of the meek will not be a troubled world, but a “new earth” where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13). It’s exciting to think about how God will renew our planet and restore it to its original perfection.
About: Julio Cesar Prado is a journalist.
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Amen. We can’t begin to imagine what God has in store for his redeemed. In fact, those that have had a glimpse, such as sister White, couldn’t even call up language to adequately describe what they saw.
One thing about a couple uses of the word “planet” in the article – the Bible never refers to the earth as a planet. This is a construct of science (falsely so called – 1 Timothy 6:20). Planets are only referred to in Scripture in the context of celestial bodies (2 Kings 23:5). In Jude 13, the Greek word planētēs πλανήτης is used in comparing the wicked to wandering stars in the darkness; again referring to the lights which God placed in the firmament which change their position relative to the other stars.
My opinion is that it’s best for God’s people to communicate in a way that most closely adheres to the concepts and models presented in Scripture. By applying scientific constructs which are absent in scripture (there is true science in the Bible) we open ourselves up to fall into snares and can even bring others into the snare with us.