The Future

Two visions.

One, an unnamed pastor:

The story is about God's intentions to bring about a new heaven and a new earth, and the story begins here with shalom—shalom between each other and with our Maker and with the earth. The story line is that God intends to bring about a new creation, this place, this new heaven and earth here. And that Jesus' resurrection is the beginning, essentially, of the future; this great Resurrection has rushed into the present.

The evacuation theology that says, "figure out the ticket, say the right prayer, get the right formula, and then we'll go somewhere else" is lethal to Jesus, who endlessly speaks of the renewal of all things.

The other, Paul's:

For in just a very little while,
he who is coming will come,
and will not delay.

Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

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I'm increasingly convinced that we need to integrate the book of Hebrews into our thinking. It will save us from error in every direction.