February 2008
• Volume XI, Issue 22
Is
There Time in Heaven?
A reader submitted the question, "Is there time
in heaven?" along with the cry of the mighty angel in Revelation
10:6 that "there should be time no longer." "Heaven"
here refers to what we call the intermediate state (the third heavens,
where believers go at death until Christ’s return) and the eternal
state (the new heavens and the new earth inherited by the elect after
the final judgment).
Here are three reasons why there is and will be time
in heaven. 1) Heaven has a history. Created on the first day (Gen. 1:1),
it was the scene for the first fall: Satan’s proud rebellion taking
some third of the angels with him (Rev. 12:3-4). Its first human
inhabitant was the first martyr, Abel, who has now been joined by
millions of saints. The ascended Christ assumed the throne of heaven
almost 2,000 years ago, whereupon Satan and his host were cast out
(7-10). This intermediate state will end at the last day when it will be
swallowed up in the new heavens and the new earth. 2) God will be
glorified, Christ will rule and we will abide and reign with Him forever
and ever—and these blessed activities require time (I John 2:17; Rev.
5:11-14; 22:5). 3) Most basically, as creatures we can only exist,
whether in heaven or on earth, in time, even when we will be glorified
in the new world.
Thus the difference between the world in which we now
live and the intermediate or eternal states is not that the latter are
without time, but rather that in heaven time is always filled with
complete joy and peace. In this fallen world, our time is often marred
with boredom or futile labour (Ecc. 1:2-3), for we are unable to love
and obey God as we ought. Time in this world is marked by suffering,
crying, sin, guilt and death. But the new heavenly order is
characterized by perfect blessedness forever, for we and the creation
will be renewed and filled with the glory of God. We will be supremely
happy as God’s children and image-bearers and our time will always be
rich and satisfying in our sinless service.
What then of the oath that "there should be time
no longer" (Rev. 10:6)? Here, in the interlude after the sixth
trumpet, the strong angel declares that there will be no more time or
delay for the mystery of God is about to be finished (7). Thus the angel
stands astride sea and land, clothed with a cloud and a rainbow upon His
head (1-2), for the world in its present form will end. God will keep
His covenant with creation and transform it. The afflicted and
persecuted church is comforted by this word that the end of her
sufferings is approaching and that the crucified and victorious Lord is
coming quickly. Rev. Stewart
Preparing for
Another World (2)
And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the
mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into
everlasting habitations (Luke 16:9).
In this News, we conclude our answer to a
reader’s question: "What does Luke 16:9 mean? What kind of friend
can be made with unrighteous mammon, and how can such friends receive
one into an everlasting home when one fails?"
The whole point of this parable is that we are in
this world as stewards in God’s house to use what belongs to God to
prepare for our future in heaven. If we do not do what is right and good
with these measly, earthly things, we will not be able to do what is
right and good with the true riches of heaven, for we will not have
prepared for our future and will be, when that future comes, without
anything at all. Only if we are faithful and just stewards of God’s
possessions will we receive for our very own the far, far better riches
of heaven.
Let us take the time to apply this to our own lives.
The Lord gives each of us a certain amount of this world’s goods; some
receive more, some less. He does not give them to us so that He
relinquishes His claim to them and they become our possession, for we
are only stewards. All the creation belongs to Him. But as stewards we
are commanded to use that (small) part of God’s creation for God’s
glory. If we think, even for a moment, that what we have is ours and not
God’s, we are unfaithful stewards. We then think that we can use what
the Lord has given us for ourselves and do with these things what
we please. In the event that we do such a horrible thing, we begin to
use these things for our own pleasure and we set our hearts on them.
This sin is covetousness, as becomes clear in Luke 16:14: "And the
Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they
derided him." We ought not to forget that the one who breaks the
tenth commandment, forbidding covetousness, breaks all the commandments
of God. This was the sin of the rich young ruler who kept the precepts
of the law outwardly, but had much riches and was covetous (Matt.
19:16-26).
To use the few earthly possessions that God has given
us as faithful stewards implies several things. Fundamentally, it means
that we use all we have for God’s glory. In a more concrete and down
to earth way, we seek God’s glory by using all we possess for the
kingdom of heaven as it is manifested here on earth in the preaching of
the gospel, the cause of the church of Christ, Christian education, the
care of the poor, etc., etc.
To use our earthly goods for the well-being and
advancement of the kingdom of Christ implies a certain spiritual
attitude. It implies that these temporal earthly things are not of very
great importance, mean very little, and have what significance they do
have only insofar as they are used on behalf of the cause of Christ that
is eternal. We "sit loose" to them, see them as only temporary
necessities that enable us better to walk our pilgrimage in the world as
we pursue our journey to our final destination, our Father’s house.
When we buy things, our only consideration is: How can the purchase of
this "thing" help me along in my pilgrim’s journey? We
"make friends of the mammon of unrighteousness" only to
prepare for our future in the everlasting kingdom. This godly attitude
is rooted in an overwhelming desire to inherit the glorious world Christ
has promised us.
We fall very short of this calling. We love our
houses, our cars, our books, our furniture, our clothing, our jewellery,
our "toys" that give us so much "fun" while we enjoy
our lives here in this world of sin. We are so often unfaithful over
that which is least, unfaithful in the unrighteous mammon, unfaithful in
that which belongs to another (God), that we can only be ashamed. We
foolishly think that what we put into the collection plate on Sunday
and, perhaps, spend on Christian school tuition is God’s part of what
we have; the rest is ours to do with as we please. Doing this, we steal
from God and reveal our covetousness. We are not laying up treasures in
heaven, but we are laying up treasures on earth (Matt. 6:19-21). We are
not seeking the things that are above, but the things here below (Col.
3:1-2). To our disgrace, the more we have, the more we want. Our thirst
for earthly possessions is never sated. Our desire for the things below
is never satisfied. We always would like to have just a little more. Our
accumulation of things earthly goes on and on—to the neglect of
spiritual things, for where our treasure is, there will our heart be
also (Matt. 6:21).
Thus we lose the character of a pilgrim and stranger
here in the earth and spend our time and what we claim belongs to us in
building ourselves a comfortable and enjoyable life here in the world.
We rather like it here; we are enjoying ourselves immensely; we have
family and friends, money to indulge in games and vacations, pleasures
and play. We consider the world a playground whereas Scripture never
wearies of reminding us that it is, after all, a battlefield.
And if it should happen that we hear on Sunday
morning our calling to refrain from the deadly sin of covetousness (cf.
I Tim. 6:6-12), we easily silence our pricked consciences, remind
ourselves of how difficult obedience is (with and because of our many
possessions) and comfortably settle back in our old ways.
The words of the Lord are without qualification:
"If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon,
who will commit to your trust the true riches?" (Luke 16:11). Prof.
Hanko
The
Mysteries of the Kingdom, Prof. Hanko’s detailed explanation
of all of Christ’s parables, is available from the CPRC Bookstore for
£19.80 (hardback; inc. P&P).
Wine in the Bible
A number of readers have asked if "wine"
in the Bible is always non-alcoholic (i.e., grape-juice). This guest
article, arguing that this is not the case, is by Rev. Jai Mahtani of
Bethel Protestant Reformed Church, Chicago.
1) The Bible’s first reference to
"wine" is of an alcoholic beverage; Noah became drunk
through it (Gen. 9:21). Non-alcoholic grape-juice cannot intoxicate.
2) No one can get drunk with too much grape-juice,
but we read in Ephesians 5:18: "And be not drunk with wine,
wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." It is
significant that God’s Word never declares, "Do not
drink." Instead, we read, "Do not be drunken."
Scripture does not forbid the use of alcoholic beverages, but it
forbids the abuse of them.
3) The Lord Jesus drank (alcoholic) wine. In Luke
7:33-34, Christ contrasts Himself with John the Baptist for whereas
John, as a Nazarite, drank no wine, Jesus did drink wine. Christ’s
lawful and well-known use of wine became the occasion for His
enemies’ lie that He was a "winebibber," that is, a
drunkard or a wino. It is as plain as day, from the mouth of the Lord
Himself, that He drank the wine that John abstained from drinking,
that is, an alcoholic beverage. Christ even miraculously produced wine
at the wedding feast of Cana (John 2:1-11).
4) The qualifications for elders and deacons in I
Timothy 3 include "not given to wine" (3) and "not
given to much wine" (8). Similarly, Titus 1:7 requires that an
elder be "not given to wine." Office-bearers are warned not
to drink too much wine; they are not admonished not to drink too much
grape-juice. Should a church disqualify/discipline an office-bearer if
he has a liking for grape-juice?
5) Grape-juice is not medicinal as fermented wine
is. Thus Paul advises Timothy, "Drink no longer water, but use a
little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities"
(I Tim. 5:23).
Although wine is a good gift of God and it is
lawful to drink it, we must be equally mindful of the Bible’s
warnings against excessive drinking (Prov. 20:1). We also condemn
underage drinking, drinking and driving, etc., as well as
overindulging in food, since Scripture speaks as much against gluttony
as it does against drunkenness. Drunkenness is often mentioned in the
Bible in connection with fornication and "partying." It is
right up to date in its condemnation of the twenty-first century
nightclub scene: "For the time past of our life may suffice us to
have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in
lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and
abominable idolatries" (I Peter 4:3).
Finally, the most fundamental principle is to do
all things to the glory of God! When this motivates us, we will live
out of the love of God and show our love for our fellow men.
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all
to the glory of God" (I Cor. 10:31; cf. Matt. 5:16). Rev.
Mahtani
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