Rapture and the Goal- bible study

Plato/Enlightenment

Platonic ideas have almost ruined the beauty and continuity of the story of God that is ongoing

shadows and caves- to be enlightened or fulfilled is to escape the cave- physical and mortal- and become what makes the shadows- spiritual and eternal

such thoughts have crept into our faith and have changed our idea of what eternity will look like, often for worse and not better

this is what create ideas of rapture and spiritual escapism

writers of scripture do not intend to paint a picture of heaven that is an immaterial spiritual realm forever separate from this one

the truth is the opposite of an escape from creation

heaven, the presence of God, which resides with us now in his spirit, will one day be joined to this world in fulness and that is what we look forward to and strive to create more of

Creation and Flesh

flesh is created and it is good

Jesus is created and comes in the flesh and is our salvation

Paul speaks of the evil that comes from the flesh, he is speaking of motivation, not state of being

escaping our body is not the goal- what is created will be made new, transformed not from all spiritual to all physical, but from corruptible to incorruptible

1 corinthians 15

if there is no resurrection, this is all worthless

Jesus’ body was raised and so too shall ours be at judgement

“Spiritual” and “natural” bodies- not materials but motivations

not tangible vs intangible but corruptible vs incorruptible

2 corinthians 4&5

we will be raised just as Jesus was

Jesus being the first of many who will partake in the resurrection

“presence” being stood next to God

heavenly home- the presence of God guaranteed to come by the spirit dwelling in us- the part now and the whole later

Philippians- death is not the goal

our citizenship is in heaven- the presence of God

from it, not that we go there but that there comes here

we seek to be transformed into the incorruptible that we have not yet attained in this life just as Jesus was

Daniel 7- Jesus coming on the clouds

Parables are about the first coming not the second

parousia- coming and presence

1 thessalonians

1 corinthians

philippians 3

we do not go to meet Jesus in the clouds and stay there

we go to greet our King upon his return

phanerothe- appear

colossians 3

1 john 2

the two that are at present separate in physical but brought together in spirit will one day be joined as God promised

walking in the garden again- heaven and earth colliding

Judgement

something to look forward to and be joyful about

reward is organically connected to the activity- i do not receive a gift unrelated to what i am working for in this life

our reward is working in the presence of God fully for eternity- we grow closer