The Bible presents believers with a hope so sublime that afflictions pertaining to this world fade away in the light of its glory; the hope of eschatological resurrection.
Just as Jesus rose from the dead, God promises every believer a resurrection of the earthly body and a resurrection from the earthly existence to a heavenly one in the New Heaven and Earth.
Romans 8:22-24a "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved."
Our post-resurrection existence is the restoration of all things to the order of Eden. It is the restoration of all things to the perfect/natural order as God originally intended and created; before sin tainted His perfect creation.
Let us make note of three aspects pertaining to the Garden of Eden.
Eden was good, but not fully glorious. Eden was a prophetic garden pointing towards the eschatological New Heaven and New Earth.
Eden was confined to a place. Unlike Eden, the New Heaven and Earth are expansive and they represent an eternal home for the righteous.
Eden was not completely secure as it was vulnerable. Satan inhabited the body of a serpent and entered the garden. However, in the New Heaven and Earth, evil has no place.
There are many things we could discuss about when it comes to our life after the final resurrection. We could talk about the millennium, golden streets, mansions, animals, angels, our loved ones and so on. In this article, let us briefly look at 3 aspects of our post-resurrection existence.
These three aspects are in relation with God. We will look at how these 3 aspects functioned in the Garden of Eden when the world began, how they function today and how they will be in the future after our resurrection.
1. Presence of God
It is neither the golden streets nor the pearly gates that make the New Heaven and Earth so enticing. It is neither the humongous mansions nor reunion with loved ones that make our post-resurrection life so exciting. What makes the New Jerusalem glorious is the immediate and direct presence of God dwelling among His people.
In the Garden of Eden, God made His direct presence available to Adam and Eve.
Genesis 3:8 "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day..."
The first couple experienced the immediate presence of God as well as directly communed with Him. However, after they disobeyed God, they were banished from Eden thereby signifying humanity's separation from the presence of God.
In the present world, not everyone experiences and enjoys God's presence. Even believers are not made to experience the presence of God in all its glory, wholeness and perfection for it is impossible for the mortal to withstand the full glory of God's presence. Hence, believers are gifted with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and brief glimpses of God's glory.
However, after our resurrection and transformation into glorious beings, we will live for eternity in the immediate presence of God beholding Him in the fulness of His glory and power. The direct presence of God will annihilate all sorrow, pain and sin.
Revelation 22:3-4 "No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads."
2. Image of God
In the Garden of Eden, God created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:27). Imago Dei has nothing to do with one's physical appearance. Image of God is basically being in the likeness of God. It signifies the inherent qualities of God in us: justice, righteousness, compassion, love, holiness, morality and so on.
However, due to the Fall, the image of God in the first humans was distorted. Consequently, though the image of God is existent in every human being, it remains distorted. But after our resurrection, we will be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). The image of God will be perfectly restored in us.
1 John 3:2b "But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see him as He is."
We will be like Christ not in divinity, but in sinlessness. We shall be perfect, without sin. In the present world, we are continually being transformed into the image of God; a process which is called sanctification and something that can never be completed in the present age (2 Cor. 3:18). We can never become sinless in this world. Our legal standing before God never changes (justification). However, sanctification is a lifelong process that will be made complete when we are glorified.
JUSTIFICATION | SANCTIFICATION |
Legal Position | Internal Condition |
One time event | Lifelong process |
Entirely God’s work | We co-operate with God |
Made complete in this life | Made complete in the after-life |
3. Knowledge of God
One of God's attributes is that He is knowable. He is not distant and impersonal. God has created humanity with the capacity to know Him. The human mind which is limited and tainted by sin as well as the fact that God is infinite factor into why He can never be fully known and understood by humanity.
However, God has provided sufficient revelation of Himself in the nature around us and in His Word for our salvation and Christian life. But the fact remains that God is much greater and powerful than He has revealed Himself to mankind.
Job 26:13-14 "By His breath the skies became fair; His hand pierced the gliding serpent. And these are but the outer fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”
After our resurrection, our mind and heart will be unclouded by sin whereby we will have the perfect capacity to grow in our knowledge of God throughout eternity. Eternity will not be boring because eternity is not sufficient to know God fully well. Throughout eternity, we will be learning and growing in our knowledge of God!
1 Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
In this life, God commands us to progressively grow in our knowledge about Him (2 Peter 3:18). It is not sufficient to just know about Him; we are called to know Him. Knowing God means having a relationship with Him and knowing His heartbeat.
“No matter how devastating our struggles, disappointments, and troubles are, they are only temporary. No matter what happens to you, no matter the depth of tragedy or pain you face, no matter how death stalks you and your loved ones, the Resurrection promises you a future of immeasurable good.” - Josh McDowell