Paul Luckraft reviews ‘A New Heaven and a New Earth’ by J Richard Middleton (Baker Academic, 2014).
In writing this book, the author has performed a great service for scholars, clergy and lay people alike, by providing a comprehensive analysis of what the Bible teaches on the final destiny of the redeemed.
Middleton’s contention is that the traditional view that we ‘die and go to heaven’ does not have its origin in the biblical texts rather it comes from the Greek thinking that permeated Christian doctrine from the 2nd Century onwards. His aim is to replace this error with the more Hebraic understanding of how God’s plan to redeem the whole of Creation culminates in a new heaven and a new earth.
Accessible Theology
After a preface and an excellent opening chapter which serves as an introduction, the book divides into five parts containing a further 11 chapters. The book concludes with a substantial appendix entitled ‘Whatever happened to the new earth?’ in which the author attempts a historical review of how the biblical teaching of a redeemed cosmos had to battle against other views which emerged during the course of Christian history, views which promoted an eternal bodiless existence in an ethereal realm.
Finally, the book is well indexed both in terms of subjects and scriptures.
The first part, ‘From Creation to Eschaton’, sets up the plot of the biblical story, and is followed by a sections on ‘Holistic Salvation in the Old Testament’ and ‘The New Testament’s Vision of Cosmic Renewal’. Don’t be put off by these rather theological titles. There is nothing stuffy or overly academic in the way he writes.
Middleton’s contention is that the traditional view that we ‘die and go to heaven’ does not have its origin in the biblical texts.
Part 4 examines ‘Problem Texts for Holistic Eschatology’ before in the final part, ‘The Ethics of the Kingdom’, the author basically asks ‘So what?’ How does this make a difference to the individual Christian life and the way the Church should operate in the world today?
Separating Truth from Myth
The author is a lecturer and professor of theology, but his writing style suggests he is more than capable of putting things across in a way that is accessible to anyone keen to listen and learn.
He tells in an amusing way how he frequently offers a monetary reward to anyone in his classes who can “find even one passage in the New Testament that clearly said Christians would live in heaven forever or that heaven was the final home of the righteous” (p14). He is happy to report that he still has all his money. “No one has ever produced such a text, because there simply are none in the Bible” (p14).
For the author the key question is, “Where, then, did the idea of ‘going to heaven’ come from? And how did this otherworldly destiny displace the biblical teaching of the renewal of the earth and end up dominating popular Christian eschatology?” (p30).
The answer, he suggests, lies in the innovative teaching of Plato in the late 5th and early 4th Centuries BC. This Gnostic emphasis on ‘physical bad, spiritual good’ laid the foundation for redemption being simply an escape policy from a material existence into an other-worldly ‘heaven’.
One eye-opening section of the book makes us realise how our Christian songs (hymns, carols and modern choruses) have, perhaps unwittingly, endorsed this. Wesley’s Love Divine, All Loves Excelling tells us we will be “Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place”. In one of our favourite carols, Away in a Manger, we sing “And fit us for Heaven, to live with Thee there”.
It was Plato who laid the foundation for redemption being simply an escape policy from a material existence into an other-worldly ‘heaven’.
What Happens When We Die?
The author does take seriously the question of whether we go to heaven temporarily once we die. He asserts that the hope of a period of blessedness while awaiting our new bodies does not contradict the final hope of being part of a restored cosmos.
He also tackles the thorny question of the rapture, cutting through the speculation and confusion of more recent times and providing a simple explanation of what it meant in biblical times.
Overall there is much in this book to commend. It promotes a view of God who is committed to his original plan and its full restoration. It shows how eternity in a new body, in a new heaven and a new earth, is a better hope to live for, a better future to move toward, and a better Gospel to proclaim.
The author’s exegesis of Biblical passages is sound and compelling. The result of his considerable labours is a resource that will inform, inspire and correct. Highly commended.
A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology (332 pages, paperback) is available on Amazon for £11.42. Also on Kindle.
This familiar phrase is used when a major news event fills the media. Other ‘bad news’ (usually of a political kind) is released simultaneously. The bad news is thus overshadowed and able to pass by relatively easily, with much less attention than had it been released at another time: a clever way for politicians to side-step criticism.
There is plenty of bad news in our world today. The worrying tremors caused by elections of new governments…the threat of North Korea…the endless horrors of the wars in Syria…the murders on the streets of our cities (whether from terrorism, knife crimes or from nerve gas)…the worrying signs from Russia…the divisions and challenges of Brexit…
We could all make our own extensive lists of the bad news that is escalating in our world. If we invited our readers to compile and submit their own lists of concerns we might be inundated! It is so very easy to dwell on the bad news.
But, stop for a moment. What week are we in? We are about to celebrate Passover and Easter. What we will be remembering is the Good News - the Gospel of our salvation through the merciful sacrifice of our Saviour Jesus the Messiah (Yeshua HaMashiach).
This is, therefore, a week to celebrate the eternal good news, to emphasise all the wonderful provisions that our God has stored up in Heaven for our eternal future – and surely it is not long before the Lord returns.
Right up until the time of His coming there will be layer upon layer of bad news to cope with. But, with a twist in the meaning of the phrase, this week and especially the days when we remember our Lord’s sacrifice (Good Friday) and His resurrection (the following Sunday) it is certainly a ‘good day to bury bad news’ and concentrate entirely on the Good News.
Let us indeed look upwards this week with faith, thankfulness and hope in our soon-coming Messiah: an event that will put into the shade all the bad news of this world from Adam to the present day, and beyond.
Author: Clifford Denton
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Ex-gangster’s amazing story screened in Israeli cinemas
The spiritual restoration of the Jewish people, for which evangelical Christians have been praying for centuries, has taken a decisive step forward, in my view.
And the timing could not have been more apt – with Israel’s imminent 70th anniversary, now to be accompanied by the US Embassy move to Jerusalem along with the visit of Prince William, marking a watershed in their physical restoration.
As we learn from anecdotal evidence, and from a recent survey which found that 20% of Jewish millennials believe Jesus is the Son of God,1 it is quite clear that the new generation of Jews are taking Jesus seriously and are open as never before to claims of his being their Messiah.
They are now responding in droves to hi-tech evangelistic efforts from within their own state, with an organization called One for Israel (among others) reportedly making huge strides in reaching their people. Their website is filled with testimonies of Jews who are now following Yeshua, and their various videos have attracted a staggering 55 million views, 15 million of them from Israelis!2
A New Spirit
Indeed, Jesus is even now the focus of an award-winning Israeli movie! Sadly, I understand it met with failure at the box office and was pulled from theatres after just two weeks. It nevertheless represents a major shift as, for the first time in the history of modern Israel, a faith-based film on Yeshua the Messiah has been produced and premiered in the land.
A New Spirit was first shown in December 2017 at the famous Tel Aviv Cinematheque to an audience of hundreds of enthusiastic moviegoers. Billboards and posters advertising the film were also plastered on the streets of Jerusalem and surrounding cities.
The new generation of Jews are taking Jesus seriously.
It tells the story of former gangster Yacov Damkani, who fled to America where he was introduced to Yeshua as his Messiah and discipled in singer Keith Green’s community. His life was turned completely upside down and, three years ago, his testimony came to the attention of acclaimed film-maker Doron Eran while producing a documentary on the Messianic community. Doron felt it had the makings of a Hollywood movie, as he shared with Shira Sorko-Ram (as featured in February’s Maoz Israel Report).
He did not, however, anticipate the controversial nature of his subject – he has since been accused of being a missionary and betraying his people. He does admit to being a “student” (of the New Testament) and the actors have clearly also been impacted.
Imri Biton, who plays the lead, responds to criticism by saying: “Look what Yeshua did for Yacov. He was a gangster. When he believed in Yeshua, he became a new person. These Messianic Jews are telling their own truth. As a professional actor, I can join them.”
Misinformation and Fear
Doron believes the Government has unwisely allowed the Haredim (Ultra-Orthodox) to take control of the nation’s soul. “It is a religious dictatorship”, he says. “They are brainwashing our nation.”
He knew nothing of Yeshua before he met Yacov. “I didn’t know that he lived as a Jew and died as a Jew. I was told he was a Christian…”
Yes, it is tragic that both religious Jews and their Christian counterparts (who believe more in form than faith) have conspired to spread such misinformation.
The inspiration for the movie, Yacov’s book Why Me?, has been distributed free of charge to young Israeli tourists in New Zealand for the past 16 years as part of a programme called HIT (Hosting Israeli Travellers) which encourages Christians to host young Jewish tourists at little or no cost. HIT has now been extended to Australia and several other countries.
For the first time in the history of modern Israel, a faith-based film on Yeshua the Messiah has been produced and premiered in the land.
Commenting on the poor box office take-up, a Jewish friend explained:
I am not surprised Israelis didn’t venture into theatres showing a movie that would have been anathema to their parents and society in general. The audience for this movie would have been largely young people who would have been greatly influenced by comments from parents and other relatives the pre-advertising would have provoked. I believe it will have a greater market audience outside of Israel, even with subtitles, and many Israelis might later watch it in private.
I know Israel is the only place where I have experienced feeling intimidated. And as soon as my friends knew I believed in Jesus, I was no longer welcome in their homes, nor would they speak to me. It is okay to be a Gentile believer, but a Jewish believer is looked upon as a traitor. For the movie, I believe that if they will put it up for free on YouTube, asking for donations only to cover production costs, it might still make an impact!
Great Awakening to Come
Many Old Testament prophecies speak of a two-fold return of God’s chosen race – first to the land and then to their Lord. The first stage, though far from complete, has been witnessed before the eyes of the world as exiled Jews from every corner of the globe have resettled in Israel, especially since the re-birth of the modern state 70 years ago.
The second stage began, significantly, around the time of the re-unification of Jerusalem during the Six Day War of 1967 as so-called Messianics recognised that Yeshua was indeed their Messiah and started meeting together in congregations all over the country. The movement has since grown substantially and they have made an impact on the nation out of all proportion to their still relatively low numbers.
Even some Arabs are recognising what is happening. Saleem Shalash, an Arab pastor in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, is reported as saying: “The Bible says God will bring the tribes of Israel back together in this place, and suddenly revival will spring from here.”3
Indeed, the small spring in the desert that bubbled up around 50 years ago is threatening to turn into a fast-flowing stream. The prophet Zechariah, quoting the Lord and speaking of things to come with respect to the Messiah’s reign, wrote: “I will remove the sin of this land in a single day” (Zech 3:9). This suggests a sudden large-scale awakening.
Surely we are not far from that blessed day when they look upon the One they have pierced (Zech 12:10) and welcome him back in the name of the Lord (Matt 23:39). Certainly, it seems that many will have already looked upon the transforming Spirit of Yeshua depicted on screen (whether online or at the movies) – perhaps a foretaste of greater things to come!
Watch the trailer for 'A New Spirit' by clicking here.
References
1 A Jews for Jesus survey featured in the Jerusalem Post, 1 November 2017. The study surveyed 599 Jews born between 1984 and 1999.
2 This figure includes only Facebook and YouTube views, not TV etc (source: One for Israel).
3 Israel Today magazine, December 2017.
It wasn’t all bad...
As we all stop this weekend to ponder and celebrate the most wonderful news of all – that the Son of God died to save us from sin and redeem us back to him, and that he rose from the grave, defeating that foe of foes, death itself – it’s encouraging to realise that amidst all the bad news we imbibe daily, there is yet much good to report on in the world.
The war is won, but the battles rage on – and amidst the many losses also come many victories, though these don’t make the headlines quite as easily. The Lord is building his Kingdom; it is a truly phenomenal era in which to be alive. Be encouraged by the news below (and please note the paragraph at the bottom).
Society & Politics
- Central London to replay Easter story: The 90-minute production of The Passion of Jesus by Wintershall will take place in Trafalgar Square on Good Friday. Attendance is free. Saturday performances will take place in Guildford. Find out more here!
- Opportunity in college chapels: New figures suggest that over a fifth of students at Oxford, Cambridge and Durham colleges participate regularly in chapel services – a much higher figure than anticipated. Read more here.
- ‘Truth to Power’ initiative on target: The project, to declare the whole of Scripture aloud in Parliament Square, is almost 25% underway. Reading slots are still available for April – click here to find out more.
World Scene
- North and South Korea prepare for joint summit: The up-coming talks being agreed between the leaders of the two countries will be the first in more than a decade, and only the third since the end of the Korean War. The talks will be held in late April. Read more here.
- San Francisco State University apologises to Jews: The university President apologised publicly over allegations of anti-Semitism, affirming that “Zionists are welcome on our campus”. Read more here.
- Wheaton College wins important legal case: After a five-year battle, the famous Bible college has won its freedom to not provide healthcare insurance that covers abortion-inducing drugs. It follows similar legal wins by Christian businesses in recent years. Read more here.
- Hundreds of thousands march for life in Argentina: Huge crowds poured onto the streets this week in the Catholic nation to protest against a bill to legalise abortion, currently being considered by its Congress. Read more here.
Israel & Middle East
- US pledges record $705 million towards Israeli defence: Congress has dramatically upped its pledge of aid towards Israel’s military defence systems for 2018, bringing the total US investment in Israeli defence to $6.5 billion. Read more here.
- Megiddo mosaic proclaims Jesus is God: A Roman mosaic uncovered beneath a British-built prison in Megiddo, dating to the 3rd Century AD, is one of the earliest Christian places of worship to be uncovered in Israel. Read more here.
- Military probe finds disabled man NOT killed by IDF: The death of a double amputee during Gaza border clashes last December was reported in the Western media as murder by the IDF. The official investigation has found otherwise. Read more here.
Request for Prayer
Whilst we celebrate the Good News this weekend, please bear up the IDF and the Israeli people in your prayers. It is expected that the Passover holiday in this, Israel’s 70th year, will bring with it a spike in Palestinian violence, with high-profile protests at the Gaza border being planned.
Two meditations for Holy Week.
Reading the Gospel accounts of the last week in the earthly life of Jesus, there are two points that I want to offer for meditation. The first concerns what is known euphemistically as Jesus’ ‘triumphal entry’ into Jerusalem and the second focuses upon his last meal with his disciples.
Riding on a Colt
Matthew records the instruction Jesus gave to his disciples to go to the village ahead where they would find a donkey with her colt. They were to bring them to him for his entry into Jerusalem. Matthew quotes a verse from Zechariah, “See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech 9:9 and Matt 21:15).
I often wondered why Jesus chose to ride into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I could understand his choice of a donkey as a sign of his humility; but why choose the foal of a donkey. It was one of my colleagues in the Issachar Ministries team who pointed to a verse in Exodus that I had not previously noticed. It says, “Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck” (Ex 34:20).
A little research reveals that the donkey was the only animal in God’s creation whose firstborn foal had to be redeemed by offering the sacrifice of a lamb. Donkeys were very important for transport. They carried heavy loads and were usually willing workers. They were certainly very important in an agricultural community: in fact, so important that the owner had to give thanks to God for the firstborn foal before it could be used. The strength of this command was enforced by the instruction in Exodus 34:20.
Of course, Jesus knew this command! But this was the very reason why he chose to ride on the foal rather than the donkey. Here we see Jesus, having deliberately set his face to go up to Jerusalem, with the full knowledge of the murderous intent of the religious authorities to end his life, he now chooses to ride on the foal of a donkey. The foal had not yet been redeemed, hence it was still with its mother. But in this action, Jesus himself was redeeming the foal.
Here was Jesus, the Lamb of God, offering himself as a sacrifice for the sin of the world, symbolically redeeming the foal on his way to the cross.
For the One I Love
The incredible humility and determination to go through with the terrible events that he foresaw show something of the amazing character of Jesus. But, added to this, his incredible love is shown a little later in the week when he met with his disciples to share a last meal with them. This is the second point in this meditation.
One of my lasting memories of the late Lance Lambert whom I was proud to call my friend, was on one occasion when my wife and I shared a meal in his Jerusalem home with him and his sister. It was a Friday evening, a Shabbat meal. At one point in the meal Lance took a piece of bread, dipped it in the cup and gave it to me, and similarly to Monica, saying to each of us a little expression of love. He explained that in many Jewish families it was the custom for either the father of the family or the mother of the family to do this, particularly if they had guests as an expression of love.
Lance said it was a particularly poignant practice for the mother to do this for one of her children who had been away and was now back at the family table, or one who had been sick and now was recovered. She would say “This is for the one I love”. Her love was being expressed particularly for the one who had a special need, or to show joy at the reuniting of the family around their table.
At the Last Supper Jesus took bread and broke it and gave a piece to each of his disciples – a symbolic act through which he was giving himself to them and showing his indescribable love. Judas, the man who would betray him was also there and it is surely one of the most poignant acts of Jesus to give bread to the man who was going to be responsible for his betrayal into the hands of his enemies (John 13:26).
The act of giving the bread dipped in the cup symbolising his blood, was highly significant for each of his disciples.
But the most amazing act of Jesus at the Last Supper was surely to dip the bread in the cup and give it to Judas, who was to betray him, conveying the message (whether spoken or unspoken): “This is for the one I love”.
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.