by: Lelonnie Hibberd
But heaven is meant to be a temporary place – not a forever place. The Bible says “the dwelling place of God is with men.” Remember that whenever the Bible says "men" it actually means "all people." That means you and I! A dwelling place is a place where we live, not a place where we visit. God wants to dwell with men. God wants to live with us. Here on earth. The Bible confirms this in Revelation 21 where it says that Jesus is coming back to earth and it also says that we shall reign on the earth.
Can you imagine what it will be like when there will be no more veil between the heavenly and the earthly realms? When they are together? When Jesus Christ in His resurrected, forever body, lives among us as a man? Jesus is God for sure. He has all the power of God His Father, all the wisdom, all the love and all the holiness. But Jesus is also a man forever. Heaven and earth are going to be gathered together in Jesus.
Heaven is not going to disappear – its just going to be joined together with the earthly realm. Imagine what we will see when there is no separation. When we can see angels every day. When we can see God. When we can commune with God once again just as it was in the Garden! Jesus has an earthy and a spiritual body. He has a resurrected body. When we look at Jesus' resurrected body it will give us a clue how it will be for us when Jesus joins heaven and earth together.
When Jesus was raised from the dead he could walk through walls. Suddenly he would appear before His disciples. Or suddenly He would be gone. But they could touch him and see and feel that he was flesh and bones. He ate honey and dried fish with them. Yet they saw him rise up into the air and go into heaven. They saw and touched the nail holes in Jesus' hands and feet, yet the apostle John also saw the risen Jesus in a glorious form. The very same Jesus who died on the cross and the very same Jesus who ate with them after His resurrection. With eyes like a flame of fire and whose countenance was like the sun shining in all its strength. Yet John and the disciples recognized Jesus. His resurrected body was still Him, He still looked like the Jesus they'd known and walked with.
The Bible tells us that when Jesus returns both the saints in heaven and the saints on earth will ALL be given new bodies. Resurrected bodies that will never get sick or die. We will not be new people. The real you is your spirit man. You have an earthly body now. It is like a snail's shell. The house the snail lives in. But the snail sheds its shell. So at death we shed our body. Our body dies and decays. But our spirit goes to be with God until the fullness of the times. Because heaven is a spiritual place you don't need a physical body there. But when Jesus brings heaven and earth together you will need a physical and spiritual body. It will be like a renewed home for your spirit to live in. Some people guess that Jesus will gather together every cell that was your earthly body and renew it, refresh it, recreate it, make it eternal. Whatever the Lord does, you will still be you.
Imagine when the glory and holiness of the heavenly realm is joined with the earthly realm. Imagine when the trees of the field literally clap their hands for joy. When animals have no aggression or violence in them. When we don't have to protect ourselves from thorns, accidents or disease. When creatures don't kill each other anymore. When the whole earth is filled with the glory and the beauty of God. Imagine when we can hear the stars singing for joy. All these things are in the Bible. We have only to read it. Imagine when all creation is free to become an expression of worship and beauty. When the beauty of God will be fully seen. When there will be no bad images, evil places, ugliness, sickness or death in nature or in creatures or in people.
Just imagine! Make this your life's dream. Abba, Father God, I want to see Jesus. I want to see you join heaven and earth together. I long to understand this mystery. Thank you for teaching me all about it. Come quickly Lord Jesus – set us free from sin and darkness. Come and bring heaven down to earth. I desire what you desire, Jesus. End the separation between heaven and earth.