Searching for a Robust Theology of Heaven– Part 2
In Part 1, I talked about the fact that heaven as it is imagined in folk Christianity often sounds rather awful. In fact, it often sounds pretty bad for a short period of time, to say nothing of countless eons. But let’s consider some of those dubious pictures of heaven.
#1. Cartoon Heaven. This one is a bit of a Strawman. That is, I doubt that many actually believe this is what heaven is like. You have seen it in cartoons, comics, movies, and so forth. Common features are being dressed in white robes, standing in clouds, often having wings, often holding a lyre (small harp) and perhaps having a halo. It is more of an image rather than an imagination. It is shorthand for some things we think about heaven. The white robes comes from some imagery in the book of Revelation that symbolizes purity and perhaps unity. The halo comes from European painters that used it as a short hand for holiness of Jesus, Mary and the saints. The lyre points to our role as worshipers of God, and the place given to singing in some heavenly scenes. Being in the clouds perhaps comes from the ascension of Christ in the clouds, the note that with the second coming of Christ, we will meet him up there where the clouds are, and generally being in the clouds sounds right because of picture of Heaven is almost universally understood as involving “Up.” Finally, the wings reminds us that Jesus said that we would be “like the angels” (at least in terms of marriage policies)— and frankly, having wings seems pretty awesome.
Cartoon Heaven generally sounds pretty bleak. Life is narrowly limited to a few activities, most of which seems pretty boring after a short time. The imagery is also generally one of social disconnection. Social interaction is generally limited. Outside of having wings, most of it seems rather depressing. Perhaps the being in the clouds thing also points to our hope that in death we have the opportunity, in some small way, to stay connected with our friends and loved ones… even if only watching from a distance.
As I said, Cartoon Heaven is a bit of a strawman. It does not correspond to a Biblical view of Heaven. I don’t think anyone truly believes in Cartoon Heaven. However, as a symbol and a picture it is pretty pervasive and is likely to misinform at an unreflective level at least.
#2. Rock Candy Mountain. Many of you have probably seen “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” In it they revive an old song by Harry McClintock called, “The Big Rock Candy Mountain.” It is supposed to be a picture of Heaven to members of a hobo community. The lyrics can be found HERE if you want to read them. Heaven is described as a big rock candy mountain with lemonade springs and cigarette trees, box cars are always empty, hens lay soft-boiled eggs, and the cops are too slow to catch you.
The Rock Candy Mountain view of Heaven is generally, “Whatever you really like here, you will have all of that and more there.” Some of these views seem to be more driven by wishful fantasy than by what the Bible actually describes as Heaven. The fantasies appear often to be like “pipe dreams”— It can be a big feasting and carousing hall like Valhalla. It can be a place of sexual opportunities without responsibility such as in some Jihadist literature. Revivalist messages are often vague but exuberantly positive— “Pie in the Sky in the Sweet by-and-by!” Vaguely exuberant is not really a description of Heaven… it is marketing literature for proselytization.
Often it is also described as the place of your idealized self. You are forever at some ideal age— maybe 30 years old. You don’t have a limp, or a scar, or any physical abnormality. This may or may not be true, but it is that is based on a rather flawed image of what is ideal. We are shallow in this world— does God affirm such attitudes? Revelation does make a point of undermining our attitudes about race, ethnicity, language, and nationality, in showing us all together in unity despite the differences. Perhaps God challenges our perception of imperfections as well. I wrote an article on this very topic. You are welcome to read it by CLICKING HERE.
#4. Christian Pop Music Concert. Some take imagery in the book of Revelation and extend it to eternity. Some images like in Revelation 7 show Christians of every type dressed in white robes (there is the white robes again) singing praises to the Lamb of God forever and ever. It sounds like a rock concert in some ways… and some take it as the “eternal state.” Even if one takes it as a fully literal vision that corresponds accurately to what was going on in heaven at one specific moment of time (and there is enough symbolic and metaphorical language in the book to make one at least consider other options), we can be pretty sure that there are breaks. In that sense, worshiping God may be continuous (without end or breaks much the way that love, hope, and faith are without end), corporate worship events are almost certainly continual (without end, but with breaks, starts, and stops). We are pretty sure it is continual, because there are other images of Heaven that outside of being in one really big room. Not much point of talking about streets of gold, gates of jewels, and a river flowing out of the throne with fruit trees lining the banks if the saints of Christ will never see them because they are always in one room.
#5. The Doppleganger. This one is the one that I consider most, well… “disturbing.” Yes, I think that is the correct word. I have seen it show itself in a couple of answers to an important question:
-How can I enjoy the wonders of heaven knowing so many of my loved ones— family and friends— are suffering? Perhaps they are suffering on earth, or perhaps suffering in their most unwelcome eternal state.
Two answers I have heard are:
a. You will be having such a wonderful time in Heaven that you won’t even be thinking about them.
b. God will take away all your memories of this life, so you will not miss them.
I have even heard a third answer once or twice that kind of boils down to (labeling it ‘c.’: We will have such zeal for the Lord and His justice and holiness that we praise Him for dooming others to hell… ‘getting what they deserve’. Thankfully, I have not heard this very often… but it is out there.
I have deep problems with these. Letter B is the worst one in some ways. When we are glorified, we have a new body. In some ways, at least, we have new values and interests. If we lose all of our old memories, in what way do we have enough continuity of self to say that we are the same person after as before? Our memories make us very much who we are. If we lose our memories. the hope of salvation in Christ is for all intents and purposes, for someone else that we would not recognize as ourselves. Could this truly be described as “Good News”?
For “a” and “c” it works if one assumes a form of sociopathy where we lose all natural affection or compassion. In the world we live in, such a person— so caught up in his own good times that he doesn’t even think about the suffering of others, or is even happy that they are suffering— would be thought of as a monster. Is the quality that we trending toward is not godliness or love, but being a monster? I hope not.
Some of the reason for the Doppleganger theory is based on Revelation 21:3b-4
He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away
Isaiah 25:8 says something similar. Neither the Revelation passage nor the Isaiah passages says that we have no compassion for anyone else. In fact, if one wants to be technical, both passages describe followers of God as people who receive comfort from God, NOT people who have no need for comfort.
We don’t fully know what Heaven is like, but I hope you can be thankful that it is not like any of the one’s above. The third post will cautiously suggest some things we can say about heaven.
