Second, we do well to distinguish between the final manifestation of the kingdom and the present anticipations of it. The final coming together of heaven and earth is, of course, God’s supreme act of new creation, for which the only real prototype – other than the first creation itself – was the resurrection of Jesus. God alone will sum up all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth.30 He alone will make the ‘new heavens and new earth’. We would not only be kidding ourselves, but committing utter folly, to suppose that our own labours could help in that final great work.
