When we die, go to heaven as a waiting room? / At the end times, do we not go to a new heaven and new earth (new creation) to be with God ala N.T. Wright?
This is a good question that will let us clarify our thinking and the language that we used to talk about heaven.
To help we need to remember two things: We need to distinguish between the PRESENT heaven (the intermediate state we experience when we die) and the FUTURE heaven (the ultimate state we will experience after Jesus returns and we are resurrected to eternal life). We also need to remember that a human being is united being: physical and spiritual, matter and mind, body and soul.
When a Christian dies their body is separated from their soul. Their body goes into the ground awaiting the resurrection; their soul goes to enjoy the blessings of the present heaven, in the conscious presence of Jesus. This is what we mean when we talk about people dying and “going to heaven”. This is the present heaven – this is the intermediate state. But this is not the final state, because we were made to be embodied-souls who glorify and enjoy God forever.
Then at the resurrection, Christ will raise up and transform our bodies into glorious ones like His own, reunited our body and soul forever: “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:35-58).
Then He will take us to be with Him in the New Creation – a transformed New Heavens and New Earth. Just as our present bodies will be resurrected and transformed, so this present creation will experience the same (Romans 8:18-25). The New Creation is about heaven and earth coming together in union, heaven coming down on earth. The New Creation will be filled with the good things that we enjoy in this world, just free from sin and suffering and so much better: think sports, think food, think art, etc. The final state, the future heaven, the new creation will be like this world, just a whole lot better!
Does judgement happen at one time for all people simultaneously (i.e. die at different times but wake up at the same time for judgement)?
There are two events to distinguish:
(1) Judgement for Believers (for eternal reward) at the Bema Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11-15, Romans 14:10-12): this judgement does not decide the eternal destiny of believers, that happens through placing your faith in Jesus. Justification means that the verdict of the final judgement has been declared today: you have been saved! Christians will give an account for how they have lived their lives and served Christ to receive rewards (see the Parables of the Talents).
(2) Judgement for Unbelievers (for eternal punishment) at the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15)
It seems that when people die, they are awaiting resurrection and final judgement. Believers are consciously enjoying the foretaste of the blessings of heaven in the presence of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:8). Unbelievers are consciously experiencing the judgement of God at their sin (Luke 16:19-31). Then at the resurrection these judgements will occur, the separation of the sheep (believers) and goats (unbelievers) (Matthew 25:31-46).
What is the kingdom/ what does it look like at the moment? / Is the new kingdom the new heavens and new earth (new creation)?
The Kingdom of God, means God is the king and He rules. When Jesus proclaimed the “good news of the kingdom of God” – He means the blessings of the good reign of God are breaking into this world under the tyranny of the kingdom of Satan. Under the reign of King Jesus, the curse of evil is being pushed back, as the captives of sin are being set free by Him. "The subject of the good news is the kingdly rule of God in Jesus Christ, a rule which will bring untold blessings to those who are ready to receive it. But they must be ready. The good news is for the poor-for those who recognise their poverty, their need. They must give up on their own ideas on how to cope with their problems, and accept the answer which the good news brings to them-abide by it and live on it" (Michael Wilcock).
The good reign of God has broken into this broken world today (starting with Jesus’ first coming, death, resurrection and ascension) and will climax at His second coming when He makes all things new. On that day the prayer will be answered "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" - as all will serve Jesus the king. The good news of the kingdom is experienced today as rebels against the reign of God (i.e. all of us who are sinners) surrender and become children of God through faith in Jesus. The kingdom is bad news for rebels; only the fact that the king has died for the rebels transforms it into good news!
The blessings of that reign are experienced in part today by Christians in our lives, by the blessing of the indwelling Holy Spirit and Christ ruling in our hearts. The blessings of this reign will be experienced in the world at large only at Christ’s return – however today in the midst of the world, the church is an outpost of the kingdom of God, it is the present manifestation of the community of the kingdom of God. It is in the church that the reign of God is lived out as a community of people. It is also through the work of the Church and individual Christian that we erect signs and foretastes of the goodness of the reign of God in the world. Because we know God will wipe every tear from His peoples’ eyes, today it’s good for Christians to care for the sick, comfort the hurting, feed the hungry, and help the homeless. Because we know that God will renew the earth, today it’s good for Christians to care for the environment and its non-human inhabitants. Because we know there will be no sin or sinners in God’s perfect world, today it’s essential that Christians share with their friends the good news of what Jesus has done to save us from our sins. In all these ways we can live, work and speak for the king.
Do we build it here on earth? / Does God build it here on earth?
One of the popular anthems of our generation is Rend Collective’s “Build Your Kingdom Here”. One of the trendy phrases of our day is to talk about “bringing the kingdom” “building for” and “working for” the kingdom. I want to be cautious about that language. George E. Ladd has a helpful survey of how the Bible actually talks about the kingdom:
“The Kingdom can draw near to men (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; Mark 1:15; etc.); it can come (Matt. 6:10; Luke 17:20; etc.), arrive (Matt. 12:28), appear (Luke 19:11), be active (Matt 11:12). God can give the Kingdom to men (Matt 21.43; Luke 12:32), but men do not give the Kingdom to one another. Further, God can take the Kingdom away from men (Matt. 21:43), but men do not take it away from one another, although they can prevent others from entering it. Men can enter the Kingdom (Matt. 5:20; 7:21; Mark 9:47; 10:23; etc.), but they are never said to erect it or to build it. Men can receive the Kingdom (Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17), inherit it (Matt. 25:34), and possess it (Matt. 5:4), but they are never said to establish it. Men can reject the Kingdom, i.e., refuse to receive it (Luke 10:11) or enter it (Matt. 23:13), but they cannot destroy it. They can look for it (Luke 23:51), pray for its coming (Matt. 6:10), and seek it (Matt. 6:33; Luke 12:31), but they cannot bring it. Men may be in the Kingdom (Matt. 5:19; 8:11; Luke 13:29; etc.), but we are not told that the Kingdom grows. Men can do things for the sake of the Kingdom (Matt. 19:12; Luke 18:29), but they are not said to act upon the Kingdom itself. Men can preach the Kingdom (Matt. 10:7; Luke 10:9), but only God can give it to men (Luke 12:32).” (G.E. Ladd, The Presence of the Future, 193)
Jesus tells us to pray "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" and to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" in Matthew 6. We're to live obediently for the king, we're to live according to the values of His kingdom (justice, mercy, grace, truth, faithfulness, forgiveness, etc.) and we're to be ambassadors for Christ the king so that others come into the kingdom.
