Many people often wonder if their loved ones who have passed on (and who are in the present Heaven) are aware of what's happening here on earth, at least to some extent. It's comforting to think that, although we can't communicate with them, our loved ones continue to be part of our lives in that sense. Randy Alcorn, in his book Heaven, shares his belief that "saints in Heaven blissfully unaware of what is transpiring on Earth seems insubstantial. . .Those on Earth may be ignorant of Heaven, but those in Heaven are not ignorant of Earth (p. 69)."
Alcorn looks at the following Bible passages to support his view:
- Revelation 6:9-11: The martyrs in Heaven know that God hasn't yet brought judgment on their persecutors.
- Revelation 19:1-5: The multitude in Heaven praise God for events of judgment that have taken place on Earth.
- Revelation 19:11-14: "Because Heaven's saints return with Christ to set up his millennial kingdom, it seems unthinkable to imagine they would have remained ignorant of the culmination of human history taking place on Earth (p. 69)." They are waiting to return to Earth with God and his angels for the ultimate battle, whereby Christ will be crowned King.
- I Samuel 28: King Saul appealed to the witch of Endor to call the Samuel back from the afterlife. Samuel remembered the events that happened before he died, as well as events that had happened since his death.
- Luke 9:28-36: During the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah "appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem (v. 31)." The passage seems to indicate that they were fully aware of the redemptive drama unfolding on Earth.
- Revelation 2 - 3: The risen Christ watches closely what is happening on Earth, particularly in the lives of people. "If the Sovereign God's attention is on Earth, why wouldn't the attention of his heavenly subjects be focused here as well (p. 70)?"
- Luke 15:10: Jesus said, "Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Alcorn believes "[the joy] logically includes not only God but also the saints in Heaven, who would so deeply appreciate the wonder of human conversion -- especially the conversion of those they knew and loved on Earth (p.71)."
Food for thought here is the fact that death cannot separate us from Christ. Those who have passed on are in fact more alive than we are. Whether we are here, or whether we are there, we are in Christ. Death may separate our loved ones from us here and now, but not from Him. This is why the Church in the ancient creed of Nicea professes to believe in the "Communion of Saints." Dead or alive, through all time those in Christ are joined to Him in His Mystical body, and hence joined to one another...
ReplyDeleteThank you for the good thoughts, Michael. I am indeed thankful for my eternal union with Christ and the communion with other redeemed saints. I am blogging my way through Alcorn's book Heaven. I appreciate all the biblical study he has done about the present Heaven and the eternal Heaven, showing that we will not be disembodied spirits floating on clouds. It's a fascinating read.
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