THE FUTURE #1

There are two major ideas about the future life that do agree with what I understand from scripture. The first idea is from the ancient Hebrews where their view was embodied in the present, so to speak. Life with God was today and the future was not equated with a coming time of rewards. All of life was lived fully in front of God, things righteous and unrighteous, good and evil, right and wrong and different and indifferent. Not much was shadowed even until tomorrow.

This in some respects is existential but in other respects is simply, ‘God with us,’ and will later be seen as Emmanuel, who is Jesus with us. The Hebrews did not so much see ‘future reward’ or ‘future punishment.’ Each day carried the reality of all goodness and reward and all evil and it’s consequence. They were firmly rooted in the earth, lived on the earth and died on the earth.
When someone died they died with their lifetime of deeds and memories, and surrounded by kinfolks and were buried. They could not be accused, as Christians often are, of trying to escape into another world and thus dividing their loyalty between the present life and the life to come.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son but the Father only.” Jesus