Atonement

If you're a Christian living in the West within the last 100 years or so, you probably have a pretty clear picture in your head about heaven. You likely imagine heaven as a place up in the sky, in the clouds. You can see angels sitting on the edge of the clouds with their legs draped over the side, strumming away at harps. Perhaps Saint Peter stands at the golden gate of heaven, turning away those who just weren't good enough to enter. Is this what the Bible actually says about heaven? Is any of this actually true? Let's take a look at what a common view of heaven is. Humanity exists in a world tainted by sin and suffering, a condition stemming from the fall of man as described in the first few pages of Genesis when our ancestor, the first Adam, ate of the forbidden fruit. Due to original sin, all humans are inherently sinful and wretched, and God has his wrath stored up against those who don't agree with him. Acknowledging one's sinfulness and accepting Jesus Christ as the Savior is seen as the solution to humanity's sin problem. Jesus is the only way to keep the wrath of God from roasting you alive where you stand. And if you just continue to hold on to this knowledge in your head as long as possible until you die, and you should probably also go to church, then you will be given admittance into heaven. This heaven is a different plane of existence altogether that exists apart from earth, where our spiritual bodies will inhabit after we die. This is where God God is, so we have to go to where he is. This place is thought to be "in the sky" or in heaven above. There are a few scriptures that one could use to infer this heaven cosmology, but if a culprit could be found, look no farther than Plato. Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, introduced the theory of forms, positing that true reality is found in perfect, abstract forms rather than the physical world. This dualistic view, where the material is seen as inferior to the spiritual, significantly impacted early Christian thought. Early Christian theologians, particularly those in the Eastern Church and the Alexandrian tradition, such as Clement of Alexandria and Origen, were deeply influenced by Platonic ideas. They saw value in aligning Christianity with Greek philosophy, viewing it as a preparation for the revelation of Christ. But what does the Bible truly say? Well, first, let's look at the word atonement. The word atonement carries with it a modern understanding of paying a penance. The dictionary definition has been transformed over the years to become reparation for a wrong or injury. What is not generally understood is that William Tyndale, in his translation of the Bible into English in the early 16th century, coined the word atonement to express the concept of reconciliation between God and humanity. The word is a synthesis of at one and meant, effectively capturing the idea of being at one with God. At one meant the state of being one with God. The entire design pattern of the Bible is replete with imagery of a restored Eden where God and humanity live together in harmony. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, speaks of God's plan to to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. Jesus himself preached that the kingdom of God is in your midst. In other words, when Jesus came, he brought heaven with him and it never left. His believers, the body of Christ, have been the stewards and denizens of that kingdom here on earth. Revelation and Isaiah both describe a new heaven and a new earth where God dwells with his people, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. This vision of heaven is not about escaping the material world, but about its redemption and renewal. So it is evident that we have been unduly influenced by pagan philosophy and cosmology, and the result is a skewed vision of heaven and the restoration of humanity. However, the Bible has amazing things to say about heaven. For the conclusion of this and for other topics, visit the creation awaitSubstack.