Articles
“Will Heaven Be Boring?”
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Revelation 21:3-5a
Some people critique Christianity because they think its view of the afterlife is boring. We often sing, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.” Well, we might think, ten thousand years, let alone an eternity, is a long time. Won’t singing God’s praises get monotonous after a while, even to the most devoted Christian?
This common view often stems from half-remembered Bible lessons from childhood, bad religious art or popular depictions of people playing harps on clouds for no apparent reason—forever. The root of this problem is a false conception of both God and heaven, and is sometimes even perpetrated by those who wear the name of Christ. What do the Scriptures say happens when we die and what will the afterlife be like? Biblically understood, the afterlife has two stages: (1) life after death and (2) life after life after death.
Life after death: a disembodied, intermediate state — For those in Christ, physical death means that the soul separates from the body and enters into the presence of God. The Bible does not reveal much about this stage, except that one is “with the Lord” but nevertheless “unclothed,” that is, lacking a body (2 Cor. 5:1-10). This disembodied and intermediate state—between mortal life and the resurrection of the body—is incomplete. Paul expresses his “longing to put on [his] heavenly dwelling” and not to be found “naked,” a soul without a body (2 Cor. 5:2-3). Humans were created to be embodied, but death (due to sin) has shattered this unity of soul and body (Jas. 2:26). At death, the Christian is freed from the chains of earthly, sin-affected existence but has not yet put on the resurrection body promised by Christ.
There are some descriptions of redeemed spirits praising God in the book of Revelation, a highly symbolic book, where harps are mentioned (Rev. 14:2; 15:2). Even so, the activity of praising and worshiping an infinitely majestic God cannot possibly be boring or pointless. We may praise and honor finite beings to some extent, but even standing ovations for virtuoso musicians end at some point. However, the worship of an infinite and Perfect Being has no end, since finite beings will always be in God’s debt and will always have more of God’s endless life to joyfully experience in worship throughout all eternity. This is what paradise is—to be with the Lord (Lk. 23:43).
Life after life after death: an embodied, eternal state — The final, eternal home for Christians is “the new heavens and new earth,” described in poetic terms as a perfect garden-like city that echoes both Eden and Jerusalem but will far exceed them in glory (Rev. 21-22; 2 Pet. 3). Humans were originally created to cultivate and develop the world, thereby glorifying God (Gen. 1-2). When Christians are resurrected from the dead, they will be clothed with imperishable, spiritual bodies (1 Cor. 15:35ff) and take their place in this new perfect world to fulfill their original purpose. Far from sitting around on clouds getting bored, we will have meaningful work to do that will finally fulfill our created purpose as image-bearers of God. Revelation 22:5 promises that the saints will “reign forever and ever” with the Lord.
Further, “the wealth of the nations” (humanity’s cultural achievements, purified and perfected), will be brought into God’s presence (Rev. 21:26; cf. Isa. 60:5, 11; 61:6), thus giving the citizens of the new Jerusalem ample occasion for enjoyment and appreciation. Once in the presence of God, in their resurrected, glorified state, saints will not only possess a greater capacity for joy but an ever-increasing capacity for joy. Therefore, all those in Christ will enjoy living in a perfect body, in a perfect world, with their Perfect God forever. “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14; Isa. 11:9).
So, if one takes the Bible seriously, the afterlife cannot be viewed as bland or uninspiring. Since God is infinite, he will be infinitely enjoyed by those in his presence. As Irenaeus wrote, “The glory of God is man fully alive”—and the redeemed will be fully alive in their glorified state (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 4.20.7).
