The Universe Transformed

I have been reading N. T. Wright's magisterial work, Paul and the Faithfulness of God (Fortress Press, 2013).  N. T. Wright brilliantly and meticulously goes into the second temple Judaism of Jesus day to show that the world-earth-space and time universe was not to be abolished but transformed.  In Jewish literature whether the Scriptures or other second temple Jewish literature, God's people are sharing with the angels on earth.  Eternal life is not otherworldly "go to heaven after you die" theology but joining in God's new age on earth as it is in heaven in the now and present.  The whole Jewish mindset was establishing God's rule and reign on earth and restorative justice for the whole of creation.

Western Greek Platonism has coopted so many biblical images that heaven and earth are viewed in a highly dualistic fashion where the two are separated by a great gulf. When the Bible says Jesus has gone into heaven, Plato would never have thought that as a fully human being.  Heaven and earth interconnected and were interlocked in many ways and the temple itself was heaven on earth.  We need a new perspective of God's time intersecting with our time and God's space with our space in time and history.  This leads to a whole new way of living in the crucified Messiah as we die to our self daily and live as a new creation in this new rhythm of life.  We move into this Messianic reality where present age and age to come overlap and interconnect and heaven is united with earth.