That Age to Come
Randy Alcorn is among my favorite Christian writers not just because he’s a wonderful writer—which he is—but because he’s a wonderfully encouraging writer. Anytime I read something by Randy, my heart is consistently warmed, uplifted, and directed toward Christ. This has much to do with the fact that Randy has spent a lifetime thinking and writing biblically about the Christian’s eternal home—Heaven. Over the years, his work has been a tremendous blessing to me, such that his influence routinely echoes in my own writing. Perhaps it can be a further blessing to you as well as we consider our eternal home in that age to come.
In Isaiah 9:7, God speaks of the coming Messiah’s reign in this way: “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.” There is more going on here in the Messiah’s future Kingdom than mere territorial acquisition and longevity. I think that Randy Alcorn’s interpretation is correct, wherein he rightly notes that the emphasis of Isaiah 9:7 is on the word increase. Drawing from an excerpt in his book Heaven, Randy explains: “Christ’s government of the New Earth and the new universe will be ever-expanding.” Here are a few more passages from Alcorn on the topic of that age to come, selected from chapter 22 of the same book:
“It may be that Christ’s government will always increase because he will continually create new worlds to govern (and, perhaps, new creatures to inhabit those new worlds). Or perhaps it will always increase because the new universe, though still finite, may be so vast that what Christ creates in a moment will never be exhaustively known by finite beings. From what we know of our current universe, with billions of galaxies containing millions of billions of stars and untold planets, this is certainly possible. The restoration of the current universe alone will provide unimaginable territories for us to explore and establish dominion over to God’s glory...
If Christ expands his rule by creating new worlds, whom will he send to govern them on his behalf? His redeemed people. Some may rule over towns, some cities, some planets, some solar systems or galaxies. Sound far-fetched? Not if we understand both Scripture and science. Consider how our current universe is constantly expanding. Each moment, the celestial geography dramatically increases. As old stars burn out, new stars are being born. Is God their creator? Yes. Suppose the new heavens also expand, creating new geography in space and ever increasing the size of God’s Kingdom. Will he fill that empty space with new creation? Will he dispatch exploratory and governing expeditions to these worlds, where his glory will be seen in new and magnificent creations?
The proper question is not, Why would God create new worlds? That’s obvious. God is by nature a creator and ruler. He is glorified by what he creates and rules. He delights to delegate authority and dominion to his children to rule his creation on his behalf. ‘Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.’
Is there anything in Scripture—anything we know about God—that would preclude him from expanding his creation and delegating authority to his children to rule over it? I can’t think of anything. Can you?”
The picture painted by Alcorn is one that seems to fit well with the many images we’re presented with in Scripture: “if we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:12), “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master’” (Matthew 25:23), and perhaps strongest of all, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Thus, Christ’s finished work on the cross—indeed, the Gospel—is by no means limited only to our atonement. Rather, the Gospel has eternal, cosmic significance wherein the Lord is drawing all things nigh unto Himself—chief among them being the heavens and the earth and all those things found in them, of which redeemed mankind is the firstfruits (Romans 8:18-25).
These are some wondrously happy, immensely weighty thoughts to consider about the future awaiting those whose lives are hid in Christ Jesus. Indeed, our greatest expectations and wildest imaginings will all fall short of the reality He has prepared from before the foundations of the world. O, Lord!—even so come!
Just imagine it—stepping upon that eternal plain for the first time, free forever from the weight of sin and death, walking into a great cloud of many countless witnesses—some of whom you expected to see, others whom you thought were lost beyond hope, and a myriad of others, perhaps many belonging to other worlds entirely, creatures beyond all thought. And then you see Him, the One for whom your soul has ached and longed after these many years, never to be parted from Him so long as the endless ages of eternity roll. Not only will we see Him, but we shall see Him as He is—and be like Him! O, the thought! Who can bear such a weight of glory? Not only will we be forever with the Lord—though there be no life greater, sweeter, more lovely or joyful—but we will reign with Him, spreading the fragrant aroma of His beauty and holiness abroad to every infinite inch of that home which He has prepared for us.
In a letter to his dying daughter, George MacDonald put it far better than I ever could: “I do live expecting great things in the life that is ripening for me and all mine—when we shall have all the universe for our own, and be good merry helpful children in the great house of our father. Then, darling, you and I and all will have grand liberty wherewith Christ makes free—opening his hand to send us out like white doves to range the universe.”
Photo by Daniel Gregoire, Unsplash
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