The Possibilities Of Eternal Life
Magnus Carlsen, the world champion chess Grand Master, can play ten opponents at the same time. That ability is not unusual. But Carlsen plays ten opponents without looking at the chessboard. He plays each board, positions, and moves in his mind, all at the same time. And he wins.
People with photographic memory can remember what they see and read and repeat it perfectly. Some people, usually men, have savant syndrome (formerly described as idiot savant) where they have exceptional and astounding skills in a specific talent but are unable to function in the most common and basic areas of life. Math, music, and memory are commonly three areas of such exceptional ability. For example, some can calculate prime numbers, square roots, and other math difficulties almost instantly. Some can repeat everything they read – backwards.
These examples show the intriguing possibilities after resurrection and glorification. If some people can have these abilities now, within the limits of our sin nature and mortal bodies, then what might be possible after resurrection? In 1 Corinthians 2:9 Paul refers to Isaiah 64 to emphasize that what we see, hear, or imagine does not compare to what God has prepared for those who love Him. The worldwide destruction which accompanies the Tribulation, the rebuilding necessary afterwards, the brief descriptions of the Millennium (such as Isaiah 11 and 65; Zechariah 14), and the physical change of resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) suggest that resurrected believers will have much greater abilities than we have now. Could the tremendous abilities which some people have today be a glimpse of what is possible?
Unsaved skeptics often portray heaven and eternal life as boring, colorless (an all-white existence living in clouds) or simply continuing your favorite activity (unlimited and perfect golf, for example). Such a view of heaven and eternal life helps unbelievers remain in unbelief as they perceive life after death as basically irrelevant or very self-oriented. Yet why would God do all that He has done for mankind, including the Incarnation and then the sacrifice of the Son of God for such a mundane life in eternity? Surely such effort and sacrifice by God Himself must be directed toward goals and purposes, perhaps like what we know in this life, yet goals and purposes and even abilities far beyond what we know in this life.
Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God. Man’s desire to explore the universe, by using telescopes and spacecraft, is a desire to know what exists, even though unsaved man explores for the wrong reasons. After the Millennium God will create a new heavens and earth. We do not know how different the new creation will be from what exists today. The new earth could be much larger than the present earth. All this new creation will require exceptional skills and abilities for the redeemed to serve God. Revelation 22:3 tells us that God’s servants will serve Him in that time without the curse of sin and without darkness. What will that service be like?
The possibilities of eternal life are astounding.
Wally Morris is the former pastor of Charity Baptist Church in Huntington, IN. He has also published A Time To Die: A Biblical Look At End-Of-Life Issues by Ambassador International.
Photo by Mike Enerio on Unsplash