The ultimate philosophical question worth answering in our precious life God has granted to us is where we are headed for after living on this planet Earth. Is there any certain place God has determined for us? If there is one, where is it, then? And what’s the name of that place? How are we going to get there? Are there any certain requirements we must meet that we may qualify to live in that place?
In the first two preceding topics, I dealt at great length with where we, human beings, came from, and why we were born on this earth. In religious perspective, if we truly believe in the Bible, the only authoritative source we need to refer to, we’ve absolutely found the significant answers that we came into existence through God’s amazing creative power. Through Him, our only Heavenly Father, we found our true genealogy that we are the descendants of God. Besides, we are placed here on this Earth for a noble mission of doing His will, keeping His commandments particularly because those are the whole duties of humankind. We’re also enabled to meet Him, know Him aright, to become better acquainted with Him, and unite with Him in our practical daily life.
In this topic, I’d like to underscore a significant issue as to where we are going to, and how our destiny is like. Those who, in their life, are always led by the true God have their obvious goal set before them. They know where their direction is heading. They do realize that the kind of life lived on this earth is not everything. Living, becoming old and weak, being infected with diseases and ending physical life is not the end of the story. There is a brighter hope of the future. God-fearing people do not regard physical death as a fearful nightmare, but rather a happy rest for an unimaginably short time to enter a joyous future of an incredibly great happiness when our Savior comes again for the second time.
Our Original Homeland and Qualifications to Enter
The Bible is full of the words of promises that eternal bliss will be the great reward for those who live according to God’s will and providence. When Jesus was about to separate from His disciples and departed from this Earth to ascend to Heaven two thousand years ago, He gave them a hope-filled, reliable, firm promise that He would not leave them in trouble or anxiety. He assured them that a temporary separation would not lead to eternal division but would bring about a perpetually touching reunion of God’s universal family. Let’s find that inevitable evidence in John chapter 14 verses 1-3. “Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house; I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am” (NCV).
Jesus Christ, upon accomplishing His redemptive mission for the lost race on the Earth, made an all-important point of underscoring a spiritual dimension of life not only as we experience on the Earth but in a place He referred to as His Father’s house. Spiritual aspect of life directs us to a right path to achieve our life’s goal. Evolutionists have considerably led people to think that transient life on Earth is everything without involving spiritual consideration in every solution to their life problems. Their principle of life has been so perverted to merely think of physical, temporary things to fulfill their immediate greed and egotism by trampling upon others. People who honor God, however, have a wider perspective, possess a larger heart, and have a far clearer vision to see and decipher things more obviously and nobly. They are capable of comprehending things beyond the transient life. They have more important things to do to achieve their set goal. They know that their goal is not obtained through lawlessness and transgression to God’s law. They understand that an imperishable life beyond this perishable life is far more important. That’s why in all their dealings in this life, they are striving to the best of their ability to do benevolent things by abiding with all the holy precepts of Heavenly law. And this is how they are qualified to live in that place, Heavenly Father’s house, in eternal happiness, peace, and joy.
The place where the redeemed people are bound to is also called a homeland, a country and a city. Let’s see in the Bible how this blissful place is depicted.
“For people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. … But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them” (Heb 11:14, 16).
In verse 13 of the same chapter, we are shown our clear identity while living on this Earth. What and who are we? “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” If we are sojourners on this Earth and are travelling to that heavenly city, the New World, can we possibly practice lawlessness, doing all kinds of wicked, evil, atrocious deeds and hope to be welcome by the heavenly gate keepers? Far from it!
If you are processing some paper to secure a passport and visa to visit a foreign country, can you possibly have an accessible entry without adhering to that country’s immigration law? It’s out of the question. It’s just like a thief who breaks into a house to still things. Those who understand and accept the Bible’s absolute truth will definitely live worthy and holy life without even committing a single sin in their heart or mind. Why? Because we are the offspring of God. Just as God is holy, so are we who are His children.
“Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous” (1 John 3:9-12).
Evolution theory proponents argue that natural selection enables living beings to strive for supremacy in useless gain and compete with others by employing all kinds of tricks and methods to satisfy their greed. In political arena, for instance, those who are directly engaged in political activities, whose mindset has been long indoctrinated by this false teaching of evolutionary theory, have lived only for personal gain. They continue to oppress the weak for their own benefit. They have no love for others. Why? Their education is wrong. The substance of their education is flawed. They ignore the right principle of truth as found in the Bible which directs people to live heavenly life in order to inherit the eternal life. Before we would become a saint in Heaven, we must first become a saint here on this Earth. But have evolutionists stopped and pondered about spiritual dimension of life which leads to eternity? How can people, whose lives are corrupt with abominable mischiefs wanting to murder and harm others for their personal wellbeing, ever think of eternal things? The only thing that the so-called highly educated people – but in fact the educated fools who deny God, know is that they are the children of apes. Their ancestors are monkeys. That’s why they only do all kinds of stupid and egregious things until they die, and that’s it. However, those who don’t want to be brainstormed with this false education of the evolutionary theory but only receive the true education from God with the Bible as their Textbook, may be able to have sure goal in their life. They know that committing sin in any form will disqualify them for the eternal abode that their Savior has gone to prepare for them.
Evil doers will not inherit the city of God
Who then are disqualified people who will be rejected to enter that heavenly city, the original homeland? Let’s see the Bible to distinguish clearly those outcasts and be encouraged to prepare ourselves most adequately to become the eternal citizens of that country.
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Rev 22:8).
Those who are afraid to defend the truth and persist in their false teaching of evolutionary theory, those who don’t believe in God and the Bible, who neglect religious principles and moral values in dealing with all problems but use their own foolish wisdom as worldly politicians and government, will in the long run realize that their efforts to tackle the problems are in vain and never find any possible solutions. All diplomatic endeavors of peace talk result in nothing. Israel and Palestine continue to be inveterate enemies. Which god who they believe in taught them to create such devastating chaos and utter turmoil?
Not only that. Those who are abominable murderers, who continue to threaten people through their false ideology of terrorism and cause so many lives to perish together with them through suicidal attacks, thinking that by so doing, their soul will fly directly to the seventh level of heaven? What a foolish, demonic doctrine of destruction!
Moreover, those who are sexually immoral; this not only refers to those who are directly engaged in immoral practices, but also to those who are favor of the idea, who sanction such practices. The obvious fact can be seen through a shocking news released by the White House. Can you believe that US president, Barack Obama, the president of a superpower country does promote sexual perversion? But he does, and he already did it. He declared June 2009 “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month” for the United States. What a perversion! With a pretext of promoting equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, he even dared openly appoint those sexually immoral people as candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an administration. Also, the same sex marriages are sanctioned in several states. To fulfill this perversion, those abominable, demon-possessed Christian pastors openly officiate such abominably perverted matrimonies of the same sex of gays, homosexuals and lesbians. These perversions are found in Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:24-28; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 and Deuteronomy 22: 5. This is God’s grief over leaders who reject Him and the truth, leading their innocent people astray.
All sorcerers, those who are magicians who practice black magic, witchcraft, voodoo, to harm people are not qualified to enter the heavenly city. Adulterers and liars; those who commit adultery with other man’s wife or other woman’s husband, who commit fornication with unmarried man or woman, who are engaged in extramarital and premarital sexual intercourse are considered abominable dogs that cannot enter that homeland. Those liars; those who exploit and oppress other people to satisfy their own greed and selfishness will find their place in the fire and brimstone.
Blessed hope for the ransomed
Blessed are those who are free from all these abominable practices. For you are prepared by our Heavenly Father and Savior a blessed home, a country and a city where all redeemed ones will find their eternal rest and enjoy living a happy life for eternity.
This joyous event will surely take place in a little while when Christ shall come for the second time to redeem His holy, law-abiding people. Apostle Paul says, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God" (1 Thess 4:16).
And the Savior declares: "They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." "For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matt 24:30, 27).
He is to be accompanied by all the hosts of heaven. "The Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him" (Matt 25:31). "And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect" (Matt 24:31).
At His coming the righteous dead will be raised, and the righteous living will be changed. "We shall not all sleep," says Paul, "but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" 1 Cor 15:51-53).
And in his letter to the Thessalonians, after describing the coming of the Lord, Paul says: "The dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thess 4:16, 17).
“There the heavenly Shepherd (Christ the Savior) leads His flock (redeemed people) to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God's people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home” (E.G. White; Adventist Home; 542.1).
“We are homeward bound.” We are travelling to that heavenly country, heavenly city, the New World. “He who loved us so much as to die for us has built for us a city. The New Jerusalem is our place of rest. There will be no sadness in the City of God. No wail of sorrow, no dirge of crushed hopes and buried affections, will evermore be heard. Soon the garments of heaviness will be changed for the wedding garment. Soon we shall witness the coronation of our King. Those whose lives have been hidden with Christ, those who on this earth have fought the good fight of faith, will shine forth with the Redeemer's glory in the kingdom of God” (ibid. 542.3).
Conclusion
We are placed here on this planet Earth to be entrusted with a noble mission of life. In every aspect of life, we are to make our own choice, and make a series of important decision in our life. As we are the free moral agents, no one is compelled to do whatever right or wrong in every step of life. We are completely free to choose to obey God’s law or disobey it, but it must be understood that our choice will determine our own ultimate destiny, whether for eternal salvation or eternal death. All will reap what they have sown. If they sow the seed of salvation, they will automatically reap the fruit of salvation. On the other hand, if they sow the seed of destruction, they will definitely reap the fruit of destruction. Everything will happen according to the natural law of the universe.
As we do know our true genealogy that we are God’s children, then we may be able to know why we are born on this Earth. We know how to behave and live our daily life to please Him as our Heavenly Father who is taking meticulous care for us in our entire life. We know how to please Him, to make Him happy by obeying His commandments and living holy life without committing sins because that is our whole duty as God’s children. And since we adhere to His law of life, as a bonus, He will reward us with an eternal blessing of joy and happiness by giving us heavenly home to which we are bound. Are you, readers, truly happy to know this amazing fact? Are you willing to sacrifice everything for the glory of God? Are you willing to abandon this lawless world and accept this heavenly country of liberty? The choice is yours to make. May God bless and lead you in making a good choice. NM
