What is Heaven?

Although Towns and Rood would appear on face value to not be dealing with the same issues, the fact of the matter is that they do approach some of the same topics from different perspectives. The point that is most commonly shared between the two is the topic of the crowns given as rewards to the saints, but the topic that greatly differs in coverage is that of the millennial temple. Overall, the following will attempt to discuss similarities and differences of Rood and Towns in light of the heavenly temple and its operations.

Towns describes several crowns given to believers as the believer is to be faithful to Christ to receive the crown. (Towns, 793) Towns describes an incorruptible crown given for discipline like what would be given to Olympic athletes, a crown of righteousness given for faithfulness in light of Christ's return, crown of life given to the martyr's and those that overcome temptation, crown of glory given to those in full-time Christian service, and the crown of rejoicing given for leading people to Christ, witnessing, and bearing fruit. (Towns, 793-794) Rood describes the same crowns in much the same way as Towns, but the notable difference is that he describes the crown of glory as given to those that unselfishly act as spiritual leaders (See Rood) while Towns narrowed down the reward to full-time Christian service. (Towns, 794) Overall, the difference between Rood and Towns is very noteworthy because some people serve God through Christian leadership while having an earthly job as well while others just serve God, and to take away the possible award given to those, "part-time" leaders would appear unthinkable if indeed it is given to all Christian leadership.

Towns goes so far as to describe a millennium temple, and Towns references Unger to describe it to show God's holiness, house divine glory, continue memorial sacrifice, provide divine government centrality, and to give victory over the curse. (Towns, 805) Although Rood does not take up the issue of the millennium temple, he does describe a united worship of God that is focused upon serving and reigning with Christ in a new order of life (this is likely worship in a heavenly temple). (See Rood) The point to be made is that if Rood took up the issue of the millennium temple as being a heavenly temple, then it would be sensible to assume that the millennium temple would involve god's government imposed by those that reign with Christ.

Rood described the apostle Paul as having attended heaven and as having heard things that no one is permitted to speak, and Rood describes these things as both impossible and impermissible for Paul to have uttered. The point to thus be made is that not only is heaven a place of crowning rewards and not only is heaven also a place of God's government centered at the temple, but it is also a place very much different from earth such that a person cannot even recite references to what is inside of heaven. Overall, a point that can be made with the temple and with the crowns is that heaven is a place that our world makes elusion to, but heaven is very much different from earth such that the heavenly things are much greater than the earthly things.

For Rood the hope of heaven is what transforms a person's vision of success, and Rood also states that it transforms a person's perspective on death. (See Rood) Not only that but also heaven is what is said to transform a person's understanding of suffering and disappointment. (See Rood) One could indeed see agreement with Rood because God's government would indeed permeate everything, and God would be the one that promotes the perspective that everyone together would enjoy.

1 Peter 2:5 teaches that believers are all part of a spiritual house that is being built out of living stones, and in this way believers are a holy priesthood that offers spiritual sacrifice. The fact is that if believers are a holy priesthood, then they must practice their priesthood at some organization in heaven. The heavenly temple is indeed the place that the believers would practice their profession. In this regard crowns would be part of the administration of the work of the temple. The fact of the matter is that the heavenly temple gives a transformed vision because believes as living stones being built into the spiritual house are part of a larger structure that is assembled by God, and given this understanding a person can have insight into how God is putting people together. Overall, one could clearly conclude by saying that what is experienced in our life foreshadows the greater glory to come.

REFERENCES

Rood, Rick. 1995. The Truth About Heaven. Plano, Texas: Probe Ministries. http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/heaven.html (accessed, August 14, 2011).

Towns, Elmer. 2008. Theology for Today. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning.