The Narrow Path Ministries

My eschatology assumes our final state to be not "in Heaven" but in the "new Earth" (even if we have some temporary existence as disembodied spiritual beings in Heaven).

I've just been noticing that some of the blessings to Christians are for "rewards in Heaven." I've taken those as referring basically to eternal rewards, but now that strikes me as inconsistent with my eschatology.

So... does this mean that we will actually experience rewards in the afterlife when we are in Heaven; or does it mean that we will have our rewards in a non-experiential way somehow as in "our reward is knowing that the Father in Heaven shines on us, etc."?

I think it's talking about the 'kingdom of heaven' which is matthew's idiom for the 'kingdom of God.' The kingdom of God exists now 'in heaven' and 'amongst believers,' but will one day exist on the new earth in a more complete way. That is why we pray, after all, for the kingdom to come to earth, as it is in heaven.

Oh good. Someone that realizes that "heaven" isn't our final destination. Although we may realize benefits that we say are gained under the designation "heaven" we are a bit inaccurate in calling any of this "heaven." The best term that seems to apply in our deaths is Paradise

Luke 23:43 And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

The rewards in heaven then appears to be the sense that the audience was to have rewards with God. This interpretation then assumes that "in heaven" was the cultural friendly way of avoiding the name of God.

My eschatology prevents me of describing "kingdom of heaven" as our destination. Basically what we are heading toward is the resurrection back to earth.

So, Matt, are you saying that it should read "your reward is great in the Kingdom of Heaven" (meaning here now spiritually and later in the new earth?) Or are you saying that it should read "your reward is great with God who is in heaven?" (without any particular reference to now or later)

"your reward is great in the Kingdom of Heaven" (meaning here now spiritually and later in the new earth?)

My thought is that we are mistaken to think of heaven primarily as a 'place' somewhere else. Heaven is generally a kingdom ruled by God. In a spiritual sense the kingdom exists now on earth since God is King in the lives of some of earth's citizens, but primarily the Kingdom of Heaven/God is a future reality for the earth. And so to say 'your reward is in heaven' may be to say that your reward will be realized in the future Kingdom of God (which is most importantly in Jewish thought, an earthly reign). Of course God reigns in the invisible realm (and in 'paradise'), but the ultimate goal is for His reign to be visibly manifested on earth. And it is at that time/place that rewards fit in, in my opinion.