pilgrim people

Covenant of Works (con't)

Paul says in Romans 3.23 that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." His point here is the same one he makes later in 5.12 (where he uses the exact same phrase in Greek): when Adam our representative fell, we ALL fell. Adam was our federal head in the CW. He did not merit eternal, glorified life for us; rather, he broke the CW and brought the penalty and curse of that covenant upon us, viz., death!

But Romans 3.23 also implies that if Adam had remained obedient in the CW, he and all those he represented would have enjoyed glorified life. Adam first would have been confirmed in righteousness, and then the garden of Eden would have become a global reality. Adam would have fulfilled the cultural mandate to exercise dominion over creation. But eventually, Adam, and all humankind, as well as the whole cosmos, would have been brought to the consummation.

We can look at what is revealed to us in Revelation 21-22 and understand that something similar would have become a reality for the cosmos had Adam fulfilled the CW. The goal in God redeeming his people is not the mere salvation of human souls from hell, but the full consummation of the new heaven and new earth, promised from the beginning and symbolized in the Tree of Life and the Sabbath.

This is what the new Jerusalem is: it is the GLORY stage of creation, the cosmic temple of God. It is the consummated heavens and earth, something which only God the Creator can bring about. This was foreshadowed in the presence of the glory-cloud in the tabernacle and later, under Solomon, the earthly temple. But in the new heavens and new earth, the glory of God will fill all creation, and especially us. Our bodies will be literally GLORY-fied, even as Christ's body now is.

This is what Paul is getting at in Romans 8.18: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." He then goes on to speak of the resurrection of the cosmos and the resurrection of our bodies, which will be the completion of our redemption (vv.19-25). Our bodies will be made fit to enjoy the glory of the age to come, "transformed...to be like his glorious body" (Phil 3.21).

Heaven will NOT be an ethreal existence of sitting on clouds with harps and gold slippers (can anyone say "bo-ring"?). It will be a resurrected earth and universe. Heaven will be physical, geographical, and real...and we shall really enjoy it!  

This is what Paul means when he says in Romans 5.1 that "we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." What is the glory of God? It is the glory of the age to come, in which we shall enjoy the presence and glory of God forever and ever! This is that which Adam fell short of in the beginning, and consequently, we fell short of it too.

MGB