What Mouw refers to when he is talking about actively waiting is the transformation of culture. The current age is full of sin, …show more content…
exile, and death. Once the day of the Lord comes the age will be full of blessing and life. There is no commands in Scripture that say we need to change the culture around us. Mouw interrupts that the transformation of culture does not have time to be present, but we must be ready to seek the Holy City. However, the Bible is full of commands to do good to our neighbors and practice justice. In doing so we are not building God’s kingdom as such, but is an active way of awaiting the kingdom. To anticipate the Holy City we must live here and now as much as the spirit lets us. We are the new humanity participating with God as we wait for full fulfillment in the second coming.
I agree with most of the points that Mouw makes in his book.
I believe that Heaven is a renewed creation that includes an embodied existence and cultural life. At first I believed the idea that Heaven was just a spiritual place that you go too, but after reading Mouw’s book I do not believe in that anymore. It seems too strange to be a part of a different World. The idea of transforming our current World into a Holy City seems to be more reasonable. I think God created us in this World to test how we would act according to his ideal kingdom. God didn’t just want us to just join the Holy City but instead wanted us to work towards the Holy City by changing our culture and patterns. The problem with our culture and patterns today are that they are used rebelliously. In order for us to reach the Holy City we must first transform ours. We must change our City into something that God intended it to be at …show more content…
first.
One of the ideas Mouw had was that Adam and Eve were placed here to fill and subdue this World. In order to do that they needed to create items such as boats, shelter, and metals. However, overtime these items and many others got distorted by society and was not fulfilling the ideas that God intended. Mouw uses the scripture of Isaiah to explain his point that the current world needs to transform these distorted ideas in order to prepare for the Holy City. Everything placed and used in the Holy City will be there to benefit the City. However, we must bring things from the current City to the Holy City.
Mouw also has very good points about having politics in the Holy City. The most important part is that they are saved and do not use their power to benefit their selves. However, I found it weird that Mouw believes that non-Christian leaders will be brought into the City to give their power to God. If they misused their powers one time I do not believe they should be part of the Holy City. I enjoy the idea of having different politics from different nations. By involving the other nations it creates different ideas and opinions. Also by having people from different nations it will help to end discrimination which will not be allowed in the Holy City because it will be oppressing others.
Mouw’s last point is about how Jesus will be the light to the Holy City.
I believe that Jesus will be involved because I think he will save us from our sins in the City. The more important part Mouw brings up is that we need to prepare ourselves for the Holy City. We must work on transforming our disobedient ideas and making them creation fulfilled. Then all we have to do is actively wait for the Holy City.
Overall Mouw has very good points about Heaven and what to expect. In order for us to prepare we must look at our cultures patterns. The World must transform items that have been distorted by society. Everything involved in the transformed City will be aimed towards good use and the main purpose God had intended. We must fill the City with disobedient objects. The City will need politics that do not use their power for personal reasons and the people must not discriminate each other. We must follow Jesus because he is the light to the Holy City and we must transform our
society.