Will Eternity End Up Boring? (New Earth 5)

What Will God’s People Be Doing With All That Time?

The Bible indicates at least three significant roles which redeemed sinners will play throughout eternity. They will be kings, priests, and scholars. 1) Revelation indicates that redeemed sinners will join God in rulership over the universe (Rev. 3:21; 7:15-17). Sitting with Jesus on His throne means that they will be part of the government of the universe. Jesus said at the conclusion of one of the parables, “You have been faithful in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things” (Matt 25:23). What would count as “many things” with God? A star cluster? A galaxy? Think of the privilege and responsibility. Think of the many exciting things to get involved in.

2) The redeemed will serve not only as kings but as priests. In the ancient world there were two kinds of high status people. The highest status in the political realm was the king. And the highest status in the religious realm was the priest. Power corrupts, but those who have been humbled by suffering can be trusted with power. To be a priest in eternity includes taking an active lead in worship (Rev 5:9-13) and bearing a unique testimony based on earthly experience with sin and its consequences (Rev. 14:3). Those who have been redeemed from sin will have a testimony that even the angels could not have. God will use them to safeguard the universe against a second rebellion.

3) While school can sometimes be a chore, real learning is never a chore. God has ingrained curiosity into the core of our being, and there are few joys as meaningful as the joy of discovery. When we learn at our own pace, when we learn in our areas of interest, when our curiosity provokes our attention, learning is the most joyous possible experience. And there are so many things in the universe to learn. We will spend an eternity learning and growing, and it will be truly a delight.

Yes, eternity could be boring, if we were simply doing the same thing over and over again. But God is creative. And He plans to include us in that creativity. In the words of inspiration: “Every faculty will be developed, every capacity increased. The acquirement of knowledge will not weary the mind or exhaust the energies. There the grandest enterprises may be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations reached, the highest ambitions realized; and still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of mind and soul and body.”
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, page 677

3 thoughts on “Will Eternity End Up Boring? (New Earth 5)

  1. Robert Whiteman

    “…the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace[prosperity].”
    Ps 37:11

  2. Mike Hansen

    I will love doing new things on this earth made new, to begin with. I have imagined and visualized being on a quiet place – on a vast open plain perhaps and then Jesus personally invites me to make it what I see. What we see together. Can you imagine working not a cursed earth but a blessed earth? We’ll be able to cooperate like never in this life with the parts of the created kingdom to make such works of beauty and perfection!

    I believe we’ll even be able to take plant life from other parts of creation and cultivate them in that bright new place. I also believe God will crewte a new earth, and while perfect and blessed and full of nothing but life – most of it won’t be the Edenic completeness. Most of the new earth will await our creative work to make the most amazing gardens or orchards or…whatever our minds conceive of!

    And whatever we can imagine, dream up or try and picture, it will never ever compare to the real thing when it comes.

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