Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham in the Church of England, argues in his new book, “Surprised by Hope,” that heaven isn’t what most people think it is. He said the afterlife will be mostly like a long sleep until the Messiah returns. “Jesus’ resurrection marks the beginning of a restoration that he will complete upon his return,” Wright told Time. “Part of this will be the resurrection of all the dead, who will ‘awake,’ be embodied and participate in the renewal.” How would you best describe heaven, or the afterlife?
Anthropologists observe that a civilization projects its highest cultural value as its perception of Heaven. Warrior societies envision it as an eternal battlefield, while more pacific people imagine a peaceful abode. Others envisage a paradise of sensuality, while for others Heaven appeals more to the cerebral faculty.
Jewish culture, whose highest value is learning, foresees a union of the soul with God’s truth, a basking in His wisdom and an eternity spent poring over sacred texts, engaging in discussion, ever seeking answers and never quite reaching them — even in Heaven!
