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Continuance into the New Earth and Heavens

Are all our works, which we undertake in this life, brought to nought, or do some continue into the next life of the New Earth and Heavens? Will it all be 'burned up'?

In I Corinthians 3, Paul writes about that which is built of gold, silver and precious stones continuing through the fire. That which is built of wood, hay and stubble is burned up. He is talking about how we build on the foundation of Christ.

I believe that some of what we do that is of good spiritual quality will continue into the New Earth and Heavens. So, what we do here and now is of eternal value, not just in terms of saving souls, but in terms of, for example:

that human beings generate. But they will be completed and given life and glorified.

J.R.R.Tolkien explored this theme in his little book Leaf By Niggle. A small-time amateur artist attempts to paint a leaf on a tree as perfectly as he could. When he arrives in the New Earth, he finds his leaf and indeed entire tree fully formed and living. (See Leaf by Niggle, J.R.R. Tolkien.) That is, an entity of this life continues into the Next but is enriched. So did C.S. Lewis. In The Great Divorce there are grass and water and sunlight. But they are much more substantial than those we find here. Even the water and sunlight are *solid*.

There is a difference between Tolkien and Lewis: In Tolkien, it is entities of this life that continues and is enriched; in Lewis it is physicality as such that continues and is enriched. Maybe each of the aspects of life we experience here and now will be enriched - such as quantity, space, movement, physicality, biological life, mentality, logic, technology, language, relationships, economics, aesthetics, law, love and vision.

See also the page on What Will 'Heaven' be Like? for deeper discussion of Continuance.


This page is offered to God as on-going work in developing a 'New View' in theology that is appropriate to the days that are coming upon us. Comments, queries welcome.

Copyright (c) Andrew Basden 2012, but you may use this material subject to certain conditions.

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Created: 8 July 2012. Last updated: