In 2024, Dennis Peacocke’s monthly Bottom Line commentaries will feature excerpts from our catalogue of books.

“Deceived by a False Heaven”

Few deceptions have undermined the Church’s commitment to rule on earth as much as the strange notions many Christians have led us to believe about our future in heaven. Heaven, and the saints’ ultimate calling, has been portrayed as anything but what Jesus said it was. We have been told that eternity will be spent lying around on clouds playing harps. When we tire of that, we’ll put on our golden slippers, walk around the north gate, go to our little cabins, and sit down to rock in our rockers. In short, heaven is freedom from work and responsibility. Heaven is the ultimate weekend! This anti-work attitude shows us something about many Christians’ real values, doesn’t it? They have been deceived into believing that playing or doing nothing is our ultimate destiny. Imagine how silly and yet tragic this lie must seem to our God who, Jesus said, “is always working” (Revelation 3:21).

There is nothing very silly or funny about this lazy man’s “paradise” concept at all. It is a demonic lie that has paralyzed millions of Christians into believing that work, responsibility, and ruling is an earthly curse which heaven removes. What is the net effect of this lie? It is two-fold: First, Christians have forsaken taking dominion through working on the earth. Second, they have made heaven and lazy stupor their ultimate goal instead of maturity and co-ruling with Christ (Romans 8:17).

How you see your heaven is how you plan your life. The saints haven’t ruled on earth because they came to believe work was a temporary evil which heaven would remove. Christians’ ultimate destination is not that kind of heaven. It is a renewed heavens and earth (Revelation 21:1-3; 22-26; Zechariah 14:5-9). The earth is the center of God’s focus and creation (Genesis 1:14-17). Jesus is coming back to the earth to dwell forever, and so is His bride, the Church (Revelation 21:10). So central to Christ is the earth that His prayer instructions focused on it: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Our calling on earth is to rule cities and nations (Luke 19:17). Our current training is to be the source of our future work (Matthew 24:45-47). And that is…

THE BOTTOM LINE.

And the Lord said, ‘’Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you, that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. —Luke 12:42-44

This month’s Bottom Line is excerpted from Chapter 11 of Winning the Battle from the Minds of Men. The book is available for purchase in the following formats: Paperback | eBook | Kindle | eBook-Spanish

Listen to Katherine interview Dennis on his book, Winning the Battle for the Minds of Men, via YouTube (Video) or Podcast (Audio).