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THE EARTHLY INHERITANCE SERIES of BIBLE SUBJECTS
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Various Bible study guides in subjects pertaining to
New Earth prophecy, as taught by Paul Phelps.
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD,
they shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:9
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GENDER IS FOREVER
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This is a question and answer exchange about the continuity
of gender. Will there be male and female in the new world?
An informational essay by Paul Phelps.
After several years of study this writing was completed in 2006.
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This question came by Email from an unknown person.
This is the question and my reply.
Bible topic by Paul Phelps
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Questioner:
Jesus' reply to the Sadducees (Luke 20:27-40) is that there will not be
marriage,
sex or children in the new world. But other Bible verses seem to say
otherwise.
Philosophically speaking, the neutering of humans to devoid them of sex seems
to contradict God's word. If he made it and it is good, why would he destroy
it?
My answer:
The New Earth
is the answer. A New Heaven and a New Earth is promised but
Church teachings say little about New Earth inheritance. Church teachings are
focused only on heaven and a New Earth is ignored (see the other study guides
for the topics ‘Resurrection of the Righteous’ and ‘Earthly Inheritance’). A
list of
Scriptures for eternal continuance of earthly procreation includes the
following:
Gen.
2:24; Matt. 19:4-6; Deut. 7:9; Psalm 102:28; 103:17-18; Eze. 37:25-26; 47:22;
Isaiah 54:3; 54:13-14; 59:21; 60:21-22; 65:23; 66:22.
Satan took many angels with him in his revolt and there is a need to repopulate
heaven with trustworthy people—so
the Church call to heaven was introduced.
The
saints of heaven inherit spiritual bodies but humanity will always be earthy.
Sex is for earth-type bodies; sex and family life
will remain on earth as created.
Questioner:
That still leaves a problem. Although there is gender and sex in the New Earth
for people of another age, the Church-age saints will still be neutered. They
do
not get an opportunity to return and have a wife, husband, sex, kids, family,
etc.
In other words, Church-age saints are neutered. Your essays are fine for some,
but how can Church-age believers be resurrected in earth if spiritual existence
is not what they want. Your reply doesn’t solve the problem, it merely limits
it.
My answer:
The essay ‘Heaven and Earth’ offers a wider view of the two callings that have a
parallel existence in the New covenant. The total focus of the Church age is on
the heavenly call but even during the Church age some believers choose to put
their hope in the renewed earth. The earthly covenant is another
programme;
it is open but running minimised in the background (in computer terminology).
You must click on it to bring it into view.
The “Bride of Christ” call is heavenly and in this call there is no male or
female,
Jew or Greek, bond or free. Human attributes cannot exist in heavenly bodies.
The two kinds of believers of heaven and earth are typified in Elijah and Elisha.
Both of them were God’s servants
alive at the same time,
but with two different
callings from the start. Elijah went to heaven but Elisha remained on the
earth,
and both were God’s righteous servants.
My explanation:
God wants to repopulate heaven. But not all Christian believers fit into this
call
because many of them do not want heaven. Christians accept the heavenly call
because they see no other choices, but many of them do not truly want heaven.
Jesus said: "Many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt. 22:14). God calls many
but only a few will be chosen for heaven. People that prefer earthly life and
are
living uprightly by conscience will inherit the renewed earth; it is their
destiny.
This subject is sensitive for Christians but the reality is that sexual
reproduction
cannot exist in the spirit realm. This is the reason sex is suppressed in
Church
teaching. God needs heaven to be repopulated and the Church call to heaven
is the only good way of doing it (he has decided against creating more angels).
There will not be as many believers in heaven as commonly expected. Heaven
is a call that requires agreement. God reads the heart and decides the
destiny.
God does not want a repeat of the angel rebellion; he knows the call to heaven
will not satisfy people not wanting it and he has provided the New Earth
option.