Redemption is physical

This morning I was reading a commentary on Revelation and the author seemed to struggle with anything being literal or physical in the book. There are many in the church who struggle with a physical or literal understanding not only of the book of Revelation, but also redemption itself. The Book of Revelation presents the climax to the plan of God and the Redemption of the world. And it is very physical.

Let's take a bird's-eye view:

The Creation
The Bible begins with the creation of the world. Very physical. And then there is the creation of man. God first made his body, then breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul. A being with a spirit who can relate to God, who also has a physical body perfectly suited to the physical environment God created for him. When God created woman, he made her from a rib from Adam's side. Now that the human race was male and female, the propagation of the race takes place through two bodies coming together.

The Fall
And what was God's warning to them in the garden? Don't eat from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. And what was the consequence of eating that fruit? Death. Physical death. They ate the fruit and death is in the world.

The Old Testament
This is the story of God calling Abraham and creating the nation of Israel. A nation, in a land, with a temple, and priests, and sacrifices.

Many people seem to think that with the coming of the New Covenant everything changes into spiritual mode. Let's see:

The Incarnation
The Son of God became a man and lived among us.

The Cross
This man Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried.

The Resurrection
This Jesus who was crucified was raised from the dead. I mean, His body was raised from the dead.

The Ascension
The Incarnate Son of God, who was crucified, dead, buried, and raised from the dead, ascended bodily into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.

The Second Coming
This same Jesus who was crucified, buried, raised, and ascended into heaven, will come again physically, bodily, in glory and Power. His feet shall touch the Earth!

It seems to me that the spiritual reality of Heaven and the physical reality of Earth have been perfectly united in Jesus.

Now of course it's true that the people of God today are no longer restricted to one nation, and that we have promises of forgiveness, justification, adoption, and the sanctification of the Holy Spirit whereby our hearts are transformed - all of which are spiritual in nature. But don't forget, we live, we suffer, we worship, pray, minister (feed the hungry, clothe the naked, pray for the sick) in this body. We also have the promise of the resurrection of the flesh at the second coming of Christ. And that's where the Book of Revelation comes in.

The Book of Revelation tells us of the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose, the plan of redemption. It's true, it is a book full of symbols, but behind all the symbols are physical realities (seems folks sometimes confuse symbol with spiritual). It speaks of a coming period of great conflict - the great tribulation, with the seals, trumpets, bowls (6-17); the Antichrist and his war on Israel and the church (12, 13, 17); the second coming of Christ (19); his one thousand year reign on the earth - the Millennium (20); the resurrection of the dead (20); the great white throne judgment (20); the lake of fire - hell (20); climaxing in a new Heaven and a new Earth, with a New Jerusalem (21-22). This is where the redeemed live forever in their new bodies. How does God describe it? And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. You may be thinking, "Wait a minute. Do you really believe in a New Jerusalem? and that you will walk streets of gold?" Yes, I do. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Amen!

The gospel is a message of redemption. Man is redeemed. The flesh is redeemed. The creation is redeemed. The salvation of God is where spiritual and physical are harmoniously restored to God's original plan.

Redemption is physical.