Heaven

1.Alcorn introduces the concept of the "Redemption Paradigm" versus the "Creation Paradigm." Briefly, the Creation Paradigm says God will redeem and restore what He made; the Redemption Paradigm (wrongly applied) implies God will scrap creation and replace it with something entirely different. Which of these has shaped your thinking, and why does it matter which one is correct?

1.Alcorn insists that believers who die today go immediately to a real, conscious, joyful existence in the presence of Christ — what he calls the "present Heaven." What Scriptures does he marshal for this claim, and which do you find most compelling?

1.Alcorn's key argument in these chapters is that the New Earth will be a real, physical place — not a spiritual metaphor. What details from Revelation 21–22 and Isaiah 65 does he highlight to support this? Which detail surprises you most?

1.Alcorn argues strongly for the continuity of personal identity — that in heaven we will be "more ourselves," not less. What is the difference between transformation and replacement of identity? How does the resurrection of Jesus (recognized by his disciples but also transformed) illustrate this?

1.Alcorn's central claim in this section is that work is not a consequence of the Fall — it was part of God's original design in the Garden (Genesis 2:15). How does this change your attitude toward work, both now and in eternity? Had you ever associated work with paradise before?

1.Alcorn argues that worship on the New Earth will not be a scheduled event we attend but the atmosphere we breathe — every moment of every activity infused with praise and gratitude. How does this differ from the way you typically experience worship now, and what is standing in the way of that kind of integration?

1.Alcorn argues that animals will be present on the New Earth, drawing primarily on Isaiah 11:6-9 (the wolf and the lamb, the lion and the ox). He distinguishes between believing specific pets will be resurrected (uncertain) and believing that God will populate the New Earth with animals (quite probable). How does he navigate that distinction, and do you find it satisfying?

1.Alcorn's treatment of the resurrection body draws heavily on 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul contrasts our current body (perishable, weak, dishonored, natural) with our resurrection body (imperishable, powerful, glorious, spiritual). What does "spiritual body" mean — Alcorn is careful to clarify it doesn't mean non-physical. What does he say it means, and why does the distinction matter?

1.Alcorn insists that thinking seriously about heaven forces us to think seriously about hell — and that Christians who avoid the doctrine of hell inevitably produce a weakened, sentimental view of heaven as well. Do you agree with that connection? Why or why not?

1.Alcorn calls the beatific vision — seeing God face to face — the supreme joy of heaven, the one thing that makes everything else what it is. He quotes Psalm 27:4: "One thing I ask: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord." Is this your supreme desire? If not, what does that reveal about where your heart is?

1.Alcorn cites C.S. Lewis's famous observation that those who have most transformed the world have been those who thought most about the next one — the "heavenly-minded" saints. Lewis said that people who are too earthly minded are of no heavenly *or* earthly use. Do you find that claim persuasive? Can you think of examples — historical or personal — that illustrate it?

1.Alcorn's closing chapters carry an evangelistic urgency: the New Earth is only accessible through Christ, and the invitation is open but not indefinite. How does the glorious, specific, physical, relational vision of the New Earth function as evangelism — not just as comfort for believers but as a compelling invitation to those who are not yet in?

1.Before you began this book, how would you have described heaven? Now, after fourteen weeks, how would you describe it? What is the single biggest shift in your understanding?