neologist wrote:The kingdom is a real government as mentioned in Daniel 2:44. It is based in heaven as we are told in the book of Revelation. There are those taken from the earth who are ". . . made . . . to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth." (Revelation 5:10) The earth they rule over will be peopled by descendants of Adam and Eve in the manner promised in the Garden of Eden when Jehovah told them to 'be fruitful and become many and fill the earth.'
There is no real difference between those taken to heaven and those remaining on earth in terms of their faith or qualifications, if you will. Jesus himself said about John the baptist: "Truly I say to YOU people, Among those born of women there has not been raised up a greater than John the Baptist; but a person that is a lesser one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is." (Matthew 11:11)
Those who never knew God, including many of those who knew of God but not in truth, have been promised a resurrection in John 5:28,29. There they will be judged according to their deeds committed after they have learned the truth.
I personally have no interest in or hope for heavenly life. I hope to live on earth, providing I endure to the best of my ability.
There's more to it, of course. But that's the short answer.
I am not so sure that the scripture indicates that there is anything that men will be judged for that has occurred after their death, since the judgment is said to occur at His appearing and for things done in the body. Clearly someone who has died would have to be given ANOTHER body if he was to be judged for things done after his life had ended. This seems to violate the sense of the topic being discussed (this present life and it's consequences are the emphasis).
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
2 Tim 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
BTW these verses are also interesting from the standpoint of the discussion of Christ's Deity as well because they picture the appearance of all before the "judgment seat of Christ" and those being judged "standing before God" and being judged out of the Book of Life, which is also called the "Lamb's Book of Life." (Rev 21:27)
