Is there still a Promised Land awaiting us?

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I strongly believe so, calling it Heaven, the World-to-Come, or the Promised Land makes no difference to me. What would the differences be? The Jews of Chabad believe that that the World-to-Come will be here on earth, with ALL Jews and all righteous Christians having a part in it. Furthermore, they claim that the Light of God will be brighter here than anywhere else when the time comes!

I’m not sad or depressed, but I’m completely unable to extract worldly pleasures in the here and now, except for classical music, containing plenty of religious music. It’s the only thing that keeps me going. I’ve read Ecclesiastes and it makes more sense to me than almost all other parts of the Bible. It’s not something that is “intellectual,” but spiritual, coming from within.

Please let me know your experiences!
 
Robert, if you are unable to envision total bliss in the presence of your Creator I will say a prayer for you.
Surely heaven is better then this earth.
 
Take some time and submerge yourself in Revelation…it is a book of promise and hope, and not one of fear and horror…between it and a study of the Beatitudes you will find the full joy of God given us through Christ.

Rejoice and be glad!
 
The Beautific Vision is so much greater than anything we can imagine.

God completely fulfills us. You cannot comprehend it!
 
How do you know this? Our brothers and sisters in Israel, who we Catholics believe will be saved, have another view which says that Heaven will be drawn down and will be here on earth. The World-to-Come is also thought by Catholics to be here on this earth.I do not mean to argue, but I believe the views of our Jewish brothers and sisters need to be carefully considered!

But I do believe that our current life here on earth is vanity.
 
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Robert_Sock said:
I strongly believe so, calling it Heaven, the World-to-Come, or the Promised Land makes no difference to me. What would the differences be? The Jews of Chabad believe that that the World-to-Come will be here on earth, with ALL Jews and all righteous Christians having a part in it. Furthermore, they claim that the Light of God will be brighter here than anywhere else when the time comes!

I’m not sad or depressed, but I’m completely unable to extract worldly pleasures in the here and now, except for classical music, containing plenty of religious music. It’s the only thing that keeps me going. I’ve read Ecclesiastes and it makes more sense to me than almost all other parts of the Bible. It’s not something that is “intellectual,” but spiritual, coming from within.

Please let me know your experiences!
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You can extract the pleasure of the Lord, however.

When I am gloomy and down, it is often because my spiritual life is also low.

The answer for me is to go back to the Lord - pray, mass, word of God, charity work, ministry, attend prayer meetings, fellowship. When I immersed myself in these, I forgot my gloom and find joy for being able to be relevant.

Pray for the Holy Spirit (to give us joy), the only thing that Jesus says the Father will certainly give.

Then the joy of the Lord will become our strength.

Nehemiah 8:10
Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!
 
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The idea that heaven is here on earth is not Catholic thought Robert.

Christ said “I will go and prepare a place for you”.

I am NOT disrepsecting Jews. Far from it. They are our spiritual ancestors.
They were awaiting a Messiah, I believe He showed up, and that He reigns in heaven.
 
Where is the Second Coming of Christ to take place? I’m not suggesting that Jews believe that Heaven IS here on earth, but that it WILL BE. Huge difference, I think.
 
Eye has not seen, ear has not heard…what God has ready for those who love Him.

It’s in scripture. Well know when we get there, but it’s not here. Or Christ would have said it was here:
“I’ll come back and remodel this place”.

Read Scriptrue Robert. It won’t fail you.
 
Plus. According to your OP…you use the word STILL

I dont’ recall anyone ever finding it not God saying it had expired somehow.
 
The entire point of Jesus’s ministry is to preach the good news. The good news is that God has come to save his people and bring them into a new creation. There will be a new heavens and a new earth, as Revelations 21 says.

At the end of time, when Jesus has brought everything in subjection under himself, Heaven and earth will combine and God will be our King just as he was intended to be, like it was in the Garden of Eden. The entirety of the Bible is based around humanity’s struggle to re enter the Garden of Eden, and Jesus is revealed in these last days as the way to do just that.

This doctrine is fundamental in understanding scripture. The reason we do good works on earth now is in anticipation of this final combination of heaven and earth. St Paul said “in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” This is because whenever we do a good work, we are bringing heaven to the earth and are giving a glimpse of the future glory of God’s new creation.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!” - 2 Corinthians 5:17
 
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pianistclare said:
The idea that heaven is here on earth is not Catholic thought Robert.
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2 Peter 3:11-13 - Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Revelation 21:13 - Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!"
 
Heaven is the dwelling place of God. The second coming of Christ marks the combination of heaven and earth, when God will make his dwelling place on Earth and he will be the King of his new creation.

Revelation 21:3 - And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
 
I don’t know why people are telling you otherwise, but this is most definitely taught by the Catholic church. Here is an excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

*VI. THE HOPE OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH

1042 At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. After the universal judgment, the righteous will reign for ever with Christ, glorified in body and soul. The universe itself will be renewed:

The Church . . . will receive her perfection only in the glory of heaven, when will come the time of the renewal of all things. At that time, together with the human race, the universe itself, which is so closely related to man and which attains its destiny through him, will be perfectly re-established in Christ.631
1043 Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and the world, "new heavens and a new earth."632 It will be the definitive realization of God’s plan to bring under a single head "all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth."633

1044 In this new universe, the heavenly Jerusalem, God will have his dwelling among men.634 "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away
 
Will the Second-Coming be here on earth or in Heaven? You’re picking me apart unnecessarily. The question is a simple “here on earth” or “in Heaven” I’ll even accept the possibility that the new Heaven will come down to earth or that Jews will reside in the new earth while us Catholics will reside in the new Heaven,
 
I try to get a straight answer and you counter with an unChristian insult! Why did you reply in the first place?
 
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Robert_Sock said:
I try to get a straight answer and you counter with an unChristian insult! Why did you reply in the first place?
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RobertL There is no straight answer! You are looking for concrete, empirical proof of something not proveable. Not being obstinate or obstructive, but our Catholic faith is just that, faith - our believe in the things we hope for. Jesus’ words, like so much of what he says, is vague to our empirical, here and now, logical minds. What is coming for the faithful is wonderful, glorious, the fulfillment of every hope we hold. Exactly how that will occur, Bob, you and I, (and all the rest of us just have to wait and see!) But for those who believe, as Jesus Christ promised, it will be a reality.
 
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I think the whole lesson to be learned is that the Promised Land or Utopianism are futile ideals here on earth. Our hope and happiness are to be found in God, alone, not in created things. “God is heaven”, as Pope Benedict once put it.
 
No, there are no straight answers, but I find comparative religions to be very interested. Like the Jews of Chabad believing that all souls (I’m sure if they are referring only Jewish souls) will reach salvation in a one-year period. I honestly hope they’re right and that all souls will be saved! There is great hope here!
 
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