OLIVE TREES: See Two Olive Trees.

ONE: Rev 21-22, John 12-17, 2 Cor 5:1-5. A comprehensive study of Rev 21-22 and John 12-17 helps us understand a bit about what Jesus was praying for in John 17 when he asked the Father to allow those who belonged to him to become one as he and the Father are one. The following are key points from these scriptures that may help us understand this. (1) Jesus prayed “That all believers may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us.” (2) Jesus prayed the following, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one, I in them and you in me.” The glory here likely refers to the glorified body. (3) Jesus prayed the following, “May they be brought into complete unity.” (4) Jesus prayed. “Father I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.” (5) Believers are the bride of Christ and are referred to as the new Jerusalem after the final judgments. Jesus, the Spirit and the Father all live within the bride in eternity. The bride also lives within God. (6) Jesus will renew everything after the final judgments. There will be a new form of heaven and earth (made of a new substance), a new order, as the old order of things has passed away. What does this tell us about what it means to be “one.” The first and second points seem to define what it means to be one, namely, two or more persons living within each other. From the second point we see what makes this possible for believers, namely that they have glorified bodies. Once believers have their glorified bodies they again assume their original nature as they will once again be in God’s image. As stated in the third point they will be in complete unity, meaning that in their new nature they will again be able to participate in the newly reunited heaven and earth, just as they could do in the garden of God before they fell into sin and lost their unity. They will live with God and he will live with them, all in the new Jerusalem. God will also be within them and they will be within God as the Spirit of God is in each of them in the new order. What does all of this symbolic language really mean? This is my take on it. God will live in the city, the new Jerusalem, with believers of all ages for all of eternity. In that city and at that time, as redeemed believers in glorified bodies, we will have the nature of God in that we will be able to live in and enjoy the reunified heaven and earth. We will live in both heaven and earth at the same time. Heaven, in all of its glorious splendor, will be fully opened up to us again. We will be able to partake of the fruits of earth and the fruits of heaven along with Jesus, the Father and the Spirit. We will enjoy a very special relationship with God throughout eternity as we are connected to the Father and the Son through the Spirit. The Spirit will be in us and in them. In our glorified body, the conscious and subconscious mind will be united, made one, just as is the case with God. God will know our thoughts even before we express them and will meet our every need. We will know the desires of God for us and will always be ready to answer his call. For the first time it will be possible to share true and total love with God and with each other. The relationship will be one of perfect truth, perfect trust and perfect unity of purpose. There will be no tears, no hurt, no unfulfilled needs or desires. 2 Cor 5:1-5 tells us that it was for this very purpose that we were created. Do not mistake this as saying that redeemed and glorified man will ever become God, for they certainly will not. However, their relationship with God and with each other will be supremely enhanced and their appreciation of God’s creation will be infinitely more complete. Man will never have the power, the authority, the honor, etc. that God has, but God in his supreme grace will permit redeemed glorified man to share many things with him that we can now only dream about. For example 2 Tim 2:12 says that he who endures with Jesus will reign with him and Rev 22:5 says that redeemed glorified man will reign forever.

OUTER DARKNESS: See Hell, Hades.