Concerning the Resurrection - A Couple of Questions

[Raggedy Anne]

When I think about the resurrection and the eternal state, I always wonder how people will still be individuals but all of the same mind.
Is it not partly our desire to do our own will that causes us to sin? 

I don't think of the eternal realm in a very earthly way because on earth, the curse divided Adam into male and female, caused us to have to work by the sweat of the brow to stay alive, and yet still die.  I can't really picture 14 billion (or however many people there ever have been) all being individuals and everyone getting along.  Heck, we can't even all get along on this board. 

Does anyone else ever wonder about this in a similar manner?  It's kind of like the old question "What will we DO in heaven", but with some thoughts added in that occur to me.   I simply cannot fathom what our eternal state might really be like.  I hope for it to be a place where we are free to travel somehow and visit one another and be in a constant state of worship and bliss surrounded by all things that are beautiful and pure.  But I've met people who have said they think that sounds boring.   

Will we think about or talk about history?  I kind of hope not since the history of mankind has been filled with war and all manner of sin and violence. 
Will we even think of one another in an earthly sense - i.e.... hey aren't you old George Washington .... hey its the Beatles.... Hey there goes Billy Graham....   I rather hope not.  Mustn't we have a new name? 

Anyone care to speculate with me about these things?

[WhiteWings]

I have wondered about those things too. The Bible give little or no info about it I think.
Especially in Revelation there are some discription of gold, jewels. Worshipping creatures at the the throne of God etc. God just sitting there. I somehow think it's different. But how?

What actually is all in all? Let we start saying I don't know. But I have a quite strong feeling it doesn't mean we all have the same mind.
Father, Son and HS all are without sin. Right? But still they are different.
I look at it like sports fans. Some like baseball. Some football. Both sports. But different sports.

I also see creation as little parts of God. You know we are His breath in the creation account.
So we have a perfect God. Lonely perhaps because I wants children? He creates us. Subjects us to a teaching process. Then finally we are taught and pure and then we become all in al, meaning exactly the same (as God)
Then what was gained for God? A whole process to make something that was exactly as it was before.
Isn't the fun of family that all are a bit different?

So I think it looks more like a football team. All individuals. But all working for the victory the team.

I can tell you what my heaven would be

Those who do try to describe heaven usually have a lot of gold, silver, diamonds and other jewels radiating bright light. I like to sink my god-given feet into the soil (I seldom wear shoes) so I can't imagine a worse place than one made of hard metals with stones scattered about. Give me grass, shade trees and garden soil rich in humus. Fill the air with the scents of flowers, moldering leaves, ocean spray. Lift my spirits with chirping brooks and bird songs.

But.... we are changed in a twinkling of the eye. What we find boring now we may like in heaven.
Right now on earth for some people heaving is doing extreme sports like rafting. And for others it's sitting in the attic looking at their stamp collection. Just wanna say what we like most can change....

[sven]

I wonder about these things also.

A man like Hitler, even in heaven how can he live with his guilt? will he not be ashamed and will his victims truly forgive him? - I suppose yes, but how, I don't know how 

personally I especially hope to see our beloved ones again, also those with whom our friendships/relationships gone broken.

Will we even think of one another in an earthly sense - i.e.... hey aren't you old George Washington .... hey its the Beatles.... Hey there goes Billy Graham....   I rather hope not.

actually I must admit I liked the idea to met Pharaoh, the Nephilim, it may sound strange but I thought this idea fascinating.

[WhiteWings]

Will we even think of one another in an earthly sense - i.e.... hey aren't you old George Washington .... hey its the Beatles.... Hey there goes Billy Graham....   I rather hope not.  Mustn't we have a new name?

Well they won't be in heaven. Neither are you or I.
Or at the very least as they and we are known now.
People on earth are including sin. If they have the sin removed are they really them?
The sons of Sadam had torture as a hobby. Are they still 'they' when they are changed in caring people?

Paul is Saul?
or
Paul was Saul?

[Gab]

To be honest, I do sometimes worry about this subject.  I quite simply cannot fathom how heaven could be heaven and yet be a one-size-fits-all sort of place where every single person is provided with the same experience.  The only way that that could possibly work as heaven is if every single person desires the exact same thing and thus was basically the exact same person as everyone else.  But then this raises the obvious question: if we all end up at exactly the same place no matter what, then what was the point of our individual lives on Earth?  To be perfectly frank, if I was presented with the option of either heaven as part of the God-Borg Collective or hell, I would choose hell.  Suffering is bad, but I view the complete and utter loss of self and being to be orders of magnitude worse.

[WhiteWings]

Hi Trekkie Gab! 
They are not aware of personality loss until the link is broken.

[Raggedy Anne]

To be honest, I do sometimes worry about this subject.  I quite simply cannot fathom how heaven could be heaven and yet be a one-size-fits-all sort of place where every single person is provided with the same experience.  The only way that that could possibly work as heaven is if every single person desires the exact same thing and thus was basically the exact same person as everyone else.  But then this raises the obvious question: if we all end up at exactly the same place no matter what, then what was the point of our individual lives on Earth?  To be perfectly frank, if I was presented with the option of either heaven as part of the God-Borg Collective or hell, I would choose hell.  Suffering is bad, but I view the complete and utter loss of self and being to be orders of magnitude worse.

I think of it in terms more attuned to this scenario:  Heaven is a place where all the irritating personality traits of others are cut away and all of the wonderful things about each of us is unhindered.  I think there is still room for individuality, but without the selfishness and competition for glory. I most definitely would not choose to be in hell just so I could "be right" or "get my own way".

[noname]

if we are to be "sons of God", we will become like Him
God is Creator, and we will be co-creators

I believe that humankind will fill the universe that God has already in part created for us (the universe is growing and expanding)

"In the beginning" He gave mankind the instruction to multiply and fill the earth and to be custodians of His creation...I think He will multiply this to a universal level...anybody still think this would be boring?

[Cardinal]

  Not ME.....

[Barry DuPont]

if we are to be "sons of God", we will become like Him
God is Creator, and we will be co-creators

I believe that humankind will fill the universe that God has already in part created for us (the universe is growing and expanding)

"In the beginning" He gave mankind the instruction to multiply and fill the earth and to be custodians of His creation...I think He will multiply this to a universal level...anybody still think this would be boring?

That makes sense.
Since God stretched out the heavens as a tent to dwell in and since the ultimate attribute of love is sharing....

Barry

[Taffy]

if we are to be "sons of God", we will become like Him
God is Creator, and we will be co-creators

I believe that humankind will fill the universe that God has already in part created for us (the universe is growing and expanding)

"In the beginning" He gave mankind the instruction to multiply and fill the earth and to be custodians of His creation...I think He will multiply this to a universal level...

Amen

[noname]

Since God stretched out the heavens as a tent to dwell in and since the ultimate attribute of love is sharing....

yes...love grows exponentially

[Doc]

Righteousness means "fair-togetherness". This is what we will be clothed with, and actually be ourselves. We are becoming righteousness.

I think of the concept of this dichotomy like a physical body. All composed of individual parts with individual functions, yet at the same time part of a unified whole.

I Don't know if that helps anyone conceptually, but there it is.