Your thoughts on on building cities in heaven

[AnotherMan]

When we dwell in the new earth, do you think we will build cities or dwell in gardens as did Adam and Eve...?

Would we even build houses for that matter?

I know there will be the New Jerusalem city.

I am not dogmatic about any position just interested to see what others think - any scripture would be great :)

[LynnDel]

I think heaven is pretty well developed, and we know that a place has already been prepared for us. John 14:3. However, when we come back to earth after the millennium, we will likely have the chance to design and rebuild the new earth's contents.

LD

[phkrause]

Not sure about building cities, from my reading we will be building our homes outside the city and planting gardens, etc.

[AnotherMan]

How do you think these homes will look? ( who knows )

Do you think they will be completely in harmony with nature, what materials will we build them with?

[D.A. Wintsmith]

Oh, I hope that we will still be creative and build stuff. Some of us may be interested in building, and others more interested in other things so perhaps some of us will build for other people as well as ourselves. I will be a builder because I love architecture. I would love to plan and construct entire cities.

As for materials, structures tend to be built with materials that are in the vicinity so how they look should vary as much as buildings do currently in different parts of the world. Hopefully in the New Jerusalem we would still have Jerusalem stone so buildings there might resemble the ancient world. Depends on whether we want to remember, whether we will tell the old stories on the new world.

Buildings will also be impacted by how we have changed as creatures. Our structures may be different from old human structures because possibly we will be somewhat different physically. Will we be able to see infrared and ultraviolet? We may have a whole new palate of colors to work with. Can we fly? The ability to fly will change how we design our buildings as well as our thoroughfares. Also our ways of thinking about religion will have changed if we have spent a thousand years with heavenly beings. That, too, will affect how we build....

I could go on, but this is starting to sound like Science Fiction.

[cricket]

What's the purpose of a building? Shelter? If so, from what? What will we need protection from?

[Restin]

I hate gardening! Dirt, bugs, stooping, crawling and unbearable arthritis pain.

[Neil D]

what? No rain? hot days? Ok, maybe not.....

But with the abundance of people, surely you will want to gather a few people for socials events....? Parties? friends to entertain?

And what about your hobbies? a room devoted to trains? ok, biology studies..the housing of cougars?...

Art? Paintings? Sculpture?

Are you going to sleep?

Is your room going to be made out of glass or some transparent materials? House aquariums?

Just asking...

[Restin]

I dream of having my very own Rock Springs like the one in Central Florida. My indoor-outdoor home will be rambling open rooms of timber and stone. Not for weather or protection, but to define my space to have my stuff and visitors. Cougars and deer and ringtail lemurs will stroll about, enjoying themselves. I'll go swim in the springs with my friends and some otters & swans. It doesn't hurt to imagine, even tho it's like Dgrimm says: we have no idea what heaven would really be like except that we will love it and God knows what lifestyle would please each of us.

[debbym]

i believe we will have endless possibilities in all forms of technology, artistery, and it will be mind expanding possibilities.

God will be in is true place in every heart, their will Pure Love, peace, and joy .... and endless praise and glory to God.

and everything we do will glorify God, our creator and redeemer.

we will do whatever we want, if we want to build we will, if we want to settle in gardens we will.

[RonP]

Hi Anotherman

Maybe we should all get on the same page? We are talking about the new world here, not heaven!

I think these texts are definitive and answer your question.

Isaiah 65:18-25 and Revelation 21:1-2

[Textus Receptus]

I don't care, I just want Koala's in my yard! :D

[Sojourner]

I have not had that happen here in Australia, but my parents and relatives have in suburban areas where gum tree replanting programes have been happening over probably a 20 year period. There is an Island off the coast called "Kangaroo Island" which has a massive surplus of Koala Bears and they are looking at ways to relocate them to other places on the mainland.

[CoAspen]

Interesting how our minds are fettered by our limited experience with life on this planet!

Mustn't think to far outside the box......eh!

 

What is the use of homes with out families, just a bunch of apartments for all the singles? Remember no more marriage in the new world or at least some believe/teach!

[Aliensanctuary]

One may picture "heaven" or "outer space" as the perfect eternal vacation, or, as a civilization in which workers live together and share tools and food as members of communes. Each commune contributes to the support (via tithes, offerings, and sacrifices) of those not working in the countryside. This system would be on the Earth, not in space, or "heaven".

 

Now working and living in the city in space (heaven) would be quite an adventure for us Earth-dwellers. The New Jerusalem may be the largest of these cities. It's volume would be about 2/3 the size of our moon. There are other cities from the stars (mountains high and lifted up) mentioned in the scriptures, plus the Temple Complex.

 

From the scriptures, I think that it's our human destiny to work the fields, orchards, gardens, and tend the herds in communes, plus, pay a tithe (or rent) in produce and/or animals, for the use of the land in the Kingdom.

 

Maybe there will be newly-built cities on the New Earth, maybe cities from the stars will be distributed across the planet.

[Tom Wetmore]

As already suggested, the purpose for building here in this sinful earth - shelter from the elements, safety from danger of enemies and wild things, order and control of the masses by rulers, proximity to goods, services, jobs, etc. - will no longer be the reality in the new earth, not to mention all of the seriously negative aspects of all the building, city life, industry, etc.  So if we build, it will be for other reasons.  I like the answer that focuses on creativity.  I think we will be creative because it is fulfilling, enhances our lives and brings joy.  

 

An observation about the expectation and imagery of the new earth as portrayed in Scripture - Much of it conveys in symbolic language the heartfelt yearning for safety and refuge and being free from the effects of sin.  I don't think we should understand them as absolutely literal.  The description of the New Jerusalem as I understand it is symbolic of all God's people, rather than a structure or a place.  If you render it literally in its physical dimension, it is a huge cube shaped structure, as high as it is wide.  I don't think we will be in a box.  But it convey the perfect balance and symmetry of all God's people dwelling together in harmony and safety in the whole new earth.  But not so much confined to one massive city-like location.  But that was imagery that best conveyed those perfect concepts of a utopian place in ancient times.

 

I think that the primary purpose for cities or houses will be for gathering together in community and family and celebration.  We are created to come together in fellowship.  What we build will serve to enhance that.

[JoeMo]

I certainly hope we do stuff like build our own homes and have gardens in heaven (if we want them).  It sounds like we will have a room or mansion (depending on the translation one uses) in New Jerusalem.

 

If I can build my own place, I want it to be in a semi-tropical place with a warm sandy beach out the front door; and mountains climbing to snow-covered peaks out the back door.  The entire house would be made of living, aromatic flowering plants with lots of windows and doors.  The sun would shine all day, with a gentle, warm rain for about 2 - 3 hours every night.  I would have lots of exotic pets and an unlimited number of acoustic and electric guitars, and an amazing keyboard.  With luck, I could lead the heavenly worship services on Sabbath every 1,000 years or so.  That would give me all the time I need to get the music "just right".  I hope Whitney Houston is one of my neighbors; so she can lead singing in our praise band.

 

I hope we still have some kind of interesting "work" to do; although I doubt it would feel like work.  Since we will never get tired, time is no more, and we live forever; there will be no pressing deadlines (unless you're leading the worship service once every 1,000 years).

[Gregory Matthews]

^{In my thinking, we build homes for more than shelter and protection.  We build them to have a place that we can call home, a place where we can rest and relax, where I can visit with friends, a place where we can spend time to read and study the world in which we live.  The future live as I see it has all of that.}

 

^. 

[Tom Wetmore]

From an architectural standpoint, removing the need for shelter and protection (elements and danger) really opens the possibilities for design.  I would be delighted to have a house with the sky as my roof.  It would seem just something to create a screen for privacy or sound buffer and a place to put  basic furnishings to accommodate  fellowship, meals and a place to rest and relax. Many people have that covered on their deck or patio or garden area.  In the woods a bed of moss.  Hang out in the broad limbs of a nice tree or rocks down by the babbling brook.  

[Lauralea]

I would hope for a big dining room to entertain many friends, a media room where I can view interesting points from the past, a garden where animals are free to roam, with roses and a snow leopard. Come to think of it, I have already had some of these things, but will need to wait for the snow leopard and being able to view history.

[Stewart (SDA)]

Sorry, I forgot the No Quoting rule, had to delete the comment.

[Geoarrge]

I imagine somebody'll have to build a spaceport.

[Lineman]

When I was a kid (years and years ago) my dad use to say that he wanted to build a rose garden and have a glass floor over it so he could walk around and see the beauty of the roses without getting stuck by the thorns.  But of course there will not be any thorns in Heaven or on the New Earth, right?

 

My daughter wanted a glass dome underwater so that she could watch the otters, turtles and fish play.  Will we be able to swim with them without needing scuba gear?

 

And about 20 years ago I was working beside a non-Adventist with whom I started talking to about what she thought Heaven would be like.  She had been taught that it was NOT a physical place, but that it was just an ideal to work towards.  I told her that the Bible tells us that we will build houses and then I asked her where she would build when she got there.  She had no idea, so I asked, "Where do you enjoy visiting when you have time?"  She said she loved the beach, but then quickly added that she loved waterfalls.

 

So why couldn't we build way up high on a cliff overlooking the ocean and have a waterfall going right through our house?

[Ellen]

Just wondering, Gregory what you will read.  Maybe there will be writers in the new earth.  Personally I will have to work.  I am a Martha.  And I have it all planned out.  I am going to set up a tourist business and plan tours to the galaxy.  If you have a book there, I will read it too.

[Tom Wetmore]

Sign me up!  I'll spend a few millennia being a tourist of the stars