In my submission to the Holy Scriptures, I find the hope of the resurrection. The outcome of our faith. Immortality in a resurrected body living forever with God. If it's not so that you can live together with God, in this world, and in the next, why be a Christian?
What a great question!...
But first of all when you speak of “the resurrection”, this means different things to different people. “The resurrection” of humans from the dead has two different outcomes according to scripture. (John 5:28-29) So the question then becomes, what kind of “resurrection” are we talking about?
There is a difference between “immortality” and “everlasting life”. Humans were never promised immortality, but they were promised everlasting life,
conditionally.....as long as they obeyed the commands of their Creator. Death would only come if humans did the wrong thing and abused their free will. (Romans 5:12) “The tree of life” was there in the garden to guarantee that mortal life would never end. Access was denied when they were kicked out of paradise. Death then became inevitable.
Jesus’ sacrifice was intended to undo the damage that Adam brought on all of his offspring, and to restore God’s first purpose.
Was it possible to “live forever with God”, but right here on earth in our mortal flesh, which is where God put us in the first place? I believe so....absolutely.
If we always go back to the beginning as a starting point, was death and resurrection ever given to Adam as part of his life in paradise? If not, and death was not even mentioned as a normal part of mortal human life, (except as a penalty for disobedience) what was the destiny of humankind if they were designed to live forever on earth? What gives us the idea that all Christians must be heaven bound in order to experience everlasting life in health and happiness with Jesus?
It is “this world” (wicked human society) that needs to be removed so that we can get back to what God originally purposed for the human race. Having all those who practice what God condemns, eliminated from existence (like God did in Noah’s Day) will pave the way for God’s original purpose to be fulfilled....it never changed. (Isaiah 55:11) Jesus said that the conditions before the flood were a model for the time of his return. (Matthew 24:37-39) God ‘reset’ the human race back then, but only temporarily until his Messiah could come at the appointed time and lay down his life so that the mechanism (Christ’s sacrifice) to reinstate His first purpose, could become our reality.
God’s choosing of a small number of humans to go to heaven to assist his son in the administration of his kingdom, doesn’t mean that all of Christ’s disciples will have that destiny. There would mean “all Chiefs and no Indians” as the saying goes.
God’s first purpose for humankind was assigned to them in Eden. They were to “fill the earth and subdue it” which means that spreading the boundaries of their paradise home and having children who would grow to become a global army of workers, (which is what humans are designed to be, being given strong healthy bodies and a desire to be like their Creator in making their surroundings beautiful and well maintained) was God first purpose for humankind.....I cannot see how everyone going to heaven will achieve that outcome.
If those who go to heaven are “chosen” (elected), what are they chosen for? Revelation 20:6 answers....these are going to be “kings and priests” with Jesus as part of his kingdom in heaven. It is to rule for 1,000 years, because this is how long it will take to eradicate sin from the human race.
Kings need subjects, and priests need sinners who can be guided in their lives and worship to conform to God’s requirements, and to intercede for them along the way....there are no sinners in heaven, and kings need subjects......so, who are these in your view?