Jonathan Edwards spends a significant amount of time in his piece entitled Heaven, A World of Charity or Lovedescribing the perfection of heaven and the love found in heaven through God, God's connection to Himself in the persons of the trinity, through relationships between human beings, and through the relationships of God towards humans and humans toward God. It is quite clear that Edwards sees no imperfection in heaven and that when heaven arrives, or we arrive at heaven, that love will abound as though it came from an eternal fount. However, at this present time, on earth, it is difficult to picture this reality. We taste this coming reality right now. Edwards illustrates this by writing, "They see and understand so much of this as to know that it is the best good. They do not merely yield that it is so from rational arguments that may be offered for it, and by which they are convinced that it is so, but they know it is so from what little they have tasted of it." We have not known Eden as well as we have known a life east of Eden. Edwards is keenly aware of this even though he does not spend much time directly discussing the matter.
We experience a little bit of heaven right now but we only do so knowing that this love and paradise must exist at bay, in a sense, a while longer and that this world we are currently operating in, even if we are operating in great love and expressing the fruits of the Spirit, is not the full paradise we have been promised to receive by Christ and the prophets. On earth, where there are troubles we can only see so much of the coming paradise. Edwards references the scriptures that teach us about the tension of this life on earth and its disconnection with the eternal bliss of heaven when he writes, "For though the glorious state of the church in its latter age on earth, will be perfect in comparison with its former state, yet its state in heaven is that state of the church to which the expressions of the apostle seem most agreeable, when he says, ''When that which is perfect is come,' and, 'Now we see "through a glass darkly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known."'"
The tension is clear to all who have encountered Christ and have called him Lord. Jesus tells us that the kingdom is at hand (Matthew 4:17, Mark 115). He says His kingdom of heaven is existent and that we belong to it right now while we are living on earth (John 18:36). At the same time He tells us that heavenly kingdom is our reality and as a result of that kingdom being present and ourselves being citizens belonging to that kingdom we live according to the customs of that kingdom. Many theologians describe this tension as the "already-but-not-yet kingdom." They refer to this kingdom in this way because it has come to earth but it is not completely present on earth. That is, it does not fill the earth as it later will when God is all in all (Corinthians 15:28). It has been initiated by Christ and continues through the church but it is not yet finalized. Jesus has come and will come again. When He returns the tension will be torn in two just as the curtain was in the temple when Christ first shook the sin-filled world (Matthew 27:51). As it is, the kingdom is like yeast in flower taking over the entire batch slowly or even like a mustard seed which was planted and is slowly growing into a massive shrubbery in which birds will find their God-given home.
Edwards describes this present world as "...this waste and howling wilderness, full of snares, and pitfalls, and poisonous serpents, where no rest could be found!" Truly, we are a fallen people within a world that have been ravaged by sin and is ruled by rebellion (Ephesians 2:1-4). There is little point spending time on this truth since one does not have to believe on Christ to see such a great reality before them. Along with this world full of sin and rebellion, in which lions are still at odds with lambs, we ourselves are imperfect. This is part of the reason the world is imperfect. We have brought terror upon the earth (Genesis 6:11). In our hearts we are still imperfect and unable to express the true and perfect love of God fully. Edwards writes, "There they will have no dulness and unwieldiness, and no corruption of heart to war against divine love, and hinder its expression." When rebellion is void we will only have compliance with God's love. Unless we have full compliance with the deep love of God we will be in rebellion. Even in our actions we are "struggling after holiness" for Edwards writes, "In the heart in this world there are many opposite principles arid influences; and it struggles after greater oneness, and more liberty, and more free exercise, and better fruit."
Not only are our hearts imperfect but even our very physical bodies are not yet suitable for the eternal life that heaven consists of Edwards writes, "...there no earthly body shall clog with its heaviness the heavenly flame." Paul instructs the church that when Jesus returns and we are resurrected with Him physically we will be transformed in the blink of an eye and at that time receive spiritual bodies. He writes, "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body" (1Corinthians 5:42-44). We can not say if our physical makeup will change much (Edwards seems to believe that they will for some of us) but we can say that these new bodies will be imperishable. Yet even this has already begun in some , perhaps less physical form, as Paul writes, "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God" (1Peter 1:23).
Everything is in transition and thus in tension. We see through a glass dimly now but one day our love will be perfect and all shall be clear. Our world, hearts, bodies, and actions are all imperfect in their love now but they shall be perfected as we come into heaven. In Christ we have been blessed with the ability to begin moving westward and upward towards heaven. Therefore, in the words of Jonathan Edwards, "If heaven be such a blessed world, then let it be our chosen country, and the inheritance that we look for and seek. Let us turn our course this way, and press on to its possession. It is not impossible but that this glorious world may be obtained by us. It is offered to us. Though it be so excellent and blessed a country, yet God stands ready to give us an inheritance there, if it be but the country that we desire, and will choose, and diligently seek."
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