Bible Study

Title: Copy vs. Real
Date: Aug 19, 2010
Topic(s): Heaven, Christian Living/Situational
Scripture: Hebrews 9-10, Hebrews 9:11-12, 1 Corinthians 13:8-12, Hebrews 8:5

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Have you ever seen the Mona Lisa? I mean, in person, at the Louvre in Paris? I haven't. I've seen poster-sized prints or detailed photographs in art books. But I've heard it's different when you experience the real thing. Now imagine a photocopy of the Mona Lisa--a gray, scratchy, flat picture, without the shadings of color or texture of the original. It might be nice, but it's not as good as the real work.

The difference between earth and heaven is a lot like that. Here on earth we know only the copies, the shadows, the interpretations of the real thing--heaven is the "real-est" life.

What Does God Say?

The Book of Hebrews uses this concept frequently. The priesthood of Israel served as "a copy and shadow of the heavenly things" (Hebrews 8:5, ESV), reflecting the reality of Jesus' ministry before the Father.

The holy places in the tabernacle, the work of the priests, and the sacrifices were visual teaching tools to show the people what would happen "when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:11-12, ESV).

God used shadows, symbols, copies to help us understand that Jesus brought the superior covenant, the "real" relationship (see Hebrews 9-10). What we see now is real, but not the "real-est" thing.

My Thoughts

Take a look at a few of Paul's thoughts.
1 Corinthians 13:8-12

• What are some things that will pass away from this life (13:8)?
• What does he say about our existence now (13:9-12)?
• What word picture does he use in 13:12?
• How do you view yourself and your life now?
• What is your vision of heaven like?

2 Corinthians 4:16-5:5

• What do these verses say about what's real and lasting?
• What is transient or will fade away (4:18)?
• What does Paul say we are longing for (5:1-3)?
• How are we burdened by our earthly home and body?
• How does this concept influence your perspective on today? On heaven and your eternal future?

Take a few minutes to think about how you live each day. Do you see this as "all there is"? Are you burdened by the limitations of life and see nothing more? Or do you hold on to the promise that this is indeed a "slight momentary affliction" and the best is coming?

My Part

So, does this mean now is only a dream and doesn't really matter? No. This earth is a very real place; you're definitely a living person. And what you do here to serve, obey and follow the Lord matters. How you live a godly life of love, righteousness, justice and purity matters. How you treat your enemies, build up your friends and love your family matters. It matters because it's what God wants to see and reward one day. But remember this is not all there is. One day, as a child of God, you will experience the "real-est" reality of life in heaven.

In The Last Battle, C.S. Lewis takes his Narnian characters through a door and into a place that is more…more real, more beautiful, a familiar and well-beloved land but with so much more depth and intensity.

The Narnia they left behind was, as Digory explains, "not the real Narnia...It was only a shadow or a copy of the real Narnia which has always been here and always will be here: just as our own world, England and all, is only a shadow or copy of something in Aslan's real world....And of course it is different; as different as a real thing is from a shadow or as waking life is from a dream."

And as another character declares a moment later, "I belong here! This is the land I've been looking for all my life, thought I never knew till now. The reason we loved the old Narnia is because it sometimes looked a little like this."

We might live today in the shadowlands (as Lewis calls the physical world), but the real world will be heaven and home.

The Last Battle, copyright 1956 by C.S. Lewis Pte., Ltd., published by Harper Collins.

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