Affirms
Eternal life with God is the hope of the redeemed community
Mennonites affirm the hope of eternal life in God's presence for those who are in Christ. The resurrection of the body and the renewal of creation (the New Earth) are part of the Anabaptist eschatological vision. Heaven is not an escape from the material world but the fulfillment of God's purposes for all of creation.
This eschatological hope sustains the Mennonite community in its costly witness to nonresistance and peace. Suffering and persecution are borne with patience because they are not the final word; God's Kingdom — characterized by justice and shalom — will prevail.
Key Distinctions
- Heaven nature:
- eternal conscious presence with God; beatific vision; transformed creation
- Access timing:
- at final resurrection and judgment (Last Day)
- Bodily resurrection:
- full bodily resurrection; glorified body reunited with soul
Scripture References
Sources
- Mennonite Confession of Faith (1995), Article 24