Not Home Yet: How the Renewal of the Earth Fits Into God's Plan for the World

“When we are away from home, we long for home. But where is home for the Christian? In this insightful biblical theology of ‘home,’ Ian Smith helps us see that this world, and even heaven (as an intermediate state), is not our home—we’re just passing through, as we await our eternal home of the new heavens and the new earth. A great book to be read for the journey home.”

“Combining pastoral, missional, and scholarly insights, Ian Smith wonderfully explores the little understood connection between the resurrection all Christians affirm and the New Creation all believers will enjoy. The result is Not Home Yet, a book with rich discussion of the interconnections of Scripture’s earliest and future themes and profound encouragement for all those who are still on their way to the home that Jesus Christ prepares for us.”

“Not Home Yet is a compact and powerful exposition of the Bible’s teaching on earth and God’s mission to it. I have never seen such a clear articulation of the theme of creation and re-creation anywhere. Ian Smith also deftly speaks about the practical ramifications that such a teaching has on our thinking and our actions. I highly recommend this book for all who are serious about understanding this central theme of the Bible.”

“Home must surely be one of the most emotion-filled words in the English language. It is where we belong. But where is home for the Christian? Are we living in a far country here on earth, just waiting for a better day when we can leave the earth and simply enjoy heaven? Think of Ian Smith as your friendly theological realtor. He knows about the home God has created for us. With theological skill and deft simplicity, he can explain its long history. He understands where we fit into its story. He is also sensitive to the responsibility Christians have to our ‘home,’ even though we have not yet seen its final reconstruction. Brief as Not Home Yet may be, you will find it instructive and challenging beyond its size.”

“Ian Smith’s book will give you new insight into old passages, let you ponder all that is packed into Jesus’s resurrection, and get you dreaming of the new heavens and the new earth.”

“Not Home Yet is theologically rich yet easily accessible for anyone. Smith paints a vivid picture of how this earth matters to God—our work, our communities, and the physical world—things that some have often said are passing away and don't have eternal value. I highly recommend this insightful and much-needed book.”

“Ian Smith has written an eminently readable account of the biblical testimony to our eternal home—a home with resurrection bodies in a renewed heaven and earth. His careful analysis of common but ill-informed references to ‘going home’ as merely a departure from this earth, rather than a return to a renewed earth, are clear, cogent, and well argued. This concise biblical theology of death, afterlife, and resurrection should be an encouragement to every Christian reader as they grasp the fullness of the hope that awaits the people of God.”

“When will we arrive home? That’s an emotive question, often asked in the most vulnerable experiences of our lives—when we are children, separated from loved ones, or approaching death. Answering this theological question requires exegetical precision and pastoral sensitivity. Ian Smith is a careful reader of Scripture, a gifted preacher and communicator, and a compassionate pastor. In Not Home Yet, he guides us on a journey from Eden through a world that, in its fallen state, is not our home. But the central figure in this guide book is the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to bring about a new creation.”

“Christians have a particular understanding of the world we live in because we believe that it has been created by God. We must take care of it. Ian Smith provides a theological underpinning for the kinds of actions that are required if we are to fulfill our creation mandate. This book is an important contribution to a necessary debate, and I recommend it highly to all who have a serious interest in the subject.”