The reward of the saved is not a journey to heaven, but a glorious reunion with the Lord on earth. As described in I Thessalonians 4:17, those who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with the resurrected in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus they shall always be with Him. This meeting occurs as He descends from heaven at His second coming, not as an ascent to heaven, but a gathering in the earth's atmosphere before returning to the ground. Zechariah 14:4 confirms that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem, a physical location on earth, where He will be accompanied by all the saints. Revelation 5:10 further clarifies that the saints are made kings and priests to reign on the earth with Him. Matthew 5:5 echoes this promise, declaring that the meek shall inherit the earth. Thus, the Kingdom of God and the reward of the saved are established on this earth, where Jesus Christ will return as King of kings, sharing power with His saints over the nations.

The ultimate purpose of Christianity is to attain the reward of the saved, which is not an ethereal existence in heaven, but a solid promise from God. This reward involves reigning and ruling on earth, administering God's government in positions of authority under Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. When Jesus triumphantly returns to the earth at His glorious second coming, He will establish the Kingdom of God to rule over the people of the world, and at that time, His faithful disciples will receive their reward. This reward includes being regarded as princes ruling under Him, with true followers given positions of rulership in His Kingdom, where they shall specifically reign on the earth. Resurrected Christians will have the opportunity to build a new world of peace, happiness, and prosperity by teaching and enforcing obedience to God's laws throughout the earth during the thousand-year reign of Christ. Ultimately, God's purpose is to place resurrected Christians in charge of the entirety of the universe, ruling over all of God's creation as members of the God Family throughout eternity, promising an eternal, abundant life of challenge, creativity, and achievement beyond human comprehension.