New Heaven and Earth
Notes
Transcript
Prophecy Fulfilled
Prophecy Fulfilled
Last week we learned about the Great White Throne judgement, how in the last days mankind will be judged. The book of Life will be opened along with books that will be a record of everything that we did on this earth. For those of us who have repented of our sins and confessed Jesus as our Savior this will not be a problem because Jesus has already paid the price for our sin. For those who have not accepted Jesus the consequences will be horrific. Being cast into the lake of fire along with satan and his angels.
Rev. 21 begins with John’s familiar saying, “I Saw.” This time he describes seeing a new heaven and earth appearing. Heaven and earth as we know it will disappear and be replaced with something new. There are a number of other scripture references that speak to this; Isa.65.17-19
Isaiah 65:17–19 (NIV)
“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.
“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.
Matthew 5:18 (NIV)
For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
We made reference to this today when we repeated the Lord’s Prayer. The second line; Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
There are some who teach that this will not be a completely new heaven and earth but a refurbished heaven and earth. Even if it is remade I think that it will be completely new. Nothing of the former will remain to corrupt the new. It will be a return to what Eden was supposed to be. New, perfect, God will be present with his people. When I was reading about the new earth I was reminded of how some of our members have had cataract surgery and have remarked about how clear things are and how bright colors are since they had the surgery. This new heaven and earth will be brilliant, every detail will be correct. There will be no corruption.
We read that there will be no sea. some writers believe that this is only in reference to the Mediterranean sea not all the bodies of water. the sea represented danger to the people of that era. The waters caused flooding, ship wrecks. An example would be how the sudden storm caused the disciples to panic on the sea of Galilee until Jesus calmed the storm by speaking to it.
There will be no need for the sea as we know it. Chapter 22 tells of the river of the water of life that flows down the middle of the street of the great city. It will provide for the people and will also water the twelve trees alongside the water that will provide fruit each in turn for food and their leaves will provide healing for the nation.
In verse 2 John again says I saw. This time he describes a new Jerusalem coming down from heaven prepared as a bride for her husband. Ladies, those of you who are married. Do you remember how you prepared for your wedding? You wanted everything to be perfect, the dress, the hair, the makeup. Men do you remember how you saw your bride coming down the aisle and thinking that she was beautiful?
Gary Hemrick tells about how he saw his wife coming down the aisle and thought how she was the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Then his second thought was what am I doing.
Our earthly wedding will be paled by the glory of God’s bride. The bride prepared by the washing in the blood of the lamb. Clothed in the righteousness of sinlessness.
John then writes that he heard a voice saying God’s dwelling place is now among his people. They will be his people and he will be there God.
Remember how God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening in Eden? This is the intimate relationship that we will have. God will be with us, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all of the time. He will wipe away our tears, there will be no more death,or mourning, or crying. In this new heaven and earth there will be no pain and sorrow . All things will be new. Only believers will be present. No unbelievers to deceive or disrupt the joys of the new heaven and earth. Satan has been condemned to the lake of fire and is unable to interfere, tempt, or harm God’s people any longer.
In verse 5 John Heard the voice of the one seated on the throne. I am making everything new. Write this down for it is trustworthy and true. True, God said it. There is no room for debate on this issue unlike some other ideas where scholars debate the meaning of some of the statements.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Some write that the this is the bookend of the Bible. with Genesis as the beginning and the rest of the Bible, a record of how God worked among his people. ending with the new heaven and earth recorded in John’s Revelation when God says “It is done.”
We can illustrate this with the Old Testament prophecies that we have been referring to in our studies. The Bible, the Word of God, given for our instruction and understanding. Now in Revelation where we see the new heaven and earth prepared for God’s people. Isaiah 55.1-12
Isaiah 55:1–12 (NIV)
“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
This promise is to those who are victorious, they will inherit this new heaven and earth. There will not be any who refused to repent and turn to the Lord. There is no longer the opportunity to repent. The cowardly, those who were afraid to take a stand for Jesus. they lost their lives by trying to save their lives in there own strength. The unbelieving, those who cannot believe God’s Word. They might say that it is too good to be true or it is just a fairy tale. The vile, those who are just plain wicked, who will destroy things for the fun of it with no regard to anyone else or to God’s creation. The murders, Ones who have no regard for human life and I know that this is not popular but I believe that includes an unborn child. The sexually immoral, We will have a lot of controversy on this one. Adultery, fornication which is a sexual relationship outside of marriage. One of my professors remarked that she did not perform many wedding because she refused to marry couples who were already living together. If they were willing to live apart while preparing to marry she would work with them in counseling. I know that there are some who encourage living together before marriage under the mistaken idea that there would be less divorce. I had a friend who was a counselor who saw many young women who had issues with lack of self esteem . Many traced there problems to living together before marriage and feeling that they were not loved for themselves. Those who practice magic arts such as fortune telling, reading horoscopes and other forms of witchcraft. Our Missionaries , Martha and Joseph can tell stories of how witchcraft is rampant in Africa and how peoples lives are devastated by it. All who all liars, that is all of us if we don’t repent. There is still hope for us now to repent and ask for forgiveness. Jesus sacrificed his life to pay the price for our sin. Those who refuse to repent will be joining satan in the fiery lake.
Isaiah said seek the Lord while he may be found. That admonition still applies to us today. Jesus’ words recorded by John 14.6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Are the key to heaven . Jesus did not say I am one way, that would imply that there are other ways. He said I am the way which means he is the only way. This is not popular teaching in this day and age, but it is what Jesus said. No one comes to the father but by me. If you want to experience that new heaven and earth Jesus is the way. I will repeat the three words that we have seen previously; repent, believe, receive. If you haven’t, don’t delay. With the things that are happening in this world tomorrow might be too late.