Out With the Old, In With the New

V.1:

As this chapter opens, Satan and his followers are forever banished to the lake of fire.

With that, will be the creation of a whole new universe.

This comes to pass with the conclusion of the Day of the Lord. Peter gives some insight into this.

Peter gives insight into the creation of the new heaven and earth.

2 Peter 3:10-13

2 Peter 3:10–13 NKJV

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

The day of the Lord is comprised of a whole series of events, beginning with the rapture and ending with the destruction of the current creation.

This all happens after the millennial reign and the final war with Satan. Then comes the great white throne judgment, and finally the ushering in of the new heaven and new earth.

The destruction that Peter mentions will be just prior the the new heaven and earth. 

The heavens are simply all of the great expanse, including the sky and space.

The elements will be broken down to their basic building blocks, the very atoms that make them up.

this will come by intense heat with a great noise (the big bang). Imagine the crackling of a campfire large enough to consume the entire universe.

Make no mistake, this will not be the work of man (i.e. nuclear war), nor will it be an explosion of the sun. 

Notice that even the heavens are destroyed. That means all matter in space... all planets, all stars, etc.

This destruction is definitely the supernatural work of God! Isaiah speaks of this.

The destruction of the old will be the supernatural work of God.

Isaiah 51:6

Isaiah 51:6 NKJV

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished.

Isaiah 65:17

Isaiah 65:17 NKJV

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.

Obviously, the destruction of the universe will take with it all of man's "great" accomplishments. 

Everything that we are so proud of is at the mercy of God. Nothing that we create holds any eternal value.

We build from the elements that God has created. And by stripping those elements to their core atoms, God will expose the universe (lay it bare) and recreate something brand new from it.

When the old becomes corrupted, the only option is to eliminate it, and replace it with new and uncorrupted material.

It is no different in the life of a believer. God first cleans up our current selves ( as He did with the earth during the millennial reign.) Later, He will completely recreate us as perfection (just like the new heaven and earth.)

When we receive our new resurrection bodies, they will be perfect and incorruptible.

God creates in us a new creation, perfect and incorruptible.

2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

1 Corinthians 15:42

1 Corinthians 15:42 NKJV

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.

1 Corinthians 15:52

1 Corinthians 15:52 NKJV

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

V.2:

With the conclusion of the Day of the Lord comes a New Jerusalem.

This New Jerusalem, the Holy City is a fitting addition to the New Earth.

On the night of the last supper, Jesus made a promise to His disciples, and all believers.

John 14:2-3

John 14:2–3 NKJV

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Of course, this promise applies to all His disciples (not just those eleven in the upper room).

He makes this clear in His prayer, which occurred right after that conversation: 

John 17:20

John 17:20 NKJV

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

That place that He is preparing for us, is the Holy City, new Jerusalem.

It is in this New Jerusalem that He will dwell with us and be our God.

John 17:24

John 17:24 NKJV

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

These last two chapters of the Bible give us some some detail of that beautiful city, that city where our mansions will be. 

This city is not heaven, John saw it coming down out of heaven. 

Right now it is in heaven, where Jesus is.

The Holy City will be a magnificent place where "the throne of God and of the Lamb" will be.

VV.3-4:

Just as the tabernacle of the Old Testament, This city will be God's dwelling place among men.

Only this city is far more perfect than the earthly tabernacle.

The New Jerusalem will be the ultimate fulfillment of Leviticus 26:11-13.

Leviticus 26:11–13 NKJV

I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright.

We shall be His people and He will be our God.

This paints a picture of perfect fellowship and communion with God.

No wonder there will be no sorrow, pain or death.

Death has been defeated, and how can you have sorrow or pain if you are in perfect communion with God?

Some have wondered if grief and sorrow will exist for a while in heaven and then be done away with here at the establishing of the new creation. 

It is better to understand this passage as saying that heaven will have none of the negative features that characterize this present earth. All former things have passed away.

V.5:

When God says "I make all things new", He is emphasizing the radical and dramatic change of the universe.

Like every other part of the Word of God, we should accept this as absolute truth.

VV.6-7:

The fact that He is the Almighty, eternal God, means that He can and will freely give living water to all who dwell with Him.

The children of God will at last obtain the fullness of the inheritance.

The full benefits of being a child of the King will finally be realized.

V.8:

The opposite of this is a reiteration of the fate of non-believers.

The beautiful thing is that once you profess your faith in Jesus Christ, your past life is forgotten.

God makes all things new. Therefore, you will no longer be known as cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderer, sexually immoral, sorcerer, idolaters, liar, or any other sinful designation.

At the point of salvation, you will always be a child of God.

As we begin a new year, understand that if you really want change, you must eliminate any old ways that are holding you back.

God doesn’t just paint over our imperfections, He removes them.

Likewise, the sinful, harmful, unproductive habits in your life can’t just be glossed over or pushed aside. If you do, they’ll just resurface later.

They need to be totally eliminated, or else any efforts are simply futile.

The starting point is salvation through Jesus Christ, by placing your faith in Him.

Without His strength,righteousness and power, change wouldn’t be possible.

Romans 10:9