The New Heavens and The New Earth
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Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
Controversial issues on the subject
will this heaven and earth really be replaced?
when will the ned heaven and earth appear or begin to exist?
Old Testament Prophecies
Old Testament Prophecies
God has already declared His intention to get rid of this heaven and earth.
And all the host of heaven will wear away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; All their hosts will also wither away As a leaf withers from the vine, Or as one withers from the fig tree.
“Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not wane.
“Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
“Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.
God looks forward to creating a new heaven and a new earth!
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.
Three Worlds
Three Worlds
The Bible speaks of three (3) subsequent worlds.
“World” (from Grk. kosmos) means order or system. (Sanglibutan)
Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,
and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”
For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,
through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
The “first world” was the one destroyed by the flood in the days of Noah
The “first world” was the one destroyed by the flood in the days of Noah
But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
The “second world” is the “present heaven and earth”
The “second world” is the “present heaven and earth”
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people 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 destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
The present heaven and earth is reserved for fire
The present heaven and earth will be destroyed in the Day of the Lord
But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
The “third world” will be the “new heavens and new earth”
The “third world” will be the “new heavens and new earth”
the new heaven and earth comes as soon as the present heaven and earth is destroyed
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
When will the new heaven and earth come into existence?
Elements of the New Heaven and New Earth
Elements of the New Heaven and New Earth
Isaiah’s vision of the new heaven and new earth:
Isaiah’s vision of the new heaven and new earth:
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.
“But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness.
“I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.
“No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed.
“They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
“They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands.
“They will not labor in vain, Or bear children for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord, And their descendants with them.
“It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
“The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the Lord.
a peaceful and joyful existence of Jerusalem City
no more voice of weeping
people will live to a ripe old age
their houses and vineyards are theirs to enjoy
the beasts of the field will coexist with humans peacefully
John’s vision of the new heaven and new earth
John’s vision of the new heaven and new earth
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
the vision did not give much detail
the vision is more concerned with the New Jerusalem
CHART #1
Left Column - Isaiah 65.17-25
Jerusalem city
peaceful and joyful living
long life-span
Right Column - Revelation 21.1-4
no more sea
New Jerusalem (Lamb’s Wife)
Putting the Pieces Together
Putting the Pieces Together
The New Heaven and New Earth starts at the beginning of the Millennial kingdom.
The New Heaven and New Earth starts at the beginning of the Millennial kingdom.
Why?
Isaiah 65 points to the millennial kingdom of Christ
See also:
Isaiah 11.1-10
And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them.
Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.
Micah 4.1-5
Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And He will judge between many peoples And render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war.
Each of them will sit under his vine And under his fig tree, With no one to make them afraid, For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
The “present heaven and earth” will pass away in the Day of the Lord, which takes place at the Second Coming of Christ
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
“pass away” - grk. parerchomai, to pass out of use or go out of existence
destroyed - grk. lyo, to break apart, to break in parts or components, to lose cohesion or unity
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, And it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
Near is the great day of the Lord, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the Lord! In it the warrior cries out bitterly.
A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness,
A day of trumpet and battle cry Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers.
I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like the blind, Because they have sinned against the Lord; And their blood will be poured out like dust And their flesh like dung.
Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the Lord’s wrath; And all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth.
This “destruction” coincides with the 7 bowls of God’s wrath
The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire.
Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.
Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done.”
And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.
The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.
And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.
The vision of the Holy City Jerusalem is shown to John by one of the 7 angels holding the 7 bowls of wrath.
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
The Bride of Christ comes down only once - with Christ at the Second Coming
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”
It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
John is given 2 different views of the same people:
In Revelation 19 the Church is a Bride that comes down with Christ
In Revelation 21 the Church is a City, the New Jerusalem, that comes down from heaven
While the Millennium will have an end, the New Heaven and New Earth will Continue into Eternity
While the Millennium will have an end, the New Heaven and New Earth will Continue into Eternity
When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,
and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Millennial kingdom ends with the releasing of Satan from his prison
he will be allowed to tempt and deceive some of those who were born in the Millennium
there will be one final revolt against God’s rule
Satan is then thrown into the lake of fire
The Judgment Throne of God is set up
all the dead will be raised up in the second resurrection
they will be judged before God
those whose names are not in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire
death and hades will also be thrown into the lake of fire
the Second Death destroys and consumes everything that sinful, wicked and evil.
Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
What is God showing us in this message?
There is life - a beautiful, wonderful, eternal life - beyond this curtain of time!
If God looks forward to that “time beyond this time”, we should too!