19 A Desolate Planet
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Welcome & Announcements
Question: You said that there have been changes in the meanings of words since the King James Version was translated. Could you give some examples?
The language of the KJV is Early Modern English—the language of Shakespeare’s plays. It is still readable today, but it does differ from today’s English. Many of the KJV’s distinctives are endearing to some, such as the use of thee and thou. There are some KJV words, however, that can cause believers more serious problems when they read the text. Here are some clarifications of a few KJV words:
In Numbers 23:22 it refers to a “unicorn.” This isn’t a reference to a single horned mythical creature, but simply a wild ox.
In Matthew 6:6 Jesus talks about entering your “closet” to pray. This isn’t suggesting that you need to make a prayer spot in your clothes closet. It’s referring to any private room where you can pray alone.
In 1 Timothy 4:13 Paul says, “till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” This doesn’t mean you should mark down reading, exhortation and doctrine as present for class. Attendance used to mean, to pay attention or apply yourself to something. Today we would simply say, “give attention to reading, exhortation, and doctrine.”
One that I particularly appreciate is the use of the word, “bowels” in the King James Version. For example, in Phil 1:8 it says, “for God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.” If you take that in our 21st century meaning, Paul is somehow inside Jesus’ gut. But that’s not the early modern english meaning. They would have understood that to mean, compassion or emotion. So, “I long after you all with the compassion of Jesus,” makes a lot more sense.
In Philip 4:6 Paul encourages us to be “Careful for nothing.” If I told my kid that, they would think that they don’t have to be careful anymore. But that’s not the intended meaning. It used to mean, anxious or full of care.
Other examples include “Charger” which today is something you use to charge your phone, but back then it was a plate. Or “Conclude”, which today means to come to a conclusion or make a determination, but back then it meant to shut up or enclose. Or to “faint”, which today means to pass out, but back then it meant to get discourage or loose confidence.
These are all words that have changed meaning, and there are more, some even more flamboyant, but I shouldn’t say them in a public setting like this. And then there are some words that are simply obsolete and completely out of use in our modern language.
Anon — oops, this one is used today, but not at all like it was back in the day. It used to mean “immediatley, or at once,” but today it’s used as shorthand for anonymous.
Bewray
Broid
Chambering
Ensample
Flux — well this one isn’t used, unless you’re talking about the flux capacitor in the back to the future movies. Back in the day it used to refer to dysentery.
Furlong
Haply
Lucre
Meet — again, this is a word we use today, but it’s for a meet-up, nothing close to the “suitable” or “fitting” or “appropriate” meaning that this word used to cary.
Peradventure
Prick — ok, another one that’s not exactly out of use, but a prick used to be a pointy stick and today it’s more of a derogatory term.
Scrip
Trow
Twain
Usury
Untoward
Wont
Wot
And there are others...
The point is not that the the King James Version is a bad version—it is not. It continues to be a quality translation. The only issue in using the King James is that you can’t read it with the assumption that you know what the words mean. Much of the meaning can be derived from context, and what you can’t figure out on your own you can find in an Oxford dictionary from the 19th century, which are still available for purchase.
In fact, the principle I was sharing the other night day is that we need to approach scripture with an inquisitive mind, not assuming we understand something, but carefully studying to ensure that we do understand. This may include reading the context, it may include getting out a dictionary, and it may even include going to a resource like blueletterbible.com and looking up the word in the original language to get a better understanding.
Paul says that we should “study to show ourselves approved unto God...” (2 Tim 2:15). And we should study diligently, but that’s actually not what Paul was intending for us to get from that verse. The meaning of “study” here in the King James is actually diligence: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
And that is certainly how we should approach God’s word—rightly dividing it. Except, it’s not so much about cutting it in two, as it is about correctly “interpreting” it.
And now, I’d like to agree with the wisest man on earth who said,
“Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12) Study, but please use resources that will speed up your study—a couple different translations is a good start.
Upcoming Topics
Tonight, our subject is: “A Desolate Planet.” We’re going to examine a passage in the Bible that predicts a moment when planet earth is broken down and virtually uninhabited. Is it possible that all those post-apocalyptic movies have it right? That’s our subject tonight.
Then on Tuesday night: “How to Postpone Your Funeral.” And I promise you: this isn’t a gimmick. The Bible has powerful information that can actually extend your life by up to ten years. We know that’s true, because there are people out there who are living this way, and the numbers are in: they’re living better - and they’re living longer.
Then on Wednesday night, we’re going back to Revelation 12, because we never really finished the story in that chapter. You might remember: war broke out in heaven - the devil and his angels were removed - the woman, or the church, waited for Christ to be born - then Jesus went back to heaven, and the dragon turned his wrath against the church.
But you might also notice there’s a time stamp on the prophecy: 1,260 days. The woman has to hide in the wilderness - but then what? That’s on Wednesday night.
On Friday night, “The Mark of the Beast.” I know this is a subject that a lot of you have been waiting for, because this might be one of the most talked-about subjects in Bible prophecy. This is going to be another night where all your hard work is really going to pay off, because we’re going to take what we’ve learned, and use that information to unpack the rest of Revelation 13. There’s a second beast . . . and you really don’t want to miss this.
Then on Saturday morning at 10:45, we’re going to look at a peculiar phrase that shows up several times in the Bible. Revelation 12 describes God’s last-day people as the ones “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” And on Saturday, we’re going to unpack that just a little bit - and in the process, we’ll look at another curious prophecy from the book of Joel - it says that in the last days, there will be dreams and visions.
I don’t think you’re going to want to miss that!
Tonight, our subject is “A Desolate Planet.”
Prayer
Quite a few years ago, something very strange happened at the Smith-Barney investment company: every single one of their customers made $19 million in a matter of minutes.
It happened because of the Y2K crisis. (Remember that?) Back in 1999, people were worried that all the world’s computers were going to crash at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Why?
Well, it’s because computers USED to keep track of dates with six digits, like the numbers you see on the screen. This is January 1, 1999: nine, nine, zero, one, zero, one.
That system worked perfectly for the first few decades of the computer age. But when 1999 became the year 2000, those first two digits were simply zeroes! And now the computer doesn’t know if it’s the year 1900 or 2000.
And that’s not a big problem, except for industries that rely on proper dates - like the banking industry. They have to calculate the appropriate amount of interest on your account.
So people worried. Would the computers all crash at midnight? Would the computers that ran the life support in the hospitals crash? Would airplanes drop out of the sky?
So the Smith-Barney corporation came up with a simple solution: they would just add two digits, like this:
Now when 1999 becomes 2000, the computer’s going to know what year it is, because you have two extra digits. There was just one problem: they changed the date by adding 19 million - and accidentally, their programmers also put $19 million in everybody’s account!
Unfortunately, they fixed the problem by morning, and most people never realized that - for a few short minutes, in the middle of the night - they were multimillionaires.
The Y2K crisis was one of the biggest stories of 1999 - and there were people who really fanned the flames by pointing out that the millennium was about to close. It gave the crisis a bit of an apocalyptic flavor - just because of the word “millennium.”
A lot of people knew that the “millennium” is a big concept in Bible prophecy.
(Now, in reality, the year 2000 was NOT the beginning of a new millennium, because the millennium isn’t finished until the 2000th year is over - but that’s kind of beside the point.)
Historically, what we’ve seen, every time a millennium is about to change, people start to wonder if the world is going to end. It happened on a smaller scale just before the year 1000, and of course, it was all over the news in 1999.
Now here’s the interesting part: you can search the Bible from cover to cover, and you’ll never find the word “millennium.” It’s not a biblical word. It’s a Latin word that simply means “a thousand years,” and that IS something you find in the Bible:
Revelation 20:7, 8
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison, and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of
the earth, God and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
Bible prophecy mentions a thousand-year period of time, and it says that AFTER the thousand years, Satan is released from prison. So what in the world does THAT mean?
Tonight, I’m just going to let God explain it. I know there are a lot of books out there that talk about the millennium, but as you already know, I believe that when you read the WHOLE Bible, you’ll discover that God has no trouble explaining Himself.
Tonight, I want to go back and look at a Bible promise we looked at several nights ago. It’s found in the words of Jesus . . .
Remember what Jesus said in John chapter 14:
John 14:1-3
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In My father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.
I got 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.
Let’s think about what we just read. Where did Jesus go? To heaven.
And what is He doing there? The Bible says He’s preparing a place for US. And just to clarify, that statement he makes that “in my father’s house are many mansions” is one of those phrases that we need a dictionary for. The original language intended that we read “In my father’s house are many rooms, or dwellings.” But despite the potentially smaller accommodation size, “I’ve got a mansion, just over the hilltop” is still a great song, whether its’ God’s mansion that I have a room in, or a mansion all to myself.
And when do we get to go there? At the Second Coming . . .
Remember what the Bible says:
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive an remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Now you’ll notice: Jesus meets us in the air. At this point, He doesn’t come all the way down to the earth; you and I are caught up to Him in the sky. The graves are opened, we get our glorified bodies, and then Jesus takes us to His Father’s house, where He’s prepared a place for us.
Now here’s the thing I want you to think about: when we finally get there, what do you think we’re going to do?
Are we really going to sit around on big clouds, with haloes over our heads, strumming harps?
I don’t know about you, but I think that might become a little boring after the first few months. So what are we really going to be doing?
Well, look at what the Bible says:
“Do you not know that the saints will” what? “Judge the world”!
Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?
Now this is really interesting: the Bible says that you and I are going to judge. We’ll be judging the world - and it says that we’ll even be judging angels. I don’t know about you, but I feel more than a little under-qualified for that - but that’s what the Bible says.
Here’s how the Bible describes it: when we finally get to heaven, God opens all the books, and He lets us see everything. We get to look at whatever we want. And that’s what we’re doing during the millennium.
Look at what the book of Revelation says:
Revelation 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. …And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
It says we’re going to live and reign with Christ! And during that time, we’ll be judging. Here’s what it says, just a few verses later:
Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another books was opened which is
the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Now, I want you to pay attention to this very carefully: the Bible says that you and I will judge the dead. (Who will we judge? The dead.)
You and I will judge the people who did NOT come up in the resurrection. We are going to investigate the cases of people who did NOT make it into the kingdom. And Paul says that we will also judge angels - and that would be the angels who are also not in the kingdom.
It appears that God lets us see everything. Don’t forget: God is about to wipe out every trace of evil in the universe. He’s about to put the wicked out of their misery. But before He makes a move, He lets us look through the books, so that we can be absolutely convinced that He’s doing the right thing.
You and I will have all our questions answered. If you’ve ever wondered why God allowed something to happen in your life, God will let you see the answer. If you’ve ever wondered why certain people were allowed to do the things they did, God will let you see that, too.
The fact is: God is not afraid of the truth. At some point in the future, He says, “Here. Take a look for yourselves. See if YOU think I did the right thing - and I want you to look at ALL the evidence.”
Let’s say that you get to heaven, and someone you love is missing. God’s going to show you why. Or let’s say you get to heaven, and your very worst enemy is there, living right next door to you. Aren’t you going to want to know why?
You can check the books - and you can see that you’re no better than your enemy - and both of you are forgiven - and both of you have a place in the kingdom of God! I’m guessing you’ll also be able to see people the way God sees them - and you’ll see the pain and suffering THEY went through - and you’ll be able to see WHY they were the way they were.
God is going to open the books. You and I will actually examine the decisions of God. And honestly? That’s been God’s pattern all along. Before He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, He paid a visit to Abraham, and Abraham got to ask all his questions.
And I know that most people talk about the judgment as if you and I are on trial - and I suppose that’s true - but think about this carefully. If you and I serve as judges, and the books are opened - who is really the One on trial?
It’s absolutely amazing: God puts HIMSELF on trial in front of the whole universe. “Go ahead and look,” God says. “See if I really am everything I’ve ever claimed to be.”
You see, God’s not afraid to have you look. He’s not trying to hide anything. And one day, you will have the complete satisfaction of knowing that God always did the right thing. And here’s what we eventually say:
Revelation 15:3, 4
They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: Great and Marvelous are your works, Lord God
Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O king of Saints! Who shall not fear you. O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before you, for your judgments have been manifested.
What is the conclusion? Every decision that God has ever made was always the right thing to do. Even on those days when you didn’t understand. Even on those days when it seemed like God wasn’t there. Even on those days when you hurt so much you didn’t think you could ever carry on.
Even on those days, God did the right thing. You might not be able to see it now, but on that day, when the books are open, God’s going to show you.
And the conclusion we come to? You wouldn’t change a thing.
Now let’s slow down a bit, and look at how this works. We know there are only two groups of people on this planet the day that Jesus comes. The first group is described in the book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 25:9
And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and he will save us.
This is our Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.
These are the people who are glad to see Jesus come. They know they’re ready. They know that Jesus is coming for them.
But there’s another group, described in one of the most tragic passages in the Bible:
Revelation 6:15, 16
And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, ever slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the
rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
These people aren’t ready. They did nothing. They know who Jesus is - that’s obvious from the fact that they call Him the Lamb - and still, they did nothing to get ready.
They never accepted the gift of salvation. They refused to have God write His character in their hearts. They do NOT keep the commandments of God, and they DON’T have the faith of Jesus.
So what happens to these people? Listen very carefully - there’s a description found in Revelation 19:
Revelation 19:15
Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.
Let me stop there for a moment.Jesus isn’t a sword swallower, so what does a “sword” represent? It’s the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 calls it a “sharp, two-edged sword.” Ephesians 6 calls God’s Word “the sword of the Spirit.”
When Jesus comes back, there’s a sword coming out of His mouth. Why? Because the ultimate issue on that day is: what did GOD say? It’s not going to matter what I said - it’s not going to matter what you said - it’s not going to matter what your favorite preacher said. The only thing that matters is: what did God say?
That’s always BEEN the issue, from the very moment we sinned. “Did God REALLY say you couldn’t eat from that tree?”
The day that Jesus comes, it’s not going to matter what other people said. The only thing that matters is God’s Word. Now pay attention to what happens next.
Revelation 19:21
…and the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse.
Do you know what’s so unfortunate about this? It doesn’t have to be this way. Anybody can be in the kingdom of God!
But on that day, people who don’t have Jesus are still in their sins. They’ve been left to their own ideas. They’ve been left with their man-made, designer religion. They are not protected by the blood of Christ - and because they are sinners, they are killed by the very presence of God.
So now, if you think about it, we really have FOUR types of people when Jesus comes again:
We know that the righteous living are caught up in the air to meet Jesus, and they are taken to heaven.
We also know the righteous dead come out of their graves, and they also go to heaven.
The wicked living are tragically slain by the presence of God. According to the Bible (2 Thessalonians 2:8), the antichrist is also slain then by the brightness of Christ’s coming
. . . and the wicked dead simply stay in their graves.
Now take a good look at this, and let me ask you a question. After this moment, how many people are still alive on planet earth?
The answer is NONE. There is absolutely nobody left. Everybody is either dead, or they’ve gone to heaven. There’s only one small exception, and we’ll come to that in a moment.
But as far as people go? There’s nobody left. And that’s why the Bible describes the whole earth as desolate . . .
Listen to this. “I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void.” The original word, in the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament, was the Greek word “abussos.” It’s a word that’s usually translated “the bottomless pit.”
This kind of sounds like the Creation account, doesn’t it - but let’s read the whole thing.
Jeremiah 4:23-27
I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth.
I beheld, and indeed there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled.
I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the
Lord, by His fierce anger. For thus says the Lord: “The whole land shall be desolate; yet I will not make a full end.”
Spiritual Babylon finally comes to an end; the whole world lies in ruins. All of the dreams, all of the ambition, all of the selfishness - it’s finally over. The whole world is gone.
Everything really does come to an end.
But I want you to notice: the Bible says this is not a “full end.” Why? Because before God brings the whole world to its final conclusion, He takes us to heaven, and you and I get to read the books.
And in the meantime, the wicked are dead, and their bodies are right here on this planet. Sleeping the dreamless sleep of death.
Isaiah 24:21, 22
It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones, and on the earth the kings of the earth.
They will be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and will be shut up in the prison; after many days they will be punished.
The Bible says the wicked are gathered in “the pit.” In the original language, that’s the same word used to describe the desolate earth in Jeremiah 4. It’s “abussos”; it’s where we get the word “abyss.”
The Bible says the wicked are finally punished after “many days,” and that’s because nothing happens until you and I are finished with the work of judgment.
Now let me ask you again: who is left on planet earth? Absolutely nobody - with one exception. The devil is still here . . .
Listen to what God says to Lucifer in Isaiah 14:
Isaiah 14:20
You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land and slain your people.
Lucifer doesn’t get to die. Not yet. He has to sit on a broken-down planet earth and think about what he’s done. His kingdom is finished - he has no subjects - nobody to work with.
It’s all over.
And you’ve got to wonder what the devil might think about, all by himself. Maybe he’s kicking through the dirt and suddenly sees a man he knew very well. A man he managed to convince to ignore the pleadings of God. A man who almost made a decision three or four times, but always backed away.
Or maybe there’s a woman - just a dead body now - but there she is. She knew what the Bible said, but decided that God isn’t all that fussy. And the devil smiles, because he knows he did that. “It doesn’t really matter if you really follow Jesus,” he told her. “One religion is just as good as another.”
But then he remembers someone else: and maybe that’s you. I don’t know - it all depends on the decisions you make BEFORE Jesus comes. But that person isn’t there. In fact, that person is sitting in heaven, judging fallen angels. That person is living and reigning with Jesus, the eternal Son of God.
Let me ask you tonight, as the devil reviews his career, where is he going to find you?
The Bible says the devil goes to prison for a thousand years:
Revelation 20:1-3
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit…”
There’s that word again - it’s abussos - the bottomless pit - the world that’s broken down after Jesus comes.
and a great chain in his hand.
He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand
years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he would deceive the nations
no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
I want you to notice a few things about this passage:
First of all, Satan is locked up in the “bottomless pit” - the broken-down world. And why is he locked up? It’s because he’s got no people - nothing to work with, nothing to do. That lasts for a thousand years, and during that time, you and I are reading through the books of heaven.
And then, the Bible says that Satan is “released for a little while.”
So how is the devil released? It’s because for a few brief moments, the wicked come back. I’ll show you that in a moment.
But let’s pause and review what we know so far:
Before the thousand years, Jesus comes back. The righteous are raised from the dead in the first resurrection. Then all the righteous are taken to heaven, and the wicked are dead on the earth.
Then during the thousand years, the devil is in jail. He’s got nobody to work with, and nothing to do. And while he’s in jail, you and I are going through the books in heaven.
The big question is: what happens next? What about AFTER the thousand years?
Let me show you an amazing sequence of events, because the Bible says that you and I don’t stay in heaven. In fact, Jesus says that you and I will inherit the earth:
Matt 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
So when does THAT happen? At the end of the thousand years, we come back here!
Revelation 21:2
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
This world has always been our home. This was the place God wanted us to live - but we gave it away. So the Bible says Jesus became a second Adam, and won at the cross, and now the planet belongs to Him.
And now, after the thousand years, God fixes the planet and moves us back in.
And it’s only at this point that Jesus’ feet actually touch the ground . . .
In the Bible, feet are a symbol of ownership. That’s why God told Abraham, in Genesis 13, to go for a walk, and everything his feet touched would belong to him. When Jesus comes to get us, His feet don’t touch the ground . . . not until AFTER we read the books, and we openly declare that Jesus DESERVES His kingdom!
Zechariah 14:4
And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faxes Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to
west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.
Jesus’ feet touch the ground, and the mountain splits in half to make room for something very big - the city of God, the New Jerusalem.
And this place is SO big, it’s easily got room for all of us!
Revelation 21:16
The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. It’s length, breadth, and height are equal.
Do you know how long a furlong is? It’s an eighth of a mile. This city is 1,500 miles around, or 375 miles on each side. One side of that city would stretch from here to Seattle. That is one big city!
And now Jerusalem - the NEW Jerusalem - is the permanent capital of the world.
And I want you to let this sink in. Do you realize what this means? Jesus has just come back to earth forever. He is the Son of Man - one of us - our Savior and our King - forever!
You will never be apart from Him again.
Now let’s look at what we have:
Before the thousand years, Jesus comes again. The righteous are raised from the dead, and we all go to heaven. The wicked are slain by the presence of God, and they stay dead for a thousand years.
During that time, the devil is down here, all by himself, and the righteous examine the books of heaven.
And then, after the thousand years, the New Jerusalem comes to this earth, and the Bible talks about a “second” resurrection:
Revelation 20:5
But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the moment when the wicked finally come back to life. The Bible says that, at the end of the thousand years, Satan is released from his prison - and that’s because HIS people are now back from the grave.
Satan thinks he has his empire back, and there’s suddenly a glimmer of hope in his heart. “Maybe we can still take the city!”
Revelation 20:7-9
…Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison, and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of
the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
Now here’s what I find absolutely amazing: even though Jesus has come again in all his glory — even though wickedness has been allowed to run its course — even though these people have suffered at the hands of the devil — they still choose to follow the dragon.
On that day, it will be painfully obvious that everybody’s decision is final. If you weren’t convinced by the books - and I imagine you will be - but if you’re not quite convinced, God will let you see it with your own eyes.
“Look: I’ll bring them back - for just a moment - and you’ll be able to see it for yourself. There’s no more hope. They’re never going to change.”
They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the cap of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
These people have ignored God’s voice so long, they can’t even hear it anymore. They still think the devil can win. They still think they can take the world by force.
So God puts them out of their misery, and it’s finally finished.
Let’s review it, one more time:
Before the thousand years, Jesus comes again. The righteous are raised from the dead, and we all go to heaven. The wicked are slain by the presence of God, and they stay dead for a thousand years.
During that time, the devil is down here, all by himself, and the righteous examine the books of heaven.
After the thousand years, the New Jerusalem comes down to this earth, and the Bible talks about a “second” resurrection. The wicked attack the city, and God devours them with fire. Revelation 20 calls that “the second death.”
And then God does something absolutely spectacular: He re-creates the earth.
Revelation 21:1
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first haven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
There’s going to be a new earth - and this time, you’re going to get to see God make it. The last time, He spoke it into existence, and this time, you get to watch!
This is our future - this is where God is taking us. It’s not a bunch of fluffy clouds, or a dark, shadowy underworld. The new earth is a real place - and the Bible describes it over and over:
2 Pet 3:13
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Isaiah 65:17
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
This new world will be so wonderful - so amazing - that you won’t even remember this place.
So of course, the BIG QUESTION is this:
What’s that new world going to be like? It’s kind of hard to grasp, because you and I have never known anything besides THIS place - but you’d be amazed at how much detail the Bible provides . . .
Let me show you a passage we looked at the other night:
Revelation 22:1-4
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. in the middle
of its streets, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.
And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God
and of the lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and his name shall be on their foreheads.
God absolutely reverses everything sin has done! Even though we really don’t deserve it, He gives us back the paradise He made in the first place!
In the Garden of Eden, we lost access to the Tree of Life, and God gives it back! In the Garden of Eden, the world was cursed because of sin, and now God removes the curse!
After we sinned, we could no longer see the face of God - it would have meant certain death - but now we see His face! And we identify so completely with God that His name - His very character - is etched in our minds.
If you have ever wondered what Eden was really like, understand this: you are going to BE there!
And that new world is going to be radically different from this one in so many ways! The natural world around us will be completely different:
Isaiah 35:1-6
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice
Even the harshest desert is going to become a tropical garden! And when the whole world is blooming, that means no more hunger - no more famine - no more shortages - no more refugee camps!
and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the
excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
No more physical disabilities. No more disease!
Say to them that are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, fear not: behold, your God
will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.”
Wait a minute: God is angry? He’s taking vengeance?
Absolutely. He saw exactly what happened to you - He saw the way the devil ruined your life - and that makes Him angry - and He promises: He’s going to set the record straight!
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
This is absolutely unbelievable. Everything that’s ever been wrong is going to disappear. That bad back you have? Gone. Your bad knee? Gone. Your failing eyesight? Forget about it! Your speech impediment? Finished!
It says the “lame man” is going to jump like a deer - and I know you’ve seen deer jump some pretty high fences! When I get to heaven, I’m going to jump!
Isaiah 65:25
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like a bullock: and dust shall be the
serpent’s meat. They shall not hunt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,” saith the Lord.
Imagine a world where your kids can just go outside and play. You’re never going to have to worry about it. They can go out for DAYS ON END, and you won’t have to worry. Imagine a place where nothing hurts, and nothing ever destroys.
But that’s just the beginning!
In this world, people get cheated. People get shortchanged on their paychecks. People get robbed. People get pushed aside when someone else is climbing up the corporate ladder. But not in God’s new earth.
Isaiah 65:21-23
And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit;
they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
“. . . Wait a minute! You mean I’m going to work?” Yes, you are - but not like you’re working now. It’s going to be completely different:
they shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.
Listen: the new world isn’t going to be boring. You’re going to get to DO stuff - meaningful stuff - and you’re going to enjoy it. And nobody will cheat you on your paycheck, because you enjoy what you make.
Nobody will take credit for what you did, because GOD gets all the credit.
Nobody will rip you off, because there’s no point in stealing.
You get to CREATE things, and you get to enjoy it forever!
And the best part isn’t even WHAT you do - the best part is WHO you live with:
Revelation 21:1-5
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city,
New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe
away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed
away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me. Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
Let me ask you tonight - do you NEED this? Do you need a miracle?
Little Tessie heard her mother crying, so she got a little closer to the door so she could listen. She found out there was something wrong with her brother. “The only thing that can help him now is a miracle,” her mother said.
She went into the closet and pulled out a little glass jar full of coins, and she dumped it out. There was $1.11.
One miracle - $1.11
What did your miracle cost?
Without asking her mother, she slipped out of the house, and walked to the drugstore on the corner. When she got inside, the pharmacist was busy talking to a man in a really nice suit - and the conversation went on and on and on.
Finally, she got tired of waiting, and she slapped a quarter on the glass countertop to get his attention. “Young lady!” said the pharmacist. “Can’t you see I’m busy???”
The man in the suit saw that she was crying, and so quietly he said, “It’s okay.”
The pharmacist reluctantly turned to the girl. “What can I do for you, little lady?”
“Mister, how much is a miracle? My mom says my brother needs a miracle, and I want to know what they cost!”
The pharmacist lowered his voice. “I’m afraid I don’t sell those,” he said.
Tessie began to cry all over again - and then the man in the suit said, “What’s wrong with your brother?”
“My mother says he’s got something growing inside his head, and he really needs a miracle!”
“Take me to your home.”
It turns out, the man was a world-renowned surgeon, and he agreed to operate on the little boy - and his life was saved.
But Tessie’s family was poor, and they knew they’d never be able to pay the bill. They waited for weeks - the way you do with medical bills - and finally, it came in the mail. They didn’t even want to open it - but eventually, they did.
And it said . . . “One miracle: $1.11.”
Let me ask you again: do you need a miracle? Do you need what God wants to give you? It’s already paid for - it’s yours for the taking. Tonight, God is offering to hold your hand in this world, and then give you EVERYTHING in the next.
What’s the miracle that YOU need tonight?
I’d like to invite you to come down the front tonight, and let’s pray together. Today you experience stress at works, problems in your marriages, struggles with your kids, broken bodies, strained finances, and so much more.
Let’s pray together for God to hold our hands through these trials, and let’s surrender ourselves to Jesus so that we can experience the first resurrection of life and live with Jesus for eternity.
Prayer
Tuesday night is, “How to Postpone Your Funeral.”
Thank you for coming out. Have a good night.