New Heaven and New Earth
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Introduction
Introduction
The idea of a new heaven and new earth is explicitly noted in:
“See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
“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.
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
When we use the phrase “New Heaven and New Earth” we must understand something about the Old Testament. The OT has no term that directly translates as “Universe” so it uses the term “heaven and earth”. This was the Hebraic way to refer to the universe.
The end of the book of Revelation is the most common scripture passages explaining the “New Heaven and Earth”. It is noteworthy to observe how the closing chapters of revelation reflect the motifs of Genesis 1-3.
Walking Through Revelation 21
Walking Through Revelation 21
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
This passage is alluding to Isiah 65:17; 66:22 and 2 Peter 3:10.
The phrase “and there was no longer any sea” doesn’t mean their is no water. It is an illustration that is normal to Hebrew thinking. The Sea represented in apocalyptic literature chaos and evil. You see this imagery in Revelation 13:1 “The beast came from the sea” and Revelation 17:1 “The great harlot sits on many waters”. The sea represented chaos and evil.
Right away in Revelation 21 we see the passing of the universe, and a new universe that is very different from the last beginning. One without chaos and evil.
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
The holy city coming “down from heaven” shows proof of the holy city possible being in the intermediate state.
The holy city represents God’s redeemed people. (Isa. 52:1; Heb. 12:22-24)
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
In the New Heaven and Earth God will be with us, among us, just like in the original garden in Genesis 1-3. This is the restoration of the fellowship with God that we lost in Eden.
The new Jerusalem is presented as a glorious temple-city, fulfilling OT prophecies and patterns of God’s dwelling with his people.
This is a beautiful picture of our restored relationship with God, made possible through Jesus.
‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
This alludes to:
he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
The New Heaven and Earth represent a place where their is perfect comfort, the source of sorrow has been removed, and the curse and brokenness of the “old order” of sin is no longer.
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
This alludes to:
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
God will make all things new, this is a promise God has made to us through the prophets, which began with Jesus.
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.
Water without cost, that’s interesting....
All our needs will be met in the new heaven and earth, God has always promised this, yet in heaven we come to realize it to it’s fulness.
Those who are victorious alludes to the promise to the persevering believers in the seven churches at the beginning of Revelation.
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
This is an interesting list of many of the traits we see in our current state.
The second death is of those who are in the current hell. Their state of being will come to an end. consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
A Picture of the New City
A Picture of the New City
See a picture of the new city:
It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Eden Restored
Eden Restored
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
The Overarching Message
The Overarching Message
Revelation gives us a picture of a restored world, with a restored relationship.
The Bible story begins with a tree and ends with a tree, where our life with God returns back to the way it was created.
Our World As We Know It
Our World As We Know It
Our world is broken because of Sin
Yet we hold on to things of our world so tightly
Revelation 21:3-4 gives us the contrast. He wipes away our tears etc.
The Old Order Has Passed Away
No longer Sea, our world is full of chaos and evil.
No longer will there be any curse
We are living under a curse, not much of what we know is eternal.
We receive water for free in the new heaven and earth.
We need to Focus in this broken world on things from above.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Big Idea: The New Heaven and Earth will be a perfect place where our relationship with God will be restored to it’s fullest. We will see his face!
But we are living on the broken earth right now, so we need to focus on things from above, not on earthly things! We need to seek righteousness here on earth. Which can only be found in Jesus Christ.