New Heavens & A New Earth
Pastor Leslie Chua
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a roar,
and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved,
and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved,
what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved,
and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. ”
Most Christians believe that they are going to heaven when they die, and they will be there for all eternity.
Well, these Christians are only partially correct. When the rapture of the church takes place, Christians will be given new bodies and then taken to heaven. However, they will be in heaven for only a brief period of seven years. After that, they will come back down to earth together with Jesus Christ in His Second Coming.
For the next one thousand years, Jesus will rule over the earth and we will reign together with Him.
In the aftermath of Christ’s millennial reign, the present universe will be “set on fire and dissolved” (2 Peter 3:12). All the heavenly bodies – the innumerable stars and planets – in the vast expanse of the universe will melt under intense heat. God will destroy the heavens and the earth completely. The existing universe will pass away without a trace.
In that vacuum, God will create a new heaven and a new earth. You and I, together with all those whose names are found in the book of life, will live on this new earth for the rest of eternity.
Some Christians Find the Book of Revelation is Depressing
Presently, I am halfway through preaching the book of Revelation. From chapter 6 onward to chapter 18, the apostle John detailed his visions of divine judgements. Some people find this portion of the book depressing.
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Many modern Christians, accustomed to only a sanitised and therapeutic brand of Christianity, cannot believe that God is capable of such terrifying judgements.
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These judgements are terrifying. God will unleash them one after another continuously without any pause, and it will get from bad to worse. Billions of people will die and those who survive will have to live through a most horrendous time, which is unprecedented.
Many modern Christians, accustomed to only a sanitised and therapeutic brand of Christianity, cannot believe that God is capable of such terrifying judgements.
However, we should not be surprised if we know the whole counsel of God’s Word. As much as God is love and He is gracious, He is also righteous and just. God’s justice demands that He punishes unrepentant sinners and perpetrators of evil.
Of course, it is unpleasant to read the long and graphic accounts of these judgements. But there is no excuse to avoid these biblical passages. God has included these details in the Bible for good reasons. Foremost, they serve as a warning to Christians to take our relationship with God seriously. They also serve to motivate us to share the gospel with the lost. Surely, we do not want our loved ones and friends to go through the terrifying ordeal of the Tribulation judgements.
The Bible Ends on a Triumphant Note
The good news is that the Bible does not end on a depressing note. The last four chapters of the book of Revelation briefly and broadly paint a picture of victory, restoration, and re-creation.
After all the divine judgements are completed, Jesus will return triumphantly with the raptured church and His angelic hosts to defeat Satan and the Antichrist. The kingdoms of the world will become the Kingdom of our God and His Christ, after which Jesus will reign over the nations of the world for one thousand years.
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The good news is that the Bible does not end on a depressing note. The last four chapters of the book of Revelation briefly and broadly paint a picture of victory, restoration, and re-creation.
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Finally, our present heavens and earth will be destroyed by fire, and God will re-create a new heaven and a new earth. This is the endgame. This is how the story of mankind will end with the redeemed of God living happily ever after with God on the new earth.
What the New Heavens & New Earth Will Look Like
Everything will be new in the new heavens and new earth. God declares – “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
All the inhabitants of the new earth will be clothed with new glorified bodies that are imperishable. Our existence will be in a different spatial dimension.
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Everything will be new in the new heavens and new earth. God declares – “Behold, I am making all things new.”
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On this new earth, there will be no more sadness, no more pain, and no more suffering. Most importantly, there will be no more death. Everything associated with the present earth shall pass away (Revelation 21:4).
On this new earth, there will be no sun and no moon. There will also be no night. No lamp is ever needed. The glory of God will be its light and the Lamb will be the lamp (Revelation 21:23, 25; 22:5).
The inhabitants of the new earth will live in a holy city called the new Jerusalem, which will come down from heaven (Revelation 21:2, 10). New Jerusalem is an incredibly beautiful city with “the river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city.” The river is crystal clear and on either side of it stands the tree of life (Revelation 22:1-2), which was last seen in the garden of Eden.
The city of New Jerusalem will shine with the glory of God. Its brilliance will be stunning, shining “like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:11). The city has a high wall made of jasper and its foundation is adorned with twelve different precious gemstones. Each of the twelve gates of the wall is made of a single giant pearl and the street of the city is paved with gold (Revelation 21:18-21).
Can you imagine the beauty and splendour of New Jerusalem? I believe that it will be more stunning than John’s description of it. Human vocabulary is inadequate to describe things that are alien to our world.
I don’t know about you. But as for me, I am looking forward to spending my eternity living in New Jerusalem on the new planet earth.
The Criterion to Live on the New Earth
When writing about the End Times, Peter was more concerned with the believers’ spiritual condition than the new heavens and the new earth. He posed the question - “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives” (2 Peter 3:11 - NIV).
Similarly, when describing the new earth, John made clear that only “the one who conquers will have this heritage” (Revelation 21:7).
In Jesus’ seven letters to the seven churches, Jesus repeatedly asserted that only those who conquer or overcome will receive the blessings of eternal life and eternal rewards.
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When writing about the End Times, Peter was more concerned with the believers’ spiritual condition than the new heavens and the new earth. He posed the question – “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?
You ought to live holy and godly lives”
(2 Peter 3:11 - NIV).
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Therefore, take heed of the words of Jesus and the apostles. Be mindful of how we live. Live a godly and holy life. Purposefully and diligently run the race that God has marked out for us. Persevere through our trials. Endure hardships to the end. Keep the faith. God has made us more than conquerors. So, be overcomers by the grace and power of God.
The new heavens and the new earth await us! Hallelujah!