REV.# 75~21:1- 4 ALL THINGS MADE NEW 10-16-10
Lets not confuse the Millennium here on this earth as Christ is reigning from Jerusalem, as this earth as we’re used to will be completely renovated, lets not confuse it with the New Heaven and new earth.
Isaiah 35:1-2 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing.
Earth and heaven will be completely purified during the Millennium but made new as the eternity of eternities began.
Chapter 21 begins a new section of the Book of Revelation: all of the judgments, the deaths, heartaches and pains are finally gone for ever, its simple beyond our mental comprehensions of such harmony and perfect peace. In this chapter we see that the history of time is finished; the history of eternity is about to begin.
At last there’ll be a clean atmosphere at that eternal morning and the vast city of God will be sparkling like a diamond in the radiance of his presence.
REVELATION chapters 21: through 22:5 the focus seems to be primarily on the New Jerusalem and the eternal state because it mostly considers this entire section as prophetic of the eternal state.
There is very little revealed about the character of the new heaven and earth in Scripture. The main emphasis is its uniqueness; it is much different from the old, we think we enjoy a good juicy apple now, just wait until the curse of the creation is gone fore ever, every thing will be so much more enjoyable, all will be perfect at that time, some of us don’t see how much improvement can be made on a good old cat head biscuit full of fresh country butter and a big spoon full of home made black berry jam but all will be so much better at that time.
In the book of Revelation we have read about the history of the Church 2; & 3: about Israel 12: and the Gentile nations as their gathered to attack Gods people at Armageddon 19: and right on to the end of the millennium.
What we’re about to read in the remainder of the Revelation are about things that takes place after the Millennium.
Satan and his demons have been judged, and they, along with all the wicked of the human race, have been cast into the lake of fire.
The struggle between good and evil is over. From here on all is new, all is eternal.
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Listen as I read 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Every body don’t agree as to what this 1st verse means, some say that this old earth will be completely destroyed and annihilated and that God will create a new one all together, but I am of the opinion that God dos not annilate any thing, not even Satan and his demons or the lost sinner, God sends them to the LAKE OF FIRE, they’re not annihilated.
The Lord will destroy this earth by fire and then make the new heavens and the new earth. This destruction of the earth and the atmosphere does not mean its annihilation but, rather, its purification by fire and the recasting of these purified elements into a new, more beautiful, sinless and perfect earth to be the dwelling place of a sinless and purified people forever and ever.
Many of the prophets, both Old and New Testaments, told about this new heaven and new earth.
Isaiah 65 17-19 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
There may be some one that’s listening might say, “but heaven will not be enjoyable if I remember that my dear so & so is in hell” well according to this verse they will not ever come to our minds or anything else pertaining to this old sin cursed world., I would agree with you if it was not for the fact that we’ll not ever remember them again.
Listen as I read that verse again;
Isaiah 65 17-19 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Now dear heart that verse is just as true as John 3:16, believe it.
18But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
There will never be another sad day and never another tearful occasion.
Remember we’re at this time talking about this old earth being completely destroyed by fire, but also remember that the foundations of this earth standeth sure, God will turn this old earth after its been completely destroyed into a new creation.
PS.102: 25-27 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: (notice-changed-not annilated) 27But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
Ø Listen-- Psalm 104:1-5 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. 2Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: 3Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: 4Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
Ø 5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
CHANGED, NOT ANNILATED, NOT DONE AWAY WITH, BUT CHANGED.
2nd pet.3:12-13 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Psalm 89:11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.
Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Ø So these verses should close the case once and for all on this earth, it will be made new.
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The purpose for the passing of this present order is that it should be replaced with a new order
"a new heaven and a new earth." So we may ask, how heaven and earth will be replaced.
Ø The two possibilities are by annihilation or renovation, and the verses we’ve just read should be the mouth stoppers, it will be renovated.
A new heaven and a new earth do not indicate another heaven and another earth.
New heaven . . . new earth: The ancient Greek word translated new here (kaine) means "new in character, ’fresh’." It doesn’t mean "recent" or "new in time." This isn’t just the next heaven and the next earth; this is the better heaven and better earth replacing the old (the first earth had passed away.
Luke 21:33 Jesus said that heaven and earth shall pass away, but His word would live forever.
There will be no fossil record, or archaeo-logical artifacts to discover to provide a record of man’s activities.
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Let me remind us that there are 3 heavens, the 1st is where the birds fly, the planes fly, the air we breathe, Satan’s domain for the time being, he is the prince and power of the air-Eph 2:2
(1st heaven) the firmament (Gen. 1:8 And God called the firmament Heaven.), referring to the earth’s atmosphere.
And the 2nd heaven is where the planets are, the stars, the stellar universe in its expanse.
Ps. 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.)
And the 3rd heaven is where God the Father dwells, the unique dwelling place of God
Heb. 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God--so the 3rd heaven will remain the same it will not change, Paul tells about these 3 heavens.
Ø Paul said in;
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.** 3And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4How that he was caught up into paradise,** and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
We believe that Paul is telling about himself as he was stoned at LYSTRA and dragged out of the city for dead, it’s possible that Paul did die and God revived him because God wasn’t finished with Paul yet.
Acts 14:19-20 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, (into Lystra) who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
20Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
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The heaven that is purged, or "passed away" is the heaven that became defiled because of Satan and his wickedness. This is the atmospheric heaven surrounding our earth, the air we breathe and where the birds fly, this is the domain of Satan Ephesians 2:2
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21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
This will give so much more land space in the eternal earth for the peoples on earth.
To the Jewish mind, the sea was a place of separation and evil. If you’ll recall in chapter
13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea—
Also in chapter 20:13 it was the place of dead sinners that were in the sea, And the sea gave up the dead which were in it-- so there will be no more sea in the New earth.
There is no more sea, which in scripture has served as a natural barrier to nations intermingling and an to nations interacting with one another. The seas have also been associated with the sin and the sinful will of man
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Jude 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
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2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband: John uses the most striking, beautiful image he can think of. The most beautiful thing a man will ever see is his bride coming down the aisle, ready to meet him. John says that this is how beautiful the New Jerusalem will be.
Me say right here; My wife and I didn’t have a big Church wedding with all the extras that might go along with it, and I’m certainly not against all that, but we were just as married as you can get, we were married in the living room of Preacher Ellis’s home, it cost the grand total of ten dollars back in 1961, but there has never been a more beautiful little Carolina bride in the world than she was that evening, she was of the ripe old age of 15 years old and I was of the over the hill age of 18, I was home on leave from the Marine Corp, and let me say that we’ve never had but one fuss in 48 years, it started the day we married and is still going strong today, I’m only kidding of coarse, the Lord really blest me with a precious little wife and I love her dearly.
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3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Here, in the New Jerusalem, we have something totally unique: a sinless, pure, community of righteousness, a holy city.
Problems arise when believers expect this kind of community now, or fail to realize that it only comes down out of heaven. This city is not, and never can be, the achievement of man, but only a gift from God.
The beauty of the city that John describes is more than a mere object of affection, but is in fact the abode of Jesus Christ and His wife.
The holy city, New Jerusalem:-- it is different from any earthly city, It is significant that this glorious dwelling place of God and His people is described as the holy city. Cities are places where there are many people, and people interact with each other. This isn’t isolation, but a perfect community of the people of God.
To us Christians we think of this heavenly city as a place of life, activity, interesting things, and people –
Man has never known a community unmarred by sin. Adam and Eve only knew a limited community, and community in a larger context only came long after the fall.
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The Lord first walked in the garden with Adam and Eve before sin entered into the world, but sin separated man from God.
Gen. 3:8-10 8And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
9And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? ***(God was wanting a confession from Adam) 10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
Ø AND NOW only the blood of Jesus on the cross could settle the sin problem once and for all,
HEB.9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
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4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And death shall be no more—
In just these past few minutes that you and I have been reading and studying together there have been thousands of people to die the world over, there’s many that are crying because of broken hearts that their loved one is gone, there’ll be many funerals to take place today across our land.
The hospitals are full of sick people and many of them are in great pain and agony. Many of our cemeteries are just about filled to capacity and I suppose some are.
But in that wonderful place that we’re talking about, the undertaker will be out of business, the only doctors and undertakers that will be there will be the saved ones
4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
I tell you dear heart there is a great day on the way for you and I who are saved, these troubles and trials we all face from day to day is soon to be a thing of the past, listen brothers and sisters in Christ never lose hope and let us stop our fretting because Jesus could call us away at just any moment of any day now, this thing is just about over with, the best is just ahead for all that are saved.
Ø Paul said in
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:---
