INTRODUCTION
I have been asked numerous times over the course of the last ten or more years: Will there really be a New Heaven and a New Earth? The simple answer is ‘Yes’ there will be; which often leads to a sermon on that very subject.
SERMON
Hebrews 4:14 tells us that nothing in God’s creation is hidden from His sight. We also know that there is nothing that escapes Him concerning us specifically. Job tells us that “He knows the way I take (JOB 23:10).” No one knows what God knows. As He told Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth (JOB 38:4)?”
Our God knew before the beginning of time that His earth would have to be destroyed by water. It was no spur of the moment thing—no last-minute decision on His part. He also knew that He would one day send His only begotten Son to this re-corrupted world to save us from our sin. This was all part of His plan—from the beginning—even before Genesis 1:1, “In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
It was also always known to Him that man and his sin would corrupt and further destroy His creations: both Heaven and Earth. I have no doubt that our God knew that man would wreak havoc on this planet’s ecosystem including our air and water.
He knew that sin would run so rampant that He would have to intervene once again in what is called the “End Times.” Satan would continue to claim his stake in God’s creations including man himself. Satan would cause man to war against his brother and slowly destruct everything that was once beautiful— “It is good (GENESIS).”
The “End Times” or “Last Days” as described by Jesus Himself in Matthew, is the part of God’s plan where two things occur: 1) Man (those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ) are rescued and rewarded and 2) Satan and this world he has corrupted is totally destroyed and those responsible for its corruption are punished for eternity.
It was never part of God’s plan to destroy this planet of ours by water. Its total destruction would take millennia to come to fruition. God knew it would be His final act that would replace His heaven and His earth.
Our first scripture today is from 2 Peter 3:1-9 [NKJV]…
[1] Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), [2] that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, [3] knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, [4] and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” [5] For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, [6] by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. [7] But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. [8] But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Peter reminds us that in the last day will come scoffers (v.3) will be asking where is this Lord of yours? Did He not say that He would be returning? Nothing has changed. People are still dying. He informs us that we might remind them that wasn’t it this same God, who created the Heavens and the Earth that destroyed all men (except eight) by water and that He is reserving the total destruction of His Heaven and His Earth by fire in those same last days. It is all part of His judgment of those who are ungodly (evil). And the only reason our God has not done it up until now is because He does not want all of mankind to perish but gives them an opportunity to repent. Amen.
The time is coming. The “Last Days” will be upon us before we know it and for those that doubt that it will all end in fire; let us turn to 2 Peter 3:10 [NKJV]:
[10] But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
It will be a total surprise. No one but the Father knows the day or the hour. It will come like “thief in the night”, Peter warns us. There will be a great noise as the heavens pass away. I would imagine this describes a great explosion of sorts. There will be extreme heat associated with this event since Peter mentions that the “elements will melt with fervent heat.” We have a periodic chart that we all most likely had to study beginning in seventh grade or beyond. It included such elements as copper, hydrogen, oxygen, iron and several hundred more. These will all melt and/or burn up with fervent heat.
What exactly is meant with fervent heat? It is an extreme heat that glows as it burns. Imagine a “fire ball.” That I would imagine might describe the elements of His Heavens and His Earth as He destroys them. And not only will the earth be burned up, but all of its works as well. No one knows, except God, what is meant by the earth’s “works” but I can only imagine that it implies that there will be nothing left that remains— “the whole works” as the saying goes.
I am not sure how anyone who has read God’s Word can be confused at all about the fate of this planet and the heavens that surround it. Some of them question that the entire Bible is true and when I hear that, I remind them that if the entire Bible is not true then our God is a liar and I will defer that conversation to them and God but I strongly recommend that they refrain from such a conversation.
God has an entire sequence of events that deal with what His Word denotes as His Wrath. It can be found starting in Revelation 1:1. From the beginning, God has been patiently waiting to reveal His Son as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and it shall be done in the “Last Days” as outlined in the book of Revelation; which is short for the “Revelation of Jesus Christ.”
John, the very same John, that was a disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ while He walked on this Earth, was exiled to the Island of Patmos, where this revelation, in its entirety, was given to him by none other than God in Christ.
It would take a series of sermons to cover all that is contained within the verses of this one book, but that we will reserve for another time. However, without any intended injustice, I will give a brief summary of His revelation and challenge each one of you to read it for yourselves. You will find that it does tell you as part of the opening of His revelation that those that read it will be blessed—and who wouldn’t want to be blessed. Amen.
It pretty much all starts out with these seven seals found on a scroll that no one in Heaven except Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God) can open. None of the first six seals bring serious devastation to this planet and are meant to be a warning from God. It seems that He is still anxious at this point to save as many as possible before “He lowers the proverbial boom” if you will.
When the seventh seal is broken, seven trumpets in turn are sounded. These trumpets start the destruction of God’s creation; all that is not good; that which has been corrupted. At the seventh trumpet, the bowl judgments begin. This is truly the “Wrath of God!” Most Bible scholars agree that Christians have been harvested by our Lord Jesus Christ and are not present for this part of the “Last Days.”
Our Lord’s Second Coming and a mighty battle conclude this portion of God’s plan for the “End Times.” There will be a rest for His saints for one thousand years while Satan and his followers are detained. At the completion of those thousand years, there will be a judgment, there will be eternal punishment for Satan and his followers, and a New Heaven and New Earth will appear. There will also be a New Jerusalem at this time.
I would urge those who have doubt about where the final Heaven will be and where they will live out their eternal life with God (should they be believers), to read this important book. God’s plan restores His creation and returns all things to where they once were—God once again walking among His creation—immortal and uncorrupted. Amen.
