The New Heavens And New Earth - Part 1 Series

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. # And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. $ And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR FROM THEIR EYES; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. The first things passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

Introduction

Up until this point in our study, our focus has been on events that will occur in the very near future the Rapture, the Seven-Year Tribulation, the Glorious Return of Christ, and the Millennial Reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. All of this is not the Ultimate Victory. These events are not our eternal destination.

It is easy to be interested in these events. They serve a very important purpose, but they are not an end to themselves. Most Christians, to some extent or another, tend to keep their eternity framed within their current human experience here on earth. We tend to focus on our eternity within the context of our flesh.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; # for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19–21 LSB

One of my favorite books growing up as a child was J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, which tells a fantasy take of Bilbo Baggins joining the adventure of the Dwarves in their quest to regain their home of Lonely Mountain. Lonely Mountain is full of gold and jewels but occupied by the ferocious fire-breathing dragon, Smaug. The heir to the dwarf throne is Thorin Oakenshield who longs to return to his home and rightful throne, but the destination is greater than even some of the dwarves to comprehend. The eldest sage of the dwarves, Balin, argues with Thorin’s plan to return to the mountain kingdom. Balin says, “What are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toymakers. Hardly stuff of a legend."

So it can be for us to try to understand our place in the Heavenly Kingdom. As fallen people we look back to Genesis as man walked in the garden in the cool of the day (Gen 3:8). But Satan has swept away our once glorious condition, leaving us adri& in this world. What are we? Businessmen, teachers, carpenters... hardly stuff for the glory of God. (Richard Phillips).

Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you died and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory. Therefore, consider the members of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. ' On account of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. (Colossians 3:1–7 LSB)

Nevertheless, our greatest anticipation should be Heaven. Our death is beyond a metaphysical translation. It is not merely spiritual. Heaven is a place, not a state of being. Heaven is a destination...our eternal destination. So with that, our greatest anticipation should be Heaven. Everything connected to our spiritual life here on earth should be in connection to our eternal destination. Moreover, our longing for heaven should be burning because God is there. We would gladly go through all these things and all trials because we know He is there waiting for us, even as He is here with us right now.

See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we would be called children of God; and we are. For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not been manifested as yet what we will be. We know that when He is manifested, we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is. " 1 John 3:1–3 LSB