Our Eternal Home is the New Earth - Part 1

PDF

Good evening and welcome to Sunday Evening Online. You know, the last couple of weeks it's been my joy to retrace the truths of the second coming of our Lord. It's important in these days for us to consider those realities and to find our hope and our joy, not in our current circumstances, but in what's coming.

With that in mind, I am very excited about what we're going to look at tonight and Lord willing, next week as well. I remember back when I first really came to understand that our eternal home is not heaven, as wonderful as heaven will be. We were made for earth, and we are going forever to live in a new earth that's very much like this one. And there's so much for us to learn about this. It's so exciting to consider.

Tonight, we'll begin that process. We'll look at the destruction of the current earth in the future and begin to look at the Lord's recreation of a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness are at home. So let me pray for us. And then we'll begin to look at God's Word together. Again, this message was done now some four or five years ago. But these truths are as profoundly helpful and relevant as they were then. I hope they'll encourage you as they do me.

Let's pray together. Father, we are grateful to know that as good as we have it in this life, as many blessings as are ours, we're so thankful that this is not all there is for us. Lord, we were made for eternity. And we sense that. This life rushes past, flies past, and we long for more. Thank you that for us who know and love You, there is more. And in fact, there is the reality of eternity on a new earth. And, Lord, I pray that tonight, as we study Your Word together, You would make these truths more real, more precious to us than they ever have been, and that we would find our foundation, our hope, our confidence in these days, not on the shifting sands of this life and the world in which we live now, but rather, Father, on the foundation of the solid rock of eternity. We pray that You would open our minds to hear and understand. In Jesus' name, amen.

This morning, however, it is my joy to finish our summer series. We step back from our study of the book of Romans to consider a series I entitled Hold Fast. Forgotten truths we must always remember. These are things that today's church has largely forgotten but that you and I must be committed to. And today we end that series. And, by the way, I should just tell you that I haven't decided, but I think next Sunday's communion, I think I may do a special message on Christ. I just want to look at Him. I want us to look at Him together. And I think that's what I'm going to do. And then the following week, we'll go back to Romans, chapter 4.

But this morning, we're going to finish our summer series looking at our eternal home. You know, the way most people think about heaven, complete with halos and wings and floating around on clouds, playing harps for eternity, frankly, doesn't sound very appealing. There's nothing in that description that really excites me. Fortunately, the common human perception of heaven bears almost no resemblance to where we will spend eternity, those of us who are in Christ. And that's true for two reasons. First of all, it's true because the common view of heaven is a caricature of the real biblical heaven. But secondly, and even more importantly, we need to understand that the real biblical heaven is not our eternal home. That may shock you, but the Bible teaches that our eternal home will be a new earth, remarkably like the one on which we live. Rather than on some ethereal virtual world, we will live forever on a real earth with real cities and real people doing things that real human beings do. Sadly, today's church has almost forgotten that this is what the Bible teaches. But you and I must hold fast to the truth that our eternal home is a new earth.

Two weeks ago, we studied the eternal state of the wicked. That was a sobering message for me to preach and for you to hear. Jesus, our Lord, taught that there is actually a place, a terrible place of conscious suffering where those who refuse to repent and trust in God's only provision for salvation will be forever separated from God, their Creator and from everything that's good, suffering and enduring what Revelation calls "the wrath of the Lamb in the presence of the Lamb forever." But today, it's our joy to consider the eternal state, not of the wicked, but of the righteous in the new heavens and the new earth.

Now, before we can really look into the reality that is the new earth, we need to remind ourselves that our eternity actually begins with the destruction of the present universe. The Bible is clear that God will destroy the universe as we now know it. Now, I need to admit to you that there is a lot of theological debate about how God will do that. There are those who are conservative evangelical theologians who argue that God will destroy this universe completely. And there are others who say, no, he won't destroy it completely. He will simply cleanse it and renovate it by fire. And that's what we will inhabit forever. The question really comes down to this: Is the current universe a remodel or a teardown?

Now, the reason for the confusion is that there are some texts that seem to imply both. There are texts that seem to imply a cleanse and remodel sort of approach to the new earth. For example, in Matthew 19:28, Jesus says, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me" — listen to how He phrases this — "in the regeneration," in the rebirth, the remaking, "when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Now, the problem with using this verse is that in context it probably refers to the millennium, that is, the thousand-year reign of Christ on this earth that has been renewed. And so that would be the perfect description of it. It's not talking about the eternal state.

The same thing is really true with another verse that's often used, Acts 3:21. Peter's preaching, and he says, "Heaven must receive" the Messiah "until the period of the restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time." Again, you get that idea of restoration, renovation, remodel. At the same time, this passage also, in context, probably refers, properly interpreted, to the millennium, to the thousand-year reign of Christ, when it will be restored from its cursed state to a renovated state.

Romans 8:21-22: "The creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now." Again, the implication is that it will be more of a remodel, a renovation, set free from slavery into freedom.

While there are passages that seem to imply this sort of cleanse and remodel approach, there are other passages that seem clearly to state that God will destroy this current universe and make an entirely new one. Take Hebrews 1:11-12, for example, quoting from the Old Testament: "[They] will perish, but you," God, "remain; [and] they all will become old like a garment, and like a mantle You will roll them up; like a garment they will also be changed." The picture here is of an old piece of clothing that is no longer useful to wear. You take it off and you throw it away, and you put a new one on. In 2 Peter 3:10, Peter writes, "The heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up." Revelation 20:11, speaking of the time of the great white throne judgment, says that "no place was found" for the current heavens and the current earth.

But I think Revelation 21:1 settles the argument for me. Let me show it to you. John writes, "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]." Now, the then refers to the timeline that has been unfolding here in the last chapters of Revelation. I don't want to go through this in detail, but in chapter 19 you have the second coming. You have, earlier than that of course, you have the tribulation period, the seven years of tribulation on this earth. Then you have, in chapter 19, the second coming, the saints. We come back with Christ from heaven. We were raptured before the tribulation. We come back at the second coming. That is followed then, in early chapter 20, by the millennium, the thousand-year reign of Christ on a renewed earth, this planet renewed, renovated.

At the end of that thousand years, verse 7 says there is a rebellion that takes place and then, following that rebellion and God squashing that rebellion, comes, in verse 11, the great white throne judgment. This is when all the unbelievers of all time will be judged, thrown into the lake of fire we're told at the end of this chapter. But notice, in verse 11, that at the great white throne judgment, the earth and heaven fled from God's presence and "no place was found for them." It's at this point [that] God destroys this existing universe. Go back to chapter 21:1: Then on the heels of that "[T]hen I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away."

Now notice, first of all, that he says "the first earth and the first heaven." What does first imply? That there's a second, that the new one is a second one. But I think there's another bit of proof here that's even stronger. Notice in verse 1, John says, "the first heaven and the first earth passed away." John uses that same Greek word, translated passed away, down in verse 4. There he says there will be no more death, no more mourning, crying, pain. "The first things have" — here it is — "passed away."

Listen, God is not going to renovate pain and death and crying and reuse them in some way in the new heaven and new earth. No, they cease to exist. That's what he means by pass away. Now, it is logical to assume that if John uses it that way, the same word in verse 4, then in verse 1, when he says "the first heaven and first earth passed away," he means they cease to exist. So, then, there is coming a day when the universe as we know it will come to an end in a divine act of uncreation.

Second Peter, turn back there with me, 2 Peter 3:10 explains how this will happen: "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up." Here's the application. Since all these things that are all around us are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? What Peter's saying is really, you're going to get caught up with this world when God's going to destroy it? Instead, verse 12: You should be "looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!" But according to His promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth.

Now notice, first of all, that the conflagration Peter describes here includes, in verse 10, the heavens, plural. As you know, the Scripture speaks of three heavens. The first heaven is the atmosphere that surrounds this planet. We talk about the clouds being in the heavens. That's the use of that word. Then we talk about the second heaven, which is the interstellar, intergalactic heaven. It's space as we know it, where all the galaxies are, the other galaxies, et cetera, and the expression of our own galaxy. Then you have the third heaven, as Paul calls it to the Corinthians. And that's where God dwells, the special place where He manifests His presence.

What he says here, when he says the heavens, he's talking about the visible, physical realm of interstellar, intergalactic space. And then he says, verse 10, "the earth and its works" — you'll see the marginal note — "the earth and the works in it."

In other words, our planet, and everything on it, will be destroyed. How will that happen? Look back in verse 7. It'll be destroyed by fire. And in verse 10, we're told that that fire will be accompanied with a roar. In Greek, the word roar is an onomatopoeic word. That is, it's a word that sounds like what it means. It describes a loud rushing sound. It's like this vacuum sound as everything is swept away. Verse 10 goes on to say, "the elements," that is, the basic physical building blocks of the universe, "will be destroyed with intense heat," and this planet will be burned up. Now, you don't have to wonder how God might do this. I mean, the atomic structure of the creation itself makes our entire universe one huge potential nuclear bomb. And someday, at God's decision apparently, the universe as we know it will be destroyed by an atomic chain reaction and will simply cease to exist. No place will be found for it. At the time of the great white throne of judgment, there will be nothing but God and the intelligent beings He's created. And then comes the creation of the new heavens and a new earth. After the old is destroyed, God makes new.

Now, this was prophesied in the Old Testament, Isaiah specifically. Isaiah 65:17 says, "[For] behold," this is God speaking, "I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind." God says, "I'm going to make a new earth." In Isaiah 66:22, we read, "'The new heavens and the new earth which I will make will endure before Me,' declares the Lord." God says, "I'm going to make a permanent universe, unlike the disposable one in which we live."

When you come to the New Testament, as we'll see in the book of Revelation, this new heaven and this new earth are prophesied as well. But in addition to that, the New Testament authors point back to the Old Testament prophecy. In the passage where we just were, in 2 Peter 3:13, Peter says this: According to God's promise — Where did he promise it? In Isaiah, we just saw it — "According to [His] promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells." By the way, I love that word, dwells. It's a word that in Greek can be translated is at home. We're looking for a new earth in which righteousness is perfectly at home; certainly not ours.

Now, understand then that both Testaments, Old and New, promise that this universe will be destroyed and that God will create a new universe like a phoenix from the ashes. And what will the new universe be like? Well, the details of the eternal state, that's really what we're talking about, come almost exclusively and appropriately in the last two chapters of our Bible. Turn with me to Revelation, chapter 21 and chapter 22. This is where we'll spend the rest of our time this morning. I want us to briefly walk through Revelation's description of this new creation, this new universe, here in chapters 21 and a portion of chapter 22.

Notice how [chapter] 21 begins: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away." Now, God is going to create, then, a new heaven, that is, a new interstellar, intergalactic space, what we know as space. He's going to recreate that and a new earth. Now, what's interesting about this, honestly astounding, is that by using the same terms, earth and heaven for both the old and the new, the first and the second, this implies that there's going to be great similarity between the old and the new. The new will be like the old, physical and material, like our current universe. There may be some figurative language here in John's description, but understand this: John chooses these familiar images, images that are very familiar to us, because they are the closest earthly counterparts to what he saw in this vision.

In fact, listen for a moment to the points of similarity between this earth on which we live and the new earth that John describes here. Let me just pull them from these two chapters. Here are the points of similarity. These will be in the new earth just as they're here. There will be cities; mountains; walls; gates; compass directions; foundations and foundation stones; similar measurements to what we know now; the same precious stones and metals but perfected; streets; nations; kings; daytime; a river; trees with fruit and leaves; months, that is, the passing of sequential moments; and Christian people. All of those appear in the new earth that we're studying about together this morning. And there's nothing in the context here to suggest that these things are anything but real, just as they're described. In fact, I think it's fair to say, and many theologians believe, that it is highly likely that either all or at least most of the things that God said back in Genesis chapter 1 in the first creation [that] were very good, will also be present in the new creation.

But let's look at the new world a little closer. First of all, in [Revelation] 21:1-4, John has an initial vision of the new heaven and the new earth. This is sort of his introduction. He says, "[Then] I saw a new heaven and a new earth," and there was one huge difference between the new earth and our existing one. Verse 1 says, "and there [is] no longer any sea," that is, oceans. There will be water, we'll learn that later, but there won't be oceans. Why is that? Well, there are a lot of explanations for that and I think there's some truth in several of them. But I think the one that stands out is this: Although oceans are not evil in and of themselves — remember, God said they were very good, back in Genesis 1 — nevertheless, they are often used in Scripture to picture the sort of unrest of the human fallen soul, the disorder, the violence that's a part of the sinful creation, a fallen world in which we live. For example, even Isaiah talks about the wicked [that] are like the waves of the sea which cannot rest, constantly churning. And so, in the new world, there will be no more sea. There will be no reminders of man's fallen sinful condition.

Notice in verse 2: "[And] I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband." Coming down out of the third heaven where God specially manifests His presence, comes this city, having already been prepared. Now, if you're biblically literate, that should take your mind back to the upper room discourse on the night before our Lord's crucifixion when he said, "I have to go away, and if I go away, I will prepare a place for you." What we have here is the unveiling of the place Christ has been preparing. And what a place it must be. I mean, think about this: Jesus Christ spoke this universe into existence using small portions of six days. But he's been working on this city for 2,000 years. John runs short of words to describe its magnificence. Notice, he calls it the new Jerusalem in verse 2. This city will serve as the capital city of the new earth. In fact, heaven and earth will be united together by this remarkable city.

Verse 3: "[And] I heard a loud voice from the throne." This isn't the voice of God. God's going to speak in a moment. This is one of the beings around the throne of God 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." I wish you'd never heard that before. I wish that were new to you and you could really wrap your mind around what's being said. The thing that will make the new earth the most wonderful, the most desirable for us isn't streets of gold. It's that God will be there. He will dwell with us. God will specially manifest His presence among His people on this new earth forever.

Verse 4 — and I love the personal nature of this: "And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Listen: God Himself will remove from your heart the troubles of this life. He will wipe them away. He will remove the tears. And then it says, "There will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain." Listen: How remarkable is this? In the new earth, there will be no tears, not one tear. Not a tear of pain or of suffering or of misfortune or of regret, disappointment, crying in sympathy for the pain of others. And no crying because of death. No tears. In fact, there'll be no death. Paul says, "Death is the last enemy that will be destroyed." Christ will crush it and death will die. And there will no longer be any mourning or crying, and no pain.

You know what? Even as I speak to you this morning, there are people sitting in this room who, because of the fact that we live in a fallen world, deal with relentless, constant pain. God wants you to know there's coming a new earth in which no one who knows Him will experience one single moment of pain. Verse 4 says "the first things have passed away." They've gone out of existence. Everything in this life that is connected to sin and the curse will be gone. All sorrow, all suffering, all tragedy, all evil, all sin.

You say that sounds almost too good to be true. Well, it does almost sound too good to be true. And so, in verses 5 through 8, God underscores the certainty that this will happen, the certainty of the new heaven and the new earth. Notice in verse 5, God speaks: "[And] He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'" And then He underscores that it's trustworthy because of His character. He says, "Write these things down, John, because these words are faithful and true." Why? Because God's faithful and true. God's never lied. This is what He will do.

And then He says, "It's true as well, because of my nature. I am the Alpha and the Omega. I'm the First Letter in the alphabet. I'm the Last Letter in the alphabet. I am the Source of all things. I am the End of all things, and I encompass all things. All things live and move and have their being in Me. I am A to Z, I can do this." God says, "Trust Me, it will happen. I am making all things new."

And then He says, "How do you get in?" Verse 6: "'I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.'" You don't have to pay anything to get into the new earth, to get into this eternal city. He who overcomes. That's in the book of Revelation, that's the one who stays faithful, who remains committed to Christ, who has accepted the sacrifice of Christ as his only hope of heaven, who has repented of his sins and just keeps following Christ, that's the overcomer. He will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. God says it's certain. You can trust me.

Well, I hope you enjoyed that as we begin to look at what awaits us in the future. Lord willing, next Sunday night we'll continue, and we'll look at more of the practical side of what's life in the future going to be for us. What is it going to be like when we live on a new earth? So, I hope you'll join us then. Until then, the Lord bless you and I hope you have a wonderful week.

Let's finish our time with prayer together. You pray with me. Father, we do rejoice in what we've learned tonight. Thank You that You are sovereign over all, that You are moving human history as we know it toward its conclusion, and that someday You will renew this planet and we'll live here with You for a thousand years. But Lord, we thank You that then the day will come when You will destroy all that exists and You will recreate a new heaven and a new earth, made for us, made for us to dwell with You forever. Lord, we long for that day. Make again these wonderful truths, dear and precious to our hearts. Help us even this week to live in the light of them. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Good night. Have a great week.