New Heaven and New Earth (Rev. 21:1-2)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/23/2005

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  New Heaven & Earth

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  Revelations 21:1-2

 

            Message of the verse:  “1 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.  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.”

            Even though John describes some new things in these last two chapters of the letter, it is sometimes hard to get a grasp on what it all will look like and be like. 

Dr. Wiersbe points out some things in his book on Revelation concerning these final two chapters that are worth recording here.

 

Genesis                                                           Revelation

Heavens and earth created 1:1                        New heavens and earth, 21:1

Sun created 1:16                                             No need of the sun, 21:23

The night established, 1:5                               No night there, 22:5

The seas created, 1:10                                    No more seas, 21:1

The curse announced, 3:14-17            No more curse, 22:23

Death enters history, 3:19                               No more death, 21:4

Man driven from the garden, 3:24                   Man restored to paradise, 22:14

Sorrow and pain begin, 3:17                           No more tears or pain, 21:4

 

            There are disagreements among Bible scholars as to what happens to the old heaven and earth when the new one’s come into existence.  2 Peter 3:10 says that the earth will be destroyed by fire:  “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.”  The word used as elements means “basis building block” and could be referring to atoms, and since scientist do not know what holds the atoms together, but we do, for Jesus is said to hold things together, if the power of them were suddenly released, then the entire universe would be destroyed and it would be just as Peter describes it here by fire. 

            John goes on to write that there will no longer be any sea on this new earth.  The present earth is 3/4 water, but this will not be the case of the new earth.

            In verse two John goes on to describe the New Jerusalem, as it comes down out of heaven from God and it is made for the bride adorned for her husband.  John is describing the beauty of the New Jerusalem.  In John 14:1 Jesus tells His disciples that He is going away to make a place for them, and some believe that the New Jerusalem is what He was referring to. 

            One more thing about the new heaven and earth, and that is that they were written about in the OT, and I will give two quotes from Isaiah:  Isa. 65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.”  Isa. 66:22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will endure before Me," declares the LORD, ‘So your offspring and your name will endure.’”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I begin these two final two chapters of a quest that began a long time ago for me I come to a point in the Scriptures that there is a lot of controversy over with different Biblical scholars, as some think that the things that are contained in this whole letter are “spiritual” and not literal.  I disagree with them as I believe that the things written in the wonderful letter will happen just as John wrote them, although I must admit that I surely do not understand all of the things written in this letter.  The best way to study the letter of Revelation is to compare it with the rest of the Scriptures, for by doing that one can get a better grasp on the literalness of its content.

            These last two chapters are chapters of hope for me as a believer in Jesus Christ living in the 21^st century on planet earth, for in them I can see that there will come a time

In the not to distance future when all of these things will come to past, and as I go through some tests and trials in my life at this time, I can look to the future with hopefulness, (a noun not a verb), and realize that all of these things that I am going through will be worth it all when I see Jesus.

 

The Word of God was very refreshing to my heart as I read and studied it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord in the trials of life, and to believe that someday when this life is over that I will be with my Lord forever.