A new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells

“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13)

 

Many people expect to see ‘a new heaven and a new earth.’ As the world is so suspicious in a mess these days, there are more things to talk about the end of the world than before. Most people who talk about the end of the world seem to be seized in anxious mind in general. Then is it normal for me to be anxious like others, too, or should I just live with relaxed mind different to those? Perhaps it is desirable neither this nor that. It will be good to do according to the faith oneself has, and if we are in right faith, we could be anytime comfortable. The fundamental answer how to meet a situation of the world can be found in the word of God given through Peter the apostle. After all, the matter of faith in the Lord is most important for us.

 

Since the old days, people have been commonly worried concerning ‘the last days’ whenever the society is confused. That was not sudden or unexpected in that social situation, and in fact it was nothing but only little meaningless iteration in history. The ‘last days’ they said reflected a sign of shift in society and state of that time. The situation that Shilla dynasty, which unified the Three Kingdoms period, was about to fall at the last after more than 1000 years of time and collapse, looked like the end in every aspect of politics, economy, society, and culture. However, Goryeo dynasty, which was built after the fall of Shilla, began newly a 500-year history with a different discipline and order. Also the same was true of the late Goryeo dynasty and the beginning of Joseon dynasty. Here, we need it is important to note first that the last days in the Bible and the last time of worldly country as repeated changes in history, are fundamentally different dimensions.

Saying in the text of the Bible, the ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ is another spiritual and physical worlds that are to come after the end of this world we live in at present. We don’t know it in detail what the next world really looks like. To make us guess the difference between the next world and this world, it says in <2 Peter 3:8>, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” That explains the next world that transcends the current concept of time, and it means that this world created by God will be able to change newly. In the drama of assumption, a person can be moved into other space under the subject of so-called time travel, and the length of time even changes different by places of time travel. At present, that’s definitely a story of hypothetical reality. But it remains to be seen whether scientific ability in future will enable time travel between the past and the future. It would not even impossible to happen such a change in a world that God makes and changes. For God can get any changes fulfill according to His will.

Regardless long or short in time, there is only one important purpose that God does so. That is because of expectation for people to be saved and to repent in Christ the Savior. God wants everyone to repent and live return to His arms, by enduring even the sinners for a long time. Through many prophets and servants, God, who has so far made the Messiah known, speaks of Christ’s salvation through the Holy Spirit even now when the times are confused. Therefore it’s not something at all for us to be worried about or anxious. Then what would we be the matter if the last day comes suddenly like a thief? If we only live in Jesus with a right faith, everything will be properly solved.

Even if the moment the world changes comes suddenly and secretly, we can know it clearly how the changes do. As the written in <2 Peter 3:10>, “The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.”, the order of natural phenomena will collapse and all actualities will be revealed. That’s not a strange thing at all, but also it’s not something not to understand by people. Just with what scientists say, it’s possible simply to have the answer deduced. The earth is decrepit, the natural environment has been destroyed, and warming is gradually flooding the surface of the sea level and the river mouth. What will be happen if we don’t know or turn a blind eye to these changes of world? Peter the apostle asked and demanded this. “What kind of people ought you to be?” And the answer is “You ought to live holy and godly lives.” as in <2 Peter 3:11>.

 

The new heaven and the new earth we expect is the world of whole righteousness given by the promise of God. God’s promise will be surely kept on time. The word “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” in is a definite promise from God. The Teacher of grace, the Holy Spirit who accompanies with us within the grace of Jesus, testifies Christ the Savior to us. That displays a fact those who believe in Jesus with the Holy Spirit dwell by God's righteousness after all. Thus, everyone who has been saved in Jesus can greet the new heaven and the new earth with peaceful mind.

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on Oct 25th 2020)